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 CRUISING PLANS

Mantra is currently at Larnaca Marina, Cyprus for the 2010 winter.     I’m planing to set off cruising again  on 3rd July, 2010.    As you will have seen from the Immediate Plans Summary I am planning to spend the  2010 season cruising from Cyprus to France.   Exact route is up for discussion.  It is likely to be via Greek Aegean islands, the Corinth Canal, Gulfs of Corinth and of Patras, Greek Ionian islands, the south of Italy, Malta, Sardinia, Corsica, the south of France to Port St. Louis du Rhone / Port Napoleon where we would lower the mast and prepare for the canals.  Then into the River Rhone and up the Rhone and the Saone to wherever we are going to enter one of the canal routes.   I am currently researching places to spend the winter and would like to pre-book a winter berth.

Scenarios for 2011 onwards

At present I am thinking in terms of continuing along the canals to Paris and then down the River Seine and crossing the Channel so as to get to England where I think I will look for a shore base and where I will put Mantra seriously up for sale.  Again, I would discuss precise route with whoever is cruising with me.

Whether I’ll buy another boat remains to be seen.  If I were to buy another boat it would be one particularly for the inland waterways of Europe and some coastal cruising

Watch this space!

I have not yet succeeded in doing the uploading of details of the areas sailed previously, but sometime I hope to do so.

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CREW SPECIFICATION

My primary reasons for having crew at all are for additional companionship and for night watchkeeping on overnight passages.  It is useful having an extra person for docking, sail handling, deploying the paravanes, etc.   And, while I enjoy food, I do not enjoy cooking, so someone who enjoys cooking would be very welcome.   Though I was able to cope OK on my circumnavigation, I am not all that skilled with things mechanical, electrical and other technical, so someone more skilled than me who could help with maintenance would be a big bonus, but technical skills are not an essential prerequisite.

Crew must be non-smokers, healthy, fully physically fit, and not on drugs and without any police record in connection with drugs.  I need to be made aware in advance of any health conditions requiring medication and of any handicaps or phobias which could affect allocation of tasks on board or could affect me or any others on board.  Another important requirement is good eyesight, including good colour vision and night vision.

Ideally, crew would have some experience of being on sailing yachts or on motor yachts, preferably (but not necessarily) including standing night watches alone on long(ish) passages.   However I am prepared to take a beginner who is keen to learn.   If such a beginner does not know already that they do not suffer from sea sickness, they must be prepared to take anti-seasickness stuff as needed.

Ideally my crew companion would have mother tongue English but that is not essential, though the language of the boat is English. I am prepared to take someone with workable English and I could be happy to help them improve their English. I am told I am a good teacher. I have a facility for languages.

It does help if, in addition to seamanship awareness, one also has some familiarity with computers, GPS & radar & navigation (or is prepared to learn as we go so as to fill in the gaps).

Obviously any greater yachting experience and skills above basic seamanship and enjoying cooking would be a valuable bonus. Of particular interest are: diesel & mechanical, electrics, electronics, a radio amateur license, computer, scuba.

Any prospective "long-term" crew must love living on boats, enjoy cooking, be able to swim & not be afraid of the water & not have a time schedule.

Other requirements are that one should be: responsible, fun, cheerful, tolerant, a self-starter, observant & alert, considerate, and not overly self-interested nor overly demanding. On Mantra the social group is more important than one individual crew.

To enjoy life on Mantra one needs to be interested in socialising, entertaining & joining in.

You'll enjoy it more if you are attracted by the romance of far away places and if you are passionate about yachting.

On a boat one needs either to be tidy by nature or able to be so. On Mantra everything has its normal place and should normally be in its proper place so as to be available readily when needed.

Crew must be prepared to abide by the "Boat Rules" and these notes regarding what is required for us all to enjoy ourselves.

A requirement for people who cruise on Mantra is that they care for the boat and devote time, labour & their skills to the care & maintenance & upkeep & improvement of the boat & of the household. Routine "boat work" participation while cruising averages 10 hours each person a week, averaged over the duration of a leg (but one does not keep count of hours as such!). One is also required to help with repair & preparation work as needed on passage and in port.  More details under Boat Rules.

You will need to be up to date with inoculations recommended for the area.

It is wise to have dentist & optician & check-ups and to be in no doubts about being in good health.

One must be able to tolerate heat and a lack of privacy.  Also able to tolerate voice noise involved in the boat maintaining any SSB net schedules.  All on board must be able to sleep without earplugs and without cabin doors hermetically closed.

There is full headroom throughout except in the engine room. However extra-tall or extra-wide people would have a problem. Headroom varies from 6' 3" to 5' 9". The narrowest part of the companionways from saloon gives 19½" hip-room. The beds are 6'3" to 6' long.

Crew must be prepared to travel light.  See “What to Bring & What Not to Bring”.

I have an entry on www.findacrew.net and there you will find my “Crew Specification” expressed somewhat differently in response to that site’s particular way of showing detail. You might like to visit the site and, on the left hand side where it says “search by member number”, enter my number 25779 in the search box, click and then read what I have said there.

Joining someone on a boat to go cruising is quite an adventure and I am particularly keen that you should have as much information as possible about Mantra and about me so that we reach the right decision regarding your joining.  Do feel free to ask me whatever questions you like about whatever topics. You will get honest replies.

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