Hi Mark. It saddens me to see that your confidence has taken a severe blow, I hope now that life settles down and you can start to collect your thoughts and move on. I think you should get a small wheeled fold up bike as it would still let you get exercise but get you around quicker and would also help when it came to carrying your shopping. You seem to be more uplifted at the end of the video and that’s great to see. Onwards and upwards mate, Looking forward to the next episode.
Hi mark. Just to say again fantastic videos and content. The best I have seen for ages… true to life. I wish I could join you on your trip to experience everything that goes on….. you’re smashing it mate……😁👍🍺
Wow! What a great video! Stunning drone footage -- please keep it up. I deeply respect your attention to detail and perseverance. It really does take personal courage almost on a moment-to-moment basis to drive your journey forward. I admire you and wish you only good fortune. You will endure and overcome your challenges.
You are doing a great job Mark, thanks for bringing us along, we really feel part of it. My 10yr old son (and I) are already planning to catch you in the Queen Charlotte when you arrive in a few years time!! Keep up the great work. Mike Rangiora, NZ
I appreciate in this video more time has been given to the scenery and seeing what you see. The Spanish/Portugal coast trip had so many great pans from the boat that were gone as fast as they came. Don't worry about making these more than an hour :) (well, maybe internet rates/availability make one so...) Glad to see the grounding wasn't too bad. Wait until you get to the Bahamas! Sure made me ponder with how reliable engines are these days, if twin screws really offer the plan B we hope for. Something I've wondered, how do you keep your fitness up and get the blood flowing? This Schengen thing though... Happy sailing, I'm excited for the French coast. By a mile the best travel boating channel going.
Hi Mark, i know it seems sometimes that all is building up, and its difficult alone. But we are all with you, and offcourse your home-front! You are doing great, making better (😂) decisions, and learning! One tip; never, ever, trust autoroute! Check this after completion very good! Loving the channel!
Try to see the individual negatives as what they are - just individual negative occurrences. Don’t let yourself feel like bad things are piling up against you. We all tend to give less weight to the successes than the failures, but try to give yourself more credit for the successful accomplishments like the safe passages you’ve made following that soft grounding experience that knocked your confidence. I say “try” because of course we all struggle to feel that way. 😅 As an outside observer I think you’re doing great Mark! Running your boat alone is no small feat - a big success in my opinion!!
@@AwanuiNZ it was a facetious comment, everyone is flogging either the mental health app or the AG1. I’d fully expect a pilot, dad and husband to have his supports in place.
Wow, who says boating was easy! Politics!! Great video, I think all your followers are feeling your pain, frustration. Stay strong, as my grandad used to say, take the rough with the smooth. Remember, you always have family and friends to talk too, if your feeling down. Keep safe, hope it all sorts it’s self out. all the best cheers 🥃🏴
Thank you Mark for another great one. Nice drone footage. One thing I noticed is that a lot of buildings are not painted outside and just bare concrete colour. It is similar in a lot of North African Countries. At first I thought it was weird, but then I thought maybe not so weird. Why spend so much money painting the outside of your building and then have continual maintenance and repainting. Rather spend the money to make the inside beautiful. I was so impressed inside buildings and homes in North African Countries. I like the way you took extra caution when underway and kept an extra distance from any dangers. When I was at sea, I always used to think what if something went wrong, like losing the engines, so I always instructed my navigating officers to keep a good distance away from any dangers when they planned the route. I did not worry about the extra distance, it gave me peace of mind knowing that I would that extra time to make a decision. Most times when you take a route that is shorter but is closer to dangers, you are continually hoping that nothing goes wrong during the passage because you will have such little time to react before disaster strikes. Rather not have that unnecessary additional stress. Fishermen are generally the same all over the world, they have very good local knowledge and years of experience. Even here in South Africa, they also fish so close to rocky outposts or shallow reefs. I suppose it is risk vs reward to get as close as possible to the reefs to catch the most fish. Maybe commercial pressure of making money lures them into taking risks. Sometimes in South Africa they get caught out in rough seas, and unfortunately the boat hits the rocks or capsizes and there is normally loss of life. I hope utube is paying you a few dollars to pay for your coffees, cakes, and meals ashore. I am not familiar with your anchor vibration plate. Is it's purpose to prevent the chain from coming loose when anchor in a stowed position? If so, then why cannot you use the vibration plate after anchoring to prevent any chain being draggged out in bad weather and also most importantly release tension on windless. I think your time in a plane simulator and actual flying has equipped you with great thinking skills which you are using in the boating world. Enjoy your coffee and cake. Now you have the subscribers thinking what happened to your tender boat. Travel safe and take care. Cheers from Durban.
Your experience in the boating world shows Brian…very sage comments and taken onboard. Vibration plate just holds the anchor down when stowed…no use other than that. Always enjoy the coffee…right now actually
Mark! Going out towards a dark sky, single yachtsman, must really let one think of the old times.... the explorers in wooden ships - anf they were many!..... And you just keep on sailing.... very admirable ! You stand the test of time! And yes.... First things first - Wings level - keep flying, and then process .... Very nice drone footage.... I know you have edited it yourself, but try and lean back and watch the final product.... It could calm you a bit amidst troubled water... And it is funny how one sometimes gets almost professional in very specific matters - such as immigration.... But if the bilateral agreement has not been revoked ....?! Find the right person to talk to? Thank you so much for sharing this troublesome time.....keep up the good work - nearly 10K subscribers!!
Well a lot to unpack there but onwards and upwards, always have a plan A&B, you will have sorted it by now and onto 🇫🇷 😊 Note: for sale - tshirts with your favourite words.. Anyway! And cool 😂 I swear I won’t start counting, buuut… 😮
Nice film Mark, how far have you got? Just need one safe bay at a time. (only get off where it is quiet) you've got the right boat and the scare will make you run your checks .. there is always Hendaye just over boarder in to france if you need to hug the coast and dont want to cross biscay.
Hi Mark, loving your adventures and battles with the European system! A knife fixed to the tender cockpit would allow you to cut the strops in an emergency and speed up launching the tender. Happy and safe travels from NZ
Thanks so much. Not so worried about the strops more the crane across the tender. If we had to abandon ship I would want to take the tender with us. The crane being across it could hamper that if say water ingress in the engine room shorted the electrical side out. If it even looked like there was a possibility of having to get off the ship I would get the crane out the way early
@ thanks, Hope you get it sorted out ok. We did a lap of the world a few months back and I found it strange going in and out of eu countries with no one looking at our passports. Great adventure thanks for sharing it.
Hi Mark… gosh it was horrible to see you stressed out in Vigo! 🙈 My suggestion is that you need a little break from the boat as you are 24x7 on your own and in consistent stressful situations/challenges. How about docking the boat in a marina & just checking into a Hotel & take a bath, read a book have a great meal & sleep? You look exhausted! (Sorry!) and that’s when mistakes happen! I would say that not even as a pilot were you consistently & relentlessly challenged 24 x7!! Luckily & thank goodness you met the lawyer and it looks like he has helped you enormously to think through this Schengen problem. 🙏 After your haircut & shave etc you looked a tad more settled and confident in your decision. As you say you are not going to be rushed and the weather will determine your journey’s progress! Amazing drone footage at the end! 📷 Looks like a fabulous little haven. Until next week… 😅
I enjoy your videos but feel the hardship you are going through at the same time. Easy for me to say stay the course but you know best. You mention 4 years of challenges with that inauguration, well, it's been 2 weeks and already we Canadians are feeling the effects. The tariffs made use more united and not so nice towards the USA but not hateful, that's not who we are. Anyway, love your videos, thanks for sharing with us, safe travels and wishing you all the best. 👍🙂🇨🇦
Mark great video this is turning into a real Drama can't wait for the next episode. By the way your walking camera what is it , It does a good job with great audio no wind noise. All the best from Rockhampton Qld Australia
Hi... don't think it's a good idea to pulse the anchor winch like that, you get a spike in power consumption each time the motor is energised... BTW isn't NZ the other way... :)
Aah ok….I was doing that to stop the anchor spinning as it comes up. If we just run the motor it swings when out of the water and sometimes spins around which could result in a strike of the boat. Shame there is not a slow mode. Had not thought of your issue….good point
If you leave the EU for 24 or 48 hours then you are allowed back in with an extended visa, if you are close to Gibraltar then log out of Spain and berth there for a couple of days, you can then login when you get to France, Monte Carlo is also not in the EU.
Hello Mark. An expired Schengen visa cannot be extended in the EU. No matter which EU country. Go to England as quickly as possible, put your boat there and fly to your home country. There and only there can you apply for a new Schengen visa. Oh, I hope that helped. Best regards, Thomas.
Hi Mark. A lot going on here, so a few (lot of) observations, as someone who has followed along for months. Getting to France: I'm guessing you already got there by now. But a reminder that bad things happen to boaties when they allow time pressures to overrule good weather selection. Find a way to take your time. You can't risk shit weather as a solo sailor. You need to install Google Translate and learn how to use it in conversation mode. It will live translate for you back and forth. You can't do this yelling across the water though. And it will even translate signs and printed material in real time while looking at them in the app. Have you thought about getting a little electric scooter? I know you want to get some walking in and that's super important when on a boat to get exercise in. But a scooter would help a stack for those longer runs. Better (and safer) would be a folding e-bike because you can safely carry some shopping in saddle bags. Much harder on scooter. Gone With The Wynn's bought e-bikes ages back and they really opened up their exploring wherever they made landfall. Why don't you use an agent for all your border issues and permits? Talk with Nick (pommie) and Terysa (Aussie) from Sailing Ruby Rose about using agents. Or the Barefoot Doctors (also Aussies). Both couples are cat sailors currently in the Med and with strong European travel experience. Your drone cinematography is really improving. Really nice smooth pans and transitions, with very few of the microadjustments from the earlier videos. But please be careful about flying low over water. Water absorbs infra-red and that throws out the downwards facing obstacle sensors. Drone gets confused and rapidly descends. Too low means no time to react and stop it. 10m minimum - can always zoom in for closer looks during flight. And zoomed in while skidding sideways past near and far objects creates a really interesting parallax effect. The dinghy is getting a bit scungey looking, mate. Time for a scrub? I see you doing the oil changes on both engines at the same time - $$. Alexei, owner of the Bering Yachts, talks about cruising with just one engine at a time to reduce engine hours. And drops fuel consumption by more than a third for only a couple knots difference cruising speed. Thoughts? Now about the mental load. It seems to me that you are experiencing anxiety. Deal with it myself. And that's entirely normal and understandable. You are suddenly doing both the sailing and life solo. Neither were on your plans. There are some tools for helping with this. Talk to the Barefoot Doctors. This is their profession. You are doing okay. You knew it was going to be a big learning curve. And it was going to throw a few wobblies at you. But you are part of the boating youtubers community now and don't have it do it alone. There are people in the community who can help. Reach our and say hi?
Hi Ashley…wow amazing message thanks so much. Will try and answer as best I can. First thanks for your support. It is amazing how much it helps having a team along with you even if only via the Net. I stopped reading the messages for the episode on my grounding as they were starting to get me down. I will get back to them just not now. Weather is No.1 I will not compromise on that. Yip got Google translate but do not use it enough. Have certainly thought about scooters/bikes…just not yet as mainly anchor and a lot of effort getting on and off the boat to tender etc. I love walking and not a big tourist for going big distances. Had not thought of an agent. Will look into. Will add dingy to my list. Thanks on the drone…really enjoying learning more about flying them well. AwanuiNZ does not have a brake on the shafts so cannot run one engine at a time. It’s something I need to look into. Thanks for having me in your thoughts it means a lot.
Ahh super interesting! Schengen from Turkey -> Portugal with some breaks in between, then bilateral Spain and bilateral france to eventually make it across to the UK. I was wondering how you were going to do it, makes the most sense. My only concern is if the coast guard equivalent in Spain stops you, I guess you have the e-mail and you have the treaties to say you've been abiding by the law. I wish there was a visa for boaters who can demonstrate income and assets, along with proper insurance. Yes you're using the country's services but you're paying for marinas, you're buying food from the markets, youre buying trinkets and coffees from the bars, you're helping the economy.. not sure why they wouldn't want to encourage that. 3 months in each country would be nice versus schengen. Thank you for sharing!
Suggest you do some serious research on BVWAs. Most websites suggest one can only use Schengen time first then one BVWA only. Thus, one cannot do Schengen time, spend 3 months in Italy, 3 months in Spain and then 3 months in France but only one of those countries after Schengen. You may need to hop across directly from Spain to the UK to get out of trouble, in which case some crew would be advisable.
Absolutely that would not surprise me and ready for that if necessary as already in Spain. There is also a view that you can use three months total between the countries with the BVWA’s. It will be so good when the new EU Rules become effective where this is all covered.
Hi Mark! I didn’t understand why you are trying to check in with the police? You are in Schengen area, once you enter you have 3 months to move freely between all Schengen countries without any kind of control or check… The only reason to check inn is if you cross out to international waters when you come from Portugal to Spain. In this case it will be new entry to Schengen area.
I noticed at about four minutes you decided not to take a short cut to save a little time. Good idea. Your mantra while onboard by yourself should be if in doubt, don’t.
Mark, you have those oversized stainless chains for lifting the boat. How about swapping them for dyneema and use the chains to padlock the dinghy to the docks. Not everyone is a saint, hate for you to comeback to no dinghy. Maybe you already lock it up and I haven’t seen it, if so well done
@@AwanuiNZand then I got to the cliffhanger at the end of the episode! I live in the north of Australia and fully expect anything not locked down to walk away.
Going back to the grounding, and thinking about having to make decisions about other potential situations that arise while running a boat, I wonder if your deep experience as a commercial airline pilot would effect your sense of urgency in responding to those situations. Years ago, I started taking flying lessons and ended up quitting just 20 hours into it without ever having done a solo. I just couldn’t find the confidence to do it. In thinking about my decision to quit, which I feel somewhat embarrassed about and disappointed with myself, I still think that I made the right decision. I connect with your grounding experience because of an airplane pilot’s need to make decisions quickly - to act - as opposed to the luxury we (usually) have in piloting a boat where we can take a moment to think about the next move. We can simply stop and float and take the time needed to weigh options, then proceed slowly with whatever plan we’ve come up with. I wonder whether your aviation background might effect your decisions when piloting your boat. Of course I don’t know you Mark, but it might be something to file away in your mind in the event another situation like the port entry where you ended up on the bottom presents itself again. Remind yourself that you can slow down…stop altogether…back off…have a good look at the conditions around you and come up with a plan before proceeding. This luxury of being able to just sit and float while working a potential problem is something you can almost never do in an airplane, so it’s possible that you have a tendency to charge ahead - to act - rather than to back off and wait, just because that’s what you’re trained and conditioned to do as an airline pilot. Nothing more than food for thought. It might ease your anxiety a little if you can remind yourself that on the boat you have time to think through your next move. 😊
I had thought of that but feel a little nervous around how they may still view the Schengen time as the only time. I have the ammo now so think best just to plod on and deal with it when I leave Europe. I will try in France so watch this space.
Great analysis, thank you! I need some advice: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How should I go about transferring them to Binance?
Hi Mark, as we all know the quality of help is only as good as the people behind the counter, it sounds like to me it was put in the “ to hard basket “ so the easy way out was to tell you to leave Spain. I believe you have done everything possible including legal advice from a kind supporter to Aquire the correct documents/information, be it after the event, still very frustrating. Love the Nordhavn and your adventures, however, as good as it is, maybe a couple of days off the boat might be good for your mental health. Please don’t remind me of the sim😂
Haha so right. Looking back on it those simulator sessions just did not matter………we could do the job but as always just a little anxiousness as each detail came up which seemed all too often. Once you got going they were fine. I will have a couple of days when she comes out of the water next week.
I really don’t understand all this malarkey. You’re a tourist, you’re spending money. Aside from that, what is the logic behind having you leave. It’s like half these towns or marinas. It’s like they don’t want you, yet they’re a tourist destination. Completely baffles me.
No consolation but I sure hope that meal was cheap! Yes you must leave Spain . You coping well imho,in the midst of fleeing you can still find a good deal on egine oil!. Google maps reckons 800 km minimum to France?
Mark, isn't dealing with bureaucrats fun? From your research and email from the Spanish consulate, there is no doubt you can stay in Spain for three months. Take your time, cruise when the weather is good and you feel like it, don't feel forced in the slightest. Cruise, savor, don't push it. Have fun, explore ports, search for great coffee, find a better restaurant, make this adventure a happy adventure.
Note on drone filming. Be careful and read national rules and follow the Avi maps. European police is on a rampage catching drone operators and claiming their Russian spies. While it mostly gives you a fine, you will be banned from Schengen for years.
Thank you for another great video. I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you in Spain, but it’s great you’re not giving in and are building your confidence up again and being determined. It will al work out in the end. As a UK resident, I Cantrell you that Brexit sucks and this whole Schengen crap is a nightmare!
Hey, next time you are looking at cameras maybe look at a Sony or Canon DSLR or Mirrorless so that you can put on a telephoto lens. Then you can get those shots of the small bouys etc. I'd say Nikon (my favourite) but as far as video goes those two are the main ones that people know best that do the best. Netflix approves some of the Sonys and Canons, but not yet Nikons. Mind you Nikon owns a very expensive brand of cinema quality digital cameras (Red). You don't need that one (extremely expensive). Anyway. Good idea with the dingy. It's an indication of the experience you are gaining. Good experience, wisdom, and good ideas often comes from fuckups. lol.
Imagine this..when the Cop’s current Prime Minister is letting in and providing PassPorts to illegal economic immigrants..Does nobody believe that there is a stark irony here???
I very nearly got arrested, and deported from Calais, on my way back to the UK, despite only arriving in Spanish Schengen three days earlier. Because Spain wasn’t stamping passports. And France wasn’t having any of it.
Love the fact your own government officials won’t say one way or the other if the agreement has been revoked! Every government is the same if you don’t say anything you can’t be wrong lol
Mark, I wonder why all Gov's are so difficult. They are terrible when it comes to low risk induviduals, but so open to illegal migrants. I don't like the tender message at the end.😮
Haha that’s funny. So many say they enjoy the long videos…guess you will have to scroll through. Because I report on most things I do on this journey if I don’t do a reasonable length video O would almost need to publish every day.
Great video Mark... when you get to the UK just anchor up on Dover beach then go to the local council, they will give you a house,car, mobile phone, and £1000 a month.😂😂😂
said the lone keyboard warrior to the person actually out there making new experiences, facing challenges and experiencing life. What amazing qualifications you must have to cast your negative views on 1hr of a week in the life of Mark. Did you stop to consider what 55mins of Marks week might gain some views?.... logic says it's not making coffee, eating porridge and cleaning the toilet! Of course we get the juicy bits that's how it goes. Honestly.... how about you make some videos of your week and let us all pass comment on what you get up to, then we might have a true comparison.
Hello Mark, for information in France for stays of less than 90 days (tourist) Americans, Japanese, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, do not need a visa. So you can stay there without problem 89 days. I also had a question, how much autonomy does your boat have? If you want help you can contact me, i’m french 😉 Best regards, Bertrand
Hi Mark. It saddens me to see that your confidence has taken a severe blow, I hope now that life settles down and you can start to collect your thoughts and move on. I think you should get a small wheeled fold up bike as it would still let you get exercise but get you around quicker and would also help when it came to carrying your shopping. You seem to be more uplifted at the end of the video and that’s great to see. Onwards and upwards mate, Looking forward to the next episode.
Hi mark. Just to say again fantastic videos and content. The best I have seen for ages… true to life. I wish I could join you on your trip to experience everything that goes on….. you’re smashing it mate……😁👍🍺
Wow! What a great video! Stunning drone footage -- please keep it up. I deeply respect your attention to detail and perseverance. It really does take personal courage almost on a moment-to-moment basis to drive your journey forward. I admire you and wish you only good fortune. You will endure and overcome your challenges.
Wow thanks so much I really feel the support out there in the community
You are doing a great job Mark, thanks for bringing us along, we really feel part of it.
My 10yr old son (and I) are already planning to catch you in the Queen Charlotte when you arrive in a few years time!!
Keep up the great work.
Mike
Rangiora, NZ
Hey that would be cool…by then he might be 15!
so enjoy your videos mark thank you your boat is beautiful
Yes we are so pleased with her. Keeping her looking that way is not so easy when always in use and living aboard. Doing my best
Nice work and thanks for taking us along.
Anytime…I enjoy making each episode
Great drone shots, keep safe keep calm.
Absolutely
Nice haircut! Very smart!
Great Adventure, absolutely no doubt! Best wishes from Portugal
Thanks so much
I appreciate in this video more time has been given to the scenery and seeing what you see. The Spanish/Portugal coast trip had so many great pans from the boat that were gone as fast as they came. Don't worry about making these more than an hour :) (well, maybe internet rates/availability make one so...)
Glad to see the grounding wasn't too bad. Wait until you get to the Bahamas! Sure made me ponder with how reliable engines are these days, if twin screws really offer the plan B we hope for.
Something I've wondered, how do you keep your fitness up and get the blood flowing?
This Schengen thing though... Happy sailing, I'm excited for the French coast. By a mile the best travel boating channel going.
Hi Mark, i know it seems sometimes that all is building up, and its difficult alone. But we are all with you, and offcourse your home-front! You are doing great, making better (😂) decisions, and learning! One tip; never, ever, trust autoroute! Check this after completion very good! Loving the channel!
Yes I keep a very close eye on it
Hi Mark hope you get the chance to visit Bilboa - best wishes Harold and Wendy Bilboe
Will try
Keep your Head up! It will get better
Just stay safe.
Absolutely will…thanks
Try to see the individual negatives as what they are - just individual negative occurrences. Don’t let yourself feel like bad things are piling up against you. We all tend to give less weight to the successes than the failures, but try to give yourself more credit for the successful accomplishments like the safe passages you’ve made following that soft grounding experience that knocked your confidence. I say “try” because of course we all struggle to feel that way. 😅 As an outside observer I think you’re doing great Mark! Running your boat alone is no small feat - a big success in my opinion!!
Maybe an opportunity for one of those mental health apps all the UA-camrs are flogging😂.
Thanks so much I really appreciate such positive feedback
@@maccant4707I have some wonderful people I lean on…some I have gotten to know through these episodes
@@AwanuiNZ it was a facetious comment, everyone is flogging either the mental health app or the AG1. I’d fully expect a pilot, dad and husband to have his supports in place.
Wow, who says boating was easy! Politics!! Great video, I think all your followers are feeling your pain, frustration. Stay strong, as my grandad used to say, take the rough with the smooth. Remember, you always have family and friends to talk too, if your feeling down. Keep safe, hope it all sorts it’s self out. all the best cheers 🥃🏴
Thank you Mark for another great one. Nice drone footage. One thing I noticed is that a lot of buildings are not painted outside and just bare concrete colour. It is similar in a lot of North African Countries. At first I thought it was weird, but then I thought maybe not so weird. Why spend so much money painting the outside of your building and then have continual maintenance and repainting. Rather spend the money to make the inside beautiful. I was so impressed inside buildings and homes in North African Countries. I like the way you took extra caution when underway and kept an extra distance from any dangers. When I was at sea, I always used to think what if something went wrong, like losing the engines, so I always instructed my navigating officers to keep a good distance away from any dangers when they planned the route. I did not worry about the extra distance, it gave me peace of mind knowing that I would that extra time to make a decision. Most times when you take a route that is shorter but is closer to dangers, you are continually hoping that nothing goes wrong during the passage because you will have such little time to react before disaster strikes. Rather not have that unnecessary additional stress. Fishermen are generally the same all over the world, they have very good local knowledge and years of experience. Even here in South Africa, they also fish so close to rocky outposts or shallow reefs. I suppose it is risk vs reward to get as close as possible to the reefs to catch the most fish. Maybe commercial pressure of making money lures them into taking risks. Sometimes in South Africa they get caught out in rough seas, and unfortunately the boat hits the rocks or capsizes and there is normally loss of life. I hope utube is paying you a few dollars to pay for your coffees, cakes, and meals ashore. I am not familiar with your anchor vibration plate. Is it's purpose to prevent the chain from coming loose when anchor in a stowed position? If so, then why cannot you use the vibration plate after anchoring to prevent any chain being draggged out in bad weather and also most importantly release tension on windless. I think your time in a plane simulator and actual flying has equipped you with great thinking skills which you are using in the boating world.
Enjoy your coffee and cake.
Now you have the subscribers thinking what happened to your tender boat.
Travel safe and take care.
Cheers from Durban.
Your experience in the boating world shows Brian…very sage comments and taken onboard. Vibration plate just holds the anchor down when stowed…no use other than that. Always enjoy the coffee…right now actually
Good luck Mark. Keep your head up
As high as it can get!
Mark! Going out towards a dark sky, single yachtsman, must really let one think of the old times.... the explorers in wooden ships - anf they were many!..... And you just keep on sailing.... very admirable ! You stand the test of time! And yes.... First things first - Wings level - keep flying, and then process ....
Very nice drone footage.... I know you have edited it yourself, but try and lean back and watch the final product.... It could calm you a bit amidst troubled water...
And it is funny how one sometimes gets almost professional in very specific matters - such as immigration....
But if the bilateral agreement has not been revoked ....?! Find the right person to talk to?
Thank you so much for sharing this troublesome time.....keep up the good work - nearly 10K subscribers!!
Will follow you on AIS on your journey north. Happy and safe journey.
I love how many people know where I am day to day
Well a lot to unpack there but onwards and upwards, always have a plan A&B, you will have sorted it by now and onto 🇫🇷 😊
Note: for sale - tshirts with your favourite words..
Anyway! And cool 😂 I swear I won’t start counting, buuut… 😮
Nice film Mark, how far have you got? Just need one safe bay at a time. (only get off where it is quiet) you've got the right boat and the scare will make you run your checks .. there is always Hendaye just over boarder in to france if you need to hug the coast and dont want to cross biscay.
Hi Mark, loving your adventures and battles with the European system! A knife fixed to the tender cockpit would allow you to cut the strops in an emergency and speed up launching the tender. Happy and safe travels from NZ
Thanks so much. Not so worried about the strops more the crane across the tender. If we had to abandon ship I would want to take the tender with us. The crane being across it could hamper that if say water ingress in the engine room shorted the electrical side out. If it even looked like there was a possibility of having to get off the ship I would get the crane out the way early
Getting close to 10K , well done
Amazing eh…it kind of surprises me
At these customs maritime entry points, all you have to do is go to the captaincy and fill out the entry and exit forms
Awesome video am enjoying this journey. Currently in Auckland on holiday from Australia.
Great place to visit…enjoy. Thanks for watching
@ thanks, Hope you get it sorted out ok. We did a lap of the world a few months back and I found it strange going in and out of eu countries with no one looking at our passports. Great adventure thanks for sharing it.
@@JAR-STINGERSyes weird huh
Good luck
Hi Mark… gosh it was horrible to see you stressed out in Vigo! 🙈 My suggestion is that you need a little break from the boat as you are 24x7 on your own and in consistent stressful situations/challenges. How about docking the boat in a marina & just checking into a Hotel & take a bath, read a book have a great meal & sleep? You look exhausted! (Sorry!) and that’s when mistakes happen!
I would say that not even as a pilot were you consistently & relentlessly challenged 24 x7!!
Luckily & thank goodness you met the lawyer and it looks like he has helped you enormously to think through this Schengen problem. 🙏 After your haircut & shave etc you looked a tad more settled and confident in your decision. As you say you are not going to be rushed and the weather will determine your journey’s progress! Amazing drone footage at the end! 📷 Looks like a fabulous little haven. Until next week… 😅
I enjoy your videos but feel the hardship you are going through at the same time. Easy for me to say stay the course but you know best. You mention 4 years of challenges with that inauguration, well, it's been 2 weeks and already we Canadians are feeling the effects. The tariffs made use more united and not so nice towards the USA but not hateful, that's not who we are. Anyway, love your videos, thanks for sharing with us, safe travels and wishing you all the best. 👍🙂🇨🇦
Cheers and yes the most unusual times we are in. Just don’t know where he gets his energy.
Mark great video this is turning into a real Drama can't wait for the next episode. By the way your walking camera what is it , It does a good job with great audio no wind noise. All the best from Rockhampton Qld Australia
I try hard to keep the camera facing away from the wind and am very conscious of keeping my voice up
Gotta love a bit of bureaucracy, european style! 😅
Crazy huh?
Hi... don't think it's a good idea to pulse the anchor winch like that, you get a spike in power consumption each time the motor is energised...
BTW isn't NZ the other way... :)
Aah ok….I was doing that to stop the anchor spinning as it comes up. If we just run the motor it swings when out of the water and sometimes spins around which could result in a strike of the boat. Shame there is not a slow mode. Had not thought of your issue….good point
If you leave the EU for 24 or 48 hours then you are allowed back in with an extended visa, if you are close to Gibraltar then log out of Spain and berth there for a couple of days, you can then login when you get to France, Monte Carlo is also not in the EU.
Unfortunately the time is tracked it only gives you the days you are out from what I can see
Hello Mark. An expired Schengen visa cannot be extended in the EU. No matter which EU country. Go to England as quickly as possible, put your boat there and fly to your home country. There and only there can you apply for a new Schengen visa. Oh, I hope that helped. Best regards, Thomas.
Hi Mark. A lot going on here, so a few (lot of) observations, as someone who has followed along for months.
Getting to France: I'm guessing you already got there by now. But a reminder that bad things happen to boaties when they allow time pressures to overrule good weather selection. Find a way to take your time. You can't risk shit weather as a solo sailor.
You need to install Google Translate and learn how to use it in conversation mode. It will live translate for you back and forth.
You can't do this yelling across the water though.
And it will even translate signs and printed material in real time while looking at them in the app.
Have you thought about getting a little electric scooter? I know you want to get some walking in and that's super important when on a boat to get exercise in. But a scooter would help a stack for those longer runs. Better (and safer) would be a folding e-bike because you can safely carry some shopping in saddle bags. Much harder on scooter.
Gone With The Wynn's bought e-bikes ages back and they really opened up their exploring wherever they made landfall.
Why don't you use an agent for all your border issues and permits? Talk with Nick (pommie) and Terysa (Aussie) from Sailing Ruby Rose about using agents. Or the Barefoot Doctors (also Aussies). Both couples are cat sailors currently in the Med and with strong European travel experience.
Your drone cinematography is really improving. Really nice smooth pans and transitions, with very few of the microadjustments from the earlier videos. But please be careful about flying low over water. Water absorbs infra-red and that throws out the downwards facing obstacle sensors. Drone gets confused and rapidly descends. Too low means no time to react and stop it. 10m minimum - can always zoom in for closer looks during flight. And zoomed in while skidding sideways past near and far objects creates a really interesting parallax effect.
The dinghy is getting a bit scungey looking, mate. Time for a scrub?
I see you doing the oil changes on both engines at the same time - $$. Alexei, owner of the Bering Yachts, talks about cruising with just one engine at a time to reduce engine hours. And drops fuel consumption by more than a third for only a couple knots difference cruising speed. Thoughts?
Now about the mental load. It seems to me that you are experiencing anxiety. Deal with it myself. And that's entirely normal and understandable. You are suddenly doing both the sailing and life solo. Neither were on your plans. There are some tools for helping with this. Talk to the Barefoot Doctors. This is their profession.
You are doing okay. You knew it was going to be a big learning curve. And it was going to throw a few wobblies at you. But you are part of the boating youtubers community now and don't have it do it alone. There are people in the community who can help. Reach our and say hi?
Hi Ashley…wow amazing message thanks so much. Will try and answer as best I can. First thanks for your support. It is amazing how much it helps having a team along with you even if only via the Net. I stopped reading the messages for the episode on my grounding as they were starting to get me down. I will get back to them just not now. Weather is No.1 I will not compromise on that. Yip got Google translate but do not use it enough. Have certainly thought about scooters/bikes…just not yet as mainly anchor and a lot of effort getting on and off the boat to tender etc. I love walking and not a big tourist for going big distances. Had not thought of an agent. Will look into. Will add dingy to my list. Thanks on the drone…really enjoying learning more about flying them well. AwanuiNZ does not have a brake on the shafts so cannot run one engine at a time. It’s something I need to look into. Thanks for having me in your thoughts it means a lot.
I’m chuckling over the dirty dinghy comment. I thought the same - that would drive me batty! Lol
Ahh super interesting! Schengen from Turkey -> Portugal with some breaks in between, then bilateral Spain and bilateral france to eventually make it across to the UK. I was wondering how you were going to do it, makes the most sense. My only concern is if the coast guard equivalent in Spain stops you, I guess you have the e-mail and you have the treaties to say you've been abiding by the law. I wish there was a visa for boaters who can demonstrate income and assets, along with proper insurance. Yes you're using the country's services but you're paying for marinas, you're buying food from the markets, youre buying trinkets and coffees from the bars, you're helping the economy.. not sure why they wouldn't want to encourage that. 3 months in each country would be nice versus schengen. Thank you for sharing!
Suggest you do some serious research on BVWAs. Most websites suggest one can only use Schengen time first then one BVWA only. Thus, one cannot do Schengen time, spend 3 months in Italy, 3 months in Spain and then 3 months in France but only one of those countries after Schengen. You may need to hop across directly from Spain to the UK to get out of trouble, in which case some crew would be advisable.
Absolutely that would not surprise me and ready for that if necessary as already in Spain. There is also a view that you can use three months total between the countries with the BVWA’s. It will be so good when the new EU Rules become effective where this is all covered.
Hi Mark! I didn’t understand why you are trying to check in with the police? You are in Schengen area, once you enter you have 3 months to move freely between all Schengen countries without any kind of control or check… The only reason to check inn is if you cross out to international waters when you come from Portugal to Spain. In this case it will be new entry to Schengen area.
My Schengen time is up. NZ has an agreement with Spain for a further 3 months after Schengen. Was checking how to invoke that
I noticed at about four minutes you decided not to take a short cut to save a little time. Good idea. Your mantra while onboard by yourself should be if in doubt, don’t.
Yip you got it
what a quagmire to navigate. I don’t know if I’d want to deal with all of this.
Mark, you have those oversized stainless chains for lifting the boat. How about swapping them for dyneema and use the chains to padlock the dinghy to the docks. Not everyone is a saint, hate for you to comeback to no dinghy. Maybe you already lock it up and I haven’t seen it, if so well done
Nope I don’t but likely should huh
@@AwanuiNZand then I got to the cliffhanger at the end of the episode! I live in the north of Australia and fully expect anything not locked down to walk away.
Going back to the grounding, and thinking about having to make decisions about other potential situations that arise while running a boat, I wonder if your deep experience as a commercial airline pilot would effect your sense of urgency in responding to those situations. Years ago, I started taking flying lessons and ended up quitting just 20 hours into it without ever having done a solo. I just couldn’t find the confidence to do it. In thinking about my decision to quit, which I feel somewhat embarrassed about and disappointed with myself, I still think that I made the right decision. I connect with your grounding experience because of an airplane pilot’s need to make decisions quickly - to act - as opposed to the luxury we (usually) have in piloting a boat where we can take a moment to think about the next move. We can simply stop and float and take the time needed to weigh options, then proceed slowly with whatever plan we’ve come up with. I wonder whether your aviation background might effect your decisions when piloting your boat. Of course I don’t know you Mark, but it might be something to file away in your mind in the event another situation like the port entry where you ended up on the bottom presents itself again. Remind yourself that you can slow down…stop altogether…back off…have a good look at the conditions around you and come up with a plan before proceeding. This luxury of being able to just sit and float while working a potential problem is something you can almost never do in an airplane, so it’s possible that you have a tendency to charge ahead - to act - rather than to back off and wait, just because that’s what you’re trained and conditioned to do as an airline pilot. Nothing more than food for thought. It might ease your anxiety a little if you can remind yourself that on the boat you have time to think through your next move. 😊
100%. Well thought through message thanks so much
@@AwanuiNZ I’m sorry if I was presumptuous. I mean well and appreciate your candor in your videos. ❤️
I believe the law says you can shelter for safety and or urgent repair if iam not mistaken.
Yip it does
that cop didn't no what he was talking about? try next port? show the paper work .
I had thought of that but feel a little nervous around how they may still view the Schengen time as the only time. I have the ammo now so think best just to plod on and deal with it when I leave Europe. I will try in France so watch this space.
Great analysis, thank you! I need some advice: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How should I go about transferring them to Binance?
Hi Mark, as we all know the quality of help is only as good as the people behind the counter, it sounds like to me it was put in the “ to hard basket “ so the easy way out was to tell you to leave Spain. I believe you have done everything possible including legal advice from a kind supporter to Aquire the correct documents/information, be it after the event, still very frustrating.
Love the Nordhavn and your adventures, however, as good as it is, maybe a couple of days off the boat might be good for your mental health.
Please don’t remind me of the sim😂
Haha so right. Looking back on it those simulator sessions just did not matter………we could do the job but as always just a little anxiousness as each detail came up which seemed all too often. Once you got going they were fine. I will have a couple of days when she comes out of the water next week.
I really don’t understand all this malarkey. You’re a tourist, you’re spending money. Aside from that, what is the logic behind having you leave. It’s like half these towns or marinas. It’s like they don’t want you, yet they’re a tourist destination. Completely baffles me.
You and me both…problem is it’s the law…they say…whoever they is
Hey Mark, don't leave your phone on the table, they can disappear!
Mmm good point. I hate leading my life catering for the low life’s out there but I hear you
No consolation but I sure hope that meal was cheap! Yes you must leave Spain .
You coping well imho,in the midst of fleeing you can still find a good deal on egine oil!.
Google maps reckons 800 km minimum to France?
Yip was not expensive and full of locals so I must have missed something. Definitely leaving as soon as able
Mark, isn't dealing with bureaucrats fun? From your research and email from the Spanish consulate, there is no doubt you can stay in Spain for three months. Take your time, cruise when the weather is good and you feel like it, don't feel forced in the slightest. Cruise, savor, don't push it. Have fun, explore ports, search for great coffee, find a better restaurant, make this adventure a happy adventure.
Note on drone filming. Be careful and read national rules and follow the Avi maps. European police is on a rampage catching drone operators and claiming their Russian spies. While it mostly gives you a fine, you will be banned from Schengen for years.
Ta…got it
Pretty sure there's something in EU maritime law to cover over stay due to weather or repair... and you are the master of the vessel
Thank you for another great video. I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you in Spain, but it’s great you’re not giving in and are building your confidence up again and being determined. It will al work out in the end. As a UK resident, I Cantrell you that Brexit sucks and this whole Schengen crap is a nightmare!
Yip it is. Once the new system finally comes in it is much simpler so bring it on
Head to gersney or jersey the to U.K.
That’s the plan
blood hell it is a drama, it will sort itself out
It just keeps testing me….up for it though
😢😢, Try to solve this visa issue at another police station, sometimes it depends on who you talk to.
Yip it does
Hey, next time you are looking at cameras maybe look at a Sony or Canon DSLR or Mirrorless so that you can put on a telephoto lens. Then you can get those shots of the small bouys etc. I'd say Nikon (my favourite) but as far as video goes those two are the main ones that people know best that do the best. Netflix approves some of the Sonys and Canons, but not yet Nikons. Mind you Nikon owns a very expensive brand of cinema quality digital cameras (Red). You don't need that one (extremely expensive). Anyway.
Good idea with the dingy. It's an indication of the experience you are gaining. Good experience, wisdom, and good ideas often comes from fuckups. lol.
Imagine this..when the Cop’s current Prime Minister is letting in and providing PassPorts to illegal economic immigrants..Does nobody believe that there is a stark irony here???
Absolutely
True, those are the miserable Brussel socialist policies .. Europe is doomed 😢😢
And their Govt, legalised having s€x with dogs/animals.... yep! Look it up!! The world is going nuts!!
And found time for a shave.
Yip…had it done with a haircut…..first time for a wet shave in a barbers
@@AwanuiNZ try the full experience hot towels ddifferent lotions etc a great feeling
@@pauls4708It was cool and will…about time us blokes got a little pampering
I believe that I would let the police look for me and not search for them just to get bogus information.
These Schengen violations will haunt you the rest of your life.
I very nearly got arrested, and deported from Calais, on my way back to the UK, despite only arriving in Spanish Schengen three days earlier. Because Spain wasn’t stamping passports. And France wasn’t having any of it.
Keep em coming Mark. You definitely should have let us know your feelings on Trump tho 😂😂😂
Rather stay out of that debate
@ for sure! Definitely wouldn’t get into it if I were you either… but it would have been a fun rant if I know you 😂
Be blessed my friend.
Love the fact your own government officials won’t say one way or the other if the agreement has been revoked! Every government is the same if you don’t say anything you can’t be wrong lol
Crazy huh
Mark, I wonder why all Gov's are so difficult. They are terrible when it comes to low risk induviduals, but so open to illegal migrants.
I don't like the tender message at the end.😮
Ain’t that the truth…next episode under production
Do you have a email do I can send you the latest on coming to the uk
In the UK I can have 6 months as a NZ citizen and I have previously had a British Passport so am looking to renew that. rammells@xtra.co.nz
I like your vids but they are way to long!!!!
Haha that’s funny. So many say they enjoy the long videos…guess you will have to scroll through. Because I report on most things I do on this journey if I don’t do a reasonable length video O would almost need to publish every day.
If you already in people country that illigal. And you can be deported
Yip
Great video Mark... when you get to the UK just anchor up on Dover beach then go to the local council, they will give you a house,car, mobile phone, and £1000 a month.😂😂😂
Sell sell sell cut your loses and quit boating your probably not cut out to be doing this.
said the lone keyboard warrior to the person actually out there making new experiences, facing challenges and experiencing life. What amazing qualifications you must have to cast your negative views on 1hr of a week in the life of Mark. Did you stop to consider what 55mins of Marks week might gain some views?.... logic says it's not making coffee, eating porridge and cleaning the toilet! Of course we get the juicy bits that's how it goes. Honestly.... how about you make some videos of your week and let us all pass comment on what you get up to, then we might have a true comparison.
@@msjj7750Thanks for the support.
Wow you got issues
Perfectly cut out. Dont listen to trolls…
Envy in silence….
Hello Mark, for information in France for stays of less than 90 days (tourist) Americans, Japanese, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, do not need a visa. So you can stay there without problem 89 days. I also had a question, how much autonomy does your boat have?
If you want help you can contact me, i’m french 😉
Best regards,
Bertrand