The first FPB 70 is taking shape now at Circa. Like the preceding 16 FPBs, the 70 begins life as …Read More
ムダ毛処理に何よりも用いられるのがカミソリなのですが…。
ムダ毛処理に何よりも用いられるのがカミソリなのですが、現実的には、カミソリはクリームであったり石鹸で大切なお肌…
Press Reviews and Awards
We are delighted to have received a wide range of press coverage in newspapers, magazines, television and radio from across the country and around the world. Listed below is some of the media coverage from the last few years along with a list of awards from Tripadvisor, Booking.com, and … Continue reading →
Washabuck River
We’d never seen flocks of eagles before, but that was practically the scene at Indian Island at the head of Wyhcocomagh Bay. We anchored in the pristine Washabuck River and ran the tender twenty-five miles up Wyhcocomagh Bay. As we rounded the southwest point of Indian Island, we saw an eagle in a tree, then…
AGIOS NIKOLAOS
Envoy is currently anchored off the northern coast of Corfu Island.
In Crete it’s just a short cruise from Spinalongas to the marina at Agios Nikolaos where we’re berthing Envoy for a few days to do some inland touring with Sharon, Doug and our daughter, Amy (who has flown in from London for a long weekend).
Here is the furthermost point we’ll be from our home base at Lefkas and we take on 1,500 litres of diesel from a tanker that pulls alongside costing 1.10 Euros (about NZ$1.83) per litre. This sounds like a lot of fuel but will enable Envoy to cruise more than 1,200 miles at our average consumption of 6-8 litres per hour.
Fuel tanker refuelling Envoy
We spend a day visiting some inland mountain villages and the Lasithi Plateau – an extremely fertile large green plain surprisingly located 900 metres high in the hills and where all manner of produce is grown. Water for cultivation used to be lifted from bores using windmills, in fact about 7,000 were constructed during the 17th century, some still used today.
The villages are exactly as you might picture them – narrow winding streets, where a car has to pull over to let an oncoming car through, ancient, rustic buildings, mostly in a poor state of repair and some derelict, peeling paint in white and blue, old men with waistcoats and moustaches sitting outside small tavernas looking up with interest as a car passes to ease their boredom, elderly hunched-over women dressed totally in black.
We stop at a taverna for a great lunch of roast wild pork with home-grown potatoes and vegetables followed by the inevitable free dessert of fresh fruit.
Next day we drive to Mochlos, a fishing village turned swimming beach surrounded by tavernas but retaining some natural charm, tranquility and character. Mochlos beach has several atmospheric tavernas
Laurie and Amy at Mochlos
Mochlos Beach
Agios Nikolaos itself is a great place to visit and we enjoy strolling through the many lanes, and sitting in waterfront tavernas watching the world go by.
Doug, Sharon, Amy and Laurie enjoy evening drinks in a taverna at Agios Nikolaos
Here we also visit the Port Police to provide a new Crew List, required when different visitors (crew) join the vessel. There used to be a requirement to report to the Port Police in every port or marina you visit (except when anchoring), though this need has been abolished.
There are very few areas to anchor on Crete’s north coast offering good shelter, because the “Meltemi” wind is consistently from the NW or N generating a one to two metre swell. The coast is roughly 140 miles from east to west, but there are only about six harbours or marinas and five good most weather anchorages along its entire length. There are many more very small, shallow sheltered bays suitable for use by small shallow draught boats , but not for visiting cruising boats.
A BBQ by candlelight in Envoy’s cockpit
From Agios Nikolaos we cruise for about seven hours to the island of Nisos Dhia, correctly described as “bleak” in the Cruising Guide, though two south-facing bays offer reasonable shelter from the predominant northerly wind. We have a 20 knot headwind, choppy sea on the bow and easterly current reducing our speed to about 4.8 knots most of the way before sharing our anchorage with just two yachts and a fishing boat.
Anchorage at Nisos Dhia
Seven Year Report: the Crew
the Furthur crew crosses the Equator
The Seventh year of this great adventure The found us in the wilds of Indonesia, Raja Amput on the ill-fated Rally. We had two girls on for this entire trip, two enthusiastic divers and great cooks. The girls stayed with us through the rally course and back to Samal Island. When we reached the now dismal marina the girls Our seventh year found us in the heart Raja Amput, Indonesia on
information. If it says it on a website it is true and nothing else can be. We had one chuckle over this as we headed to the most famous and spectacular area, Wayag. After a long and often exhausting voyage I was really ready to drop that hook and leave it for a week. Wayag was the ideal spot for such a reprise. The collection of small islands is just far enough that most of the livaboard dive boats do not go there. Hence the inter net information is limited. I had heard that, amongst other attractions, the area was ripe with manta rays. One of the crew did not agree as the internet did not say so. She questioned why we would go there as –she is now emphatically pointing to her Ipad—there are only three places in Indonesia with mantas, it says so right here! Well imagine my chagrin when we anchored and saw huge mantas leaping just feet from the boat, hahaha.
After a short stay at Samal we headed into the Pacific Ocean for the voyage back north. For the first time in seven years I could not find crew on findacrew who wanted to join us. The area was just too dangerous. I recognized this and stopped trying to recruit. We were able to pick up a couple from the marina who helped in four-day trip to Cebu.
From then on it was Donna and I as we did long day hops but no over nighters thru the islands of central Philippines. We did pick up a couple of girls short term for the rest of the season but mostly just us.
Furthur did have one new outstanding new addition who is now a permanent part time crew member, Piam, Donna’s five-year-old son. He has taken to boat life like a duck to water, loves the dinghy, faster faster, the radio “service boat, pick up at Furthur” and is a champion of the environment, we did a daily kayak trip picking up plastic bottles. It is an absolute joy and blessing to have him on the boat and in my life. I am now Tito Brian!
None of this year would have been near as wonderful without my love, my friend, my companion and First Mate; Donna. Now 18 months with me and on the boat, she has made it her home and become invaluable help. My friend Behan from SV Totem, my family guru, says cruising life is like dog life in relationships, one year equals seven. We have been together, face to face, 24/7 for this time so I agree. We have grown into a great team and having a blast.
Now being “a couple” has certainly changed the dynamic of my crew situation.
With a very few exceptions Donna has bonded with the crew instantly. A couple of the gals have taught Donna to cook, one of the many things she thought not possible. Her success is evident in my expanded tummy, (more on that in a later report). Donna gave diving a good try but just did not take to it, so she has become the dinghy driver, an excellent live boat tender. Asian girls tend not to like to swim, nor are able. Donna overcame this fear and is now able to swim a bit of distance. The list of things not natural to her that she has learned is impressive, more to come.
As we have been tied to the dock for a few months, there has been no need for crew. We will again be cruising soon and have already lined up crew for next year’s adventures. We are both eager to get back out there!!
Make Your Dream Your Story
Capt. Brian Calvert
M/Y Furthur
www.furthuradventures.com
Seven Year Report: the Crew
the Furthur crew crosses the Equator The Seventh year of this great adventure The found us in the wilds of Indonesia, Raja Amput on the ill-fated Rally. We had two girls on for this entire trip, two enthusiastic divers and great cooks. The girls staye…
Boom – Fail
So my drastic ‘backyard eyeball engineering’ plan to use a home made boom to lift the engine into the boat doesn’t appear to be workable.Backyard BoomI anchored it down this morning and took the full load of the engine. It will lift it, no problem, but…
Bob, Caleb, and Chad…
It’s been 3 months since Dylan and Dee Dee pulled into Zimmerman Marine on their new boat Red Head. That’s a long time for this crew to stay in one place, especially when you can’t walk to a beach for a swim!It hasn’t been the most exciting time for Dy…
Sydney
Despite 1) falling rain, 2) a forecast for thunderstorms, 3) an exposed run through the edge of the North Atlantic 4) uncertainty about anywhere to land the tender, and 5) a potentially difficult re-entry to Little Bras d’Or channel into a strong ebb current against a freshening northerly wind, the shorter and admittedly slightly more…
