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Envoy is located at Lefkas Marina, Greece.
Cruisers have a popular saying: “the cruising life is fixing your boat in exotic locations” and this carries a lot of truth – during our several months of cruising the Med each year we meet many fellow cruisers – mostly with sailing yachts, and inevitably conversation soon turns to the subject of what equipment needs fixing. Regardless of the type of boat or its age we have yet to meet a cruiser who says nothing on his boat needs attention.

Anchoring in great bays like these is a major part of cruising but not without some technical work too

Most cruisers are very pragmatic about this and don’t let a technical problem spoil their cruising. For example we’ve cruised for a whole season without a working water maker and another without our hydraulic stabilisers. Of course there was some irritation about these circumstances but we didn’t let them interfere with our cruising plans – if you become overly pedantic about non mission-critical problems you may never cast off from the marina to start your adventures.
In New Zealand we’re fortunate in having a tremendous infrastructure of qualified and competent marine technicians and spare parts availability, but this is often not the case when cruising overseas and can be further complicated by a lack of knowledge of the local situation and by different languages. Cruisers like us, who mostly relied on service contractors when boating in home waters, soon learn to become independent and try to tackle as much as possible themselves.
Fortunately there are many sources of technical information available to assist the cruiser, and at various times we’ve used most of the following:
– Our own boat’s technical manual originally prepared by the manufacturer and added to by owners
– On board instruction manuals and spare parts lists from original equipment suppliers
– Contact with the boat’s manufacturer, previous owners and owners’ associations
– Contact with the manufacturer of the equipment in question
– Technical reference books carried aboard (such as Nigel Calder’s “Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual”)
– Technical articles copied from boating magazines
– Talking with other skippers
– Local marine engineering companies
– Agents for the equipment in question both locally and back in New Zealand
– Internet searches for information
– The many available You Tube videos showing how to perform numerous technical tasks

Among many other tasks during 2015 our main rudder bearing needed replacement

…………as did our toilet’s joker valves

But we inevitably need to have work done by contractors when we don’t have the knowledge or skills to carry out a task and recent examples have been changing injectors, setting valve clearances and reconditioning a starter motor and alternator.
When we need a contractor we try to find out who the best ones are by talking with other cruisers, and we always remain on board while the job is done. This is necessary because contractors normally arrive without any manuals or information, and often without even adequate tools to complete the task – recently an electrician arrived for a fault-finding job on our electric head and needed to borrow our multimeter! Working alongside contractors is also a great way to increase our technical skills.
Contractors in some overseas regions often don’t deliver the service we expect and mostly receive in New Zealand; example – an Italian service agent for a well known European engine brand “fixed” an engine oil leak by placing a plastic container under the leak to catch the drips. On the positive side we have found many skilled and resourceful contractors very adept at repairing failed components rather than replacing them with expensive and difficult-to-source new ones.
To maximize your technical security and independence it’s essential to carry onboard a comprehensive toolkit, complete spare parts and manuals for all installed equipment, and an extensive range of chandlery items.
It’s often said that the cost of maintaining a cruising boat is about ten per cent of the boat’s capital value each year, but over six years we’ve found between five and six per cent to be closer to the mark (not including fuel and oil). Our philosophy is to maintain our boat in tip-top condition mechanically, better than average condition cosmetically and to strike a balance between preventative maintenance and “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
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Envoy is currently located at Lefkas marina, Greece.
We have fond memories of all six power boats we’ve owned, each one being a great experience and serving us well during different phases of our lives. But one stands out in our minds as extra special; our very first boat purchased in 1982, a 5.3 metre Seacraft Valencia powered with a Mercruiser 140hp petrol sterndrive. We still remember seeing this boat for the first time in the Seacraft showroom, thinking how big she looked sitting high on her tandem-axle trailer and admiring her rugged no-nonsense GRP clinker-hull styling.

Mokruiser on trailer

Then we met Seacraft director Lionel Sands and discovered this boat was special as she’d been built for his family use and included many optional extras. The boat was called Mokruiser, and Lionel explained the unusual name was based on the contraction of Mercruiser and Moko Hinau Islands (off the north-east coast of New Zealand’s North Island), where Lionel made regular fishing and diving expeditions from the family beach house near the Whangarei Heads. These Moko Hinaus, some 35 miles out from the Heads, can be a rough trip but the rewards are excellent fishing for snapper and kingfish as well as diving in the clear waters for large crayfish.
Mokruiser’s pedigree was sufficient to convince us that she would meet all our needs at that time, and during the two-year-long steep learning curve we owned her we logged 154 days cruising Auckland’s greater Hauraki Gulf, as well as trailering Mokruiser north to explore the incomparable Bay of Islands.
Most of our leisure time with our two kids was spent boating, our son introduced to boating from just a few months old strapped into a car safety seat adapted for use aboard Mokruiser. John obviously got a healthy dose of salt water into his veins as he later became first mate on a super yacht cruising Mediterranean and North American waters. After our skills and confidence grew we joined Coastguard’s volunteer Search and Rescue Group, and Mokruiser became a familiar volunteer “Rescue Cutter” back in the days before dedicated rescue craft.
We remember a day when our kids were building sand castles on a beach in Northland as we chatted with an older and wiser man who advised us to make the most of these special boating days as you don’t get a second chance. How right he was, and we never forget those early boating days and our various firsts – our first cruise around Kawau Island, the first time our kids rowed the dinghy and the first time they caught a fish with infectious excitement.

A family day out with Mokruiser in the early 1980s

Mokruiser on the right – we wouldn’t be doing this with Envoy

Thirty two years later we meet Lionel again. Of course time changes us all, but there is instant mutual recognition and we express our gratitude to Lionel for putting us on course for lives which have largely revolved around boating, logging thousands of days skippering various boats in seven different countries. Lionel proudly guides us around Seacraft (now called Seacraft Miller Moyes), and explains the various stages in the production procedure for the highly respected Haines Hunter range of outboard-powered GRP trailer boats consisting of six core models ranging from 4.85 metres up to the flagship 7.25 metres.
This is an occasion for some reflection, and Lionel recounts how they started producing wooden boats. All the early boat shows he attended comprised only wooden boats. Then GRP boats first appeared during the mid-1960s, and within a short time there were few wooden boats to be seen. Later along came the rise of aluminium boats and RHIBs, so that today’s market has a wide diversity of offerings including imported boats.
These days Lionel goes to sea in a Haines Hunter SP725 and still sometimes ventures to the Moko Hinaus, but showed us some recent photos proving that he can always catch plenty of excellent snapper much closer to the Whangarei Heads largely negating the need for such a long round trip.
We enjoyed our time with Mokruiser so much that our next two trailer boats retained the same name, and it was both satisfying and intriguing for us to meet Lionel again to be reminded of our boating roots which have stood us in good stead for many years.

Envoy is currently in Lefkas marina, Greece while we’re home in Auckland, New Zealand.
Although we had planned to continue our Med cruising aboard Envoy this year, circumstances are keeping us home until late August. Bearing in mind it takes around two weeks to prepare Envoy for the cruising season and that the weather turns wintry during November, we’ve decided to skip cruising this year. However we plan to visit Lefkas for a few weeks from September to check on Envoy, do some maintenance and explore some of the nearby Greek mainland by car – something we’ve not had time to do during normal cruising years. Meanwhile our friends at Sailand have arranged to lift Envoy from the water onto the hardstand where they will continue regular inspections, battery charging and dehumidifying.
We plan to keep the blog updated every 10 days or so with material related to cruising and to Envoy, so keep watching this space meantime.
Next year we’re planning to spend from late February to late November aboard Envoy, a longer period than usual, We’re intending to cruise up to Corfu, cross to southern Albania and cruise the Albanian coastline north (bypassing Montenegro) to Croatia, fairly quickly transit the southern half of Croatia’s coastline that we’ve already visited to explore the northern half, visit Venice and other areas of Italy’s north-east coast, call in at Montenegro on the return journey to take advantage of tax-free diesel and end up back at Lefkas once more.
If you’ve got a dream to go cruising, do it sooner than later while circumstances allow. As Mark Twain said: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines, sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade wind in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.”
Fortunately, from our home we look out across Auckland’s constantly changing Manukau Harbour, so are constantly reminded of our strong connection with the sea.

Envoy is currently in Lefkas marina while we are home in New Zealand.

Having spent most of the past six years cruising the eastern Med aboard our Nordhavn 46 passagemaker, Envoy, “what do you do all day?” is the question commonly posed by family and friends.

We don’t feel the need to be constantly “doing things”, sometimes it’s nice just to feed visiting ducks

Before going to the Med we spent over 25 years cruising the north-east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, mostly between Whitianga and Whangaroa, when many of our days were filled with fishing and diving. Even when setting off for a few weeks we’d only take meat for the first night out, knowing the rest of the time ample delicious bounty from the sea would feed us.
The Med seems to have plenty of fish. Now this seems a controversial statement, but virtually every coastal town or village we’ve visited has its own commercial fishing fleet and a fish market displaying species ranging from sardines to swordfish.

Most of the larger villages have a fish market

But we’ve observed very little leisure fishing in the Med and most fishing boats use long lines or nets, so we’ve mostly given up fishing except for trolling to put the occasional tuna on our table.

We don’t spend much time fishing, but our late friend Brian caught this small tuna, trolling a lure

We do plenty of snorkeling in the Med’s largely pristine clear waters, but in most areas you can only scuba dive in an organised group; this is to protect the many easily-accessible historic relics.
Get the picture? We have plenty of time on our hands compared with our NZ boating – how do we fill it?
So here’s another controversial statement. While the North Island’s north-east coast has some stunning coastal and offshore island natural scenery (as does much of the Med), in our opinion there are very few coastal towns or villages offering much of interest to see. Yes we enjoy visiting Whitianga, Coromandel, Oneroa, Tryphena, Warkworth, Whangarei and Russell, but even some of this pick of the crop are losing part of their olde worlde charm to over-development. On the contrary the northern Med coastline and offshore islands have countless delightful towns and villages, dripping with atmosphere and loaded with quirky shops, rustic tavernas and historical features to explore.

When you anchor off a Med village there’s always heaps to see ashore (off Cefalu, Sicily)

Tavernas don’t come more rustic than Alibaba’s in Turkey

The dynamics of living on a boat overseas are quite different to going away for a few days or for the summer holidays in your own country. For a start you have to navigate yourself safely through unfamiliar waters without the support structures we take for granted in NZ such as Coastguard, VHF-radio trip reports and weather Nowcasting. Then you need to do time-consuming routine things like replenishing stores, laundry and the maintenance that back home you’d leave until your return to the marina.
So what does a typical Med cruising day look like?
It always starts with checking the anchor, bilges, fresh water tank levels and engine room. This takes from 30 minutes to about an hour, depending on what needs attention; for example topping fluids, adjusting vee-belts or running our diesel polishing system to fill our day tank. After checking the latest weather forecasts online, next on the agenda is nearly always a swim. What we do next depends on whether we’re going to remain at anchor or cruise somewhere.
At anchor we run the generator for about 90 minutes to charge our batteries, run our refrigeration and heat our hot water tank. Sometimes we extend the generator’s running time to do some laundry and operate the water maker. After breakfast we usually spend several hours using our RHIB to explore the nearby coastline and interesting areas ashore.
Buying supplies is very different overseas – you can’t drive your car to a familiar supermarket and load up! With our granny shopping cart in tow we first have to find a shop then locate the items we need among the unfamiliar and foreign-language printed goods. To complicate matters large supermarkets are rare so we generally have to visit several shops to buy all we need. In countries like Turkey, Greece and Italy the shopping process is regarded as one of life’s pleasures rather than a chore, and involves tasting different delights such as olives, cheeses and salamis while bantering with shop assistants and other customers.

In most Med countries food shopping is a pleasure rather than a chore

Very often the owner-operated shops will then offer a complimentary glass of wine in appreciation of your custom, and more discussion follows. Finally we have to hump our purchases to the RHIB and take them out to Envoy. To reduce the need for mammoth shopping expeditions we nearly always buy small quantities of heavy stuff like vegetables, milk, beer, coke and wine when going ashore.

Humping supplies back to Envoy using the RHIB – note all the small commercial fishing boats

Back on board we allow one or two hours daily for the ever-present maintenance, then 1800 hours will generally find us in the cockpit, cold beer or wine in hand reflecting on the day’s activities and making some plans for the next few days before we fire up the barbecue for dinner.
If moving on we up-anchor after our swim and get under way before we have breakfast – one of the advantages of a stabilised displacement hull is that you can do most everything underway except in particularly rough waters. We find the next exotic location, and do it all over again!

Envoy is currently in Lefkas marina, Greece and we are home in New Zealand.
This is an article we wrote that was recently published in NZ’s Pacific Powerboat magazine.
It must be great to experience the sheer pleasure of buying a brand-new boat without the slightest blemish detracting from its pristine appearance. We wouldn’t know for sure as all five boats Diane and I have owned over more than 30 years have been pre-owned, but over the years we’ve been surprised to meet a sizeable number of new boat buyers who’ve been disappointed to some degree. So what are the real pros and cons of buying new or pre-owned?
What follows mainly applies to larger vessels as we’ve not heard the same level of discontent with trailer boats, although we were recently told of a situation where somebody bought a complete new alloy fishing boat and had problems on his first three times out.

Purchasing a new vessel 
Many buyers prefer the appeal of a new vessel for some of the following reasons, all of which are valid to some extent.
– With many brands they are able to customise a vessel to suit their boating requirements and tastes by specifying layout, engineering options, equipment types and brands, decor and furnishings. However in some cases the option to make more than minor changes is limited and usually adds considerable expense.
– They may be able to visit the builder’s factory to see their vessel take shape during the build stage, form relationships, and gain a better understanding of the vessel’s construction and systems.
– They experience the joy of taking delivery of a brand new vessel, never used by anyone else, and if this spins your wheels it’s hard to put a price on.
– They have a complete knowledge of the vessel’s history from day one.
– They receive a warranty and more ongoing support from the manufacturer and agent than could normally be expected with a pre-owned option. However support levels vary considerably and the prudent buyer should carefully research this aspect.
– They should benefit from lower maintenance costs for the first few years, certainly during the warranty period, although there’s no question some new buyers are disappointed with what they consider to be undue numbers of problems occurring. It seems that many new boat brands need to cruise for a few months to resolve initial teething issues, and even if successfully resolved at no cost they are frustrating, inconvenient and reduce the boat’s availability for use.
– They are able to spread payments over the vessel’s construction time, though financing options are also available for pre-owned boats.

Purchasing a pre-owned vessel 
Other buyers prefer to purchase a pre-owned vessel for some of these reasons, again all valid to some extent.
– They can generally take immediate delivery; there is usually a wait for new vessels ranging from several to many months.
– They pay a significantly lower investment cost and then have spare cash available if required to make the boat more suited to their needs and replace outmoded equipment.
– They suffer less depreciation cost because like cars, a new boat generally takes its biggest depreciation hit early on from new.
– They believe a pre-owned vessel is tried, tested and reliable, and while this is true to some extent, when vessels age they become prone to more maintenance, especially with ancillary equipment. Some of her electronics may also be outdated.
– A used boat is likely to have more equipment included at little or no extra cost – many are purchased complete with spare parts, tools, chandlery, bedding, cutlery, crockery, galley utensils etc. For example we only had to add two fire extinguishers and stores to our Nordhavn 46 before commencing cruising.

Envoy was 16 years old when we purchased her, and so well-equipped we only added cruising stores and two additional fire extinguishers, saving us thousands of dollars

Enter the professional surveyor 
Whether your preference is for new or pre-owned most of the risks can be significantly reduced by contracting a professional surveyor, who acts for and is paid by the buyer. This is particularly so for pre-owned vessels, but should also be considered for new vessels as these are not immune from poor practice and resulting problems.
Surveyors not only have considerable technical expertise, but follow a logical documented process for an objective examination of the vessel, whereas the enthusiastic buyer may be prone to overlook or downplay some negative issues. An initial survey is also helpful when arranging insurance and provides a benchmark for later surveys.
The survey will include a sea trial and an out of water inspection, and in most cases the surveyor will discover some defects and then discuss their level of importance with the buyer, who must then negotiate with the seller to remedy them. A survey for a pre-owned 14 metre vessel typically costs between NZ$1,800 to $3,000 depending on its value, plus lift-out fees, so is a relatively small percentage of the investment cost.
The buyer of a pre-owned vessel should also examine her service records and discuss her service history directly with the relevant engineering contractors so that a full inspection can be arranged if there is any doubt about her mechanical condition.
Exercising great caution during the purchase process for your either new or pre-owned vessel should maximize your cruising enjoyment.

Envoy is currently in Lefkas marina, Greece while we are still home in New Zealand.
Our last posting set the scene on Med cruising regulations and discussed those affecting the vessel – now we discuss those impacting the skipper and crew.

When cruising there are many idyllic scenes like this but to sleep well you need to understand the pertinent regulations

Nearly all countries place limits on the time you are allowed to stay in their waters, and this surprises the cruising community considering the large sums spent on provisions, repairs and maintenance, marinas and internal travel etc. As hefty fines are imposed on overstaying cruisers it’s important to be aware of these time limitations.

Turkey is a great destination but allows visits of only 90 days

Since 2012 Turkey allows visitors to stay for only 90 days in any 180 day period but this limitation can be overcome by taking a berthage contract with a recognised marina and arranging through the marina for a residency permit.
Several other Med countries including France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain are signatories to the Schengen Treaty which allows non-EU passport holders from most countries including Australia to spend up to 90 days out of a 6 month period in the signatory countries. This is rather limiting as it means you can only spend 90 days cumulatively in these signatory countries not 90 days in each one. Fortunately for Kiwis the rules are slightly different and we are allowed to spend up to 90 days in each signatory country. The good news for Aussies and others is that the time limitation is currently being reviewed with the objective of changing it to what Kiwis currently enjoy; 90 days in each signatory country – and this will make cruise planning much simpler.
In the meantime there are some ways around this; one is that if you have a UK or other EU passport the Schengen limitation doesn’t apply.
Another is to spend the allowable 90 days in signatory countries, then 90 days in non-signatory countries (like Albania, Croatia, Montenegro or Turkey) and then return to signatory countries.
Another is to cruise in countries which are nominally Schengen Treaty signatories but don’t seem to enforce it among cruisers, however there is a risk that some over-zealous official could provide problems.
Another option is to try to use an exemption for cruising vessel skippers and crews, which is generally available provided that you arrive and depart aboard the vessel (not for example by air). In this case you don’t get your passports stamped on entry and exit and you can cruise for up to six months in the selected country (we have used this system in Greece and Italy). However there are complications to this; you probably need to do this through an agent who understands this “loophole”, you must only sleep aboard the vessel (not ashore) and may not undertake any inland travel away from immediate harbour areas except after obtaining a special permit from the harbourmaster. The latter condition is frequently ignored but a problem could result if you were involved in some form of incident away from the harbour area without permission.
In some countries (for example Greece, Italy) when you enter a harbour or marina you are supposed to see the Port Police, submit your ship’s documents and have your Transit Log stamped at a cost ranging from nothing to Euro 50 (NZ$72), depending on the port. If you are only anchoring you are still supposed to periodically report to the Port Police, and to advise them of any crew changes. In our experience this only applies to new crew arriving, not leaving.
Using agents 
Some countries, for example Turkey and Croatia, require cruisers to employ an agent to handle clearing-in and out and this generally costs about 100 to 150 Euros (NZ$145 to 217 for each). We often use agents regardless as they handle the process quickly without the lengthy delays and hassles that are usually otherwise encountered, they often know how to circumvent overly onerous regulations and they have good contacts that can assist in solving any problems encountered along the way.
Documentation summary 
When clearing-in, clearing-out, entering a marina or harbour and when being boarded by authorities you will need to show various of the following documents (originals not photo copies):
– Passports; always
– Registration Certificate; always
– Proof of Insurance; nearly always
– Cruising Log relevant to that country; always unless clearing-in when this log is purchased at that time
– Crew List; nearly always
– Skipper’s Certificate of Competency; often, although it doesn’t appear to matter what level of qualification is held
– Proof of payment of harbour dues; sometimes required for departure
– Radio Station License; rarely
– Radio Operators License; rarely
– Proof of VAT status; we have never been asked for this
– Ships Log; we have never had to show this
We have always provided authorities with English language documents and have never been required to provide translated copies. It’s also a good idea to have an official looking ink stamp made up showing your vessel name and registration details to stamp onto official documents and in some cases this is mandatory.

When cruising in the Med different countries are sometimes tantalisingly close together and it’s a big temptation to cruise for example from the Turkish mainland to a nearby Greek island for a few days and then back to Turkey without worrying about any documentation.

The Greek island of Kastellorizon is only a few hundred metres from the Turkish south coast, but theoretically you need to clear-in to Greece to visit there

Although many vessels do this, it’s not legally possible to do so and in the above case it’s necessary to clear-out of Turkey, clear-in to Greece, then later clear-out of Greece and finally clear-in back to Turkey – all of which is both expensive and time consuming. Local authorities rarely pay much attention to visiting sailing yachts (they all look much the same don’t they!) whereas visiting motor vessels do seem to attract their interest, so more care is needed.
If you want to enjoy your cruising to the full, sleep well at night and avoid potentially expensive problems with authorities it’s a good idea to be fully conversant with applicable regulations.

Envoy is currently located in Lefkas marina, Greece, while we are back in New Zealand (NZ).
NZ must be one of the last bastions of virtually regulation-free recreational boating, where registration of vessels is not required and the only qualification required for skippers is to be over 15 years old to operate a vessel capable of over ten knots (it’s a very different situation for those operating vessels commercially, but that’s another story.)
Whether this regulation-free environment is a good thing or not prefers on your point of view – my own is that I see no safety advantage in compulsory registration (only revenue gathering) but some form of skipper qualification should be required.
One thing is for sure though – cruising in most overseas destinations involves dealing with a myriad of officials and regulations, and generally requires some form of competence qualification. My own experience mostly relates to the Mediterranean so I’ll provide an overview of the situation there. Bear in mind that the waters of the Med lap the shores of about 22 countries, each having slightly different regulations and interpretations, so it’s vital to obtain specific updated information relating to the countries you intend to cruise (a great source for this is www.noonsite.com).
Regulatory requirements fall into two categories; those involving the vessel and those involving the skipper and crew, and they vary according to the vessel’s country of registration and the nationality of the skipper and crew.
Depending on the country and the port you are in you will be dealing with all kinds of officials – Port Authorities, Coastguard, Police, Port Police, Customs, Immigration and Health Officials. They only want to deal with the skipper, so if any crew are present in a discussion ask them to leave you to handle the situation. Officials in that part of the world are more formal than we encounter and it’s a good idea to show respect by being clean and tidy, being patient when procedures seem to take a long time and speaking slowly and clearly as English is not their first language. Answer their questions and provide requested documents but don’t volunteer other information or documents as that may complicate the situation. Officials in Egypt and some other North African countries expect some form of gift (baksheesh) to facilitate proceedings, but we have not found this elsewhere.

THE VESSEL
All vessels are required to have a certificate of registration. If you buy a used boat in the Med it will probably be registered in an EU country and be VAT-paid. In this case your vessel can remain indefinitely in EU waters. If your vessel is not VAT-paid you may elect to register her in a non-EU country, for example NZ. In this case there is no initial requirement to pay VAT, but your vessel can only remain in EU waters for up to 18 months before VAT will have to be paid at rates which vary by country but are in the order of 18-20 per cent of your vessel’s value. Once VAT is paid in one EU country it is paid for all. Fortunately this 18 month period can often be extended at the discretion of local Customs who can hold a vessel under bond for reasons such as she is left unattended and unused, the owner leaves the EU or she is in a boatyard for repair. In any case the 18 month time clock can be re-set by clearing-out of the EU, cruising to a non-EU country (such as Gibraltar, Albania, Montenegro or Turkey), clearing-in there for a few days and then returning to the EU.
In NZ pleasure vessels are registered in Part B of the NZ Register of Ships administered by the Maritime Safety Authority. When I last renewed Envoy’s registration in late 2011 the cost was $436 but it’s now a whopping $736 while a new registration is $920. These are unbelievable costs for the work involved and for issuing one piece of paper, so it may be worthwhile to investigate registration in an alternate country where costs are cheaper, but remember you have to fly that country’s flag.
All vessels must be insured including third party and public liability cover, and you will need to show proof of this when clearing-in to a different country, when entering a marina and in many cases when entering a harbour.
Most countries issue your vessel with some form of cruising permit, for example we paid about NZ$548 for a three month permit (known as a Vignette) in Croatia during 2013. This sounds expensive but in reality is only $6 per day to cruise in a fantastic area. Some countries apply a “cruising tax” on visiting cruisers so this situation needs to be checked for each country. Italy abandoned their tax in 2013 while Greece has a tax, but in practice it’s not currently being enforced.
Read about regulations affecting skipper and crew in my next posting in a week.

Envoy is currently in Lefkas marina for the Med winter.
Safety is a prime concern aboard Envoy and we aim to check all safety equipment according to manufacturers’ recommendations. But last year in Lefkas marina we had very-red faces when most of our pristine-looking inflatable life jackets failed their safety test. As well as foam-buoyancy offshore jackets we carry eight inflatable jackets fitted with crotch straps, retro-reflective tape, lifting rings, whistles and strobe lights. These all looked like new, some still in their original packing, and we wrongly assumed that because they’d only been used for drills without inflation and not used in the water they didn’t need testing. How wrong we were.
The inflatable jackets are all a well-known US brand and we’d never had them professionally tested during the seven years we’d owned Envoy before having them tested by Ionian Marine Safety (IMS) at Lefkas Marina in Greece. This turned out to be a wise and potentially life-saving decision, though one we should have taken much earlier. Imagine our shock when IMS’s Nikos Stamatakis reported that only two of our eight pristine-looking jackets passed the test. He apparently detected our surprise as he invited us to visit his workshop where he patiently explained the problems to us at first hand.
IMS service about 600 lifejackets and a similar number of life rafts annually, so Nikos is very knowledgeable and experienced. He explained that a lifejacket should be professionally checked annually, in particular after the first two or three years, and if well looked after could last up to 10 years. As lifejackets are likely to be our last line of defense in an emergency his advice sounds excellent, especially considering the small cost involved at €8 (about NZ$12) each for the two certified jackets and no cost for testing the failed ones. Nikos then showed us the problems with our jackets, explaining they are common faults.
The biggest problem occurs with the oral inflation tubes as they can tear away from the main body of the jacket, particularly as they age when the tubes become more rigid and exert more leverage. The tubes can also develop air leaks through their valves, even within a very few years from new.
Some of our jackets also had another common fault; air leaks through pinholes in the thermally welded jacket seams.
Many jackets are inflated using compressed air cylinders, and although our cylinders were like new Nikos showed us how regularly used jackets often have corroded cylinders that abrade and damage the jacket material causing air leaks.

Nikos shows Laurie a rusty air cylinder

For jackets with water activated inflation valves Nikos suggests replacement of their inflation bobbins every two years. Hydrostatically activated jackets don’t have this issue but are prone to invisible cracks in the transparent gasket joining the hydrostatic device to the jacket.
We also saw some jackets sent in for testing by other cruisers which had been incorrectly re-packed after use making them impossible to deploy quickly and safely. For example the straps, which are supposed to be left loose within the outer cover had been tied in bundles in an apparent attempt at neatness and this would have prevented inflation. Others had holes which had been patched using bicycle puncture repair kits – definitely not allowed.

Life jacket with “illegal” bicycle puncture repair

While there is no doubt that inflatable jackets are a great deal more comfortable and convenient to wear while moving around the vessel (because while not inflated they are very compact), we were surprised how fragile the jackets appeared to be when worn fully inflated, giving us the impression they could easily become damaged if snagged on a sharp protrusion – if we ever need to use them we’ll be taking some traditional style jackets along too.

Laurie wearing a life jacket before inflation using the cartridge

And after

Nikos shows Laurie the correct arms position for jumping in the water with an inflated jacket, to reduce the chance of neck injury

Envoy is safely tucked away at Lefkas Marina.
During February we received an email headed “Lucky Envoy” from Andreas of Sailand, the company looking after Envoy while she’s in the marina.
By way of background Envoy’s 12 volt start and house battery banks are charged from shore power through an isolation transformer to a 220 volt charger. However the 24 volt bow thruster bank has a 120 volt charger so needs to be charged using our inverter to generate 120 volts while the house bank is on charge. Andreas explained that when their electrician went aboard for a routine battery charge and turned on the inverter, he noticed a very significant increase in amps, leading him to inspect the bow thruster bank. On checking it he immediately noticed some heat coming from the battery bank so immediately turned the inverter off. A closer inspection revealed a positive battery cable, which had not been properly secured when this bank was installed in Turkey. It had rubbed against a battery terminal causing abrasion of the cable’s insulation and eventually a short circuit.
Andreas considers that had this not been noticed a major fire could easily have developed – hence the title “Lucky Envoy”. It’s reassuring to know the Sailand guys are alert and on the ball.

Abraded battery bank insulation nearly caused a fire

Envoy is currently at Lefkas Marina for the winter.
This is the last of a five part summary of Envoy’s six years Med cruising to date. The full article will shortly be published in Pacific Motor Yacht magazine.

How much does the live-aboard life cost?
Expect living costs such as food, beverages, household supplies and personal spending to be about the same when cruising as at home. Most other major costs including annual air travel to and from your boat, winter berthage, fuel, insurances and communications can be easily checked and budgeted for.

Many costs, such as winter storage, can be checked online and budgeted for

Over six years we have found repairs and maintenance to be our largest cost averaging about six per cent of the market value of our boat. This includes planned maintenance like oil changes and anti-fouling as well as the unexpected. The more you learn about your boat, the more you can do yourself to help reduce maintenance costs.

We have found repairs and maintenance to be the largest single cost

Have our early ideas and views changed and what would we do differently now?
We are very satisfied with our Nordhavn 46 and when we purchased Envoy we had thoughts about cruising home to use her in New Zealand, but we’ve since decided to eventually sell Envoy with all her equipment in the Med.

If doing the same again we’d look more closely at semi-displacement mono-hulls and displacement catamarans, and we’d bring a lot less with us from New Zealand as nearly everything is available in the Med.

Envoy has proven a great vessel for our Med adventures to date

Initially we were reluctant to leave Envoy unattended and explore inland. This was a mistake and we now readily do so, particularly to share this experience with guests.

Would we cruise the Med like this knowing what we know now?
Absolutely – this has been one of the most truly amazing episodes in our lives. Our great experiences will be remembered long after costs have been forgotten.

Advice for anyone planning to live aboard in the Med
If you think cruising and living aboard in the Med (or anywhere for that matter) is for you, make your plans now – life’s time clock is ticking! Your biggest decisions will probably revolve around work, finances, what to do with your house and buying your boat. Don’t let life’s minor issues (e.g. what to do with the cat) stop you.
However we need to mention one area of practicality – it’s rare to meet long term cruisers in their prime working years or with school-age children.
Do your research by reading, visiting cruiser’s blogs and talking with live aboard cruisers.
Buy a boat which is well equipped for long periods of comfortable living aboard. Have your boat professionally surveyed and ensure she is financially unencumbered before purchase. Spend some time with the boat’s previous owner to start developing a detailed knowledge of her operation, systems, maintenance and spare parts requirements.
Familiarise yourself with relevant regulations – the Schengen Treaty currently limits visits by New Zealand passport holders to three months in each country and Australians to three months in the total of all countries. If you buy a boat which is non-VAT paid you may wish to avoid the need to pay VAT; for example Envoy is New Zealand registered and can remain in EU waters up to 18 months at a time without paying VAT. Before the expiry of the 18 month period it is only necessary to leave EU waters for a few days, and the 18 month clock is re-set. These are complex issues and specialist advice should be sought for each set of circumstances.
Turkey, Croatia and Albania now require cruisers to use agents for clearing in and out. Even where not required it’s often a good idea to use agents as they offer excellent advice on how to extend your stay and to minimise your obligations as mentioned above.
Participate in repairs and maintenance to reduce costs and expand your knowledge.
Don’t rely solely on cruising guides but do your own exploring to find your own special places. Leave your boat to explore inland by bus, train or rental car.
Don’t plan to visit every stretch of coast and every bay, but be selective and spend quality time at the places you visit to enjoy them fully, not superficially.
Anchor as much as possible as Med casual marina prices are expensive, typically 60-130 Euros (NZ$97-210) per night.
Have full internet access onboard to stay in regular contact with friends and family, for weather forecasts and technical information, and use a system like Rebtel to minimise your ‘phone costs.
Enjoy times with guests while sticking to your own cruising plans and expect your guests to come to and leave from where you are located at that time.

Where to now?
We don’t yet know where to from here, except to say that we have no plans to cruise beyond the Med and sometime within the next few years we’ll again be regular cruisers back in New Zealand.