Sea Change

What happens in a normal day on Murihiku?

When Ange first heard about our charter trips, she imagined something highly athletic and sailory. The truth is much more laid-back and holidayish.

We expect to spend half our times in ports and half in anchorages.

In a port - we either eat breakfast on board, or some may go off for a breakfast coffee. There will be time for sight-seeing, visiting markets, and often having lunch or dinner out. We have a couple of folding bikes for those who want to explore.

At anchorage - we eat on board, people will be swimming and kayaking and generally lazing about with books, and going ashore using the dinghy to explore. The catamaran has plenty of space and shelter out of the sun.

Moving - Except when we are moving between Croatia and Italy, Italy and Corfu and Corfu to the Ionian where there are larger distances between ports, we would not normally travel for more than three hours a day, and like to schedule our movement to allow plenty of time to settle into a new location. Movement is weather dependent, as we are very cowardly types who don't take risks and like our comfort. We have two engines as well as sails. A catamaran stays flat and does not heel over like a monohull so everyone can just carry on as usual while we are moving. We are happy for anyone to join in with the sailing whether they are absolute novices wanting to learn or experts who want to trim the sails to tweak the woollies to their heart's content.

Chores - in the 20 or so charters I have done with 20 different groups we have never had a roster and never had a problem with getting things done. There are usually two people preparing for each meal and two people cleaning up, and there are other chores like sweeping up, filling the water containers, wiping down the bathrooms, so everyone just mucks in.


The Boat
The boat is a Lagoon 380. This link will show you some photos or if you search 'Lagoon 380 4 cabin ' on the net you will find lots of photographs and diagrams. Murihiku is a catamaran which means it has two hulls and two motors, with a salon joining the two. We have a gas stove and BBQ and a fridge and freezer. There are four double cabins and two toilets. The toilets also double as a shower though its nicer to use the outside shower when we are at anchor and more private. There is seating around our dining table for up to eight, and another dining area outside which we tend to use more, as well as space out the front for lazing about.

The boat is more like a caravan than a holiday house in that the space is limited, the cabins have a bed and a small closet and just space for two people to stand.

We will be running on battery power which is fuelled by the engines, a generator and solar power. We have two tanks for water, and the ability to make water from the sea (run by the generator). This all means we have to be very green and conscious of power and water usage. For example we don't leave lights on when nobody is in a cabin, nor leave water running when we brush our teeth. When you shower, wet yourself with water, turn off the shower, lather up, then rinse.

The toilets empty into holding tanks which are then emptied into the sea as we move from one place to another. The piping is much smaller than your household toilet and you have to pump it to flush. If you need to use more than 4 squares of toilet paper you need to flush and start again.
If you are a sailor you might want to bring your sailing gloves, we have a spare pair on board.


As all the power is provided by the batteries, you need to bring car chargers for any phones or cameras you are bringing (we have them on board for iphones and ipads and the magsafe charger for macbooks).

In Croatia, Italy and Greece we plan to have internet coverage for weather and urgent email. You could tell anyone who needs to get in touch with you urgently to email Ange.
We are expecting most guests to come from New Zealand with their luggage for an overseas trip, so we can't ask you to bring minimal luggage with soft bags. What we will ask when you arrive is you take out what you will definitely use in your time with us - swimwear, t-shirts and shorts, maybe a marginally more dressy outfit for dinners ashore, and we will try and stow your cases under the bunks.


What to bring
The boat has all the safety equipment including lifejackets. . We have bed linen and towels for all visitors. There are not any specific items that are essential though we recommend
• a wrap or sarong is useful when sharing a bathroom and swimming,
• earplugs are a good idea for the unusual noises,
• and a torch can be handy,
• a flask or drinking bottle to keep your drinking water cold, and save on lots of washing glasses is useful
• if you are a sailor you might want to bring your sailing gloves, we have a spare pair on board.

Safety Briefing

We will go through this at the time, but it may help to read it beforehand.

Fire
Fire is a major danger on boats. There are fire extinguishers in the port bathroom cupboard, underneath the sink, and in a small cupboard underneath the helm station, near the main door. There is also a fire blanket on a shelf near the starboard stairs. Remember to never put water on fat or oil fires. We don't want smoking at all on the boat.

EPIRB
The EPIRB is an emergency positioning beacon. It sends a signal to the emergency services via satellite, signalling our position and immediate need for rescue. It ids kept in a yellow waterproof bag with other essentials, like portable GPS, paper charts, flares and handheld radio near the main door.

Person over board
It is unlikely someone will fall overboard as we would not usually go out of the cockpit area in heavy seas unless we were clipped on to the safety jacklines. If someone does fall over board the first person to see them should point to them keeping their eyes on them at all times and become the spotter. Anyone else without a specific task should also become a spotter. The person on the wheel will mark the spot then turn to recover them . We have a soft safer ring to through plus an auto inflate capsule. to throw when they are within range.

Lifejackets
We presume everyone can swim, please tell us if you are not 100% confident you could swim 100 metres in deep water. We have lifejackets for everybody, they will be on your bunk when you arrive, we suggest you put them on and adjust them to fit you. Children need to have their own, fitting them well, with crotch strap. ( not the self inflating type). Many cruisers don't use lifejackets during the day when moving, but if you have any hesitation at all just put one on. Usually we would use them in the dingy, on the kayaks, and if the weather's rough.

Radio
There is one on board, we will show you how to use it and to make an emergency mayday call (on channel 16).

Life raft
We have an 8 person auto inflate life raft as well as the dingy, however it is most unlikely the boat would sink, as it is designed with positive buoyancy.

Medical - Please tell us if you have medical condition or are taking medication. Obviously we are not doctors but if we are a couple of hours away from the nearest doctor and you have a problem we need to be able to find your medication and tell any medical staff what medication you are on and any health problems you have. Some people prefer to put this in a sealed envelope. Whatever medical conditions you have it is unlikely to stop you enjoying yourself, we have had one crew members with Parkinson's disease, another with secondary cancer meaning she only had 30% lung capacity. If we know, we can help to make it fun and safe.

Alcohol
We want you to have a happy safe time with us. Its unlikely we would move once we are anchored or tied up to shore for the night but it is possible if weather conditions change, A trip or a slip might bruise your dignity ashore, but on a boat it can mean a loss of life. For this reason we would discourage anyone having more than a couple of drinks.