Our summer holiday trip

[Miquel]

We have just returned from our holiday trip: this year it was Corsica. Of course, with our Mac 26X, Culzean (I was in the past a member of this site, but my name and password work no longer, so I have registered as a new member). And this year, it has really been an experience.

It has begun with the trip: living in Belgium, and looking for the shortest way to reach Corsica, we decided to go by car to Piombino (Italy; 1,300 Km) and cross then to Corsica (about 50 Nautical miles). We had done not even 200 Km, when the axis of our trailer broke! One of the brakes of the trailer (mandatory in Europe when over 750 Kg) had broken, and had forced the axis, so that this broke too. We call assistance, and a truck comes to pick our trailer and boat. This was 9.30 am; the axis having to be replaced (and more important, found), we can not continue until 10.30 pm. And this means one day more in the road that foreseen.

We arrive to Piombino with no further news, we set our Culzean in her element, the sea, and we point to Isola dElba, about 15 Nautical miles from the coast: we wanted to do this island at the end, but I decide to do it first and shorten the stay to 1 day, so that we recover the delay. No problem: we find even a place in Portoferraio, the main harbor in the island, at the side of an 80 foot sailboat.

The crossing from Elba to Corsica (Macinaggio; 45 nautical miles) takes 10 hours, from which 7 are under sail: a really enjoyable experience for everyone (we are 6: 4 children, my wife and I). Again place in the harbor, very hot (we are always over the 30C), but with no major problem for anyone.

From Macinaggio to St. Florent (30 Nautical miles), all done by sail, and again in harbor. Cap Corse is really wild and nice, and wind and sea are making the trip a dream; we have even forgotten that we had a problem with the trailer.

From St. Florent we go to Calvi; again 35 Nautical miles at sail, with good wind and sea, and nice views. When we arrive, there is no place in the harbor: the children spend their first night at anchor, in a very good sea, practically no wind, and good holding. We will be here for 2 days, and we have our dinghy, Xulu, to take us to the city. The following morning, when swimming, I realize that one of the brackets of the steering has broken: goodbye to sailing if we dont find a solution! To make it short, we find at the end someone that can repair the broken piece, because it is impossible to find a new one. But this means one day more in Calvi.

From Calvi, and to recover the day lost, we decide to go directly to Ajaccio: this means 60 Nautical miles to do, that we motor practically all, because there is almost no wind. We see dolphins, which for all is very nice, but mainly for the children, as it is the first time they see them in freedom!

In Ajaccio we have no place either: this means another night at anchor. Holding is good, but wind begins to increase, making comfort a little bit less: I have the keel down, and it makes quite a lot of noise when it moves from side to side. We will be here for 2 days.

When leaving from Ajaccio, our return begins: this is as far as we had planned, due to limitations in time (work is work, and we cannot complete the tour to the island). But we are not still out of Ajaccios bay, when the VHF gives a special weather forecast for the zone where we are, announcing an imminent storm (orage in French) recommending not leaving harbor if possible. As we are still close to Ajaccio, I decide for safety, and we return, this time with a place in the old harbor. So we have one delay more, that I plan to recover sailing by night our last part of the trip, which is returning to Italy.

From Ajaccio we leave for Cargese (24 miles), because no one wants to do again 60 miles in one. There is more wind, but still from the good direction, so we sail practically all the trip. No place in the little harbor, but the anchoring place is really nice, and with good holding.

We leave the day after for Calvi: about 40 miles. Wind increasing, and at a little bit more than the half, we decide to motor, as see begins to be uncomfortable (crossed sea from the prevailing sea houle in French- and the wind sea, that come from 2 different directions, reaching 1.5 meters), and we want to arrive not too late to Calvi. Wind at this moment is 3-4 B. I empty the ballast while motoring, up steering and keel, and there are points where we reach the 14 knots. Wind continues to increase, as the sea: now its 5 B with peaks to 6 B, and the sea, 2 to 2.5 meters high. I am with the ballast empty, and in 2 occasions I have some surfing from high waves, reaching the 16 knots, but very difficult to control. And more, the boat shows a tendency to breach at the end of the surf. I send everyone down, and I point to the prevailing sea and wind, to try to fill the ballast; we have still 7 8 miles to do, and I dont dare to continue without some extra stability. Helping with some back of the motor between waves, we can fill it. I lower 1 steer, the keel, and point back to Calvi. The change is from night to day. I have my wife in the companionway to tell me of the highest waves when they come from my back, we do 5 to 7 knots, but in control. And at the end, we reach Calvi. Its the first time our children have confronted such conditions, and not without fear, but they have all done what said, and they have been a brilliant crew.

The weather forecast is for the following days 8 to 9 B, so we decide to finish here our sailing part of the trip. The problem is that our car and trailer are in Piombino, and there is no direct transportation. So while I remain with the children in Calvi, my wife takes train and ferry to go to look for both car and trailer, and I book a return with ferry from Calvi to Nice when possible, which is 3 days later.

We arrive with our boat in the ferry to Nice, which does the crossing with 8 B well installed, and waves of 3 to 4 meters. I� really happy of the decission taken.

The last problem we have: when returning home by car (in 2 days), we have 2 punctures in the wheels of the trailer!.

In summary: a very nice trip, but "full" of problems that have caused quite a lot of delays and extra expenses. In view of all, we are thinking in not trailering again such long distances, renting a boat in place; (I would have had 2 weeks of a 34 foot from the almost 3 we have been just with the axis of the trailer plus the extra ferries).

[Frank C]

Miquel,
Sorry to hear of your extra problems, glad to hear of your safe return.
It makes for a good story, great reading AND great memories too ....
thanks & welcome back!

[RandyMoon]

That sounds like quite an adventure. Hopefully that were some positive moments that offset the problems. I think if I had to travel a great distance I would charter a boat and broaden my experience with a different boat. My trailer sits in a yard while my boat sits in a slip. I guess that is a reminder that if I ever plan a long trip, the trailer probably ought to be serviced.

Welcome back.

[Tahoe Jack]

Hi Miquel....I recall your posts in the past, happy to see you back on the board. Life is an adventure....am envious of your visiting all the ports and islands! I am expecting that like many Europeans, you are good with several languages...your report was a pleasure to read. We all experience problems with the original equipment trailer axle/tires...many are doing upgrades. Also happy to see the Mac score another successful adventure in challenging seas. See Ya Jack

[Miquel]

The truth is that I have great memories of the trip, and I'm very happy of having done it, and having taken the decisions we took. And I am quite confident on the Mac, when ballasted (my sailing experience, before having the Mac, was with 36 to 42 foot sailboats), and I have learned the hard way that "better sooner than later"; it was not easy to fill back the ballast tank with a bad sea. By the way, I met another Mac from a French guy; he had bought it 6 months ago, he came from bigger boats, and this was his first real experience. He has a 26X with the short rudders (mine is a 99, with the long ones), and I found him back in Calvi in my return: he had broken both brackets!! Fortunately I could give him the address of the guy that repaired mine.

By the way, this is the second person I meet that uses the ballast tank with fresh water, and has installed a pump system to take it out for showering or cleanning. One of the two has also installed a heating water system. I have a concern: ballast has to be well filled in order to be effective, and not "help rolling" the boat, as it seems it can happen if partially full. How do you replenish it with fresh water in the middle of the sea? I would not have liked to have it partially empty (as it would have been due to the days spent at anchor) and suddenly needing it full. Or am I wrong in my interpretation of a half ballast tank? I have never tried it.

Does anyone have a solution for the noise that does the board when being down at anchor? I have found that the boat rolls less with the board down than up, and I would like less noise when sleeping.

Another thing I have learned: it is good to clean & re-grease the axis and brakes of the trailer every year: I just rinsed it well every time that it was in contact with sea water (6 times maximum per year), and then took out the weels for the winter season, when she is out of the water, sitting in her trailer, but never took out the breaks to clean them.

Next weekend we wil return our Culzean toi her slip in The Netherlands, where she stays from April to October. Still some more sailing, now in more familiar waters....