Category Archives: Wood

Three days and 19 Hours – a review of

25. May 2015Katja Henke

On the day of our departure, I promised more, You also go out to keep abreast. Aber auf dieser Tour ist mir mal wieder die Seekrankheit dazwischen gekommen 🙁 So wurde nichts aus dem geplanten Blog-Schreiben. Also all the tasty things, I shopped and prepared had, gingen zum größten Teil in Dietmars Magen 🙂 Mein Motto dieser Überfahrt: Mit der Segel-Diät zur Traumfigur 🙂

But now even from the outset. Donnerstagmittag we left the Marina Quinta do Lorde on time and sailed towards the East of Madeira. When we had left the country coverage behind us, showed diagonally from front of the Atlantic Ocean from its harsh side with a three-meter wave. The trendy north-easterly wind was distracted unfortunately in the wind shadow of Porto Santo in the North and we had to past fight us hard up against the wind on the north side of Madeira.

Again and again, the waves from the course pushed us and “Otto”, our reliable autopilot, headed firmly against. This led to a stodgy swing course, He hit me on the stomach :-(. But that was not all yet. Repeatedly contradicted the ship motion of wave motion and our SUMMER was braked hard or suddenly hung with the bow in the air. The partly strong wind gusts were repeatedly changing slopes. Our roller coaster ride was perfect.

The noise in the ship was impressive. Actually, everything was well protected, but all sorted out our SUMMER again. Auch unser Schutzengel wurde kräftig durchgeschüttelt 🙂

We ran only with jib and 30 % the Großsegeln evenly between five and seven knots. After we had left behind us Madeira, could we leave the feathering position up to the easternmost-Santa Maria of island in the Azores. So everything good was actually, If only that “Waves games” and “Right-left role” not so hard would be. You could move a step, no hold themselves with at least one hand somewhere properly. The deck was flooded with sea water every few minutes vigorously. We had made us long time below deck comfortable and pleased about it, that man with a deck saloon yacht by inside everything well in sight has.

So Dietmar had to take back the entire service on this tour, while I had made comfortable me in my favorite corner in the living room. Im Essen aufwärmen ist mein Kapitän schon nicht mehr zu schlagen 🙂 und meistens bin ich ja auch nach zwei bis drei Tagen wieder fit.

On Sunday evening we decided together, not yet 200 To sail nautical miles further up to Faial, but to start the first possible island: Santa Maria. Not in the morning to three in the dark there at the port to arrive, We further reduced the sail area and wandered with four to five knots our goal contrary to. On Monday morning at eight o'clock, we are then 517 Nautical miles finally arrived :-).

On the Azores

21. May 2015Katja Henke

Verhungern werden wir in den nächsten Tage sicher nicht 🙂 Gestern haben wir noch ordentlich Obst, Bought vegetables and other goodies. Now everything is safely stowed away for the passage in the lockers.

I cooked for even security holder for the first days at sea, Since I my Yes “Command” at the beginning of a windy crossing, still a little suspicious to stand :-). And of course it sticks “Seasickness patches” even behind my ear. Then I should probably go wrong.

Just you so go to the Azores. The weather forecast looks great and we hope for a quick and pleasant crossing without special “Adventure”. We are of course to keep you on the Internet page with the position reports and short blogs. Unfortunately as always without “AE,OE,ü and ß” , Since the letter via radio not transfer. We hope, Ihr habt trotzdem Euren Spaß 🙂

Welcome back to Madeira

19. May 2015Katja Henke

The time is in Germany as always “as in flight” past and today it went already back with airberlin from Düsseldorf to Madeira, back to our SUMMER. Eine Woche hat sie es ohne uns aushalten müssen 🙁 und das sah man ihr auch an. Apparently moved in the last week a small sandstorm on Madeira and had covered everything with a dark brown sand layer. The Calima from the Sahara across the Atlantic has transported the sand up to Madeira. For better adhesion, probably even a little rain in the game has been, as much, that the sand could perfectly set on all white and polished surfaces.

Before Dietmar first went under deck, missed he first an extensive wash his SUMMER, while I took out the two large travel bags below deck. As always we had tried, Luggage on the amount of 23 Pounds to exploit. 22,5 Kilo has brought our a travel bag on the scale :-). The other bag was but just too small for such amounts. In the two kilos had fresh strawberries my backpack and 2 Pounds asparagus found place. Die Gepäckkontrolle hatte sicher beim Durchleutchen unserer Taschen kräftig den Kopf geschüttelt 🙂

We had decided already in Germany, to break up as soon as possible in the direction of the Azores. And the weather promises to be perfect for the trip. Still, stable, the wind blows from North-East and a change is not in sight. Morgen werden wir die Einkäufe erledigen und Donnerstag gegen Mittag wollen wir uns auf den Weg machen 🙂

Azores weather :-(

12. May 2015Katja Henke

Since we are in Madeira, We watch the weather, because the next blow to the Azores is almost with 700 Nautical miles long.

A low pressure area after another passed in the last few weeks on the Azores and brought much wind or even storm or hurricane and unpleasant high waves. For us it was clear anyway, that we go could sail only after our return from Germany, aber bisher hätte sich für uns auch kein akzeptable Wetterfenster gezeigt 🙂

To the Declaration of a weather map:

We would like from the Green marking needle (bottom right of the picture) to the Red (top left of the image) sailing (black line). The colors in the map represent the wind at a given time. From blue, green up down to the orange/red, increasing the wind. The numbers right indicate the wind gusting beside the small weather icons in the cards and the arrows the wind direction. The number of the small weather icon specifies the wave height.

So we had this day very nice strong ( up to 47 Node) Get wind on the nose. Das will ja nun wirklich niemand 🙂

Aber ab heute war es das 🙁 Fünf Tage optimale Bedingungen, Wind between 10 and 20 Nodes from the right direction and barely wave. Did you do that now?

Tonight we are sitting on the plane to Germany. The weather we might move a good week?

Travel arrangements

11. May 2015Katja Henke

When it comes to Germany, needs to be done before much. Not only, that the packages already stacked with my parents, We have ordered in advance on the Internet, travel always useless things, you are just too good to throw away or give, back to back. It is always a good opportunity, mal ganz gründlich klar Schiff zu machen 🙂

On the other hand, you want even people, meet you again after a long time, etwas mitbringen 🙂 Madeira hat ja mit dem Madeirawein und verschiedenen anderen Leckereien viele Möglichkeiten, others to make an unusual joy.

Since shopping (with a few exceptions, in General four wheels or a hull have) not so Dietmar thing is, I went to Funchal today afternoon alone. After my last purchase in the market Hall, I was on the hat. Here I would all get, what I wanted to do with, but would also match the price or would I annoy me again?

Arrived in the city the huge cross ship in the Harbour was just me. Today, hustle and bustle was right here. So I was not the only victim least and could look around the market stalls at rest.

After my last shopping experience, I took a stroll through the market first, to compare the prices. All goods are actually awarded, but many signs are draped beautifully between the goods, that you can not read the price. Oder die Schrift ist extra klein und undeutlich 🙂 Die Preisspannen waren wirklich beeindruckend. You could pay between one and ten euros for a kilo of Annona. And so it was not, that the expensive ones had the better quality and vice versa. So I bought two large Annona and had to shell out for a euro, also I took a kilo of passion fruit bananas for scarce three euro. I was allowed to choose even myself that, so that migrated only beautiful fruits in my bag . So shopping was fun.

So I can each, He's coming to Madeira and to Funchal, highly recommend the market Hall, denn mit offenen Augen hat man hier unglaublich viel Auswahl und super Qualität auch zu vernünftigen Preisen 🙂

After two hours, I had done all purchases and drove back to the port. Packing tomorrow still enough time is. Tonight, emails are written again diligently, the blog updates and the newsletter sent. A good feeling, If everything is on stand, before it disappears. Tomorrow in the morning we're still together beautiful clean boat, the last wash and just in time to 17 Our plane in the direction of Düsseldorf will take off and watch.

Tired of diving and nature

9. May 2015Katja Henke

Two days full of underwater adventures lay ahead. Yesterday, we both had made the theory test for the Nitrox certificate and passed :-). Today we were able to try out the first time the benefits of Nitrox in practice.

For all non-divers, but first a little explanation, What is Nitrox at all. All gas mixes called Nitrox, the higher oxygen content (>21%) as air have. If it appears, Is there (as almost always) Before- and disadvantages, that you must know and observe. For example you can longer time at depths between 20 and 30 Diving m, und genau das wollten wir heute machen 🙂

About nine o'clock we sailed towards to Lighthouse and today, the dive site presented flow free and clear from its most beautiful side of the underwater :-). Thus, Dietmar had optimal conditions for photography. And that is swimming about the way to us:

A large bear cancer

I was in the middle of a swarm of Sadinen

A green Anemone

Hovering over a rays

The “Blue-eyed” Hermit crab eyed us critically

A cleaning shrimp

Now we feel both of us under water poodle at home, Since then sometimes some mischief is announced. Die nächsten gestellten Fotos werden wir aber doch etwas dekorativer gestalten 🙂

Also the second dive this Friday has been impressive and relaxed. Even if it costs every time much overcome after the required surface interval of about an hour back in the wet and cold suit to rise. Especially the moment before you backwards with James Bond role again in the water dips and knows exactly, equal the water running down again freezing the back one…None……brrrrrrr……..not a nice feeling.

In the Marina, but already the warm shower waited and we sat still long time together in the Sun. Tomorrow we want to dive on the coast of the Islas Desertas and of course had to be designed. The Islands are located in a conservation area, that may enter only with prior approval. We got the required release after some phone calls and arranged, morning start at 9: 00 with the boat from the from Marina.

After an hour drive, we reached our first dive in the morning. Before an impressive rock wall with large caves, we went in the water the first time.

Underwater visibility in part was slightly tarnished, Since the last few days was drawn with wind and waves in the North over a violent low. Nevertheless, it was a pleasure again. Only the monk seal, you live here on the island and are on the red list, We have seen neither over nor under water.

There went the dives with the dinghy to a picnic on land. So we also had the opportunity, Trail to see the visitor centre and the small.

On this special day, time passed much too quickly and it was soon time to Madeira to drive back. During the boat trip we were all looking for whales or dolphins, discovered then but something completely different: one “Loggerhead sea turtle”.

Had a little later we Madeira and the Marina Quinta do Lorde again achieved.

Gemeinsam räumten wir noch das Tauchboot leer und entsalzten unsere Sachen mit Frischwasser. Den eigentlich für den späten Abend geplanten Besuch des Zitronenfestes in Santana ersetzten wir durch einen netten Videoabend. Ein weiteres Fest nach einem solchen Tag wäre einfach zu viel des Guten gewesen 😉

Separate ways

7. May 2015Katja Henke

Now I stood up here on the cliff and looked behind Dietmar, der auf das Meer hinaus segelte. Should be to think about me?

No, You no need worry. Dietmar hatte für den heutigen Nachmittag eine Einladung zum Mitsegeln von unseren französischen Nachbarn auf deren 43er Nauticat “PHILIA” angenommen. Bei ordentlich Wind wollten die beiden Herren Dietmar draußen die Vor- und Nachteile des Besan-Segels zeigen. Aber heute Abend sind wir natürlich wieder vereint 🙂

It moved me but rather in the mountains, more specifically on the highest peak of Madeira, Pico do Arieiro.

By picturesque, It first went Ribeiro Frio green valleys. In the middle of the laurel forest on the banks of the river you can take a short hike to a viewpoint. It went quite steeply uphill through flowering Apple trees. Not really that, what I love so much.

But shortly afterwards was the way flat and ran between rock walls in the forest.

Keine zehn Minuten später war die Wanderung auch schon wieder vorbei 🙁 Das war sogar mir etwas zu wenig, but the view was really impressive and even with background music, for two young men played didgeridoo up here. It fit amazingly well here. I settled myself in the Sun, and enjoyed music and views.

Back in Ribeiro Frio I needed to follow only a short stretch of the road, to get to the famous trout farm. The trout are raised here in brick basin, directly by the River with clear, cold water supply.

That looks quite different, as as seen in Germany. This is also probably the reason, why the idyllic plant is served by many tourist buses. But in the late afternoon relaxed calm prevailed, and people were only occasionally on the road. Also the environmental trail was deserted. Here you could learn more about the different plants of the laurel forest.

Next we went up towards Pico do Arieiro. Above is a NATO radar station on the Summit now. I had only a little bit in front of me, then I can enjoy the great views of the entire island.

Falsch gedacht 🙁 Gut, that I from on the road least had made a picture of the Summit. Because when I came up to, crept from the other side thick clouds over the Summit and packed everything in thick, grey cotton. It was direct here above on 1818 M also very cold. I quickly made a proof photo and quickly joined the way back.

For the stick down to the port took in only a fraction of the time, that I had needed for the way. The cold, monotonous grey no longer invited to other photo stops and I was happy, in the Sun Sat again as I at the port.

Dietmar was also back. He sat still in the so-called “Investors beer” on the SY PHILIA with both jeans(Jean-Yves and Jean Guy) together. The exit has been very funny. First the three had no wind at all and were pretty disappointed. When then exploded a beer bottle in the fridge, was brotherly to share the rest of the contents of the a good occasion to drink. Exactly in the moment, When the last drop was drunk, put the wind with 25 Node an and earned yet another great sailing afternoon. Sounds strange, but is so! Wieder was gelernt 🙂

All good things come in threes

6. May 2015Katja Henke

Today, it had finally worked. Twice we have faced in the past a roadblock and today we have arrived through a bureaucracies without yet at our destination. To the high plateau of Paul da Serra in the West of Madeira!

Irgendwie sah es hier oben ganz anders aus als sonst wo auf der Insel 🙂 Wenn das Meer im Hintergrund nicht wäre, could you think, man sei in der Schweiz 🙂 Aber so weit hatten wir uns sicher nicht verfahren. The temperatures here were not so pleasant, how we would have liked that. But this time we were clothes-technically well equipped. Nevertheless, we decided, up here no hike to undertake, After we reached the parking lot at the starting point of the hiking trails. Here were also somehow too many tourists on the road.

Rather, we enjoyed the view and friendly us permanent residents of meadows and pastures. You look really nice, but touch is prohibited. Right when first attempting to approach the horns were quickly used. Dietmar was but quick enough again out of reach of sharp antlers before it could reach the cow. Well, We have learned it earlier, that one should consider the relationship sometimes better only from a distance :-).

At some point our little street led us back down again to the sea and we arrived in the village of Calheta. After attending de “Madeira wine”-Yesterday a visit to the traditional sugar seemed cellar us there- and rum factory only necessarily and logically.

In Madeira there are three factories, establish the sugar fine exactly as earlier from sugar cane. The manufacturing process is not very complicated. First of all you need the sugar cane of course. This is delivered on open flatbed, and then spent by crane on the factory floor.

In the first step it is coarsely crushed, before it is then squeezed out to the so-called sugar juice. It tasted not bad against all expectations, even though he left something visually to wish.

From the juice of sugar can be later either sugar or syrup or even rum. Of course, she had “Sociedade dos Engenhos da Calheta” also a bar to test the distillates and a small shop, where to buy all products also can. Especially on it had done us the honey cake or. the honey fritters, both are made with sugar cane syrup. Actually a rather Christmas pastries, but because of its long shelf life (as. a year) is available always on Madeira and belongs to the special local treats. But also “Poncha de Madeira”, a rum cocktail of type of, brought on board and a small bottle of rum (That is intended for baking but rather :-))

After I had left the detailed testing of the partly high spirits Dietmar, übernahm ich das Steuer des Mietwagens 🙂 Auf dem Rückweg zum Hafen bot sich noch ein interessanter Stopp an und von meinem angeheiterten Ehemann kam diesmal keine Gegenwehr. Monte, located above of Funchal in the mountains, showed up today from his sunny side. Up here had their villas before the rich wine merchants and various parks and gardens were created around. Nowadays man lives better again, in Funchal on the sea and the mountains leaving the tourists.

Monte is known, because here the last Austrian Emperor Karl died the first exile of pneumonia and surrounded by his remains in the chapel of rest were and because of the “Basket sleigh ride” down towards Funchal.

Obediently waiting for the next brave in a number of the driver of the carriage, who wanted to go with the vehicle without steering and brake towards the Valley. Das schien auf jeden Fall ein ziemlicher Spaß zu sein 🙂

But for someone, 24-hour race next week goes, enough not thrill it was then probably it. We walked rather then by the Park at the Church “Igreja Nossa Senhora do Monte” over and made us go home.

Diving in the double pack and Madeira wine to relax

5. May 2015Katja Henke

Today a double dive was on the agenda and thus we spent all morning under water. We were together with ester and Marco and two Swedish divers by boat again on the easternmost tip of Madeira on the road.

Shortly after the first dive from the “Arco do Badajeira” discovered unusually large grouper before his cave ester located only a few metres. He was well over a metre tall and quite trustful. But after sometime too close to him with the camera, He disappeared with a gallant twist deep in his cave and was no longer seen. Similar happened to us with three beautiful Moray also considerable size, die wir anschließend in ihren Höhlen aufstöberten 🙂

We wanted our second dive (Once again) at the wreck of the “SS FORERUNNER” To try, the Yes several times had to fail due to a strong flow. But this time, the conditions were seemingly fit and we showed off quickly. Unfortunately we arrived but not the place, where the bulk of the wreckage was. The depth was so strong current, that we could achieve our goal impossible. At least not, without due to the great effort when swimming against the flow the bottles within 15 Minutes to suck. In such a case, then also the safety of the diver's going on, because we wanted to drive so five of us back to the base.

Today we not put us for a change after diving once on the lazy skin. After a short lunch break with fresh cottage cheese with fruit salad we went together with Ernst and Fenja Funchal. While Dietmar and Ernst had to consult together even the Chandlery, We girls made a trip to the famous market Hall in the island's capital.

She was not only beautiful to look at without, also inside the booths were lovingly and accurately decorated. The diversity of the offered exotic fruits was overwhelming! Fast überall konnte man auch probieren 🙂 Leider hatte das ganze auch teilweise einen recht stolzen Preis.

When I went away with my small bag, fühlte ich mich schon etwas über den Tisch gezogen 🙁 Obwohl ich ja selber Schuld war. I had taken in the selection of the stand does not, that the goods had no price tags. So, I probably deserved fancy prices. But what a Yes we know only once and who asks, dem kann bekanntlich auch geholfen werden 🙂

For this I had again a beautiful unknown in the luggage. The research on the Internet was this time really challenging. One should not believe, wie viele rote Beeren es so gibt 🙂

Here are my opinion Chilean guava.

This is a species of plant in the Myrtaceae family according to Wikipedia (Myrtaceae). In the Mapuche language is plain and in the Spanish murta or murtilla called. It is only distantly related with the guava. The culinary use of fruits is initially limited to the South of Chile. There are the fruits with aguardiente (a spirit drink) set up, to jam cooked or prepared with Quince for dessert. The taste of the fruit is reminiscent of more or less Quince or wild strawberry.

As far as the theory. I can not sign this with the wild strawberry, Quitte kommt für mich eher hin 🙂 Im Obstsalat machten sie sich nachher ganz gut, but they are not so recommended to the way sweet, weil sie dazu nicht süß genug sind 🙂 Da wären die Erdbeeren schon besser gewesen.

Directly at the exit of the Hall discovered we still a particularly example of Portuguese entrepreneurship :-), but it was already nearing closing.

When visiting Madeira, is a must visit the winery Blandy actually. Here is since about 200 Years produced the famous Madeira wine.

The Madeira wine was supposedly randomly. After the fermentation process, similar to when the port better durability due to with 96% Vol. pure alcohol has been canceled, reported sailors, that the wine changed the taste to the positive after the transport through the tropics. This transport was carried out henceforth targeted. Selected wines in small barrels made the Torna viagem, the voyage in the Portuguese overseas provinces through, which the ripening process, particularly supported the so-called made non-iridescent. The voyage was later (until today) by three- five-month storage at 45 ° C to 75 Replaces ° C (for example directly under corrugated metal roofs or artificially produced) (According to Wikipedia,).

We like both really like port wine, There we no now also said even if it was still early in the day :-). Said – Done and as you can see by the number of empty glasses, waren wir sehr neugierig und haben viel gelernt 🙂 Nochmal vielen Dank, dear Ernst, for the knowledgeable wine tasting.

After this effort was first needed a short breather. In the nearby park, the men took a break, While the ladies prefer “Floral” fotographierten 🙂 Jedem das Seine, but who can resist such beauties already?

The night we were in the old town relaxed at the end of. Delicious meal we sat together quite long and talked. Unfortunately, it was our last day with Anil and Ernst, as to the Azores, the two morning break. So we filled the trunk of our pandas still in the supermarket with food for tomorrow's crossing of the two. The day was a great deal of our common time – Wiederholung unbedingt erwünscht 🙂

A stormy night with port cinema at its finest :-)

3. May 2015Katja Henke

Sometimes keeps the weather report, what he promises and the uncomfortable, rainy afternoon went over in a stormy evening. When the wind aufbriste, were all at our Jetty so busy, ihre Boote für die Nacht optimal und sicher festzumachen 🙂 Man wollte ja gut und ruhig schlafen. There is trendy 30 Knot wind directly on the harbour some preparatory work necessary.

So, we have all witnessed an impressive spectacle (called in sailors Harbour cinema):

In the Harbour, a huge yacht surfaced suddenly at fairly high speed. Und mit riesig meine ich wirklich sehr groß 🙂 112 Foot or. 34 Metres in length. While we still considered, If there is ever a place so long boat in the Marina, It became clear us, that the skipper the “Hammer head” our pontoons for mooring his luxury yacht had chosen. With undiminished speed and wind from behind on his tail the maneuver from the start was doomed to failure. Despite many helping hands, the yacht unabated shot past us and continue……an abrupt end took to the ride at the underwater ramp in front of the harbour restaurant.

Speechless, we stood on the bridge. What was it now???? For the explanation of such a maneuver could come only engine problems or complete insanity of the master in question. Wir gingen dann mal von Maschinenproblemen aus 🙂 Im Zweifel immer für den Angeklagten 🙂 So waren dann auch viele helfende Hände bereit, as the Highland BREEZE (Swan 112 SUPERYACHT by 2002) little later slowly and carefully backwards maneuvered at the pontoon. The bridge was needed that 127 Not make yacht of tons of. That would be so, When someone tries, to bind a truck on a garden fence. Since already the massive steel concrete piles had to be, you laid down the jetty in the harbour basin.

Somehow, all other boats in the harbor now looked like toys. The boats in the foreground has 36 Foot or 11 Meter und unsere SUMMER ist auch nur eineinhalb Meter länger 🙂

Tonight, we had to keep our fingers crossed while sleeping, that would meet the steel concrete piles and our impressive task bar :-). If the wind pressure on the boats would be too big for the poles, würden wir uns alle zusammen an der Rampe vor dem Hafenrestaurant wieder treffen 🙁 Eigentlich war die ganze Marina viel zu klein für ein solches Luxusbötchen 🙂

But after a fitful night, we all were (Steg, SUMMER; Highland BREEZE and all other boats :-)) the next morning there, where they belonged.

SY CESARINA

A log of our travels