Tag: Powerboating

Big seas to the Istanbul Boat Show

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IMG_4142We’ve just finished a high speed 390 nautical mile trip and have arrived in Istanbul for the boat show. The first day of the trip was a bit wild with Force 7 winds, gusting 8. That’s a big sea for a powerboat. All settled down on the second day and we arrived last night, a day early.

photo-23The sun is shining and all is bustle here on the pontoons with show stands still under construction, flower arrangements being delivered to yachts and showrooms, cleaners wiping and mopping and deckhands scrubbing and polishing.

 

 

The season is nearly over. Turkey has been amazing and being a galley girl on a powerboat has been a revelation.

Let me share with you again this video of an early evening trip home to our berth back in July. (I originally posted this in ‘The 5,000 HP Thrill Myth’, July Archives.) There have been ups and downs this summer, but despite my being a sailor at heart, there have been some special moments and I am almost won over to power boating.

 

A Day in the Life of Galley Girl. Part One: Morning

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There is never a typical day, ever, on board a boat. The weather, sea state, maintenance routines and repair issues all have a bearing on how the day will go. And if you are working aboard, then of course the demands and whims of your clients or owners and their guests will dictate where you end up and when. Some days are more memorable than others however…

0630 At anchor

photo-13The alarm goes off. I’ve been lightly awake since sunrise. The oblong square of the hatch, which is also our door, is open as always. We drape a mosquito net over the space and the sunlight streaming in is softened by the mesh. The air conditioning booms into action with the thud that always makes me jump. My bunk is not much longer than me but surprisingly comfortable, in a dark den kind of way. Skipper sleeps above in the longer bunk, which is set at right angles to mine, above the washing machine. The cabin is cosy, to say the least. And not in the least bit conducive to romance.

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Garage Modifications

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Skipper and I are proud of our garage. The boat may not be a super yacht but she has a sizeable boot in the stern. It’s bigger than our cabin next door – a lot bigger. Sometimes we dream about knocking through.

IMG_3611 3This is how it was in April when we first moved on board. A pristine palace for the jet ski and all the other toys yet to come.

Since then Skipper has thought up some modifications to accommodate the rapidly accumulating purchases. And to house all those useful things that can’t be thrown away because they might come in handy one day. Amongst which are:

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The 5,000 HP Thrill Myth

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The Skipper and I have been enjoying a couple of days off from work. Our owners (and I know we sound like faithful Labradors here) have left us on our own for a week. Repairs completed, all chores done, boat washed down, chrome polished and the laundry lists completed and dispatched, we are free to discover a little of Turkey, so we have joined friends from England for a few days of coastal sailing on their Beneteau 45’ yacht.

Continue reading “The 5,000 HP Thrill Myth” →