Boat Projects - Covid-19 Lockdown - Grand Cayman - Hallberg-Rassy 54 Cloudy Bay Mar-May'20. S20 Ep18 

Wow, thanks, Carlos!

We kind of surprised ourselves there!

inspiring us for our upcoming sewing extravaganza

@@SailCloudyBay having just watched this video again, I noticed you are using the shackles clipped to your harness/ bosuns chair. Id suggest you don't do this, always tie the rope/halyard. If you ask any climber they will advise the same due to risk of the shackle failing but also the splice is not as strong as un spliced rope. Safety first, id be mortified if anything happened to you. Hope you both are keeping well in these very strange times and look forward to seeing you back on the water and more amazing adventures.

Well spotted Andy. We do have a screen on board and do watch a movie very occasionally. But broardcast TV, never. And you know what, I had a father who (very annoyingly at the time) would not allow a TV in our house while we were growing up. Hence we were alway outside or in the garage doing practical stuff. My brothers are very practical too.

@@SailCloudyBay You are quite an inspiration. I really enjoy your videos and your sense of humour. Stay safe.

Wow, thank you! Yes, I guess we must be deeply in love. Not many can be with their spouse 24/7/365 and not ever think about throwing each other to the sharks sometimes! PS ... on our not such good days .... I wouldn't be that cruel to the sharks!

Thanks George. That such a very pleasant comment to read.

Thanks again Andre. We was thinking that the new intro was a bit cheesy, so was interested to hear what people thought on that one. We also experimented with voice-overs in this video. Sometimes better to explain verbally than write titles all over the video.

Glen, Oana, I really liked it! Excellent teamwork, magnificent, and always with a hint of humor! What seems to be a long video, ends up looking very small, of course for those who watch, because for those who edit and share... The funniest thing, is read the blog, then watch the video, I get the feeling "where have I seen this?" eh eh! keep safe.

I'm sure you could have ....

Either name is fine thanks .... both better than I was called at school! I only have but one employer now .... and her standards are ruthless :)

Thanks Richard :)

Yes, Charles, we really appreciated being there. Being British island, I kind of felt like I'd come home in a way. Hope you guys have some better movement now. Seems such a shame that residents were not even allowed on the beach ... it would have been so very nice to finally be on the beach without the usual tourists there. We did feel VERY secure there. Loved listening to the daily briefing and had to giggle that they still call the governor "his Excellency". So very British! Prime Minister was also brilliant. But we were not so keen on the health minister though ...

Thanks for that feedback. May try that again. Was thinking it would help viewers understand what/where they were looking at.

Small world indeed. That must have either been when we arrive in March 15th or when we left May 15th. Inbetween, we were out on anchor.

...Yes, wondered who would pick up on that one-liner :)

Yes the bridle was interesting. First time we started to rock in the swell we used that method .... and within a few hours, all the other yachts on moorings did the same :) Sometimes we have done that at anchor too. The issue there is if the wind swings you can end up with the anchor chain around the keel :( So you really need to know the wind is going to stay reasonably constant in direction. Yes, very pleased with the solar and the dinghy chaps. I dont think I'd have had the patience to do those that well without this time on our hands.

@@SailCloudyBay Thanks, great info on the bridle method, that could be a game changer. I've seen a couple of other videos in the exact same moorage with the same problem, and they only overcame it by moving to another anchorage, guessing not an option for you. I find myself in this situation regularly, going to try your method! (with winds consistent). Hope 2 C U 2 out there!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Great comment. Thanks so much.

Thanks Luca :)

More to come!

You are so welcome! What great feedback. Thanks so much.

Thanks Spiro, thats the best compliment you could have given us

Charlie. Thanks for the comment. Yes we loved this island - so very civilized. We loved being there with only a few tourists, but sad we never got to go diving, other than the coral around the boat.

Now thats the kind of viewer we like! Spread the word :)

Yes it was a real treat to snorkel around the boat day after day seeing the same fish, by the same coral. Never been anywhere else long enough to experience that.

Thank you, we will

Much appreciated!

Thank you! Cheers!

Roland, So so very sorry to hear of your Mom passing. Our deepest condolences to you and your family. When we arrived back to Bucharest, Romania had done very well to keep it out. But having opened up again, its now the worst country in Europe. So we are keeping ourselves isolated and editing videos in the safety of our apartment. Hoping to get back to Cloudy in October, but no point if Panama and Pacific islands close again.

@@SailCloudyBay Thanks. Thought you where staying down south. Well hope it passes away and return to normal live again.

@@SailCloudyBay No deaths here in Cayman apart from the sick Italian cruise pax , no one on ventilators either , we have been aggressively testing and results have been negative for days . borders may be reopened September , those positive were all asymptomatic, glad you found Cayman a safe harbor and found plenty of food at Kirks x

yeah you are right .... canvas work is very expensive for what you seem to get. I think our machine has paid for itself already. Meanwhile I'm drinking away our savings in craft beer, right here in Bucharest.

Dave You are right, it would have taken quite a while to get around to all of them. The plan had been that Oana would nip off home for a month when we got to Panama, before we set off across the Pacific. That month was to be the time of sewing. Turns out I would have needed longer.

Sail Cloudy Bay Glen where is Ona from? Tell her I love her accent. The both of you are on your beautiful boat, are in the place. It’s hard to believe how the world is changing. Ona when she gets home it will of changed as well. A simple as going to the grocery store. People seldom talks to each other just get what you need and go home, so frustrating. Going out supper, forget it, with contract tracing. If anyone was in restaurant with Covid in the your time line, you are quarantined for 14 days. Now at “work” if your checked with Covid simp-toms. You taken by straight to quarantine building for your negative test. Unknown time line!

Commodore is VERY happy back home. Captain ...... well, he is a Captain right? A Captain needs his boat! Back to Cloudy in October though. Fingers crossed

@@SailCloudyBay And off to find a Pirate / Spanish treasure hoard of doubloons & gold...!

Thanks Anibal. We certainly had lots of time on our hands there in Cayman, during lockdown. Its true though ... you can never be bored owning a boat!

It certainly was one of our favorit islands. Very civilized and safe. But with a price tag to match. Food selection was fantastic but cost was outrageous. Luckily, food was the only thing we could spend money on.

@@SailCloudyBay Glad you enjoyed our island , and thank you for capturing my husband asleep at East End Beach next to our Red Tacoma 9 minutes in , come back soon Regards Lindsay from beach Bay Grand Cayman p.s he's taking the dogs for a walk next time

Dale, your comments always lead to a giggle at this end. Thanks. If ... if ... we ever catch up on our back log of editing, I may consider such a video. I have several other ideas for out-the-box video themes. But each will take quite a time. So let’s see. If we don’t get back to the boat in the fall (Covid dependent) then we’ll have picked of time for creativity.

Michael, thanks for the comment. Where is your sailing ground?

Thank you Ron

Yeah ... it was getting that way. Oana kind of had to demand the sewing machine got put away!

Thanks Bill. Yes we were very happy how it come out too.

Yeah, no tourists is nice for a while, but the economic damage to the Caribbean islands all over will be huge. I still dont think the world has fully come to terms with the full economic impact.

Yes, we really loved the island. So very civilized compared to others. Just wish we could have got some dives in, other than under the boat.

Thanks for another nice comment Andy. Hope we didnt add to your own to-do list!

@@SailCloudyBay HAHAH. Yes indeed and i am learning a lot from you. stay safe mate. god bless

Thank you so much 😀

Thanks so much! 😊

Thanks Michael. We did debate keeping the templates but by the end they were some messed up we decided to chuck them.

Thanks again!

Thanks Francisco. I myself have learned a lot for others on You Tube .... so glad you found this useful. If you take a look at our channel, we have a playlist called Boat Maintenance, with similar videos, that might interest you.

@@SailCloudyBay sure it will, thanks.

Andre, just took a look at Sail Life. Indeed, he is pretty thorough and interesting to watch. I'd love to renovate an older yacht like that ... but I enjoy sailing too much. I want that time on the water.

Thanks for the nice comment Jane. We only just started using our new sewing machine while in Cayman, so not sure I'm very skilled yet, but very glad of the instructional video clips that SailRite have on their webpage. Without them we would have been struggling a bit.

Thanks!

Thanks guys. We like to keep her, and ourselves, in good shape. Life is too short to have an ugly boat!

Thank you! Cheers!

Thank you! Cheers!

Glsd you enjoy them. Where is your boat?

Sail Cloudy Bay Our sailboat is on the hard in Upstate New York, and we are in Quebec Canada. We were supposed to leave for the Bahamas this year but the boarders are closed so we can’t get to our sailboat. Hopefully they will open on August 21st but they keep pushing the date back.

Are you saying that Canadians cannot enter USA? I thought USA was open to foreign arrivals?

Sail Cloudy Bay The boarders are closed to all none essential travel between Canada and USA. This is until August 21st but they are talking about extended it again for another month. Our sailboat is just 5 minutes on the other side, fingers crossed that it will not be extended again.

How frustrating. So close and yet so far. Have you thought of tunneling? I wonder if the US boarders are also closed from Europe - we were hoping to return in October.

Thanks. We certainly had alot of time on our hands to catch up on those pending projects and that never ending list of things to do on the boat.

Chris, yes, we surprised ourselves in the Bahamas. Using the tides we did OK. Previously I never thought we'd ever get to cruise the delights of Bahamas with our 8ft draft.

@@SailCloudyBay Hello Glen: I am deeply honoured to make your acquaintance, sir. You've given me an idea for a YT channel. If it goes wrong, it was all your fault. If it works, then you were the divine inspiration.

Well, of course, you got me curious now. Let me know if the latter happens :)

Yes, I almost kept the dinghy templates .... but then threw them out at the last minute. We don't have room to be collectaholics on the boat!

Glad you enjoyed it

Our pleasure!

Haha ... I can copy paste the same reply as above :) "Thanks Brad. Glad you enjoyed watching"

Thanks Brad. Glad you enjoyed watching

De Nada, Francisco

Agreed. But due to the thickness of the splice in the end of the spin halyard, it’s almost impossible to make a bowline. So I opt to go up with 2 halyards, each with their own securing shackle to the seat.

Thank you John. Glad you enjoyed watching.

Anura, Currently we are back home in Bucharest. We start again in October sailing to Panama then across the Pacific .... as we were supposed to have done this year. We wont go up to California. I believe that is a place we will visit with an RV one day, not a yacht.

@@SailCloudyBay Thanks for the update, no one want to come California, too bad..if you guys happen to come to California I will meet you if I'm still here, me too planing a overland trip on motorcycle, it was to start this year but with this crazy virus been postponed, but not sure next year too, because the way things are going.. have fun back home and catch you on the next one.

Thanks for the compliment. The hole cutters we use are from Sailrite. Check them out here: www.sailrite.com/Sailrite-Drill-Hole-Cutter-5-16

Haha .... classic that an Aussi would pick up on that. I wondered who would :)

@@SailCloudyBay Mate we may be a physical world apart, but the Aussies and Poms share a humour that would rather see a Monty Python or Benny Hill than a Yank with canned laughter anyday. Stay safe 😷 and feel free to slip in some Brit-Aussie humour any time 😂 ... at least one person will share a laugh with you ⛵

yeah fairdinkum mate. Know just what you mean. I lived and worked in Auss for 2 years, and after all the initial “pommy-bastard” jibes I got to love the humor. I remember being in the movie room on an American run rig once. There was me and 2 Aussie cracking up watching Life of Brian. We were the only ones that understood all the subtleties of that humor!

@@SailCloudyBay obviously lol, but I didn't want to, er.. umm

Peter. Brilliant comment. Thanks 🙏 I have to agree with you on the Admiral’s adorabilty. But nothing wrong with being a lefty - it’s served me well :)

Glad you liked it!

Would have loved to, but the place was locked down within days of us arriving :(

Totally gobsmacked by the dingy cover. When finished it was hard to see it was even there as the fit and finish were so good. Amazing. I predict the orders will flood in!

Thanks for the compliment Ali. Yes, we do have an AC, but it needs us to either be connected to shore power or we run the generator. We find our hottest times are usually in windless marinas berths, so the AC is often used in marinas. At anchor we rarely use it as there is generally a nice breeze coming through the boat. But, by the end of our time in Cayman, it was getting damned hot and we were running the generator and AC for a few hours in the evening to knock the heat out of the boat before we went to bed.

Thanks for the compliment Nick. I think it was all about the time that we had. If you look at the dates you will see it took nearly 2 weeks to make that cover, day-in day-out. Oana claimed she "I lost you for 2 weeks" and she was very glad when it was done! I don't think I would normally have the patience to do this. It involved a huge amount of re-work in places - especially those damned spherical tube ends. Mind you, it was a first for me. I learned alot and could certainly do it quicker next time.

Haha .... just looked up Bear Grylls. I'm honored to be considered a secret version of him! One difference ... we don't do cold! You are quite correct, we didnt film all the swearing. Those damned tube ends almost finished me!

Hi Bill, glad you liked the video. It was me editing these days, so a slight relief there were no comments of lesser quality!! On teak decks a wise man once told me: "you can have beautiful golden teak decks (like you see in the boat shows) or you can have decks that last 30 years .... but you cant have both". My opinion is to do as little as possible to them. Never scrub then and never put any of the multitude of teak "restoring" products on them. I wash using the deck hose only because teak loves salt water. They hate fresh water. We use Boracol once per year. Its a mild wood preservative which simply stops algae growth. It leaves the decks a wonderful natural silver colour We never once considered putting an arch on Cloudy. Call us pompous but we are not fanns of what an arch does to he look of a sailing yacht. I dont think any Halberg Rassy owner would ever talk to use again if we installed one! Yes, I agree, there is a practicality to them, but life is too short to own an ugly boat (sorry to those who have arches ... no offense meant - just personal opinion here). Yes, we have 2 x Mastervolt MLI5000 24v Li-Ion batteries. We never once looked back after the switch from lead acid. Absolutely marvelous. lots of advantages but here are the key ones: You can draw them down to 20% (vs 50% for lead-acid), You can charge them fully or partially without risking battery life. Each and every charging amp you have available all go INTO the battery (Lead batteries resist charging after 20 mins and the charge ampage rapidly decreases). They are lighter and smaller. No acid smells. No heating of the battery as you charge. No need to plug into shore power at least once per month (lead-acid batteries need solid 48hour charge at least every few weeks, to get them through their absorption phase ... otherwise they loose capacity very fast). Downside .... damned expensive and you need an intelligent charging system on top of battery cost. But, its the BEST thing we modified on the boat. An early RU-vid from 2017 shows us installing them ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wkAb19lo-D4.html

@@SailCloudyBay Great information on the teak decks and the the Mastervolt batteries! I did not know that teak decks like salt water!

Thanks Tadeu

Marco, we use Borecol.

Thanks 👍

Beast eh? Hmmm. I kinda like that. Bunnies like a bit of beasty sometimes right?

Sail Cloudy Bay that’s right!

Wasnt sure I wanted to "look like" other channels, so its a bit of an experiment. Lets see what people think

Thanks 👍

Teşekkürler Hassan. Bir gün Türkiye'de yelken açmayı da özlüyoruz. Belki orada görüşürüz!

With a surname like yours ... I think I may know which part of the island your family comes from! Hope you guys have some better movement now. Seems such a shame that residents were not even allowed on the beach ... it would have been so very nice to finally be on the beach without the usual tourists there. We did feel VERY secure there. Loved listening to the daily briefing and had to giggle that they still call the governor "his Excellency". So very British! Prime Minister was also brilliant. But we were not so keen on the health minister though ...

Gary, that’s the way we like it: I love the work and Oana is quite a natural at looking stunning :). I guess, because we don’t wish to film too much of our everyday personal life aboard, viewers don’t get to see all the things Oana does. We really couldn’t live and run the boat without each other.

Keep watching .... :)

Hmmm, good question. How to answer without getting people upset? I'd say each and every Caribbean port had its plus and minus points. For instance one might have excellent shelter but poor security (theft etc). Others might be poor on the water but amazing ashore - like Dominica. Our favorit would have to be Nevis and Anguilla. Least favorite would be Jamaica and St.Lucia. Somehow we never felt comfortable or secure there. Similar to St.Vincent and Grenada.

Morning!

Felix The Protector you mean when I was cleaning the blue strips? No, that was just plain water I was spraying, to wash the salt off. We are extremely careful not to put anything in the water that is no natural and biodegradable .... unlike most land-lubbers.

Hi Kent, Its a product that Hallberg Rassy recommend called Boracol. Its a dilute wood preservative which stops any algal spots forming on the teak, keeping that a beautiful natural colour. We apply once per year, on a day when we know it wont rain for 48hrs. Takes about a month to see the full effect. That, and occasional rinsing with salt water, is all we do to the decks.

@@SailCloudyBay And they are beautiful! Thank you for the reply. Have you had to re-caulk them? We're looking for our retirement boat, and the Admiral loves to look of the teak decks, which I agree with, but I'm concerned about them being hot underfoot and increased maintenance.

We had to re-chalk in a few places, yes. And yes they are hot under foot. If/when we replace them it will certainly NOT be with teak. There are so many good teak-lookalike materials available these days, that is what we will chose. I couldn't bare to think we cut yet another teak tree down just for our pleasure. And ... frankly, most teak that is used these days is sustainable teak and its just no where near as robust and long lasting and natural grown teak used to be.

steve, well, I can tell you I wasn’t a tailor :) Both our careers were in the oil and gas exploration and production drilling and reservoir evaluation. Me working on rig operations initially, then in Mgmt. Always missed the field “on the job” life. I seem to be back to it with maintaining Cloudy Bay. The stakes are slightly different but no less important .... stakes today being our safety and comfort.

After 2 months in the wilderness of the Bahamas, then almost a month in Jamaica, coming to that incredible supermarket and all its delights was a true pleasure (although the prices were NOT!). Chocolate cake was the next day. But we didn't film that as we didnt want to get you drooling :)

Yeah ... its amazing how there are always dislikes even just a few minutes after launching any video. I think there is a conspiracy by some people!

@@SailCloudyBay Surely someone besides not knowing how to navigate, do the maintenance, is not able to sew too! They must be really litle people with a very futile life... I hope they come to read the comments!! Eh eh eh eh

I can .... but the standards set for that will likely be way above my skill!

Yeah Jeff, they bought out our worse sarcasm!