Kurukulla

Kurukulla
Kurukulla, anchored at James Bond Island, Thailand

Monday 19 July 2010

Cres to Pula via Rab


The sail to Rab from Cres should have been a beam reach in a brisk easterly breeze if only the wind had held up and Kurukulla had not had different ideas! At about the halfway point, it was 12 miles in total, I had taken the decision that the wind was getting rather too light and the time had come to hoist the asymmetric spinnaker. Having retrieved the sail from the depths of the fore-cabin, for it's first outing of the season, I wandered up to the foredeck only to find a selection of small round steel balls in the leeward scupper, these having escaped from the lower bearing of the “Profurl” foresail roller. All thoughts of hoisting a spinnaker were immediately forgotten! I ghosted into Rab under Main and No2 Genoa (with the spinnaker halyard rigged to the bow just in case), anchoring under sail and dropping both on arrival. On arrival I rigged sheet plastic around the bow to prevent any parts making an escape bit over the side and set about stripping the Profurl drum. The bearing was entirely shot, as were the two grease seals which were supposed to be keeping the grease in and salt water out. After a struggle with three large circlips and a bit of judicious hammering the seals and bearing were out and the Profurl dismantled. Fortunately the part numbers on the original items were visible and a quick check on the internet confirmed their continuing availability via a UK supplier at a price of ~ £50 . I next managed to trace a Profurl Agent in Croatia and telephoned them to discover whether they had the necessary parts; an e-mail the following day confirmed that they had, at a price of €600 (£540). As you can imagine it did not take me long to telephone them and protest! The reply was that they were very sorry but it should have been 600 Kuna (~ £72) and after a bit more debate this was agreed to include the cost of delivery. They are due to arrive at Pomer Marina ( near Pula) tomorrow, of which more later.
Shortly after both boats arrived in the anchorage off Rab town, Camilla is still in company, who should arrive but Tranquillo, with Derek and Awilda aboard. After many hellos and how did you find us (answer purely by chance!) all three crews went for a very good meal ashore in the old town. Next day Kurukulla and Camilla set off for Sahara anchorage at the north of the island with Tranquillo following a day later. At Sahara the two boats rafted up and passed a very pleasant two days sunning, swimming and barbecuing in the beach each evening. There literally was no wind and hence no chance of sailing.
Friday morning dawned with a moderate NE wind blowing hence we took our leave of Tranquillo and set off at 0700 to make passage towards Pula, from where two of Camilla's crew were due to leave in two days time and to where my spares could be consigned. I had jury rigged the fore-stay foil such that I had a usable foil for conventional hoisting and lowering. As it happened the wind lasted only three hours and the rest of the day was spent motoring to reach our destination by sunset. We finally anchored in the bay at Medulin, near Pomer Marina and only 8 km from Pula, at 1930 and set about preparing a joint supper.
Next day I made payment via the Post Office to the Profurl Agent (they could not or would not accept a credit card number!) and we arranged a hire car to transport David's departing crew, Jamie, to Trieste airport. On completion Camilla moved into Pomer Marina and I anchored off 100m away, (€70 per night in the marina,for one person, seemed a bit steep!); we then we all set off for a night in Pula to see the sights. Next day I drove Jamie the 80 miles to Trieste, accompanied by Bob and in torrential rain!, whist David stood watch over the boats which was just as well as we have since had 36 hours of 25 knot winds. On return to Pomer Bob then took the car on to Zadar (it broke down on him on the way but that is another story!). By this time David's new crew, Francesco had joined and the three of us sat down to a supper cooked in Kurukulla but served in Camilla, (this was to avoid more than one person suffering a very wet and windy dinghy ride).
Today Camilla has also moved out from her extremely uncomfortable berth on the outer wall of the marina and anchored near Kurukulla, at which point the wind immediately dropped!. An hour later, without any pre planning, who should arrive but Tranquillo; how Derek does it I do not know but he should be a professional tracker! Tonight it is David cooking. Tomorrow, Tuesday, God willing the spare parts arrive and so, in early afternoon, Kurukulla should be under-way again with a working Profurl.

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