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MiniTransat 2017 – La historia acabó

Hace tiempo que debería haber escrito algo acerca de la MiniTransat. Pero ¿cómo escribir acerca de algo que me ha llegado tan hondo? La Mini te marca a fuego! (Nunca mejor dicho!!)

Podría escribir un diario, o mejor transcribir el diario de navegación, pormenorizando cada detalle de la aventura. Temo restarle poder.

Para alguien que adora la vida al viento, esta regata es una meta importante. Quizás podríamos decir que es un máster de vela. Donde hallamos valores perennes como el compañerismo, la solidaridad con los compañeros, la tenacidad, la perseverancia, etc.

El deporte de la vela es caro, pero no lo es porque sí, detrás de ese esfuerzo que significa la preparación para una travesía en alta mar, hallamos valores y conceptos puros, sin manipulación, sin adulteración, sin aditivos. Hallamos una vida honesta y sincera con la naturaleza, que no permite embustes.

Quiero compartir lo vivido, pero sin caer en la pedantería ni buscar réditos.

Larga amarras velero que tu lugar es la mar, no confundas el rumbo y manten la guardia, que la travesía es larga…

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Gard Alert on Magnetic Compass

Gard Alert: Maintenance and adjustment of magnetic compasses

Failure to maintain a magnetic compass in good working order or to monitor deviations may result in a vessel being delayed or detained.

ALERT

29 NOV 2016

The presence onboard of a magnetic compass is a requirement under SOLAS Reg.V/19. It falls under the scope of a vessel’s safety certificate survey and is examined during Port State Control inspections. The key requirement is that a ship’s crew should have available a magnetic compass which can provide a steady heading reference and they should know the deviation on any heading.

In a recent Marine Notice, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) draws attention to the importance of the magnetic compass as a tool for the safety of navigation and reminds shipowners and Masters about their responsibility to ensure that these compasses are maintained in good working order at all times. According to AMSA, failure to maintain a magnetic compass in a good working order or to monitor deviations may result in a vessel being delayed or detained, and the vessel owner and/or Master can potentially be prosecuted. For additional details and recommendations, see AMSA’s Marine Notice 19/2016 of November 2016.

 

Recommendations

While today’s seafarers tend to treat the magnetic compass as a piece of excessive navigational equipment, it is important to emphasise that the presence of this compass is a requirement under SOLAS Reg.V/19 and it is also the only navigational directional device onboard that is not dependent on external power or inputs. Members and clients are therefore advised to take note of the warning published by AMSA and ensure that Masters and crew are aware of their responsibility under international regulations to monitor the performance of magnetic compasses at regular intervals, adjust as necessary and record deviations in a compass deviation book.

Although the SOLAS Regulations do not make any reference to intervals between successive adjustments of magnetic compasses, a compass’ deviation should as a principle be determined at least once every watch while the vessel is at sea and, when possible, shortly after any major alteration of course. This is in line with the principles and guidance on watchkeeping set out in section A-VIII/2 of the STCW Code (Regulation 34.2). In addition, compasses should be inspected occasionally by a competent officer or compass adjuster.

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February 2017, preparation continues…

And preparation…

It takes little more than half a year for the departure of the Mini Transat 2017 in which I am registered. The road up here has not been a path of roses since that summer of 2012 when I bought the Pogo 1 ALFIN … But here we are with renewed energy, with an endless desire to navigate and run such an emblematic race!

And is that in 5 years has gone from everything that can happen, almost two years have passed since I brought the boat from Pollença until I did my first regatta of the Mini Class in 2014. Then came the work of going updating a boat of this class and with a budget more than ….

The truth is that I have enjoyed a lot, as much as I have learned from the lessons that have been presented. These have been the best school … Anna C. once told Guille C. and me that the Mini is a great school, what a great truth these words contained! I had never faced similar problems in similar conditions. If I had to summarize what I have learned so far, I would say that I have learned to prioritize under “pressure”.

But I’m leaving philosophy and I give way to the crucial question: the BUDGET. I just added a DONATION option in the blog that shares my Mini adventure with my work. And is that a point has arrived in which it is necessary to prepare the boat as much as possible, any element has to be revised and renewed if it is not going to be able to fulfill its mission.

So I find myself saving up to the last euro I earned in order to pay the cost of the Atlantic “aventurita”.

Any donations that can be made to me will be well received and well invested in the project, much has to be done with the minimum budget. Another challenge within the challenge 😉

 

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Sarens – Nothing too heavy, nothing too high

Sarens – Nothing too heavy, nothing too high

2016 ended the same way now begins in 2017, co-operating in a number of Sarens Corporate towages. It was a very good opportunity to learn from the best and I have not lost.

I still remember when I studied the methods of calculating the drag of ships with Professor Adrian Prada, which I recently I thought what would be the fate of knowledge then I love blindly.

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10 reasons to use the magnetic compass

The magnetic compass is the instrument that we have in the boat and occasionally have a look to see if we It has something different. And indeed not give us anything we do not know through other instruments onboard, but not the amount that matters (at least in this case), but rather the quality.

Compass, nautical needle or magnetic compass provides a certain and stable indication of sailing we are carrying indicates much and does very willingly, but see the advantages we, from my point of view of course

1) Clearly indicates the magnetic heading (corrected from deviation and taking clear the magnetic declination of the location, of course) that we sail

2) Shows the rate of turn or rate of change of course, this is the speed that produces the wind and the force of the helm/rudder

3) Shows the list that we have, sometimes may seem to be one thing and then another (night, cold, sleep, etc …)

4) Minimum energy consumption, at night we can put a LED light closely and further reduce energy consumption

5) Independence of the satellite signal providers, ie not depend on the dear and beloved GPS or other GPS satellite navigation system

6) In the worst case, when we were without power, for whatever reason, he, the magnetic compass will continue to set the magnetic North to us

7) Embellishes the cover of any boat, especially sailboats

8) It provides a source of conversation remembering when there was more than the sextant, chronometer and compass for all navigation instrument, and with them all the seas of this rough ocean is furrowed

9) While sailing to follow magnetic heading allows us to regulate navigation continuously avoiding stray off the beaten path in the chart. I say the GPS does the same, yes but not the same

10) Also it allows us to detect and evaluate the intensity and direction of the current when navigating near the coast or with references in sight

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Hidden works

ALFIN ESP371 MAGCOMPASS

Yesterday we turned the great small boat ALFIN. We did it in Toni shipyard in Cambrils, whose leadership was fundamental in implementing the “happy ending”.

Now it is the hardest sanding and surface preparation for anti osmosis treatment. We’ll see how it ends…

For people who don’t know me will tell you that ALFIN is a Pogo boat (series of “minis” class) of the first generation built on 2001. In the last Paris Boat Show was presented the Pogo 3 or third generation. So you can get an idea of ​​the type of sailboat that is ALFIN. She is an ocean racing, designed for short handed crews that allows offshore navigation. This is fantastic! a sailboat of 6.50 meters that enables 1 or 2 crew living for a certain time.

If we add that is a relatively old boat and therefore relatively cheap by then obtain affordable to get started in racing boat ocean solo sailing solo.

Well that’s where I’m going, maybe I’m a bit ignorant of the conditions of life that I’ll find, maybe I’m a little “released “, but, others are doing so and don’t see them too punished by extreme loneliness (about 30 days without communication with earth in the last minitransat or transat 650).

I don’t know it but maybe, maybe … I have to do it, I see it and I can not ignore this emotion that fills me when I go to sail…

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Mini transat boats

 

Mini transat boats represents main MagCompass values. Such as effort, endurance, perseverance, etc.

Shortly we’ll iniciate a new and challenging project…

In fact I start such project last year 2012, on july I brought transat 650 Pogo 1 from Pollença to Cambrils where I stablished training base. Towards the future…

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Cargo lost control

 

From 2012 we open another way to follow, as cargo control loses is. For us this means another challenge because sometimes our customers needs an independent survey in order to adquire the information that can be loss.

In this case loses becames from weights differences, discharge process is followed accuratelly and loss motive comes naturally.