Sailing Vacation
What is Inclusive in a Sailing Vacation?
By Carlos Montenegro
Instead of flying off to a distant land for a much needed vacation, why don't you spend almost the same amount on a sea sailing vacation. There are lots of destinations and before you select one, it is good to know what is inclusive in the package.
Despite its price tag, a lot of vacationers have said that an all inclusive sailing vacation saves you money because you don't' have to shell out any more money for food when you have already paid for this when you book the trip. All you have to do is check out the cuisines being offered and then dig in.
Naturally, you will already get a room throughout your stay so you can rest that as some say is similar to what a five star luxury hotel can offer.
So guests don't get bored while they are onboard, you also get to watch live entertainment, engage in activities planned by the ship's crew and the use of their facilities like the gym or pool with no extra charge.
But there are a few things that are not included in the package. These include the tips, the spa services, equipment rentals and the cost of shore excursions. All in all, you will probably spend $1,000 to $1,500 which does not yet include the cash you will spend buying souvenirs and eating when your ship is docked in port.
We mentioned earlier that food for the entire trip was free. Surprisingly, this does not cover the drinks that you will be consuming. So, passengers are advised to bring in a few refreshments of their own. Keep in mind though that there is usually a corkage fee for those who have hard liquor while in some sailing companies, this is not allowed.
The other option is to buy a prepaid card that allows you to order as much as you want at a flat fee. It is usually $30 for kids and $45 for adults.
Another thing that comes with some sailing vacation packages are airport transfers and airfare. With that, you won't have to worry anymore about how to get to the port especially when you have never been to this place before.
One question that a lot of people forget to ask before booking on a trip is if there is a cancellation policy inclusive in the sailing vacation in the event that the trip does not push through. The weather could postpone it indefinitely so you should know if you are able to get a full refund, given a voucher for another vacation or compensated in some other way.
A lot of sailing vacation companies posts what is inclusive in their packages by posting this in their website or in their brochure. If you don't have the time to look through them, call your travel agent so he or she can do the research and present to you the options that fall within your budget.
Once you know what is inclusive in a sailing vacation, it will already be easy for you to decide where you want to go. You just have to pack your bags and make it to the airport or the port of departure hours before they leave so you won't feel you are in a rush when you are supposed to take it easy and just relax.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlos_Montenegro http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-Inclusive-in-a-Sailing-Vacation?&id=1172295
Monday, June 16, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Yachts
Yachts
Learn How to Strip Your Winches, Re-Grease and Re-Assemble - Winches are a Cinch
By Vincent Bossley
Just returned from a few days sailing on the yacht of a good friend of mine. First day out we noticed that one of the main winches was a tad stiff and revolving none too smoothly.
We decided to strip it down, clean it, re-grease and re-assemble it. This sounds a daunting task if you have never done it before, but in fact it is really quite simple and any sailor can do it easily with the few simple tools required and a little patience and care. It is a good exercise and one that should be included in your general maintenance program from time to time.
Take a look at the illustration and you can see what you need. Some winch manufacturers supply a key for unlocking the top inner ring, but in the absence of that, Allen keys, a hammer (hard rubber preferred), brush, tube of winch grease, rags and a bucket with a goodly depth of diesel fuel in it. I prefer to use diesel as it is readily available (from your tank if you are in a far away place), but kerosene is ok too.
Insert the key in one of the holes in the top plate and tap it anti clockwise until it revolves. Once freed it should undo four to six revolutions quite freely. Always be super careful as you lift it off so that if it slips or falls, it drops inboard not outboard.
Gently prise off the main cover - usually done by standing astride the winch, one foot in the cockpit and the other on the deck and working it upward until it comes free. If it hasn't been off for sometime and dry inside, it could take some effort to move it and then come suddenly. Once again ensure that you have some ready hands outboard in case a loose part pops out unexpectedly. Remove the self tailing piece as you go and place in the bucket.
Take a Allen key the right size and undo the three or four screws at the base of the gears unit. From here you take each piece (cogs and spindles) and place them into the bucket as you go, noting carefully the order in which they come apart. Be careful not to dislodge the pawls and springs as they tend to fly away in directions you would rather they didn't!
Wash all parts thoroughly in the diesel with your brush and then wipe clean with the rag. Lay them out in order on your cockpit seat as shown.
Wipe a thin coating of the grease on spindles, inner surfaces and flat surface of the base. Grease the bearing races well and ensure they run well. Dob liberally into and onto gears and cogs. It is good to have them well coated but don't overdo it - too much grease and the surplus tends to dry out and go hard over time.
Re-assemble taking care that every part goes in the correct order and fits properly. Check that you have not left any stray bits in the bottom of the bucket.
Refit the top ring, polish with your rag and you will have a shiny new winch again.
Spin it a couple of times and you will hear the satisfying way it revolves freely with the muted clicking of a newly greased winch - you will be most pleased with yourself.
Allow yourself a couple of hours for the first winch - after that it will be cinch.
We carried out this operation and the winch sounded so good that we stripped down all the others on the boat the following day - great fun!
You can see the images relating to this article on my blog at http://wwwsailboat2adventurecom.blogspot.com
And you can read more about daily maintenance when you are passage making in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship 'Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com
Vincent Bossley is a publisher and sailor and lives on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. He has is own website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com for cruising sailors, sailors planning their lifetime adventure, armchair sailors, virtual sailors and in fact anyone who has ever dreamed of sailing the oceans of this beautiful planet of ours.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vincent_Bossley http://EzineArticles.com/?Learn-How-to-Strip-Your-Winches,-Re-Grease-and-Re-Assemble---Winches-are-a-Cinch&id=1156726
Learn How to Strip Your Winches, Re-Grease and Re-Assemble - Winches are a Cinch
By Vincent Bossley
Just returned from a few days sailing on the yacht of a good friend of mine. First day out we noticed that one of the main winches was a tad stiff and revolving none too smoothly.
We decided to strip it down, clean it, re-grease and re-assemble it. This sounds a daunting task if you have never done it before, but in fact it is really quite simple and any sailor can do it easily with the few simple tools required and a little patience and care. It is a good exercise and one that should be included in your general maintenance program from time to time.
Take a look at the illustration and you can see what you need. Some winch manufacturers supply a key for unlocking the top inner ring, but in the absence of that, Allen keys, a hammer (hard rubber preferred), brush, tube of winch grease, rags and a bucket with a goodly depth of diesel fuel in it. I prefer to use diesel as it is readily available (from your tank if you are in a far away place), but kerosene is ok too.
Insert the key in one of the holes in the top plate and tap it anti clockwise until it revolves. Once freed it should undo four to six revolutions quite freely. Always be super careful as you lift it off so that if it slips or falls, it drops inboard not outboard.
Gently prise off the main cover - usually done by standing astride the winch, one foot in the cockpit and the other on the deck and working it upward until it comes free. If it hasn't been off for sometime and dry inside, it could take some effort to move it and then come suddenly. Once again ensure that you have some ready hands outboard in case a loose part pops out unexpectedly. Remove the self tailing piece as you go and place in the bucket.
Take a Allen key the right size and undo the three or four screws at the base of the gears unit. From here you take each piece (cogs and spindles) and place them into the bucket as you go, noting carefully the order in which they come apart. Be careful not to dislodge the pawls and springs as they tend to fly away in directions you would rather they didn't!
Wash all parts thoroughly in the diesel with your brush and then wipe clean with the rag. Lay them out in order on your cockpit seat as shown.
Wipe a thin coating of the grease on spindles, inner surfaces and flat surface of the base. Grease the bearing races well and ensure they run well. Dob liberally into and onto gears and cogs. It is good to have them well coated but don't overdo it - too much grease and the surplus tends to dry out and go hard over time.
Re-assemble taking care that every part goes in the correct order and fits properly. Check that you have not left any stray bits in the bottom of the bucket.
Refit the top ring, polish with your rag and you will have a shiny new winch again.
Spin it a couple of times and you will hear the satisfying way it revolves freely with the muted clicking of a newly greased winch - you will be most pleased with yourself.
Allow yourself a couple of hours for the first winch - after that it will be cinch.
We carried out this operation and the winch sounded so good that we stripped down all the others on the boat the following day - great fun!
You can see the images relating to this article on my blog at http://wwwsailboat2adventurecom.blogspot.com
And you can read more about daily maintenance when you are passage making in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship 'Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com
Vincent Bossley is a publisher and sailor and lives on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. He has is own website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com for cruising sailors, sailors planning their lifetime adventure, armchair sailors, virtual sailors and in fact anyone who has ever dreamed of sailing the oceans of this beautiful planet of ours.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vincent_Bossley http://EzineArticles.com/?Learn-How-to-Strip-Your-Winches,-Re-Grease-and-Re-Assemble---Winches-are-a-Cinch&id=1156726
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