What comes next?????????????????????
Aunt Mary and Sisters in Law, Sue, Anne and Sherida 
We've been in Malta almost 2 weeks now and we are still toughing it out 'on the wall' at Sliema. This is actually a mooring and we do have access to water and electricity but it is very exposed to north easterly winds, and as usual it is not the wind really that is the problem, but the seas created by the wind. The surge through the harbour entrance builds up big swells that hit the boat sideways on which is very uncomfortable when the winds are up to 15 - 20 knots, which we have had for a couple of days. The latest forecast for the next few days shows a change in wind direction and though its still a bit bumpy it is certainly tolerable. The night before last we actually left Moondancer tied up safely off the wall about half a boat length and slept on shore at my brother Peter's house. That night there was quite a storm, but we were completely oblivious to anything as it was the first night we enjoyed undisturbed sleep in quite awhile.
We have spent quite alot of time with family and as they are going to be here for another week or so, we will make them the focus of our time here. We have also met up with Carmen, an old friend from my childhood and tomorrow will meet up with Connie, another friend from my village, Balzan.
We have also been actively networking in and around Msida marina and Manoel island marina. We have met people who have given us names of other people who may be able to help with moorage situation. It is quite grim right now, and really quite unexpected.
To explain - There are 2 marinas in the Valletta area with moorage available at about $100 per night plus water and electricity and internet. We spent 2 nights there because we really needed to be in a marina for a rest, but we cannot afford to be there. There are 3 other marinas which are run by the Malta Maritime Authority and their rates are much more in keeping with our budget. They, however are being privatised at the end of the year (something to do with Malta's entry into the EU - they say) and cannot enter into any winter moorage agreements until then. The winter period runs from October to April and the moorage rates are considerably less if paid in advance. Alas even if all of these things were not happening there is still no room. There are too many boats wanting these spaces, and not enough marina spaces.
Why not anchor, because the seas and the weather here is very volatile, and one would have to keep moving from one side of the island to the other to be safe. And many of the anchorages are rock bottom, so if you had to move in a hurry, and the conditions do change in a hurry, you may have to leave your ground tackle behind.
So - what are we doing next??? A rough idea is that we will haul the boat out and put it on the hard at Manoel Island Boatyard, come home for a couple of weeks for a much needed visit with family and friends, then come back and do some work on the boat while out of the water. We can live on the boat while doing that, or we can beg a room from friends for the duration. Then when that is done it will take us into the winter period. Many Maltese take their boats out of the water for the winter and store them on the hard, which frees up berths in the marina. So then we may be able to get in. It is our hope that when we are settled we will be able to find some sort of work to do for the winter,and that will give us time to figure out which direction to go next Spring. Cruise the med OR go through the Suez Canal and explore a much more foreign part of the world.
Right now we like Malta - it has some feeling of home - and we need a well earned rest. So does Moondancer, she looks pretty rough and we want to make her pretty again.
A bit of information I want to pass on about insurance. We have been insured with BC Yacht Insurance for a couple of years now. Before we went offshore our premium was in keeping with the premium we had paid before with Beacon Underwriters. When we went offshore this premium tripled but we went for a total loss policy by increasing our deductible to $20,000, which basically means we would pay for most things ourselves except the complete loss of the boat. The policy came due for renewal at the end of August and when we asked for a quote for Mediterranean waters only we were given the same quote with the same deductible. I did not believe that should be as we were not crossing oceans. So I looked around for insurance. We found it with Pantaneus, we are covered for all of the Med, the Atlantic coast up as far as Norway including Gibraltar Straits and the English Channel and our premium is almost one third what we were quoted, our deductible is 750 euros and our third party liability is $4,5million. I write this because I feel it is important to pass this information on. Pantaneus are worldwide as are Lloyds and they have an excellent reputation for paying up on claims. I gave BC Yacht insurance plenty of opportunity to get a better quote, I don't believe they tried. Word of mouth works all ways.
We have spent quite alot of time with family and as they are going to be here for another week or so, we will make them the focus of our time here. We have also met up with Carmen, an old friend from my childhood and tomorrow will meet up with Connie, another friend from my village, Balzan.
We have also been actively networking in and around Msida marina and Manoel island marina. We have met people who have given us names of other people who may be able to help with moorage situation. It is quite grim right now, and really quite unexpected.
To explain - There are 2 marinas in the Valletta area with moorage available at about $100 per night plus water and electricity and internet. We spent 2 nights there because we really needed to be in a marina for a rest, but we cannot afford to be there. There are 3 other marinas which are run by the Malta Maritime Authority and their rates are much more in keeping with our budget. They, however are being privatised at the end of the year (something to do with Malta's entry into the EU - they say) and cannot enter into any winter moorage agreements until then. The winter period runs from October to April and the moorage rates are considerably less if paid in advance. Alas even if all of these things were not happening there is still no room. There are too many boats wanting these spaces, and not enough marina spaces.
Why not anchor, because the seas and the weather here is very volatile, and one would have to keep moving from one side of the island to the other to be safe. And many of the anchorages are rock bottom, so if you had to move in a hurry, and the conditions do change in a hurry, you may have to leave your ground tackle behind.
So - what are we doing next??? A rough idea is that we will haul the boat out and put it on the hard at Manoel Island Boatyard, come home for a couple of weeks for a much needed visit with family and friends, then come back and do some work on the boat while out of the water. We can live on the boat while doing that, or we can beg a room from friends for the duration. Then when that is done it will take us into the winter period. Many Maltese take their boats out of the water for the winter and store them on the hard, which frees up berths in the marina. So then we may be able to get in. It is our hope that when we are settled we will be able to find some sort of work to do for the winter,and that will give us time to figure out which direction to go next Spring. Cruise the med OR go through the Suez Canal and explore a much more foreign part of the world.
Right now we like Malta - it has some feeling of home - and we need a well earned rest. So does Moondancer, she looks pretty rough and we want to make her pretty again.
A bit of information I want to pass on about insurance. We have been insured with BC Yacht Insurance for a couple of years now. Before we went offshore our premium was in keeping with the premium we had paid before with Beacon Underwriters. When we went offshore this premium tripled but we went for a total loss policy by increasing our deductible to $20,000, which basically means we would pay for most things ourselves except the complete loss of the boat. The policy came due for renewal at the end of August and when we asked for a quote for Mediterranean waters only we were given the same quote with the same deductible. I did not believe that should be as we were not crossing oceans. So I looked around for insurance. We found it with Pantaneus, we are covered for all of the Med, the Atlantic coast up as far as Norway including Gibraltar Straits and the English Channel and our premium is almost one third what we were quoted, our deductible is 750 euros and our third party liability is $4,5million. I write this because I feel it is important to pass this information on. Pantaneus are worldwide as are Lloyds and they have an excellent reputation for paying up on claims. I gave BC Yacht insurance plenty of opportunity to get a better quote, I don't believe they tried. Word of mouth works all ways.
Comments
looking forward to seeing you & tony again soon! we miss you around the club!
xo tamara xo
Yes, they have a good reputation, but that is based largely on a past record that may not hold true today.
A few years ago the management style changed and commitments were reneged on. Higher profits then apparently became more important than honouring undertakings to long-standing customers.
Sadly, you may therefore find them somewhat less amenable insurers than they once were.