Around the World from West coast?

[jamottep]

Are shipping deposits at risk if the boat does make it to port in time?

My wife is asking the same question ... And I have not broached the subject with the carrier, yet.

I do have another skipper now. He's not going solo and is a professional so I'll have to pay taxes. So my cost doubled up. He's in fact a transatlantic race winner aboard a Class40 2 years ago and last year a Multi-50. But he doesn't want to leave until Friday. The carrier is making its way back from Charleston and should be in Antwerp on 1/18 in the morning: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ai...1/mmsi:257844000/imo:9593866/vessel:STAR_LIMA
Hopefully this one will stick. Third time's a charm, right?

 

[jamottep]

Good day SSSers,
Most likely Changabang will be delivered in San Diego. I have no idea how things will happen. Most likely:

1. She will be dropped in the water along side the cargo ship;
2. The cradle will be dropped on the docks.

Now, I can't be everywhere. So I was wondering if we have friendly SSSers in San Diego who'd be interested in helping.

Let me know, please. A personal message here or on my website works: https://pjsails.com/contact-us/

Thanks! I can't wait!

 

[sleddog]

Some good footage here about Phil Sharpe's recent Around the Isle of Wight solo record, 50 miles in 5 hours, 5 minutes on a Class 40...https://www.youtube.com/embed/gtmYe0Xz_lw

Averaging 9.83 knots....mostly in 20-25 knots, reach, beat, reach.

Obiviously a well-sorted boat; notice the cross sheeted jib and gennaker sheets to winches on the windward side of the cockpit. Don't know about the semi-permanent reaching struts extending outboard 2' each side of the foredeck when going upwind in a seaway..Guessing they can be removed if needed?

 

[jamottep]

Obiviously a well-sorted boat ...

You can say that again. The boat is in fact for sale

My older less well sorted out boat is on its way ...

 

[sleddog]

My older less well sorted out boat is on its way ...

I noticed this afternoon that CHANGABANG is on AIS and is ~ 30 miles west of St. Nazaire on the west coast of France, position 47-15 N x 002-40 W, headed west at about 5.5 knots...The AIS name is DESTINATION EVIAN if you dial up AIS Marine Traffic. Looks like favorable winds for the miles ahead. Good News!

 

[jamottep]

Made me think that I need to transfer the MMSI to me and update emergency information. But it's managed by the French government. We'll see what they say.

 

[Philpott]

Very exciting news, Monsieur Jamotte! I'm getting excited. As we discussed, maybe sailors coming back up the coast from the San Diego - Ensenada race at about the time Changabang arrives thataway?

 

[jamottep]

I wish I'll be able to sustain the same speed as these pros have!

 

[sleddog]

I wish I'll be able to sustain the same speed as these pros have!

Taking into account tides in their vicinity are currently 33 feet springs (!) with currents to 12 knots.. CHANGABANG is getting a most favorable push with the northeast running flood. Good timing at getting past Alderney before the change....

With heavy up Channel traffic paralleling close to port, and shipping into Le Havre , they're earning their keep. Likely thankful for a full moon. You did say the radar was working, oui?

 

[Dazzler]

About the routing... One can’t help bit wonder how much “local knowledge” comes into play. It would appear that these guys either know what they are doing, or are incredibly lucky. I suspect the former.

 

[jamottep]

With heavy up Channel traffic paralleling close to port, and shipping into Le Havre , they're earning their keep. Likely thankful for a full moon. You did say the radar was working, oui?

Yep, the radar was working when I tested it. I did get in touch with them and they are indeed getting strong support from tide currents (they said up to 9 kts).

About the routing... One can’t help bit wonder how much “local knowledge” comes into play. It would appear that these guys either know what they are doing, or are incredibly lucky. I suspect the former.

Yeah, the skipper is a French pro who's been sailing the area for a long time: https://www.class40.com/fr/skippers/182-antoine-carpentier.htm

And it's in the family as his dad had (still going) a long career in sailing as well: https://www.class40.com/fr/skippers/121-patrice-carpentier.htm

 

[jamottep]

 

[sleddog]

Less than 50 miles to go now to Antwerp, Belgium for CHANGABANG. Again, good timing by Antoine and crew as they will be able to navigate up the narrowing, winding, sandbar ridden, and heavily trafficked Schelde River during daylight.

I spent a summer working and sailing out of Breskens, at the entrance to the Schelde and well remember my first sail out of the Breskens Harbor, forgetting buoyage "red right returning" is not true in Europe, and bouncing off a sandbar. Fortunately, the One Tonner I was sailing was steel, hihi.

Compass correction on a steel boat can be confusing.. the more we heeled over, the more off course we became. And boy was that little sloop cold to sleep aboard.

PJ, I knew Antoine's father, Patrice Carpentier, and hosted him aboard IMPROBABLE when competitive French ocean racing was in its infancy and Patrice was a noted French sailing journalist. Small world. Please say hello if you should have any coms with Patrice. Good guy and highly experienced, as is his son, CHANGABANG's delivery skipper.

As an historical aside, many of Dick Carter's, S&S, and Brit Chance designs were built at Breskens by Franz Maas, including 1969 Fastnet and Admiral's Cup winner RED ROOSTER..

 

[sleddog]

CHANGABANG is safely tied up this morning in Antwerp, presumably waiting for a lock/bridge opening to approach the marina...The crew has earned a break. Congrats, not an easy winter passage

Antwerp is a huge shipping port, second biggest in Europe after Rotterdam...

 

[jamottep]

CHANGABANG is safely tied up this morning in Antwerp, presumably waiting for a lock/bridge opening to approach the marina...The crew has earned a break. Congrats, not an easy winter passage

Antwerp is a huge shipping port, second biggest in Europe after Rotterdam...

They're stuck as the lock is broken. They'll have to find another one tomorrow morning.

The timing of the passage was mostly luck as departure was dictated by high tide slack at the dry storage port (and of course skipper availability and weather window). They sailed mostly with 3 reefs and a reefed J1, helped by strong wind and current. There are some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the boat is solid and, as demonstrated on this passage, not slow. The main bad news is that the aft ballast scoop is leaking; the windex was lost too; there was a lot of mold growth outside/inside (not there when I visited last). And then there's plenty of incidentals that will need fixing.

So what happens next? CaB (ChangaBang) moves to the marina tomorrow morning, when keys will be transferred to someone else. We then will wait for the cargo ship to arrive next week while the cradle is being moved to Antwerp, then load/export. Some more waiting until early March and then offload/import. Then I'll have to figure out the delivery to the Bay Area as there will be a few items to work on before leaving.

 

[Philpott]

That is a truly splendid story, Skip! Maybe include it in the “Skip in France” chapter of your book. I forget its title. “Not An Ordinary Story”? Sailing is truly its own compact world. Thanks again for reminding us.

 

[jamottep]

Quick update again: https://pjsails.com/berthed-in-antwerp/

 

[jamottep]

Has anyone had experience with buying a boat abroad and transferring all the "important numbers" over? For example, the AIS MMSI is linked to the French flag and French immatriculation. Once the French flag is cancelled and a new title is created by CA DMV the MMSI becomes "illegal"; that's what I'm being told by the French (https://www.anfr.fr/fr/licences-et-autorisations/radiomaritime/demander-une-licence-et-un-mmsi/). This means getting a new MMSI.

The same seems to apply to the EPIRB because of the boat Flag change.

Current MMSI record:
https://teleservice-radiomaritime.anfr.fr/consultation-publique/navire/133070/

 

[Dazzler]

I do not have the experience of buying a boat abroad, but I have owned several boats and addressed transfer of ownership, etc. You will need to address two separate issues: first “registering” or documenting the vessel, and second a radio license from the country where the vessel is flagged.

You mentioned titling with CA DMV. If you are a US citizen, and especially for how you are planning to use the boat, you should consider instead USCG Documentation. You can do this yourself or hire a documentation agent. It can be a slow process, but there are advantages when taking the boat to foreign countries.

For a US flagged vessel to be used outside the US, for anything that transmits (VHF, EPIRB, SSB, Radar, etc.) you need an FCC (US Federal Communications Commission) Ship Radio Station License and a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit. These are both fairly simple to get and can be done online. The FCC will issue your new MMSI.
https://www.fcc.gov/ship-radio-stations

Interesting to note that the French radio license lists a Simrad radar, yet the one in your photos is Furuno. Probably, a change was made without updating the license.

 

[AZ Sailor]

Dazzler is 100% correct on both points. Morning Star was a CG documented vessel when I purchased her, and my prior research told me that was unquestionably the way to go for any boat headed out of US waters. Do not bother with a documentary service. The website for the National Vessel Documentation Service has all the forms and instructions you need. https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organi...s-DCO-D/National-Vessel-Documentation-Center/

Same with the two FCC licenses – ship station and operator. I have both – or, more accurately, Morning Star has the former and I the latter. Again, no need to pay anyone anything on top of the very nominal fees the FCC will charge. These are super easy and cheap to do yourself on the official FCC website. I believe the change over of the MMSI from prior owner to you is handled in that process.