On the move at last!
Scott-Free’s blog
Steve & Chris
Sat 11 Dec 2010 14:34
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28:13.36N 16:21.98W
Saturday 11th December 2010
We've at last left Tenerife for Cape Verdes. The
northerly trade winds that are supposed to set have not yet happened - probably
down to climate change. So we have been getting unusual southerly followed by a
few days of northerly. This does not sound too bad waiting for the winds but as
the marinas don't expect southerlies they don't worry about protecting the
harbour. The consequence of this is a massive surge into the marina, if you
looked along the main pontoon we were moored against you could see a pretty
impressive sine wave with an amplitude of a couple of feet at times! So it was
"interesting" walking along it let alone being moored against it! That said,
Santa Cruz marina was an excellent place to stock up for a long passage. Chris
particularly enjoyed Corte Ingles (Spanish John Lewis dept store) and Steve got
on first name terms with the guy in the Chandlery. The locals were mostly very
friendly and helpful. An example was on the last day Rob from Serafina realised
he had neither paper or electronic charts for the Verdes! When Rob asked in the
Chandlery the guy said he'd have some in a couple of days. When Rob told him the
were leaving tomorrow, he said "But you have been here a month and you leave it
to now!!" Anyway at about 1830 that evening there was a knock on Serafina's hull
(not us going for drinks for a change) and lo and behold if the chanderly
guy had not driven down to the marina because a delivery had arrived and he
thought the charts might be in the box! It was Rob's lucky day or night because
there were some Verdes charts in the delivery!
The blog may have been quiet the last few months
but we have been beavering away in the background getting Scott-Free ready for
her second Atlantic crossing. The non-sailors reading may wonder why anything
would need to be done to a proven ocean going boat. Well things change and
anyone who knows Steve will know he is always designing and making things -
old habits die hard!!
Anyway here's a selection:
Bowsprit for attaching the cruising chute.
We met a another Contest (Nimue) who wanted one,
so a deal was done for two off! Yet to be used in
anger.
 Gimballed cup holder, made from a chopping block.
Works really well.
 New towed generator bracket bolted onto davit
mount. A picture is worth a thousand words - the generator rope
actually spinning!
 The reason for a bracket - it had to clear the
hull of the rib! The catenary of the rope clearly showing it does - phew the
calcs were right!!
 A cover for the rib.
We debated whether to put the rib on the
foredeck for the crossing or leave it on the davits. As you can see we went for
the latter, the decision was helped by talking to the previous owner who
tried it both ways. After a six year circumnavigation he favoured on the davits
- with caveats that it needed strops underneath in case it deflated and a cover
in case one is pooped. Thanks Gavin, you can see we took your advice! We'd had
the strops made and welding done to the davits in Turkey just in case, so it
only left making a cover.
 Now to Steve's favourite. Anyone who has sat on a
sea toilet will appreciate the extra nylon blocks - the seat does not move
sideways anymore. Result!
And for those who have noticed a decidedly techy
tone to this blog entry, I have finally managed to persuade Steve to take up the
pen! (or keyboard!) - Chris So just to balance it out a bit, here are a
couple of interesting shots:
 Washing & preparing fresh fruit & veg
for a long
passage.
A snow-capped Mount Teide as we leave Tenerife
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