Destiny is SOLD!

In February 2019, I titled my blog "The two happiest days of a person’s life — the day they bought the boat and the day they sold the boat". Whilst this aphorism may be true for many boater, it's certainly not so in our case with Destiny.  Over the last 2-plus years Destiny has transported us safely and comfortably to places as far afield as the Hebrides and Holland, as well as numerous local outings along the east coast. She has given us first-hand experience of what it takes to own a 15 metre boat in terms of maintenance and associated costs but more significantly, she has proven that we could live on a boat for extended periods and travel still further afield. To do that we now have our minds set on a Nordhavn 47 - a full displacement, true ocean-going vessel designed to ply the world's oceans with enough fuel to provide a 3000 mile range and enough space to accommodate all the belongings and spares required for such journeys. Although we may not use her to her full potential it's nice to know that the options are there and how far we decide to roam will not be limited by the boat.

Jane is especially sad to see Destiny go.  This Elling E4 has provided the whole family with some lasting memories and the move to a different boat is bitter-sweet. I am, however, heartened that the charming new owners have plans to use her for what she was built to do and they want to travel extensively both around the UK and through the European waterways.  I wish them and their family all the fun and joy we experienced during our ownership.

This marks the end of one phase and the beginning of the next in our quest to travel and experience all that boating has to offer. 

 

Post lockdown re-acquaintance

How quickly, and dramatically, plans can change. Our thoughts for this years' cruising were to hop across to Holland, explore some more canals and slowly wend our way up to Germany.  Instead, we are now looking forward to being able to sleep on board again and perhaps cruise to the SW of England. 

It felt like an age since the last time we visited Destiny. Fortunately, she was set up for the winter and had 4 oil heaters placed strategically to keep things warm and dry. 

My normal routine of cleaning and polishing the boat in Spring time went out the window so when I finally got access to the marina post lockdown she was looking dirty and dull on the outside having not had the luxury of a wash down for many months. Inside I was pleasantly surprised at how nice she looked.

A good look around the interior, all engine spaces, lockers and bilges revealed all to be in order so we fired her up and took her out for a long awaited run. I'd forgotten the sense of freedom and enjoyment that boating brings. A trip down the river and out to sea followed by 2 WOT (wide open throttle) runs gave her a good shake down. We also fired up the generator and wing engine. All good. 

A job I had been planning to do before Covid was change the main engine coolant. This is a simple job with everything easily accessible. The Volvo Penta D6 has a neat little set up to assist with this task. At the rear of the intercooler is a clear pipe attached to a nozzle which does nothing throughout its life other than wait for the coolant to be changed. To drain the water it's a simple matter of removing the pipe from the nipple and fixing it to the drain plug at the front left of the engine. Once all that coolant has drained, remove the pipe and place it onto the second drain plug on the LHS of the block. Simple as that.

Drain pipe ready to be removed for action

Front drain

Block drain

The engine holds 16.5 litres of coolant. I used a 40/60 mix of ethylene glycol antifreeze and de-ionised water giving protection down to -27C.

We are awaiting clearance to be allowed to sleep overnight on Destiny. Once that's given we'll make some local trips and have tentative plans to take her down to the West Country in July. Even more so than normal, these plans will be open to change! In the meantime, I'll get on with polishing the exterior. Prior to lockdown I had arranged for some scratches we picked up during our Caledonian Canal trip to be repaired. This has now been re-arranged for the end of July.

Maintenance - 600 hour service

This is a belated update on the latest maintenance work.

Following our trip to Scotland we had run up just under 200 hours on the engine. The Penta manual advises doing a service every 200 hour, or at least once a year - whichever comes first. There is also a schedule for 600 hours, which following our trip to Holland, the main engine had clocked up. Other than inspecting and cleaning the turbo, the 600 hour service is the same as the 200.

There is nothing difficult or arduous about following the service schedule which makes it more likely that the work will actually be done. Before I started looking seriously at Elling I was concerned about accessible since the engine is "tucked away" in the centre of the boat under the central galley work area.

The picture below gives an example how Elling have made access to the areas that require routine maintenance simple. Here I am changing the gearbox oil and filter. Access is via a large panel in the master stateroom which is held in place by quick-release locks. A similar system is used in the third bedroom to access the starboard side of the engine so that replacement of the air filter and crankcase breather is easy.

Easy access to the rear of the engine

The new filter

On a different note, I gave the wing engine a good long run whilst returning from Holland.  It's uncanny how well-attuned you become the sounds, smells and feel of the boat over time. Anything slightly out of the ordinary is picked up on straight away. When the wing was running I felt a mild vibration for a short period which then went away. I had plenty of time to think what that might have caused the vibration and shortly after I returned to base I go the GoPro out and inspected the sterndrive leg. Sure enough, one of the anodes was missing.  I arranged for a quick haul out and bottom wash during which time I replace both anodes. I was unable to determine why the main anode fell off but the replacement has been secured with loctite on the bolts!

Our next major trip is likely to be to Europe sometime in October in anticipation of Brexit actually happening! The reasons for moving the boat to an EU country when (if) Brexit happens have been explained in an earlier post.

The return to the UK

Mon 8/7/19

I left Amsterdam for Roompot at 0600 with a forecast of 15 kts of winds off the starboard quarter which was predicted to decrease as we travelled south.  The trip along the Amster was uneventful. The interesting bit happened shortly after I locked out. I had read that the tides can cause problems around the entrance to the Noordzeekannal and as I approach the open water I could see turmoil ahead. I made sure everything was shipshape, closed the windows and roof and entered the fray. I was greeted by very steep short seas and 26kts on the beam. Not dangerous but not nice.  The waves subsided after a mile or two but the winds remained stubbornly just aft of the beam at between 17 and 22 kts for most of the day. Beam winds are not comfortable in an unstabilised motor boat.  I got very little done during my 11 hour passage having to wedge myself into the helm seat. 

The only break to the monotony came from a Dutch Coastguard vessel that passed me 180 degrees out. He then called me and asked me a number of questions about the boat, the number and nationality of the people on board, where we had come from, where we were going, what was our home port and information about why and where we’d been in Holland. He was very polite and was clearly satisfied by my answers since he decided not to board me and sent me on my way.

I arrived in Roompot at 1700, cleaned up the boat, took a shower went for a meal and planned the trip home. I went to bed knackered at 2115.

Tues 9/7/19

What a difference a day makes. Very light winds and a gentle rolling swell. I left the marina at 0430, called the Roompot lock as I left (I think, from the sound of his voice, I might have woken the lock keeper) and was shepherded in on a green light when I arrived at 0455. I departed the lock at 0502 - must be a record.

The North Sea is a busy place and you see all types and design of ship. This one looks like it was designed by a 3 year old!

The only thing of note was one of the larger swells caught me unawares and deposited a cup of soup over me and the pilot house carpet. I spent a good hour cleaning up the mess and washing the carpet and my cloths.

We tied up at 1650/1550 (EU/UK time).

Total distance covered 485 nms.

The Big Day

Sat 6/7/19

THE BIG DAY. Jane hit 60 (but doesn’t look it!!).

I got up early to dress the boat having agreed with the boys they would help. However, a late night out and too many beers/cocktails saw them remain in bed.

By the time Jane surfaced I had recovered from the hyperventilation and nausea brought on by blowing up all the balloons. 

We eventually went to Greenwood’s for brunch (highly recommended) followed by a river cruise. Below are some pictures which reflect typical views of Amsterdam from the water.

 

For Jane's birthday treat we chose The Dylan Brasserie for dinner: a lovely restaurant in a nice setting which serves good food. We brought along a fine bottle of red wine to toast the birthday girl.

 

Sun 7/7/19

We all felt subdued: it was time for us all to go our separate ways. Giles left at 0800 while Jane and James had a little spare time so we went and checked out the Amsterdam Marina. It’s a large marine which is situated in a mix between heavy marine industry and urban regeneration. There’s a nice clubhouse/restaurant building that serves basic food.  However, in my opinion, there’s still some way to go.

 

A flatting hotel adjacent to Amsterdam Marina

Some urban regeneration with still some way to go

 After I was left to my own devises I prepped the boat ready for a morning departure.

Next stop - Edam. It had to be done!

Thur 4/7/19

The trip around Flevoland really is straight forward and we only needed to negotiate one lock before entering the Markerkmeer. Next stop Edam. We just couldn't visit Holland and give this place a miss. We stayed at the De Zeevang Marina a short stroll to the village. This is another community run marina with very helpful and obliging staff - they even loaned us bikes for free! Edam is another stunning town with lovely houses lining the canals and a very picturesque old town. As you might expect, it also has plenty of cheese shops. I can recommend the very old goat cheese and the truffle infused cheese.  Yum.

Boats line the canals all the way from the marina into the town

The town square - a good place for a drink and to watch the world go by

We ate at an Italian restaurant - La Galeria and returned on our loaned bikes along the picturesque canals to the marina.

Fri 5/7/19

Knowing how busy Sixhaven gets at the weekend, we set off in time to be back at the marina for 1200 in order to give us a fighting chance of getting a berth. Tomorrow was the big day - Jane's 60th - and the boys assured me they'd get up early to help blow up the balloons and decorate the boat. This was not to be!

We opted for a simple meal and then retired to the canal-side beer emporium that James and I had discovered earlier. It was clear early on that the boys were in party mood so Jane and I left them to it at about 2300.

We were awoken at 2a.m. as they stumbled on board. I knew then, decorating the boat would be a solo job!

Time to do some exploring - in the boat

Wed 3/7/19

Time to take the boat out. We opted for a trip around Flevoland, an island south of the Markermeer to the east of Amsterdam. This provided the family with “lock experience” as well as a lovely view of the countryside. One thing that struck us was the amount of wildlife taking advantage of the copious waterways in Holland. I have never seen so many birds from swans to cranes to ducks  

We stopped for the night at Elburg, an old fortress town with rectangular fortifications and a moat and moored at a berth belonging to Elburg Yachting

The village is beautiful and the old part well preserved. Feeling adventurous, we sampled the herring, a speciality in these parts, served in a bun with onions. We all found it to be delicious. Flushed by success we bought some eels to take back to the boat.  Once again, they get a bad rap in the UK but were actually very nice.

We splashed out on a meal of meatballs and pasta on the boat washed down with a beautiful bottle of Craggy Range wine bought for me by James for my birthday.

Elburg is home to Elburg Yachting - a major Dutch company that supplies all kinds of services to the boating community.  If you like window shopping for nice boats for sale take a look at their website. https://www.elburgyachting.nl/sp/ixnl.htm?gclid=CjwKCAjw7O_pBRA3EiwA_lmtftZyUp55MiySPpjYZnNkMwlp8oXQxUlHlBOr8zr4NunwHDw1BQxjtRoC87kQAvD_BwE