Looks like it's going to be a rough crossing

Still keeping a close eye on the weater. It looks like it's going to be a bit rough. They are predicting about 20-24 knots of wind so that's about a 7. If this stays on we may have to delay for a couple of hours in IJmuiden but we can't delay for too long. If we stay in IJmuiden too long we will arrive in Lowestoft in the dark. This is possible but not favorable. In front of the cost are the Holm Sands and we have to pick up the south holm cardinal boy that marks the beginning of the stanford channel behind the banks. If you miss this you may end up on the sands, as my dad has experienced years ago. So we would like to arrive in the daylight but we also want to have a calm crossing. A bit of a catch 22. We'll figure it out when we arrive in IJmuiden.
Tomorrow is Koninginnedag, a big festive party in Holland. We are going to sell some old junk and I have arranged to meet at the marina at 16.00 hours. We leave at 17.00 for amsterdam and IJmuiden.
Will keep you posted!
Cheers
Nick

Ready to go!

She FLOATS!! Two weeks ago Dannick was refloated and set back into her bearth in Muiden. While she was on dryland I polished the heck out of her so you need to wear sunglasses as not to be blinded by her shiny topsides.

I have mouted all her sails and have made everything in order for the first real trip of the season. All her provisions have been restocked so there is plenty of booze and today I have filled her diesel tanks.

The weather for the trip looks alright. We are leaving in the evening of the 30th and there is a low forcast just over the UK with strong winds near landsend. Hope they stay there. Further up the channel at the height of our crossing, winds of around 15-23 knots are forcast. Lets hope the waives are low. It looks a bit rainy but that's not going to stop us. This is the GRIB file for the 30th at 18.00 hours:

Still lying high and dry

She is still lying indoors, her hull and topsides clean and polished, fresh antifouling below the waterline... Just waiting for her first dive in the cold spring water! She can't wait, just like me!

Cheers
Nick

Updating links

I am continualy updating the links sections on the left of this blog with interesting and relevant links to sites that are related to sailing, dufour, my sailingclubs, races, weather or other yachting related stuff. I like to use this myself als a bookmark to other pages I frequent. Don't forget to check to see if there is something in here you like!

Cheers
Nick

Muiden - Lowestoft - Muiden

On the 30th of April we are leaving for Lowestoft. Here is a quick snapshot of our projected route! Click on the image for a better, more detailed overview.


Cheers

Nick

Zilt TV at the Hiswa Boatshow

Part 1


Part 2

Preparing for Fastnet 2009

I have one great wish in the racing arena (well maybe two) and that is to sail the Fastnet Race. This is the titan of races in the northern hemisphere. Together with a friend I am preparing a campaign to see if this is something that can be realized. Also to find out if I will enjoy such a long time at sea racing.
The plan is not do sail in Dannick but in my friend Johan's yacht Sundance II which is a C&C designed Baltic 42. We are now mustering a crew and are going to do some preparation races. The main prep race will be the Colin Archer Memorial Race to be sailed in july. This is a 4 day challenge of around 400 NM. We have to sail this as a requirement for the Fastnet. Also Johan is and some other of the fastnet and camr crew will be sailing the Vuurschepenrace and the NorthSea Race in preparation.

To get Sundance ready and fit for these challenges Johan is repairing some old damage including removing the keel. This is an exciting thing to see!

Also he has ordered new sails, an E-PIRB and navigational equipment. All in all it's looking to be a great project! I will probably make a separate blog for this project!

Start of the season in sight

The buzz has started! Getting ready for a fantastic 2008 sailing season!

We have registered for the "Hemelvaartstocht" to Lowestoft. This year will be the first time I will officially enter in the organized trip to Lowestoft.

The idea is to take Dannick to IJmuiden where from where we will start on the 30th of April in the evening. We hope to arrive in Lowestoft in the afternoon of the 1st. The trip back will be on the 3rd. This time my uncle Philip and cousin Mark will crew together with my dad Dan. Mark and Philip will come from the UK, sail back to Lowestoft on Dannick and sail back to Muiden and head back to the UK after that. But we will have some fun!

The boat is now lying indoors with her hull in a sinlge coat of wax. I will give her another coat of special UV protective wax before she is launched. Also she needs a good scrubbing of het topsides. Important for our Lowestoft trip is the new radar reflector that is going to be mounted. Apart from a much better visibility the old reflector was collecting moisture so I had it replaced for this smaller but much more effective model.

Cheers

Nick

Made a trip in the tender

Great weater this weekend. I made a trip in the dingy today. Nice little tour of the harbour with the dog. I will need to find a new cover for the dingy when she is on deck. I will have to see a sailmaker to make this.
Cheers

Nick

Dufour 34 broach under spinnaker

Copied from http://sailorman-blog.blogspot.com/

Test post via mobile

This is a test of a post from my mobile Phone.
Cheers
Nick

Electronics

This winter I am revamping the whole instrumentation on board. I have drawn up a diagram of the entire navigation and communication system. This will include the onboard pc.

Information comes from the sensors Windspeed and angle, Depth, Log (speed), GPS, AIS, SeaTemp and feeds via SeaTalk Network and NMEA into a multiplexer. This feeds in to the DSC VHF, into the AutoPilot and Plotter and also into the PC. On the PC at the nav station I will be running various software tools like a simple chartplotter program, instrument repeaters, a tactic tool for speed optimization, weater routing software (GRIB files), internet, this BLOG and more. Also I will be logging my performance data for later analyses to see what works and what doesn't.

It's just for fun because the serious navigation will be done from the Raymarine C70 plotter which has all the information already but this will be a nice and fun addition. Currenly most of the installation has been done. It's now up to testing and refining the various software components. A report will follow!

Cheers
Nick

Winter work...

Over the course of the last weekends I have done some essential winter tasks. This included the obvious polishing of the outside of the hull. She was pretty dirty but because I do this regularly the black rainstripes and other dirt came off easy enough. I still have to do her topsides and set the whole in a layer of UV resistant wax to keep her going next season.

Another job was with the bed matrass in the owners cabin. To get some more ventilation I found a great solution on the Dusseldorf boatshow. It is a special weave of polyester fleece that lets air pass underneeth the matrass. It is very stiff to a spread load but compresses rather softly to a point load so it makes the bed a bit softer as well. Here are some pictures of what it looks like. I just cut it into shape with a pair of scissors. Looks nice, no?

They are doing lots of work in the harbour this winter. They are dredging the entire area to 3.2m deep at wither level which is great because with my 1.95m I do touch the mud sometimes in my birth. I took the dog out for a look at the dregework and he liked it so much that he leaped from the jetty into the Vecht River about 1.5m below four feet first with an amazing jump. No fear! I managed to drag him back by his neckcolor.

Another strange thing to see was divers and officers from the Dutch Crime Investigation Unit. They were looking on the IJsselmeer and diving in the 30m deep dredgepits for a body that went missing some time ago. Never a dull moment at the harbour!

New Years Drink in Muiden

Yesterday we had our New Years drink in the yachtclub in Muiden. It was nice to see everyone again and it made me think a bit on the coming season. I have posponed my wish to sail to Cowes for yet another year. With all the skiing, the yachtracing and the family responsibilities it's going to be hard to fit in anyway.
I will be pursueing my great wish to sail the Fastnet race in 2009. In order to do this we are going to have to make a number of miles racing with part of the fastnet crew. As we are going to be sailing with Johan's ship Sundance (a Baltic 42) we will be sailing the Colin Archer Memorial Race this year from Lauwersoog to Larvik.

On Dannick we are going to do a quick hop to Lowestoft in May and probably take her to Zeeland for a month in June. There we are going to make a few daytrips and a number of holidays on board. Hope we get some nice sunny days.

Cheers!
Nick