Cruising to Greece and back.
After sailing back from Greece to Portishead, in October 2019 Tobin Bronze was transported back to Wadswick for a major re-fit. In July 2022, TB was re-launched into Portishead Marina.
| Vessel Name: | Tobin Bronze |
| Vessel Make/Model: | 35ft cold moulded plywood sloop |
| Hailing Port: | Bristol |
| Crew: | Peter and Judy Ward |
| About: |
31 December 2023
24 October 2019 | Portishead Entrance Lock
09 July 2019
02 July 2019
08 June 2019
12 May 2019
27 November 2018
30 June 2018
18 November 2017
21 June 2017
03 July 2016 | Agmar Marine Boatyard. Partheni, Island of Leros
30 October 2015
01 October 2014 | Kilada to Orei
25 November 2013
19 July 2013
26 June 2013 | Koilada
01 December 2012
01 November 2012 | Koilada
25 October 2011
29 September 2011
Recent Blog Posts
24 October 2019 | Portishead Entrance Lock
Last leg - La Rochelle to Portishead
Click here for link to relevant PhotpAlbum La Rochelle to Portishead. Portishead Entrance Lock.
09 July 2019
Corsica west coast & French coast to Herault River
Click here for link to relevant PhotpAlbum Corsica. View from town overlooking harbour at Cargese.
02 July 2019
2019 Sardinia - West coast
Click here for link to relevant PhotpAlbum Sardinia . A screen-shot of the track across Tyrrhenian Sea
08 June 2019
Sicily south coast
Click here for link to relevant PhotpAlbum Sicily - South coast. This image was taken from the fort overlooking Cala del Sol, Licata.
12 May 2019
2019 Return from Malta to Portishead
Click here for link to relevant PhotpAlbum Spring 2019 Malta. This image is taken from the top of Kalkara Creek.
2019 Return from Malta to Portishead
12 May 2019
Peter Ward
Click here for link to relevant PhotpAlbum Spring 2019 Malta. This image is taken from the top of Kalkara Creek.
We made an early start on Sunday 12th May 2019, catching a National Express bus at 06:15 from Pickwick to London Heathrow. Air Malta then flew us to a warmer, sunnier Valetta. On the taxi ride to Kalkara Marina the driver tried to sell us an expensive guided tour around the island the next day. Once he realised we were not interested, he shut up and we didn't get a word out of him for the rest of the trip. We had booked in for a night in Villa del Port, a cheap and cheerful hotel right by the marina.
A quick visit to the boatyard revealed Tobin Bronze parked out the front of the yard ready to be launched next morning.
Judy's cousin, Patrick, his wife Helen, son Tom and his friend James arrived next morning just as TB was going into the water. Tom and James had recently arrived in Malta on their Nicholson 32, Blue Eyes, which was also in the marina. They had sailed up from the Suez Canal and were heading back to the UK to complete a circumnavigation.
Once in the water we had quite a lot of work to do. The friendly girls in the marina office arranged for Judy to be collected by Supermarket Pavi where she did a mega-shop. Then the van delivered her and the groceries back to the marina. On the boat itself, there was a lot of rainwater in the bilge as a result of the leaky decks. There is an automatic bilge pump that I usually rig up each winter. But when I left the boat last time I must have knocked the leads loose as it wasn't working. A lot of bedding and towels were soaked and all had to be washed. Then to cap it off, the potable water pump ran for 2 minutes and then gave up the ghost.
At 15:00hrs, friends of ours from Box , Paul & Ros, came by for a visit. They were holidaying in Malta staying with their friend, Sue. A sociable G&T with them cheered us up.
As the afternoon progressed, a northerly wind picked up to around 20kts which firstly made it a bit cooler, only 19°C, and then created a bit of swell into the marina. Valetta Grand Harbour is open to the north east and is not protected in that direction. On 24th February 2019, the worst storm for years hit Malta and did a lot of damage around the harbour. We could still see the damage in places.
Look up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGMOoN1i2Y
There were showers overnight and continued with odd shower or two next day.
The problem with the pot water pump was found to be the pressure switch. Tino from the yard located a replacement switch in a chandlery located the other side of Valetta. Judy and I had a day out, sight seeing, as we collected the pressure switch from the chandlery. We walked from Kalkara Marine through Birgu to Marina Di Valletta where we boarded the ferry across the Grand Harbour to Valletta. From the quay side, we used the Barrakka lift to reach the upper town. We arrived just in time to see the firing of the Noon Gun from the Upper Barrakka Gardens. The view across the Grand Harbour is spectacular.
We enjoyed lunch in a restaurant in one of the main streets before walking down the hill to the Silema ferry terminal on the north side of Valletta. After collecting our spare part from the well stocked chandlery in Silema, we had a beer in a water-side café before making the return journey arriving back at 16:00hrs. As we were both tired and foot-sore after so much walking, we had a short siesta before meeting Patrick and his family in a restaurant in the main square in Birgu. It was a very good meal at a reasonable price.
Bloody engines!!!
Click here for link to an enlarged image in the Photo Album 'Spring 2019 Malta..'
The ship's log for Wednesday 15 May 2019 reads:-
JW sight seeing with Patrick & family
PW repair water pump (replaced pressure sensor).
Repair loose wire on cool box.
Fit RCB 0n 240v circuit.
Clean bilge under engine.
Temp 17°C. Sunny spells
After more showers overnight, Thursday was mostly sunny but cold in the north westerly wind which was gusting in excess of 20kts. The morning was spent getting TB squared away for leaving Malta. After lunch, we visited "Blue Eyes" and had a few beers with Patrick, Tom and James. The two lads would be sailing from Malta in a couple of days heading non-stop to Porto Vecchio in Corsica before entering the French canals via the River Rhone.
The NW wind brought squally showers all afternoon but conditions improved overnight.
Next morning was much improved - bright, sunny, no wind. After hoisting and furling the genoa and bending the mainsail, we paid our boatyard bill to Kalkara Marine and departed from the marina. Malta, and Valletta in particular, is a fascinating place with history oozing from every corner. We really could have done with more time there to take it all in.
Departing Kalkara Marina.
Click here for link to an enlarged image in the Photo Album 'Spring 2019 Malta..'
By 09:40hrs, we were outside the harbour in bright sunshine on a northerly course with Ragusa 52.5Nm away. We were able to sail initially in the light east wind but after lunch time the wind went light and veered more astern; so we had to motor sail to keep up a decent passage speed. Conditions were very pleasant with very little shipping around. In a three hour period we saw 1 ship and 2 sailboats.
As we approached the south coast of Sicily, we had to compensate for the east setting current to maintain our track. The north west swell which was present when we left Valletta decreased during the day and by 18:00hrs was replaced by a slight south east wave pattern.
There was plenty of room in the huge Ragusa Marina and two marineos in an RIB helped us into our berth.
We made an early start on Sunday 12th May 2019, catching a National Express bus at 06:15 from Pickwick to London Heathrow. Air Malta then flew us to a warmer, sunnier Valetta. On the taxi ride to Kalkara Marina the driver tried to sell us an expensive guided tour around the island the next day. Once he realised we were not interested, he shut up and we didn't get a word out of him for the rest of the trip. We had booked in for a night in Villa del Port, a cheap and cheerful hotel right by the marina.
A quick visit to the boatyard revealed Tobin Bronze parked out the front of the yard ready to be launched next morning.
Judy's cousin, Patrick, his wife Helen, son Tom and his friend James arrived next morning just as TB was going into the water. Tom and James had recently arrived in Malta on their Nicholson 32, Blue Eyes, which was also in the marina. They had sailed up from the Suez Canal and were heading back to the UK to complete a circumnavigation.
Once in the water we had quite a lot of work to do. The friendly girls in the marina office arranged for Judy to be collected by Supermarket Pavi where she did a mega-shop. Then the van delivered her and the groceries back to the marina. On the boat itself, there was a lot of rainwater in the bilge as a result of the leaky decks. There is an automatic bilge pump that I usually rig up each winter. But when I left the boat last time I must have knocked the leads loose as it wasn't working. A lot of bedding and towels were soaked and all had to be washed. Then to cap it off, the potable water pump ran for 2 minutes and then gave up the ghost.
At 15:00hrs, friends of ours from Box , Paul & Ros, came by for a visit. They were holidaying in Malta staying with their friend, Sue. A sociable G&T with them cheered us up.
As the afternoon progressed, a northerly wind picked up to around 20kts which firstly made it a bit cooler, only 19°C, and then created a bit of swell into the marina. Valetta Grand Harbour is open to the north east and is not protected in that direction. On 24th February 2019, the worst storm for years hit Malta and did a lot of damage around the harbour. We could still see the damage in places.
Look up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGMOoN1i2Y
There were showers overnight and continued with odd shower or two next day.
The problem with the pot water pump was found to be the pressure switch. Tino from the yard located a replacement switch in a chandlery located the other side of Valetta. Judy and I had a day out, sight seeing, as we collected the pressure switch from the chandlery. We walked from Kalkara Marine through Birgu to Marina Di Valletta where we boarded the ferry across the Grand Harbour to Valletta. From the quay side, we used the Barrakka lift to reach the upper town. We arrived just in time to see the firing of the Noon Gun from the Upper Barrakka Gardens. The view across the Grand Harbour is spectacular.
We enjoyed lunch in a restaurant in one of the main streets before walking down the hill to the Silema ferry terminal on the north side of Valletta. After collecting our spare part from the well stocked chandlery in Silema, we had a beer in a water-side café before making the return journey arriving back at 16:00hrs. As we were both tired and foot-sore after so much walking, we had a short siesta before meeting Patrick and his family in a restaurant in the main square in Birgu. It was a very good meal at a reasonable price.
Bloody engines!!! Click here for link to an enlarged image in the Photo Album 'Spring 2019 Malta..'
The ship's log for Wednesday 15 May 2019 reads:-
JW sight seeing with Patrick & family
PW repair water pump (replaced pressure sensor).
Repair loose wire on cool box.
Fit RCB 0n 240v circuit.
Clean bilge under engine.
Temp 17°C. Sunny spells
After more showers overnight, Thursday was mostly sunny but cold in the north westerly wind which was gusting in excess of 20kts. The morning was spent getting TB squared away for leaving Malta. After lunch, we visited "Blue Eyes" and had a few beers with Patrick, Tom and James. The two lads would be sailing from Malta in a couple of days heading non-stop to Porto Vecchio in Corsica before entering the French canals via the River Rhone.
The NW wind brought squally showers all afternoon but conditions improved overnight.
Next morning was much improved - bright, sunny, no wind. After hoisting and furling the genoa and bending the mainsail, we paid our boatyard bill to Kalkara Marine and departed from the marina. Malta, and Valletta in particular, is a fascinating place with history oozing from every corner. We really could have done with more time there to take it all in.
Departing Kalkara Marina. Click here for link to an enlarged image in the Photo Album 'Spring 2019 Malta..'
By 09:40hrs, we were outside the harbour in bright sunshine on a northerly course with Ragusa 52.5Nm away. We were able to sail initially in the light east wind but after lunch time the wind went light and veered more astern; so we had to motor sail to keep up a decent passage speed. Conditions were very pleasant with very little shipping around. In a three hour period we saw 1 ship and 2 sailboats.
As we approached the south coast of Sicily, we had to compensate for the east setting current to maintain our track. The north west swell which was present when we left Valletta decreased during the day and by 18:00hrs was replaced by a slight south east wave pattern.
There was plenty of room in the huge Ragusa Marina and two marineos in an RIB helped us into our berth.
Comments
Tobin Bronze's Photos - Main
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A 34 year old Tobin Bronze was badly in need of an extended boat yard visit to undergo some serious maintenance.
10 Photos
Created 31 October 2022
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Last leg along west coast of France, across the Channel, around Lands End and into the Bristol Channel
18 Photos
Created 23 June 2021
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From Cagliari up the west coast to Strait of Bonifacio
15 Photos
Created 22 June 2021
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Ragusa to Trapani including road trip to Mt Etna
46 Photos
Created 19 June 2021
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Cruising from Orei. Evia to Leros in the Dodcanese in May, June
18 Photos
Created 30 October 2016
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Launch from Orei, sail north to Thessaloniki, around the Khalkidhiki paninsula and Mt Athos to Nea Peramos.
17 Photos
Created 14 December 2015
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Re-launch in Kilada to Orei, Evia in early July
16 Photos
Created 22 July 2014
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A late summer cruise to the northern Cyclades
18 Photos
Created 20 January 2014
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From Kalamata to the Argolic Gulf in July 2012
57 Photos
Created 12 January 2013
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From Messolonghi to Kalamata May 2012
45 Photos
Created 10 January 2013
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Italy to Zakinthos and Messolonghi
15 Photos
Created 24 November 2011
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Lipari, Vulcano and Stromboli - three of the Aeolian Islands
30 Photos
Created 24 November 2011
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Sailing from Cartagena to Sardinia
24 Photos
Created 24 November 2011
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Sailing TB from Faro to Cartagena in June and July 2011
64 Photos
Created 9 August 2011
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Sailing on John's boat 'Derby Lass'
20 Photos
Created 6 August 2011
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Delivery trip with Woody from Vigo to Lisbon when John Q. met us. Then to Ohao where Judy replaced John for a trip up the Guardina River.
41 Photos
Created 1 October 2010
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June - July in the Rias Baixas, Galicia
26 Photos
Created 8 August 2010
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Six days on the "Dunmow Flitch" between Braunston and Market Harborough in April 2010.
26 Photos
Created 1 June 2010
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Newport R.I.,Cuttyhunk Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
48 Photos
Created 17 September 2009
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Highlights of the trip from Viveiro to Ria de Vigo.
34 Photos
Created 2 August 2009
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Hugh pod of dolphins encountered 10:30hrs 04 June at approx 44º24'N; 006º32'W
18 Photos
Created 23 June 2009
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Between 02 June and 04 June 2009 from La Roche Bernard to Ribadeo in Galicia, Spain
11 Photos | 1 Sub-Album
Created 18 June 2009
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Port de Foleux is about 15 miles up the Villaine River, 6 miles upstream from La Roche Bernard
4 Photos
Created 18 June 2009
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About & Links
Favorites
- #01 Plans & objectives
- *35 Re-launch 08 July 2022
- *34 Last leg - La Rochelle to Portishead
- *33 2019 Corsica west coast & French south coast
- *32 Sardinia - West coast
- *31 Sicily - South coast
- *30 2019 Malta to Sicily
- *29 2018 Leros to Malta
- *28 2018 Spring in Leros
- *27 2017 Summer cruise
- #26 2017 Spring in the Dodecanese islands
- #25 2016 Orei to Leros
- #24 Summer 2015
- #23 Summer 2014
- #22 Late Summer 2013
- #21 An Island Too Far - June 2013
- #20 Early Summer 2013
- #19 Peleponnese - Kalamata to Tolo
- #18 Anti-clockwise around Peleponnese
- #17 Sicily to Ionian Greece. Oct 2011
- #16 Menorca to Sardinia and Siclly
- #15 The Balearic Islands September 2011
- #14 Cadiz to Cartagena
- #13 Faro to Cadiz
- #12 Refit in Faro - May 2011
- #11 Vancouver 2011
- #10 September 2010
- #09 Early Summer 2010
- #08 Cruising Plans Update
- #07 Winter 2009-10
- #06 Sailing in New England
- #05 To Ria de Vigo
- #04 Ribadeo to Viveiro
- #03 Biscay crossing
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