Delta Lady – Trader 575 – delivery Cardiff to Benalmadena

(ALL TIMES ARE BST – SHIPS TIME)

PASSAGE / DEPARTURE DATE/TIME / ARRIVAL DATE/TIME / DISTANCE / CRUISE RPM / FUEL BURN / FUEL BURN/MILE
CARDIFF TO FALMOUTH / 29.5.12 - 13.00 / 30.5.12 - 06.00 / 175 / 1400 / 1300 / 7 LITRES/MILE
FALMOUTH TO MORGAT (FRANCE) / 31.5.12 - 0500 / 31.5.12 - 17.15 / 145 / 1300 / 882 / 6 LITRES/MILE
MORGAT TO CORUNA / 1.6.12 - 09.15 / 2.6.12 - 18.30 / 335 / 1200 - 1300 / 1933 / 5.7 LITRES/MILE
CORUNA - CASCAISE / 3.6.12 - 0800 / 4.6.12 - 14.00 / 315 / 1300 / 1941 / 6.1 LITRES/MILE
CASCAISE - GIBRALTAR / 4.6.12 - 15.30 / 5.6.12 - 19.10 / 290 / 1300 / 1660 / 5.7 LITRES/MILE
GIBRALTAR - BENALMADENA / 6.6.12 - 09.30 / 6.6.12 - 15.15 / 50 / 1300 / ? / ?
TOTALS / 1310 / 7716 / 5.89 LITRES/MILE

CARDIFF TO FALMOUTH TUESDAY 29th MAY 2012.
I arrived into Cardiff mid morning Tuesday 29th May with my 2 crew having driven from Falmouth. The boat was fuelled, watered and ready to go.
James Law handed the boat over with a thorough inspection. There was a perfect spares inventory, tool kit along with excellent safety equipment for our passage South. We provisioned the galley and checked the machinery for our departure.
The boat was perfectly prepared.
We left Cardiff at approx 13.00 – James Law saw us through the barrage and waved us Bon Voyage!
The overnight passage to Falmouth is a familiar route and we had positive tides for the first 6 hours.
We varied the engine RPM and concluded 1400 (returning 11.2 knots) was a comfortable speed in the light winds and flat seas.
We arrived into Falmouth the following morning without a hitch.
The stabilizer system was fantastic and a necessity when loaded with a heavy RIB on the top deck.
Twin 700hp Caterpillar engines ran beautifully – I needed to calculate the fuel consumtion for the longer passages. This 175Nm run would give a good basis for the fuel consumption.
Arrived into Falmouth at 0600hrs Wednesday morning.
After a few hours sleep we proceeded to re-check all the machinery and systems. I fuelled her at the Falmouth barge with 1300 litres, brimming her. She drank 7 litres/Nm at 1400rpm and 11.2 kts on the passage. My crew (Freddie Stevenson) arrived for the long passage South. He flew in from Switzerland. Freddie is a Yachtmaster Sail but wanting to convert to power. We spent the next few hours provisioning and preparing for our departure early the following morning.

FALMOUTH to MORGAT (France) THURSDAY 31st MAY 2012
Let go ropes at 0500.
Steamed straight to Channel Du Four to get positive tides.
Wind SW F 1-2 – sea state slight
We ran the engines at 1300rpm (10.3kts).
Shift times were 2 hours on, 2 hours off and we started these at 0600hrs to bank some sleep.
Arrived Morgat at 17.15 – The fuel dock closed at 17.00hrs!
Had supper, a local beer and went to bed.
MORGAT to CORUNA FRIDAY 1st JUNE 2012
0700 checked machinery – no lubricants needed.
Loaded 882 litres fuel to brim.
Waited 1 hour for the tide to flood to ensure safe passage out of the shallow harbour.
09.15 departed Morgat for Coruna – Flat see wind strength F0
2 x 2 watch system at night and 4 x 4 watch at day.
Engine RPM 1300 – speed varied between 10 – 11 knots depending tidal flows.
17.30 wind built to East F3 (off the port quarter). Stabilizers working well and a very comfortable sea motion.
Constant dolphin sightings and they seemed to love playing with Delta Lady!
2nd June 2012 – 06.00hrs Wind veers to SW and builds to F5. Continuous windscreen wipers.
Sea state uncomfortable with 1.5m chop on top of a westerly swell.
0610 Throttle back to 1200rpm & 8kts
RIB bow jumps off dinghy chocks. Secure straps and carry on. Cannot attempt to re-load dinghy to chocks with current sea state.
18.30 arrived Coruna
Straight to fuel dock a filled 1933 litres.
Delta Lady returned 5.7 litres/Nm on this passage. This would have been even better if the last 12 hours had not been into a head sea but throttling back to 1200rpm will have improved consumption.
Berthed boat, ate, slept!

CORUNA to CASCAISE SUNDAY 3rd JUNE 2012
Depart @ 0800.
Rounded ‘The Coast of Death’ – Finisterre into a SW F3 but the forecast was for very light variable winds.
1400 – wind F0! Seastate flat on top of westerly swell.
Cruised at 1300rpm 10 to 11 knots depending on tide flows.
Multiple dolphin sightings including complete feeding frenzies!
Beautiful sunshine all the way down the Portuguese Coast – running low on sun cream!
Night shift 2 x 2 – flat & easy.
0600hrs 4th JUNE 2012 – Wind East F1 – BOATING PERFECTION!
14.00hrs Arrive Cascaise – straight to fuel dock.
1941 litres of fuel.

CASCAISE to GIBRALTAR 4th JUNE 2012
15.30depart Cascaise
Forecast Northerly winds F 1-2
22.30 1300rpm making 11.2kts SOG (positive tidal flows) Wind was building.
23.00hrs – Wind N F4
5th June 2012 – 0230 Wind N F5 following sea.
Slowed engines to 1250rpm to reduce roll.
0350 Wind eases F3 – engine RPM 1300
0800 – sunny day with flat seas. Cruising at 1300rpm 10.5 kts.
1500 – forecast for Gib Straights is FOG!
1600 – Gib Straights – thick fog! 100m visibility – Nav lights on.
Picked our route through the ‘ship park’ outside Gibraltar. Stationary for a while to see what targets were moving on the Radar. I would estimate 30 targets on the Radar screen outside Gib!
1910 – Arrive Gibraltar. Moored Ocean Village.

GIBRALTAR to BENALMADENA 6th JUNE 2012
0830 – Move to fuel dock – 1660 litres of Fuel.
FORCAST FOG!
09.30 Depart Gibraltar with 50m Visibility – expecting this to clear.
1200 rpm 9 kts
10.20 1300 rpm 10.2 kts but thick fog.
Traffic thinning out.
15.15 arrive Benalmadena in Fog! (thick fog all passage).
17.00 berth and wash down.
21.00 Beer time!

CONCLUSIONS

Delta Lady was a wonderful vessel and the large engines were a delight. They drank no fluids (except fuel!) and did not miss a beat. I did not need to change the fuel filters but kept an eye on the bowls. They were showing signs of dirt on arrival Benalmadens. The boat is very well set up for long distance passages and the fuel range could be more than 400Nm with comfort. The stabilizers were very effective and the sea motion was very comfortable enabling the crew to cook, eat, sleep and watch videos in total comfort.
Close quarters handling was made easy with hydraulic bow & stern thrusters.