World Wide Sailing » Sailing

Going Sailing out in the Mediterranean

Sailor — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:24:23 +0000

I doubt there is one, but if you’re the sort of yachtie who likes to use his engine to get out of the marina, immediately set his sails, and only use the engine to get into a harbour, then you’ll be disappointed. There’s a lot of motoring in the Med.
The wind tends to blow along the Spanish coast, either east or west along the Costa del Sol, and then just when you think you’ll get the wind on the beam as you turn the corner, you get it on the nose again. Actually, that’s not quite correct, because for 10-20 miles north of the south-east corner, the wind continues to blow east-west. Even when the wind blows, it doesn’t usually start before 12 noon, and sometimes not till later.
So the thing to do is hurry up across to the Balearics, because we found that the winds around the islands are good sailing winds. You often get good winds round Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza, and there are plenty of good anchorages and marinas to stay in. It is a great cruising ground, particularly the north-east of Majorca, and most of Menorca.
Most people think of the Med as being either calm, or with just a breeze, but it can blow as strongly down there as around Devon and Cornwall. The difference is that the wind can come from nowhere and get up to a force 7-8 in half an hour. And neither the sky nor the barometer give you much clue.
Caught Out in an inland sea
We’ve been fairly lucky in this respect, but once we were caught out badly. We had cunningly anchored off the less popular side of an island in the inland sea of La Manga. All was well the first night, and the next day, and then the wind was supposed to turn around and come from the east, I think it was, but not until the next day. At about 8 pm the wind from the west dropped, and we expected nothing to happen – the nights are often calm. Within 30 minutes, the wind had not just gone around to the north, but was blowing at a force six -pushing us onto the island!
We couldn’t go around the other side because the water was not deep enough, so we had to go into the marina in the canal that leads out of the inland sea. That would have been easy enough except that the lights marking the entrance to the canal were not working, and by the time we got there it was pitch dark.
That was not all; owing to silting, they had had to mark out a channel to the canal, and this was a dog-leg marked by ropes connecting a few buoys – red and white would you believe. Worse than that, there was only one white light, and a couple of red ones at the beginning of the funnel, as it were, to the canal. So of course, we could not see them and just had to inch our way toward the wall until I suddenly saw a stick silhouetted in the sky.
At that moment, we got so close to the rope marking the channel that it caught around the skeg, but fortunately slipped off easily enough. Even when we got into the marina we had a job mooring as the wind was blowing us so hard off the jetty – the only space left being the fuelling jetty, which did not amuse the man in charge of it when he arrived the next morning.
We’ve since learned that the Spaniards in particular are not good at placing and lighting buoys, and that they often don’t bother to replace ones that are damaged. Night sailing is best reserved for long passages in the open sea.
So, like anywhere else, unexpected things can happen when you sail in the Med, but you visit some great places, meet some lovely people, and can have some great sailing so long as you know where to go – that does not include the south Spanish mainland!
We’ve now spent six seasons cruising in the Med, gradually going east from Estepona, and many people ask:
“Is the Mediterranean the ideal place to sail?”

Learning Your Sailboat

Sailor — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:43:43 +0000

There’s no better way to get the feel from a boat you’re not used to than to sail with only the mainsail. It minimizes the touch points you need to pay attention to and keeps your speed at a manageable level. Your mainsail is important in the dynamics of the boat’s forward drive and sailing with it alone will help you isolate nuances of its effect. Different boat designs have an impact on what part the mainsail plays in the handling of the boat. For instance, fractional rigs rely more heavily on the mainsail than the headsail and its sailing characteristics are considerably different.

It’s important to understand that without a headsail, the boat will not “point” or sail well into the wind. So keep this in mind when choosing your course and area of sail. Don’t get into trouble in shallow water or areas where you need to head higher into the wind because the boat probably won’t help you out of that jam. You will notice however that the boat sails downwind well. With the sheet eased well out the yacht will move considerably well. Again, reaching and closed hauled sailing will be slow and you may experience considerable weather helm.

Try different maneuvers like tacking and jibing. The boat may or may not tack well through the wind. Note its performance and characteristics when doing so. Practice turning in as tight a circle as possible. Know the radius will be beneficial in real life experiences like racing or maneuvering in a tight space with only the main. The boat will luff up easily and it usually takes more momentum to tack than with both sails up. You may even stall the boat and that’s ok. Again, your purpose here is to learn.

Especially if you plan on racing, the skill of sailing under mainsail alone is extremely important. Pre-race maneuvering demands knowing how your mainsail will react in all points of sail and in confined areas. Its also just good seamanship to take in your headsail first when coming into dock or starting the engine so take some time to learn your boat under mainsail only – you won’t regret the effort.
About the Author
Steve has been sailing for over 20 years and writing about the subject for 4 years. Come visit his latest website and current interest at http://www.silvercrossnecklace.net/ which helps people find the rightsilver cross necklace at the right price as well as offering a wide variety of other necklaces, charms and jewlery.

Visit A Sailing Paradise In Turkey For Your Next Holiday Or Vacation

Sailor — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:40:38 +0000

Sailing Turkey's Turquoise Coast

If you like sunshine, the smell of the sea air, water sports, Mediterranean cuisine, and a chance to visit important historical sites, then you should set your sites on Turkey. It is here where you can explore one of civilization’s great crossroads, choosing from a variety of sailing options.

You don’t have to be a sailor to enjoy a sea holiday in Turkey. One of the popular choices of tourists in Turkey is to hire a crewed yacht. On a crewed yacht, a professional crew takes care of the boating and you can turn your attention to snorkeling, soaking in the sun, visiting quaint villages, historical sites and enjoying the dishes prepared by the onboard chef.

If you fancy travelling on a vessel that is reminiscent of a romantic galleon or old pirate ship, then a cruise on a Gulet (or Gullet) is in order. Gulets are traditional wooden and handmade Turkish boats, usually equipped with a crew of three comprising of the captain, the cook, and a sailor. The boats have a motor as well as sails. The route can be fixed , or arranged to the preferences of the group, and the group shares the expenses.

Although Gulets are traditional vessels, the modern touring Gullets are fully equipped with the comfort of the tourist in mind. They usually contain four to ten cabins, equipped with en-suite showers, WCs and hot water facilities. Turkish Gulets also have music systems, navigational, electronic, fishing and diving equipment. Spacious and light sitting-space provided at the back of the boat is one of the distinguishing characteristics and advantages of this type of vessel. Sitting at the large table in this section, you can have your meals under the sunshade, you can get a sun tan or you may watch stars at night.

For those who want more freedom and enjoy doing their own sailing, then the best choice is a “bareboat” vacation. “Bareboating” is the term given to a chartered holiday where you hire a whole vessel for a fixed period. You will be fully responsible for the boat and can sail her yourself, if you have a licensed captain in your group, or hire a professional to do it for you.

Along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey there are a number of scenic routes that you can choose from touching a rich array of historical sites including the ancient cities of Pergamon, Ephesus, Miletus, Knidos, Xanthos, Myra, Perge, Aspendos and Side. There are also dozens of other, smaller sites dating back many thousands of years, the remains of which are equally as interesting. If you are on a Gulet cruise with a full crew, then you will benefit from an experienced guide with a deep knowledge of the area.

The Mediterranean is also renowned for its great cuisine and a cruise holiday in Turkey will give you a chance to get acquainted with Turkish hospitality and the colorful and tasty dishes of this region

Sunshine, the sea, historical sites, sailing, swimming and fine cuisine: add it all up and you have the makings of an unforgettable holiday or vacation.

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About the Author

Gurhan Ebren is the owner of El Paso Travels, a tourism and travel agency specializing in yacht and sailing tours in Turkey, since 1985. Visit http://www.elpasotravel.net to find out more about sailing holidays in Turkey.