Voyage of SY Nessaru

The 2024 voyage of a 39ft sailing yacht, Nessaru, from Barcelona, Spain, across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, via the Panama Canal, to Bundaberg, Australia.

22 June 2024 | Port Louis, Grenada
17 June 2024 | Port Louis Marina, St Georges, Grenada
20 May 2024 | Pasito Blanco, Gran Caneria
08 May 2024 | Puerto Deportivo Pasito Blanco, Gran Canaria
28 April 2024 | Rota, Andalucia, Spain
20 April 2024 | Almeria, Club de Mar
12 April 2024 | Port Ginesta, Barcelona, Spain
05 April 2024 | Port Ginesta, Barcelona, Spain
17 March 2024 | Port Ginesta, Barcelona, Spain

Voyage of SY Nessaru - Preparations continue in Australia

23 February 2024
Colin Maslen
So there is a guy in a yacht berthed at a marina. Another guy walking past on the jetty, stops and says to the guy in the yacht: "Hey, I heard you are planning to sail around the world. Isn't that dangerous?" And the guy on the yacht replies: "Either of us may die tomorrow. I might be swept from the deck and drowned. You may be hit by a bus on your way to work. If I succeed, I will snorkel, hike and live truly in paradise. If you succeed you will get to work."

OK, so the above joke is from a cartoon - see photo gallery - but you would have to admit that there is a certain element of truth in it. Of course, it may not all be plain sailing, although if we experience the conditions shown in the second cartoon, then my navigation will be seriously flawed!

And for those who may be unfamiliar with yachts and nautical terms - please refer to the drawing in the photo gallery!

Preparations for the voyage of SY Nessaru continue. The refit has been completed: after the hull refurbishment and application of antifouling paint, the last jobs were to paint the stripes above the waterline and below the gunwales and polish the hull above the waterline. The yacht is looking good and is now back in the water, and a new spray hood has been fitted (see photo gallery). A new life raft - a 'Transocean ISAF/OSR Liferaft 4P T1 < 24 h Canister' - has been ordered for delivery in March. Gary wanted to know what colours it comes in, so for Gary and anyone else who is curious, I have added a stock photo in the photo gallery. Hopefully the liferaft will remain in its canister, and we will never see it inflated as shown in the photo!

And as far as I can tell from FedEx and UPS tracking numbers etc. all of our paper charts, navigation books and a sextant have been delivered to Barcelona.

Meanwhile back in Australia, for Christmas, Mandy bought me The Boat Galley Cook Book, and we have been experimenting with some of the recipes, using, for example, tinned tomatoes and tinned mushrooms instead of produce fresh from a supermarket. Mick has also tried making fresh bread which, together with good coffee, are two "must haves" for the voyage.

Then there is the process of registering Nessaru as an Australian ship, through the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Ship Registration Office (SRO). Having lodged all the necessary documentation, Nessaru now has an official number, 876351, with Mooloolaba as the home port. However registration is a two-step process; we need an engraver to engrave the official number (O.N.) and length overall (L.O.A.) on a plate which is then affixed inside the boat. We will also need to engage a signwriter in Barcelona to paint "Nessaru" on each side of the bow, as well as the port of registration, "Mooloolaba", on the stern. When that is completed, we will forward a declaration to AMSA, and that should be it. Well almost, because we are also in the process of requesting a maritime mobile service identity (MMSI) for the automatic identification system (AIS - a global system for tracking ships and other marine traffic), as well as registering our new emergency position-indicating radiobeacon (EPIRB). All of the above is a bit tedious, requiring various documents which have to be appropriately signed and witnessed, but I would have to say that the folks at the relevant AMSA offices have been very helpful and quick to respond to our questions and applications.

Another task has been to set up our satellite communications system. I subscribed for the Iridium GO! service through the SatPhone Shop in Mulgrave, Victoria, then downloaded the required apps. As described by one provider, "The Iridium GO! enables global satellite voice and SMS messaging connectivity for your mobile devices when you're outside of mobile coverage. Simply flip up the integrated antenna and the battery-powered unit connects quickly and automatically to the Iridium satellite constellation. Connect up to five devices via Wi-Fi and operate one at a time within a 30-metre radius from the Iridium GO!"

The word "simply" in the above description should have rung alarm bells, although it did occur to me that if it sounds that easy, it probably isn't! There are various versions of set-up instructions on the web, none of which quite covers the whole process, nor the troubleshooting solutions for some of the problems I encountered, such as how to get past "enter SIM PIN" without being able to find a "SIM PIN" anywhere. After some hours of frustration, I eventually got the system to work on both my iPhone and on a Samsung Galaxy notepad, and was able to make a phone call, send a message, and send/receive an email. Lessons learned include how susceptible Iridium satellite connectivity, or should I say lack of, is to cloud cover. Canberra's current cloudy weather didn't help!

For anyone who wants to make a note of it, our new phone number is +8816 2241 9685. To call from Australia you would need to first dial 0011 (the Australian IDD access code, as for an international call), then the number, i.e. 0011881622419685. But please do not call just for a chat; it will cost you, and anyway, we will only have the system on for short periods during the day. Best to send an SMS, and if necessary, we will call back. Or use email; my Iridium email address is colin.maslen@myiridium.net.

One more bit of news: We have recruited another crew member, Paul Jones, to join us in either Tahiti or Fiji for the final leg home to Australia. Welcome Paul!

Well that is the update for now. Next one will be in March when Mick and I are in Barcelona.
Comments
Vessel Name: Nessaru
Vessel Make/Model: 1991 Jeanneau Sun Charm 39
Hailing Port: Port Ginesta, Barcelona, Spain, changing to Mooloolaba, Australia
Crew: Colin Maslen, Michael Stewart and Gary Humphries
About:
Colin and Michael are retired Navy Commanders. Colin was a submariner, but also has above-water sailing experience in Australian coastal waters, the Mediterranean and the UK. [...]
Extra:
Nessaru is a 1991 Jeanneau Sun Charm 39, with a length of 39.33 ft or 11.99 metres and a beam of 12.76 ft or 3.89 metres. A Jacques Faroux design, the Jeanneau Sun Charm 39 was introduced in 1989 as a fast cruiser with excellent accommodation. These older Jeanneaus share a family resemblance to [...]
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Nessaru's Photos - Main
10 Photos
Created 22 June 2024
4 Photos
Created 20 May 2024
6 Photos
Created 8 May 2024
Through the Strait of Gibraltar, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, passing between two continents
12 Photos
Created 28 April 2024
5 Photos
Created 22 April 2024
7 Photos
Created 20 April 2024
Delayed in Port Ginesta, Barcelona, Spain
5 Photos
Created 5 April 2024
SY Nessaru in Port Ginesta, Barcelona, Spain
5 Photos
Created 17 March 2024
Preparations for the voyage of SY Nessaru continue in Spain and back home in Australia
8 Photos
Created 23 February 2024
Nessaru undergoes a major refit
15 Photos
Created 4 January 2024
Finding our yacht in Spain; Nessaru in Port Ginesta, Barcelona; Barcelona - the Sangria Familia Basilica by Gaudi
7 Photos
Created 4 January 2024