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Patrik Naindenel
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Jan 11 2020
Maintenance, good weather and food during my visit to Loano, Italy
As the holiday have ended for Diana. As I had 1 more week holiday left which I must use up. I decided to drive down to Loano and check up on Luna Azzurra.
At the same time do some maintenance on her. enjoy the weather and food of course.
Engine was up for a service “oil and filter changes” there are as well a small oil leak on the engine that I wanted to find.
Oil leaks can be a pain to find and they are a must to find otherwise the whole boat will smell bad inside and of course do to safety and environment.
Safety it is in case of a fire for example.
Environmental would be in case there will be a water leak as well and the bilge pump start pumping the water mixed with oil overboard.
As the oceans are already in a bad shape that wouldn’t be needed too. In case it is possible to solve with some job doesn’t matter how annoying it might be. It is worth it.
Anyhow I first cleaned up everything under the engine which is a real pain as it is really hard to reach in everywhere with your arms. in the end I managed and it was as new.
Then it was just to fire up the engine and let her run until warm. When the engine was up in temperature I could see quite quick where the oil was dropping from. It was the oil pressure switch / sensor which had a loose coupling. After tightening the coupling a new run was needed. End result was no more leaks.
More works which was needed to do was to mount sliding stops on the rail which is holding the bimini. Stoppers was delivered with the bimini so I thought it would be a quick job to do!
Just cut the sliding rail and mount them.. It would be easy if the correct stopper was supplied but this was not the case. In the end I had to do my own construction for now. Let’s see how to make it better for next time we are in Loano.
That was some of the works that I did. Other than work I did enjoy Loano at least the marina, the fantastic weather with a blue sky. Least but not last the fantastic food in the evening at restaurant Shardana and the friendly atmosphere.
I took a few pictures from my visit which I hope you will enjoy.
Dec 14 2019
My trip to Siberia, Russia
As was mentioned a few weeks back I was planned in for a trip to Siberia, Russia.
When telling people about this I received a few remarks, as for example: It is cold!…. Gulag!… Criminality!…Aeroflot!…Security!… etc.
I must admit I did not know what to expect myself.
In my eyes cold it was as the temperature was between -6°C and -17°C which in my opinion is cold.
Gulag… Not where I was and Siberia is amazing big.
Criminality! We were informed by our contact when arriving , this is something you can see in movies.
This was something which was correct during the 90th but nowadays it is gone and no more criminals there as in most normal European cities. No danger to move around.
Then about Aeroflot who have not any good name floating around, everything claiming from bad old planes and we should not talk about bad service.
Here I must say, this is absolute not true at all. Modern planes and friendly staff exercising an excellent service.
I have nothing against airport security… But for the security on Russian airports I don’t know if I shall cry or laugh really.
From the airport entry doors at Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) and until you are through security as in most airports we had to pass four security scanning points. For us who stayed one night at Hotel Radisson Blue we had our first scan already leaving the hotel. From here we was able to walk 50 meter until the next scanning point. Then a new 10 meters before the check in counter! After this the normal security scan came straight after emigration which was smooth and quick.
When it came to people we meet I can only say that they have all been friendly and really nice to meet. It was as well interesting to talk about all kind of topics for example education, environment, politics etc.
When it come to the job I was there for… Yeah it was really good prepared and went much more smooth then we have seen since long, we can just give 5 ⭐️ on that one. We could finish up before schedule as well.
As it looks next time I will travel to Russia seems to be in April and I must say I am looking forward to see everything in spring too.
Nov 02 2019
Elba – Capraia – Loano
We where leaving Isola d’Elba heading for Isola di Capraia and from there we headed straight to Loano.
It was a bumpy ride between Isola di Capraia to Loano, but in the end we where in the end happy that we did not sail first to Corse which was our wish and plan.
To visit Corse have to wait until another time and in the end have its own story.
Oct 19 2019
A trip to a war zone or?
Our holiday is over since a while back now and we both are back to reality again.
As normal it is hard to come back specially as nowadays your mailbox are filled with a few hundreds of email which will be needed to plough through. The good is that 50% of all emails is direct for the waste bin.
Anyway I had time to stay approximate two weeks in the office and to get everything back in order then I had to head out for Turkey.
It was planed as a simple four days trip together with a service technician from our German office whom I would help. I needed at the same time to meet the customers project team.
The service technician was planned or booked to stay for two weeks. This to be able to finish up everything and hand over the system to the customer.
The first four days became five days for me which was OK, I came back home Saturday instead as the planned Friday. So no big deal really.
The problem started first Monday morning when I was back at office. And approximately 07:30 when a call from the customer came telling me. Your service technician is leaving with the first available flight!. This as the customer understood due to the war between Turkey and Syria. We were after all in Istanbul and more than 800 km north from any war zone so no danger.
I realised a really busy/chaos Monday would start! The start was calling the technician. He explained that his department boss in Germany had ordered him home with first available flight. When I asked why? He explained there was a German warning for travel to Turkey! I told him that the warning is only at the boarder zone. Between Turkey and Syria and this warning counts for most countries! No problem really. In the end we decided it would be best if I called his boss.
I called his boss which was the biggest waste of time in my life as he thought the bombs was flying over his service technicians head. No point wasting time with him, better prepare plan B.
In the end as no available technicians was around plan B went in the wast bin too. The solution was, I had to go back once more which was plan C.
So when arriving on the shipyard again. The customer was really happy and welcomed me back as the big saviour of the day. A few jokes was told as well about my travel back and forward. As well about our german branch office and the policy they have.
In the end I stayed the whole week. Travel back on the Friday and was back home approx. five o’clock. Everything went as planned and we managed to finalise what I should.
When I arrived home Diana together with friends from Luxembourg was waiting. Restaurant was booked already I came home perfect in time to say hello and have a quick shower and off we went to dinner.
Sep 21 2019
Over night sailing from Loano to Rosignano and our visit to Naples
Our over night sailing between Loano to Rosignano and our visit to Naples.
This is a short movie from our first post on or holiday inclusive arriving Cala de’ Medici shipyard in Rosignano and our visit Naples.
Aug 17 2019
We hope for the best but plan for the worst.
It start to come close to our holiday and the planing start to become real … and. …. Hhmmm soon some stress might come in as well.
It is me as so called skippers to write a post. Even though Diana is as much skipper and have the same education. Anyway it is quite an easy post only to show preliminary planed routes (fit to me perfect). Weather is will decide in the end and we are only human and have to follow suit and cannot do much more.
As Diana wrote some weeks ago we will leave home Saturday morning early (05:00): This to be able to arrive Loano before lunch. In Loano just take onboard all our gear and leave (OK we have a few small stuff to do before).
As we have seen it seems to be perfect winds and weather during our crossing of Gulf of Genoa. Winds between 10 and 15 knot with a temperature around. 25°C. We keep our fingers crossed that it stay like this. It would be wonderful to go under sail the complete voyage.
A overnight sailing is what we miss both Diana and I. It is hard to explain the feeling when you reach your goal one ore two days later. …
When Luna Azzurra is in Rosignano on the shipyard we will do some other traveling but this Diana will write about later on.
This is the preliminary route the we plan to sail.
We start of course in Loano and cross Gulf of Genoa to Rosignano. from there when Luna Azzurra is ready we will sail further south to the island of Elba where Napoleon was in prison during some years.
Our first leg from Rosignano will be approximately 37 NM to the bay of Procchio. this will take 5 -6 hours. Then finally we can jump in the warm Mediterranean sea for a nice swim in the late afternoon.
Second leg will be just around the corner to a city named Porto Ferrano if we can get some space in the marina. That might be hard as it is a tiny marina.
If no space we can sail a few nautical miles longer for an anchorage or we stay in the bay of Porto Ferrano and anchor there. We do have a dingy to drive in to town.
Third leg is to Porto Azzurro which was strongly recommended by Dianas brother. here we will for sure stay in the marina.
Next is over to a bay named marina di campo for a night on the hook and a swim in the bay. This is planned to be the last stop at Elba.
Next stop is planned to be on a little island named Capraia Island. Which is placed north west of Elba and east of the most northern part of Corse.
From Capraia we will head for Corse itself. Maybe for an anchorage on the east top of Corse. Or we sail all the way to Port Saint Florent. Depending of weather as usual.
Then comes the last Corse jump over to a village named Calvi where we will fill up diesel and water. Maybe enjoy a night or two before heading home. The last leg is the 97 NM crossing of the Ligurian Sea. This will be the second over night sailing. The first was the 105 NM crossing off Gulf of Genoa.
This route is approximately 400 Nautical miles in total. With two long legs of 100 NM each. The rest will be only a few hours jumps where we can just enjoy.
This is as everyone with some experience of the sea a preliminary planning. For those who follow us knows how we had it September 2018. Anyhow In the end the weather might force us to sail close to the cost of the Italian mainland home. Even so it will be a great holiday.
You should always think positive and enjoy life. Not be negative…. there is enough of those people around already.
We hope for the best but plan for the worst.
Charter S/Y Luna Azzurra
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