April 2016 - Perfect Sailing

Welcome ‘Serendip’ new charter Jeanneau 419

‘Serendip’ our new Jeanneau 419 for charter was launched last week in Perpignan France. Kevin was able to join the delivery crew just before they left for Perfect Sailing’s base in Orhaniye.

Weather conditions for departure are quite strong (which is common here) but will settle down the further south they travel. The crew will have their work cut out the first few days with the forecast showing up to 50 knots of wind. Hopefully they will get far enough south before the strong weather arrives as they sail towards Cagliari in the south west of Sardinia. This picture was taken just outside Perpignan harbour the day before departure, you can see it is building already.

‘Serendip’ is 41′ and very similar to the popular Jeanneau 379 ‘Salsa’ part of last year’s fleet, just bigger overall with an extra head. The new 419 model also now sports a full width drop down transom, very popular with our clients.

Specification, like all our yachts is extensive including classic slab reef mainsail for better sailing performance and bow thruster. Her chart plotter, autopilot and instrument electronics are the latest B&G, by far the best kit available today. The chartplotter even calculates your tacking points to windward, if only it made tea too!

Her first charter is a week or so after her arrival in Turkey, so it’ll be all hands on deck (excuse the pun). We have a few introductory discount weeks available, call us today.

Follow Serendip’s delivery from Perpignan to Marmaris

‘Serendip’ a 2016 Jeanneau 419 is the first of two new yachts joining Perfect Sailing in 2016. She will be followed by Malabar a brand new Oceanis 45 in July.

There will be slightly varying crew through the delivery, starting with the owner, his friend John and Martin a friend of Charlie who takes over from Ted as skipper in Sardinia following the first leg of the journey.

Below is a Google map of her berth in Perpignan before she departed. The onboard satellite phone will send position information regularly so we can check her progress for crew safety. There are in fact two sat phones onboard so we will see differing pictures depending on which is used. First is from the Iridium system.

The crew experienced very strong winds and big seas as they escaped south from the Golf de Lion. Serendip proved strong and fortunately nothing broke, quite a shakedown!

Position 2 (from Delorme system)

Position 3

Yacht & crew arrived safely at Cagliari at the southern end of Sardinia, ready for the scheduled crew change. After two days of checking, cleaning and first engine service, the new crew arrived and they set sail this Wednesday, we think bound for Palermo or possibly as far as Corfu as the engine service is complete. It all depends on the weather which is forecast as light winds, unfortunately from the East.

Position we received at 13.46 GMT on the 14th put ‘Serendip’ here.

‘Serendip”s position 14:05 15th April 2016

Great progress is being made. Here is Serendip’s position at 13.30 UTC today 18th April 2016. She is just approaching the Rion Andirrion suspension bridge.

Rion Andirrion suspension bridge near Patras Greece

Serendip approaching the bridge, shown on the right.

Well Serendip has had a busy few days. She passed through Corinth Canal then stopped of in Athens for 24 hours. Next stop was an overnight hide out from the strong 30+ knots winds in Nisos Antipaxos (where do they get these names?)

An early morning phone conversation about weather strategy decided there was a 24 hour window to move east before even more wind arrived from the Peloponnese in the south west.

Serendip is scheduled to arrive in Turkey this evening (Saturday) and probably arrive in Orhaniye Sunday morning. Once she is here we will get lots more pictures and perhaps a video interview with the crew as John, whilst very experienced, has not done such a long trip before, and deliveries are quite different to cruising as there is a clock attached!

One door closes….farewell ‘Salsa’

Salsa our Jeanneau 379 left for pastures new this week.

Owners Jason & Sara brought Salsa to us in 2013 for two years, and stayed three. Their innovative idea was to buy a yacht for charter in the Med and move her around so they could experience different areas and cultures.

We wish you well in pastures new.