Time zone UTC + 0.00
Local time (Tunisia) +1.00
Local time (Turkey) +3.00
06.00 - Arrival at fuel dock and customs
Took us roughly 1h to fuel and then 2h waiting for customs to clear us.
09.15 - Departure Hammamet, Tunisia. Full Mainsail
Coordinates 36º22’389N 10º32’740E
Heading: 100 degrees
Wind speed: 9.3 knots
Wind direction: 40 degrees starboard
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 5.3 knots
Gerard, Nadia, Flavio and Phiphi, our friends, came on Gerard's boat to say goodbye whilst on their fishing mission. Super fun and emotional to say goodbye like this.
13.00 - Tunisian warship called us on VHF
Coordinates 36º21’484N 10º57’390E
Heading: 100 degrees
Wind speed: 10.5 knots
Wind direction: on the nose
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 5 knots
13.00 - Tunisian Coast Guard called us on VHF
Coordinates 36º21’349N 10º59’495E
Heading: 100 degrees
Wind speed: 8.5 knots
Wind direction: on the nose
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 5.5 knots
15.00 - Turtles
Coordinates 36º20’788N 10º08’771E
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 11 knots
Wind direction: 15 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 6.4 knots
19.00 - Shark! (and a pod of dolphins 2h earlier) while we sailed past parallel to a super long net marked with plastic bottles
Coordinates 36º19’712N 11º37’294E
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 11.5 knots
Wind direction: 60 degrees Port
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 6.4 knots
23.00 - Still motor sailing
Coordinates 36º18’393N 12º08’619E
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 9.5 knots
Wind direction: 70 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 20%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 6.5 knots
04.30 - Code 0C at last
Coordinates 36º15’737N 12º53’549E
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 13 knots
Wind direction: 90 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 20%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 6.3 knots
06.30 - Furl Code 0C and start engine
Coordinates 36º14’889N 13º04’482E
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 8 knots
Wind direction: 80 degrees port
Baro: 1005
Cloud coverage: 70%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 5.5 knots
07.40 - Got caught on a fishing net
Coordinates 36º14’201N 13º15’874E
Heading: 100 degrees
Wind speed: 8 knots
Wind direction: all over port sector
Cloud coverage: 80%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 6 knots
We had been monitoring a group of fishing boats for a couple of hours and tried to keep a safe distance from them despite their erratic course. Suddenly we see 3 orange floaters in the water, but we were at a safe distance, or so we thought, until we saw these bright orange thin lines floating in the water, luckily we were fast enough to stop the propeller before it sucked the lines, but we still got those lines caught on our keel. Superfast action from both of us and we dropped the mainsail and came to an almost halt. Ana quickly grabbed the boat hook and managed to catch one of the threads floating before it got pulled down by our keel, John quickly grabbed the knife that is on the spray-hood pocket and the two of us dragged the line to the stern, we dropped the swim platform and cut it free but still holding one of its ends. We managed to pick the other end after it freed the keel and retied it so that the fishermen wouldn’t lose their catch.
Very close to the 3 orange floaters was one of the fishing vessels and the moment we got caught on the floaters and dropped our mainsail they started moving in our direction. Our immediate thought was that they were coming to the rescue of their net etc, and try and see if they could release us from their gear but the moment they had visual confirmation we were tangled they turned in the opposite direction and sped up on to the horizon without rendering assistance. We finished getting freed from their lines and carried our way.
Fishing vessel: Queen
MMSI: 247150160
Port: PMPEDOCLE
16.30 - Code 0C
Coordinates 36º09’437N 14º13’521E
Heading: 090 degrees
Wind speed: 12.5 knots
Wind direction: 90 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 60%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 6 knots
Had to furl the Code 0C 30 minutes later due to the number of fishing pots and nets in the area just north of Malta.
23.00 - Lots of music and chatter on VHF
Coordinates 36º07’338N 14º49’996E
Heading: 090 degrees
Wind speed: 9 knots
Wind direction: 150 degrees port
Baro: 1000
Cloud coverage: 20%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 5.8 knots
04.30 - Caught a 6.5kg Albacore Tuna
Coordinates 36º07’575N 15º39’953E
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 9 knots
Wind direction: 150 degrees port
Baro: 1000
Cloud coverage: 20%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 5.8 knots
06.15 - Code 0C with fog on and off
Coordinates 36º07’365N 15º49’143E
Heading: 070 degrees
Wind speed: 6 knots
Wind direction: 110 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
08.30 - Main and engine
Coordinates 36º09’903N 16º03’474E
Heading: 080 degrees
Wind speed: 9 knots
Wind direction: 140 degrees port
Baro: 1001
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 4 knots
13.00 - Engine stalled after a big swell (weird rattle on idle), switch to tank 1
Coordinates 36º10’675N 16º30’660E
Heading: 090 degrees
Wind speed: 12 knots
Wind direction: 120 degrees port
Baro: 994
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: swell
SOG: 5.5 knots
14.00 - Code 0C
Coordinates 36º10’651N 16º36’310E
Heading: 085 degrees
Wind speed: 10 knots
Wind direction: 100 degrees port
Baro: 992
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 5.1 knots
17.50 - Main and engine
Coordinates 36º11’320N 16º59’498E
Heading: 090 degrees
Wind speed: 7 knots
Wind direction: 100 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 6 knots
02.00 - Code 0C
Coordinates 36º12’926N 17º52’124E
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 12 knots
Wind direction: 120 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 5.9 knots
04.15 - Caught a 7.5kg Albacore Tuna - Code 0C
Coordinates 36º13’039N 18º06’170E
Heading: 090 degrees
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
05.50 - Entering Greek waters - motorsail
Coordinates 36º13’123N 18º15’723E
Heading: 090 degrees
Wind speed: 6.5 knots
Wind direction: 70 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: light swell
SOG: 6 knots
11.00 - Main only
Coordinates 36º12’447N 18º55’139E
Heading: 085 degrees
Wind speed: 12 knots
Wind direction: 130 degrees port
Baro: 991
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 4.2 knots
14.00 - Code 0C
Coordinates 36º12’047N 19º12’866E
Heading: 080 degrees
Wind speed: 12 knots
Wind direction: 120 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 5 knots
18.20 - Furl Code 0C
Coordinates 36º11’118N 19º38’406E
Heading: 090 degrees
Wind speed: 10 knots
Wind direction: 110 degrees port
Baro: 994
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 4.2 knots
03.00 - Code 0C
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 14 knots
Wind direction: 120 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: swell
SOG: 6 knots
15.30 - Motoring
Coordinates 36º08’031N 22º03’308E
Heading: 085 degrees
Wind speed: 9.5 knots
Wind direction: 130 degrees port
Baro: 985
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 5.7 knots
Barometer values drop up to 20 points since the beginning of the trip. This seems to confirm the forecasted Meltemi for the last 12-24 h of our passage.
17.00 - Motor Vessel Collision course
Coordinates 36º07’668N 22º13’107E
Heading: 090 degrees
Overtaking Motor Vessel Holstein Express MMSI 253579000 Call Sign LXHT refused to reply to all our calls on VHF forcing us into taking extreme measures to avoid us being run over by him.
20.00 - Approaching passage Steno Kithiron (South of Penepolese) under engine
Coordinates 36º07’006N 22º32’732E
Heading: 094 degrees
Wind speed: 8 knots
Wind direction: 140 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 5.5 knots
01.00 - 1 Reef on the mainsail
Coordinates 36º08’111N 23º06’913E
Heading: 080 degrees
Wind speed: 7 knots
Baro: 95
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
08.00 - 1 Reef mainsail and Code 0C
Coordinates 36º08’031N 22º03’308E
Heading: 090 degrees
Wind speed: 8 knots
Wind direction: 70 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 4 knots
13.00 - Furl Code 0C
Coordinates 36º10’627N 24º24’009E
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 7 knots
Wind direction: 9 degrees port
Baro: 987
Cloud coverage: 0%
Visibility: 100%
Sea state: calm
SOG: 6 knots
05.40 - 4 fishing vessels going all over
Coordinates 36º13’277N 26º18’467E
Heading: 095 degrees
Wind speed: 11 knots
Wind direction: 160 degrees port
Baro: 994
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: rally
SOG: 6 knots
13.30 - Confused seas
Coordinates 36º18’480N 27º15’477E
Heading: 082 degrees
Wind speed: 19 knots
Wind direction: 130 degrees port
Cloud coverage: 10%
Visibility: 90%
Sea state: rolly swell
SOG: 6.5 knots
01.35 - Arrival to Marmaris - big wind gusts at the entrance of the bay
Coordinates 36º50’904N 28º16’096E
When entering Turkish waters we had a few cargo vessels to negotiate the last one that was going to overtake us responded nicely over the VHF and stated that he would pass on our stern and if possible for us to keep our course and speed or adjust to port. We adjusted to port and increased our speed a bit to make the crossing easier for the cargo vessel, however, he started adjusting aggressively towards us.
We tried to call him several times over the VHF but this time he would simply not answer and kept turning toward us.
We had to be fast to avoid being literally run over by them so we adjusted our course 40 degrees to port and took our RPMS to 2400 only when John said over the VHF that the cargo vessel action was an act of aggression and against all maritime laws then the cargo vessel slightly corrected their course to starboard.
In the meantime, a drone started circling us and the cargo vessel. Shortly after the cargo vessel corrected his course to their original course and turned all navigation lights off and disappeared into the dark.
We adjusted our course to follow along hugging the coast despite being subject to wind accelerating compressed against the cliffs and had to negotiate a small fishing vessel trawling a net full of little coloured LED lights before managing to get to the Marmaris bay entrance where we faced strong winds accelerating in the cut between the mountains.
Total hours of the trip: 183h25
Total hours sailing: 59h
Total hours motoring: 60h
Total hours motor-sailing: 64h2
Maximum Speed Over Ground: 9.1 knots
Distance: 887nm
***In the spirit of sharing our dreams and experiences we have shared this blog post in the NOFOREIGNLAND.COM website sailors community.
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