Post 20 - Porky & Beluga Cook at Sea

Key hand over time at last...

I'm delighted to introduce you to Beluga. She's my newly acquired boat, a Sun Odyssey 49P, made by the large French boat builder, Jeanneau.

Beluga was built in 2005 which was around my target year. Boats built after 2008 (financial crash) are typically a lighter construction and made using a multilayer design. From my own experiences in business, cost cutting exercises are often cursed with higher warranty costs and this proved to be the case for Beneteau, Jeanneau and Bavaria, the boats on my buying radar. And these boats are typically owned by cruising sailors and charter companies.

Introducing Beluga. A beautiful boat with a beautiful name. I love every inch of her...

There are two versions of my particular boat, mine is the performance model - Sun Odyssey 49P. It has a taller, racing mast, longer boom plus a deeper, heavier and different shaped keel, giving her a draft of 2.35 metres. The total sail area is 119.5 sq metres and her displacement is 12,650kg dry.

Beluga has a 75hp turbo diesel engine made by Janmar, an established and reputable Japanese manufacturer. It is lighter and smaller than the equivalent Volvo Penta engine that has the disadvantage of a stern or sail drive, making the transmission more complex and expensive to maintain. My boat uses a direct shaft drive, much simpler and better IMHO. 

A 75bhp Yanmar turbo diesel engine with 4,700 hours run time

Rather surprisingly, Beluga does not have a bow thruster. This is a small transversely mounted electric motor and propeller installed in the bow. It pushes or pulls the bow of the boat, making mooring and docking easier, especially in stronger winds. Oh well, I'll be on a pretty steep learning curve but I'll be patient, just wait for the current 'winter' winds to calm from +20kts to <20 kts. The weather is already getting warmer, less cloud and less rain again. I think Spring has finally sprung...

I looked at 12 boats properly and many more superficially. My short-list came down to two boats, Beluga and a Bavaria 46. Beluga has a very traditional 'Bermuda' rig to support its sails. A large genoa (foresail) and an even larger mainsail. I really didn't want a mainsail that furls inside the mast because they're prone to jamming, the last thing you need when a squall blows up strongly. Bavaria's typically have furling mainsails and VP engines with sail drive, two major disadvantages, at least in my book, even though their finish quality, is probably superior. 

Beluga was lifted out of the water for 2 hours for the sub waterline inspection 

The shape and size of a boat's hull determines its speed through the water. Beluga is a light displacement hull meaning it will perform well in light winds but requires a reduction of the total sail area by 'reefing' when the wind exceeds about 18-20 kts. Light wind performance is important for me because I will try to plan my adventures around good weather windows, at least initially. I have had plenty of offers to assist me with my early sailing exploits from experienced skippers and novices alike.

The process of buying Beluga has not been straightforward though. In fact at times, it's made me frustrated and a little angry. In particularly, the anti-scam tactics being employed by the  UK banks currently. The banks are pretending that they're taking such measures to stop their 'customers' from being scammed. What the banks are really doing is to record a set of questions being asked and answered together with warnings being given so that they are legally released from any scamming liability. God, I hate banks almost as much as I detest the scum who scam!!!

Baptism of fire

I've never owned a boat before and have never skippered one either. I've been sailing since I was about five and have done more than 5,000 nm of blue water sailing in the past two years - but only as crew, cook or watch leader. Owning and skippering a boat is completely different, as I'm already learning!

Before buying the boat I had a complete survey of both the boat and the rigging. The rigging survey revealed a lot of potential issues because most of it is original (16 years old). To lose a mast in strong winds or from a mistake will be a massive expense and typically will not be covered by any insurance policy. My sales contract with the previous owner stated that any remedial work identified by the surveys would be paid for by him.

Great I was thinking. But no, not so great. When you replace parts of the rigging with new components, the metal shrouds (cables) in particular, they will stretch a little under tension. Unfortunately cables that are 16 years old do not and they become brittle. So it is very unwise to mix old and new cables as I've just learnt today. So now I have to find another 3,000 Euro to replace the old and brittle but not damaged cables, with new ones. Zut alors! 

Why so much? Because my boat is a performance sailing boat and does not use standard rigging cables. Beluga uses cables that are stronger, thinner and lighter (Dyform) that are twice the price! Having owned four high performance sports cars in the past, this really shouldn't have come as a surprise to me....

When I left England last November, I believed that owning a boat was a mug's game, just a money pit. Unfortunately the romance of living and sailing on my own boat (pure emotion) has won over my normally, logical thought processes... Dear Lord, what have I done?

Vincent Bertrand

happy times indeed...

I first met Vincent when the yacht broker showed me around Beluga around six weeks ago. You may recall in my last post, I had a wonderful day sailing towards St. Lucia..? That boat was in fact Beluga; it was my test sail on her and Vincent was her owner. I haven't mentioned anything on this blog about buying a boat because it wasn't appropriate. I believe in doing rather than talking about doing, because I have always been a doer.

Vincent and I have become firm friends and we have socialised on several occasions. I appreciated his candour and honesty and was sad to say goodbye to him and his lovely wife Miriam who left for France earlier today. 

During 2019, Vincent had prepared the boat to sail across the Pacific ocean. Upon their arrival in Panama, Miriam decided she could not go through with their planned passage and flew back to Martinique. Vincent sailed Beluga back to Martinique and they, rightly, decided to sell the boat and stay together after almost 40 years of marriage. I admire Vincent's strength but he was clearly very sad to be selling Beluga. 

I have made two promises to Vincent, that I will look after Beluga just as he has done and when I sail across the Pacific ocean in Beluga, I will invite him to join me, so that he too can realise a lifetime dream. Typical of this lovely guy, he told me how pleased he was that we were able to conclude the transactions before they flew back to France so that he could personally hand me Beluga's keys. He's a truly great guy and he's been so helpful to a novice boat owner like me. God bless you mate!

Registration of Beluga

Because Britain is no longer part of the EU, I cannot keep the French registration of Beluga, even though I'd prefer to and the same applies to Martinique because it's part of France. I have no desire to have any further connections with the country I used to be so proud of, so that leaves Poland, Ireland or maybe Antigua. The Polish registration process is pretty straight forward and there are no annual charges to maintain the registration, unlike most other countries. So maybe I'll register Beluga in Gdansk, the home of another hero of mine - Lech Walesa.

despite the current Polish government's attempts to discredit him - he's still a hero, at least to me...

After my 22 day adventure on Piligrim crossing the Atlantic with four great Polish guys, I rather like the idea of the white and red horizontal striped flag flying from Beluga's stern. It would certainly make Roman and Mariusz smile... Luckily there are quite a few Poles here and some of them I know quite well now. Polish is an extremely difficult language to master, so that won't be on my agenda, learning French is hard enough. I must have been off school on the day we studied French! lol..

the spacious main cabin, it can seat probably 10 at a push with its extending table...

master cabin will make sleeping aboard comfortable, but not while sailing

Beluga's cabin layout is not standard. The master cabin was originally designed for charter that divided into two and the starboard side ensuite toilet is now used to house the water maker.

Beluga's cabin layout

My plans going forward

1. stop spending money before it's all gone!

2. become accustomed to living on Beluga

3. test the new rigging components with some 'brisk' sailing locally

4. stop smoking (17th March)

5. join local gym to regain my upper body strength and shape

6. try much harder to learn French

7. sort my numerous videos of the operations and maintenance of all of Beluga's equip.

8. buy a new pair of flip flops! (my deck shoes are looking very shabby now)

I hope you're not too shocked after reading this post, I started planning this back in early January and fingers crossed, Beluga will bring me much happiness and she'll take good care of me.

God bless you and thanks  for reading my blog x

Stats for 11th March 2021 - hits by country

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