Hi Guys! I like your channel! I come here to watch your videos about your life on your beautiful sailboat. You guys are doing a great job and are creating great entertainment. I really hope you guys don't go down the road of a news channel. Some parts of your last video felt a little bit as if you guys were back at work as reporters...hihihi! Cheers! Just my 2Cents...Sorry!
Great video as usual guys. Glad you went for EProp. We love ours but find it takes a long time and high amps to charge via either via 240/12v. (Note also the battery charge indicator bars do not drop proportionately when in use! So don’t get caught out) So we installed a Voltage Sensitive Relay hard wired to the 12v MPPT charger and leave the EProp plugged in for a couple of days when not in use. Charger only kicks in when battery reaches 13.7v after solar/other energy source has topped up the batts. Just takes the hassle about how/when to recharge if living on a daily Amps budget. A solution recommended by the U.K. EProp team.
Thanks for the tip on the charge indicator, I guessed it might not be linear so good to know. we went out for a couple of hours yesterday thinking we would use most of the battery, in fact I full expected to be rowing back, but we still had 50%, finding it difficult to test the lower reaches of this battery!! The relay for MPPT is a genius idea with the solar charge. I have been plugging it in via the cigarette lighter attachment when the house bank is charged & as expected the attachment gets a bit hot. I had thought of changing it to a XT60 and wiring a female XT60 connector into the boat, but you're idea is much better!
@@svfairisle , I see you received your eProp at Isola La Certosa. Did you order/buy locally? (i live in Chioggia and was pondering the purchase of the eprop spirit evo) Thanks.
@@matthiasbroersma4339 no we actually got ours straight from the manufacturer as it’s a new model and wasn’t with the European dealers at the time. The Evo should be with them shortly, if not already, though and they will certainly have the Spirit in stock I would think.There is a dealer in Northern Italy apparently I don’t have the details of that one but I was told the German dealer was probably my best bet for spares... epropulsion.de/. So maybe that’s your best bet? If you opt for delivery from China don’t use UPS as it will sit in Venice airport for a month!
My last yacht had one of those furler leads, attached to a piece of wire. I never used it as I never realised that was what it was designed for! What a muppet!
My first week driving CDL in the United States, I saw a FedEx truck crash. Then, a second. Then, a third. Having any parts delivery via truck is a crapshoot. Count your blessing if you ever receive ANY parts. 👍 good on the ⚡motor.
EPropulsion 'motor' is wonderful! You can get an extension cord and keep the battery inside the boat while motoring. You may also want to replace diesel 'engine' with an electric drive and charge the LiIon batteries while sailing through regen, clean, reliable, no vibrations, no noise, no maintenance, no smelly leaks.
UPS, DPD, TNT, DHL. As much use as an ashtray on a motorbike!!! We have parcels from the UK as a vessel in transit. One of which has been sitting in customs since 7th Jan. Digging into it. It appears that all EU customs services have not been provided with guidance from Brussels on how to deal with UK mail/goods. Bit like their negotiations/ability on getting a vax contract to delivered on time... When we get our delivery of HP sauce, and Yorkshire pudding mix we will let you know! lol. Engine is interesting new technology, as the panels and the "polish". Love the way you guys push the boundaries new tech. Because if we keep doing what we have always done we will get what we have always got... Sail Safe Guys, Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
In 1965 I bought a 40+ seagull. In 2015 I bought Torqeedo - it broke, and then I bought a second Torqeedo, which now has reliability issues . “Guess what engine I go to sea with now ?“ thanks you British engineering. Jacktar
Normally when using webbing for stern shore lines I'm not looking to tension everything up. The aft line/lines are there to stop you swinging out it's the anchor thats holding you. So I would just position the boat where I want her to be (in say a bay with deep water this would be close to the edge where the water isn't too deep, but still might be 10/15 meters, I would put out the appropriate amount of chain, which will be quite a lot in deep water! and then use the shore lines to hold me in position close to the shore so I'm not swinging all over the bay in areas where there is probably other boat activity.) So in this situation the webbing need only to be pulled up by hand. If you need to really pull on it to reposition the boat they can be used on a winch but best to not use the self tailer but tail it by hand.
Interested to see your new ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus. I have had the Spirit 1.0 for 9 months. Managed to bend and snap a control pin on the cable where it connects to the battery. Be careful, it is very fragile. Also snapped the plastic tiller trying to hold the prop out of the bottom. It broke at the bolt it pivots on. Both were repaired quickly and inexpensively here in Brisbane. Very happy with the Spirit. Great not to have to carry petrol on the boat anymore. And We love the quiet. We bought ours after out Yamaha 2hp 2-stroke seized from improper storage during Covid. In Australia 2-strokes are banned and it is a big weight increase for the 4 stroke. So our primary motivation was weight as my wife did not want to be lifting a 20kg + outboard.The two pieces of about 10kg each are a great solution. Looking forward to your review.
Thanks for the heads up Greg. What actually broke in the cable? One of the pins on the flying lead to the battery? Was this simply from wiggling it around until keyway lined up & you could push it in, or just from it getting knocked around when unattached? Re the tiller, does the 1.0plus have the pin that allows you set the tilt mechanism to let the engine pivot itself if you hit the bottom? I thought that was a niffty bit of design that should really help with grounding problems. Just trying to see if I can find some sort of fault with this engine, so far it's been ace. The review is going to sound like a sales demo!
@@svfairisle Yes, one of the fine pins on the flying lead where it connects to the battery. Wiggling it to line it up and then it wouldn’t go in. I noticed it was bent about 20 degrees. I straightened it with my thumbnail very gently but it snapped at the base. I am now super careful to line it up. Malcolm Betts, the Brisbane dealer repaired it with a new fly lead and said it was the first time he had seen that happen. The tiller problem was not due to grounding. When operating in very shallow water over sand, say 30-40cm, I was holding the prop up far higher than the highest trim angle by pushing down on the tiller. The Yamaha could handle that sort of treatment. On the Spirit, while most of it is aluminium the tiller is a rigid plastic. It cracked at the base where the stainless steel pin goes through. Call it a user error. I should just use the oars to get out of the shallows. The Spirit range is about 6 years old. I believe the very first units had problems with the paint bubbling with corrosion. They have fixed that. Mine is going well. The Plus has a 25% bigger battery (1276 cw 1018) , a stainless steel electrical connector on the battery instead of plastic, a rubber cap for the fly lead and 3 zinc anodes to one on the Spirit. The plus has moved to 48v from 40.7, which appears to be the emerging standard for high amp devices on yachts, and lets you connect an external battery. So some nice improvements. I did used to have a Torqeedo but kept having gearbox failures. The Spirit uses a much simpler design with the motor directly driving the shaft.
Thanks for the info Greg, I'll have a close look at ours. I'm not sure what changes there have been from the spirit to the spirit evo 1.0, if any on the external hard wear, we still have the plastic tiller. I only looked at direct drive motors, really hate the high pitched whine you can get from gearbox models and a friend of ours here in Venice who runs 'Classic Boats' has a dozen of more Torqueedos for his traditional 'topetos' Venetian boats and hates them with a passion! Says they're always going wrong.
As always another great video. Funny, here in the US, UPS is great I can track where my package is at any time. Never late, always intact. Now our postal service is absolutely abysmal.
Can't comment on what they're like in the States but I talked to several of their offices in Europe including the one in the UK who I'm sad to say was the worst of the bunch. I talked to a woman who claimed to be a supervisor, I wouldn't have let her supervise flushing the toilet on my boat. Stupidity coupled with arrogance, not a pleasant mixture!!
In NYC I know the local UPS driver and one of my coop neighbors happens to be a long haul semi (lorry) driver for UPS. If you could hear some of their stories. It’s a huge company with lots of moving parts but their customer and employee relations leaves a lot to be desired.
What an important episode this was, between the issue with migrants in the Med and the responsibilities cruisers face, to the new solar panel and your e-engine. Everything from humanitarian issues to climate change issues. I love it when these sailing channels tackle and touch on important humanitarian issues that people face as individuals and what the planet faces as a whole. So I just bought a new 3.5 hp Mercury gas outboard for my dinghy and didn't buy an electric engine because they're sometimes more than double the cost of a gas engine and I'm trying to keep things w/in budget, since I only cruise around Southeast Alaska and getting to shore when anchored isn't that difficult. Otherwise, I would have purchased a Torquedo engine from a local friend who's a dealer. Again, thanks for the socially important content!
In my experience, batteries have a significantly reduced performance in the cold. I’d be interested to see how this affects electric outboards. I live in colder climes also, and I would love to pick up an electric outboard if they perform well.
Steve, I tend to agree with you on the UPS - lack of service - as I had items ship from the USA at the same time - (1) with DHL and that arrived after 5 days and the (2) with UPS that took three weeks, as it arrived in NZ only to go further on to Australia then back to NZ they are a really poor show.
I don’t have a link, I found them in Italy when we wintered in Venice. They are LG panels and are excellent. The one panel I have gives me almost the same power as the two slightly smaller standard glass panels put together.
You are keeping her looking quite pristine. A lot of maintenance for such non production boats. Would be interesting to know roughly how much time you spend on just keeping her looking good ~ 10, 20...hours a week?
At the moment it probably is, but this time of year I'm just getting things done. Through the summer it's really minimal though. I do try to come up with time saving ways for boat upkeep. That's why I'm trying things like the Gtechniq nano technology products, I've got great hopes of that saving me a lot of time. The International woodskin varnish I've found requires a tiny fraction of the time polyurethane & tong oil varnishes take. Semco on the decks I find helps a lot and is really quick to put on (just can't find anywhere that sells it in Italy!) So yes it's more work than a production boat no question and if I were just sailing on weekends in the summer it probably wouldn't be worth it, but living aboard I've got no grass to cut so I might as well do some varnishing!
Will be interesting to see how you get on with the ePropulsion. We've had the torqueedo t1003 for a few years which is very similar. My wife loves it as its a. very quiet, b. no pull start so means she can start it on her own giving independence and c. easy to carry in subcomponents. Will also be interested to hear how you are getting on with the eco flow,. Cant decide on an eco flow delta 1300 or a blueetti 240 looking at the max cycles v charge time comparison. I assume you got the eco flow with the 3 pack solar panels,
Yes we've got 2 x 110w solar which come from Holland I think. They're very good anyway & we can use one for the ePropulsion as well as the Eco flow. My take on the Bluetti is that if you are using it every day, charge / discharge then it's good as it has more cycles, but it's not as well set up in most other ways and takes ages to charge. The fast charge of the Eco flow is pretty unique I think.
@@svfairisle Compelling quick charging (1 hour or so is amazing on powerline) for sure on the eco flow and the blueetti is finicky about panel type according to some reports.. Our torqeedo lasts about a week commuting a couple of times a day to shore a few hundred yards a trip if we keep revs down under half power. I would imagine the epropulsion will be same/similar.I think the epropulsion does look nicer though. Less boxy. Having a second drop-in battery provides reassurance although to be honest we seldom use it. Certainly cleaner than a 2 stroke with same weight advantage.. Fair winds!
Another excellent and inspiring video. You guys are great explorers and such professional narrators and video editors. So enjoyable to watch! Which epropulsion model is it? And what’s the full weight incl. battery? Stay well guys!
Thanks Agne, the model we have is the delta evo 1.0, I'm not sure what the combined weight is, but I'll try & work it out and include it in the upcoming test video.
Another great video guys. Hope you are both well. We feel your pain with UPS. We're waiting for our water maker and you are closer to it than we are. It should be in Sicily, but it's been stuck in Tessera (Venice) for 6 days so far. No telling how long it will be there.. No updates.....no answers. (head-bang, face-palm) Hope we run into you over the summer. COVID willing. Cheers!
Oh no! Not Tessera! Well we scoped out exactly where their warehouse is because I thought we might have to go and get it ourselves, in fact we should have done, would have been a lot quicker! UPS seem to think they haven’t done their job properly if they haven’t held a parcel for a month. Im afraid there’s not much that can be done, we literally phoned every UPS headquarters and tried really hard to contact the UPS ‘agents’ who are the ones that hold things up thinking it must be something we need to do. It isn’t! When they finally cleared it from customs it was for no reason whatsoever, they had no more information than they had after the first contact when they failed to deliver. What are your plans now? When are you hoping to set off?
@@svfairisle Hi Steve, Well we're in Germany at the moment (I'm contracting again). Deirdre is heading back to the boat in a week, and I will join her a week or so after that. Not sure yet if we will be cruising this summer or putting her on the hard for bit. All up in the air with the never ending pandemic. The way the EU is running the vaccination campaign, it doesn't inspire confidence. (something about a piss-up at a brewery comes to mind) I have plenty of boat jobs to do, but right now it might be better to keep working and hoover-up as many euros as I can (Freedom Chips). We'll see. You'll have to tell me how the new outboard compares to the last one. New one looks interesting. Anyway best to you and Judy. Keep up the good videos. It gives us hope. :-)
@@svfairisle Hope you guys are doing well. We're back on the boat for a couple of weeks with the hope of installing a watermaker and composting head. Still waiting for the watrmaker it to be released from UPS purgatory (34 days and counting). I'm losing hope of ever seeing it. The head hasn't arrived yet either, but at least it is coming from Germany so no UPS in the equation. Busying ourselves with other odd jobs in the meantime while I am in quarantine. Cheers!
Oh don't get me started on UPS! Just write to them constantly, I bombarded them with about 20 emails a day copied to everyone who had ever emailed me (there seemed to be about 6 people working at the vcebrokerage@ups.com dept, which is where it gets held up) they call these guys the 'customs brokers' but it seems they work for UPS. They tried ignoring the bombardment for a couple of days and then gave in and sent the package! You remind me actually I'm going to write to them again and demand compensation, which of course I will never get but it's worth hassling them if only for my enjoyment! Do you have a travel plan for when you get going?
@@svfairisle Hi Steve, did they ask you for an EORI number? It seems they want this for some reason. I don't have one as I am not involved in trade. Argh!!!
There is no handbook regarding the parking of the dinghy existing. We never faced problems when we had parked our topetta, sometimes it is useful to ask the shop or restaurant close the parking. Very good place is the channel leading to the Arsenal from the south, there is a lot of police nearby. The radicchio is the trevision type, "radicchio di Treviso". Do you use the ultraline for anchoring as well? All the best thank you for the informative video, greetings to Venice! Axel
Yes we've asked to, but it all seems pretty sketchy. We've had no problems so far, lots of Venetians have told us the police like to give out fines though & we try to do the right thing but it's difficult with no clear rules on what can & can't be done. I know the canal you're talking about but to get there without braving the wash on the outside past St Helena we would have to go through Arsenale. Not sure if that's allowed as it's military? I have been in there several times but that was on the committee boat for racing so I guess they have permission.
Don’t get me started Steve. 😡 There’s only one reliable delivery service, Yamato, but using it requires Japan residency. UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc all have tremendous problems with theft and lost items. Still waiting on a refund from months ago. Of course the onus is on the package recipient to wait for the shipper to officially declare it lost before a refund is issued. Silly, they allow things to drag out so long. Should be a universal 10 day rule or something. Envious of your plans for Turkey. Will you be touring the Black Sea? Some friends rented a place on the Turkish coast a few years back, dirt cheap, and absolutely loved it. Said it had all the best aspects of the Med without the nonsense. The Black Sea has a unique ecology, and amazing assortment of plant and animal life.
Really interested in the Black sea, I confess I know very little about it. The only comment I had heard before was it was quite industrial without any facilities for yachts (all industrial harbours) but I will certainly look into it. A marine company from Istanbul has been messaging me on facebook I will talk to them.
Well I just did a quick search & there is this one from force 4 www.force4.co.uk/item/Wichard/Pre-Feeder/IJG I'm not sure how this attaches though. To get the pre-feeder to work well it needs to be close to the track, mine has the little leg that slots into the bottom of the track where it disappears into the bottom furler. Have a close look at your furling system and work out how you're going to mount it.
Red endive sallad?! Well sow that is way there are stone steps down under wather in the canals! Must give an yearly natural option ot have cleening weeks in the city canals! Very good shoutout in the refugee situation and sailors responsibility! Barbro Sweden
Hi Steve. 40 quid I paid for a secondhand seagull -torqeedo £2500. Of course oars will be extra... British seagull don’t need to make more engines, they can still be found all over the world. Look to the horizon you will see a plume of blue smoke then you hear The engine chattering, and behold there is a man with a White beard and a red cap then you’ll no it’s Jacktar in the dinghy.
Yes most of the world has banned 2-strokes, Seagulls will send the greens into fits of anger! I think it's great we now have greener options, but the odd seagull rattling through the anchorage is rather like seeing an old traction engine on the road. Wouldn't want them to die out altogether.
Thx for highlighting the awful plight of the migrants in the Med. I know La Vagabonde did a similar shout out for refugees around the Azores as because of the Med 'closing it doors', migrants are now leaving from West Africa and heading to the islands belonging to Spain & Portugal, but the risks are so high that if they miss the islands they are doomed. Very sad.
Yes, there are now places in Venice that don't allow petrol engines. Word is they will be phased out pretty quickly from here in the canals at least, the lagoon comes under a different jurisdiction.
My experience of UPS was truly awful. Our son adam was on a gap year in the US he decided to walk part of the Pacific Crest trail while crossing part of the Californian desert he had a issue with a black bear outside his tent at night he had broken two rules one camp with other and never throw food left overs away by your tent!!! Any way he decided to run away another thing you are not supposed to do. While he ran away he lost is wallet and phone. So the found a main road hitched a lift to a motor way services persuaded their receptionist to phone us in the U.K. ( American people were so kind to him ) so we paid for his room in a motor way motel which only supplied breakfast which he went down for two sittings a day to fill him up for the 24 hrs. All this is bad enough worried parents isolated trapped son. In comes UPS to deliver adam’s replacement bank card it was cock up after cock with no acceptance of the impact it was having on a 20 year old eventually we tracked the package to Adam’s location 8 days after UPs departed from the U.K.this was a Friday afternoon last drop of the week UPs close for the weekend !! Only to find the driver refused to give adam the package due to a admin issue spat on the floor and drove off. What is wrong with this company no common sense to many layers of ineffective management 10 days latter he got his card jumped in a cab and bought the biggest steak money could buy. DONT use UPS
Stop beating up UPS, they’ve been doing this for 112 years - my guess compared to your solar panels is where the product originated, whether your motor may have import restrictions. Likely the delay was due to Italian customs.
Well actually this was the perfect test because I had two parcels from the same place (it was the new outboard engine) So coming from exactly the same place in China to Venice. The first was sent, got stuck in the UPS warehouse in Italy and stayed there for no reason whatsoever for almost a month, they knew it was there, they scanned it every day, but they wanted all sorts of information given up to 6 times over those weeks until they released it having no different information than they had on day 3. Three weeks after the first package was sent a second similar sized package was sent FedEx, it arrived in 3 days with no extra information needed and no fuss, got here a week before the first one! I think that's pretty clear.
Great to see you both out and about and looking forward to the updates on epropulsion and the ceramic polish. It was nice that you did the piece about SAR, nobody should forget we are obliged by international law to offer support to anyone we come across who is in distress at sea. Lovely weather as well, oh to be in Venice in the Spring, or indeed anytime! ;)
Happy to hear you're finding the ePropulsion a great way to get around. It made watching your trip through the canals so much more enjoyable as you meandered almost silently. I haven't tested the range on mine, but I have never run out of juice and I often use it at full power as I have mine attached to the rear of a 20ft trailer sailer. Looking forward to your more technical review...
Yes I'm amazed at how good it is having tried other electric engines. This one is the EVO which has hydroregeneration, so it can recharge while you sail. Would be perfect for a trailer sailer, we will try it towing the dinghy, not sure if that will work or not, but will be interesting.
No it's ALL U.P.S. trust me I know every step of that parcels movement. UPS have 'agents' to clear customs, still UPS employed. It's those guys that think it's their job to hold up parcels for at least a week. I think it's just if things get passed through without sh!T loads of hassle they'd be out of a job. They didn't have any more information on the day they released the parcel saying they 'now have what they need' that they didn't have on day 3 of it arriving in Italy. Also even that information (a scan of my passport, an Italian tax number) should have been asked for on sending not 3 days after they arrived & why were they needed anyway? A second parcel from the same supplier in China was sent FedEx 20 days after the first and arrived a week before it with no hassle whatsoever!
My great neighbor who fled Italy years many yrs ago for religious persecution taught me the various uses of radicchio. Been interesting to see that he called out what is occurring today....many years ago.
This migrant issue is a very touchy subject sailing la vagabond done avideo on it not long ago too .it's ok these ships going out and picking them up but it's where they take them is a problem places like Greece just don't want them there .great video to highlight the proble tho 👍👍👍
Interesting to see low water in Venice when some will tell you that Venice is sinking. Would the illegal immigrants suffer these problems if they simply stay at home and we all try to help them have a better life in their own countries instead of being a heavy economic burden in other countries? So how will you deal with a boat of 20-30 illegal immigrants. I think they should stay at home.
I think it is rather easy for us to sit around assuming that there's a quick fix to an issue like this. If they could, I'm pretty sure that many of them would gladly stay at home with their family and friends, speak their own language, run their own businesses, enjoy their own culture/traditions, etc. over having to start with nothing in a country that you do not have anyone to turn to where you will have to quickly learn the language and customs (not to mention bureaucracy) in order to integrate. People don't just decide to get into an overfilled boat that is completely exposed to the elements so they can bob around to Europe risking literally everything including their lives and the lives of their children on a whim. It's no easy feat and their situation must have had to be pretty dire. I've spoken with many refugees who have some harrowing tales to tell about making a journey like this. There's a lot to consider here, not to mention that western influence may also have played a role in their current situation (whether it's weapons, shady deals, colonialism, etc.). The least we can do for now is help our fellow human beings that are in some pretty dire straits - at least that's my opinion.
Spot on with the immigrant coverage. But UPS? We live in Vermont in the States a few miles from the Canadian border and UPS is brilliant! But FedEx, don’t get me started!!!!
@@nickjames1892 Yes, it's truly a shame that some humans on this rock have somehow maintained their humanity. Please let us all know how you lost yours so we can be cured, too!
@@nickjames1892 I've read your posts here - your personal attacks, your abuse, your passive-aggressive arguments - all apparently from a blind adherence to a very twisted politics. I feel sorry for you. Oh, yeah - you suggest I have no 'real argument' (as if the above isn't enough...) - here you go: There's no such thing as 'illegals'. Suggesting that people be forced to stay in a place when staying means death is as sick as the proponents of such an inhumane concept. Every nation on Earth was built on immigration - fences are abhorrent. It's the duty of anyone on the sea to aid those in distress and bring them to safety (no, Amigo, 'back to their own country' often is NOT safe). Hey Nick - Try to be a better human.
@@nickjames1892 You don't even see how ironic your attacks are, do you? Note that this isn't your sailing channel, yet you seem to feel that anyone here desires your political beliefs on refugees. News flash: We don't. Let me guess: I'll bet you're an American 'republican'. Find another place to troll.
I love your videos and enjoy following your journey, but totally disapprove of the migrant propaganda. You say in the comments that you stay away from politics but it's extremely evident in the video, in your comments, and "loved posts" that you are very political. 120 tons of fuel, what a waste.
We stay away from politics in the videos because that's not what they are about. We deal with issues in other films we make, still trying to keep out of politics though as its really not our bag. As for the fuel, yes motor boats are terrible pollutants. One of the (probably over political films, in your view) I made a few years back charted those pollutants. A single supertanker, before scrubbers were mandatory, produces as much heavy particulate matter in it's emissions as every car on the planet put together. But the Mare Jonio picked up several hundred people at sea last year many of whom may have died. I would say that's a very good use of fuel.
@@s2sailingfree Are you the comment police on this channel? I'd advise you go find something more productive to do for humanity. These people put themselves into this predicament on purpose to emigrate illegally. I support all humanity but this is insanity. It's a bait, and you seem to have taken the hook.
@@svfairisle I don't think that video was overly political, I agree 100% that motor ships should be the focus of scrutiny. I believe that countries should fix the problems they have and sell things within their own country, we all have to find our own way. I guess it was upsetting to see you "love" the comment against the fellow that said the ship should return them to Africa. I support rescuing these people over letting them drown, but why not support returning them to their legal country of origin? That would be something I could get behind. You and I play by the rules, sorry I don't agree with letting this happen. That said, I hope you have a great day!
Believe me I've seen all sides of this issue and you might not believe it but I don't have strong views about the political aspects of this at all. (apart from the fact the politicians should pull their finger out and do something positive rather than just be reactive, usually in the wrong way) As a journalist I'm neutral, and that's just become a way of thinking now. Never been political, never even voted. Having worked in most African countries I know there are many reasons for people trying to get to Europe, some would stay if they know what awaited them and it wouldn't take much to inform and help these people in country to stop them trying to move countries illegally. I've interviewed hundreds of migrants in camps around the world, a lot of them regret ever leaving. But Judy and I have also worked in war zones in Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans and there are people who simply have no choice, leave or die. What would you do? So I'm sorry if flippant remarks like 'drive them back to Africa' from some of the xenophobic tossers the internet seems to dig up piss me off, but I guess they do! Strange that all we actually said in the film is that sailors should keep hold of the code that says sailors go to the aid of anyone in trouble at sea no matter what. That just seems quite straight forward to me as a sailor and not at all political. And yet it seems from some people on here that they would want a National insurance number, a place a residence and a full life history before they would pull you out of the water & it's those people who call me political! I find that strange.
Thanks so much for yet another fascinating and enjoyable video. Your channel is amongst my most favourites!
Surely we should be more invested in helping these countries remain stable so people don't want to leave.
Spot on Tilly. We will never do it of course but we should. These people don't want to leave their country, they HAVE to leave.
Really impressed with the speed of your new outboard... especially on the return trip.
Ha! yes it's like a horse on a hack, always faster going home.
Hi Guys! I like your channel! I come here to watch your videos about your life on your beautiful sailboat. You guys are doing a great job and are creating great entertainment. I really hope you guys don't go down the road of a news channel. Some parts of your last video felt a little bit as if you guys were back at work as reporters...hihihi! Cheers! Just my 2Cents...Sorry!
I Love Venice.. Those solar panels look amazing. And those odd socks look very special. Cheers Rick
Radicchio, we have grown it ourselves in the past.
Great video as usual guys. Glad you went for EProp. We love ours but find it takes a long time and high amps to charge via either via 240/12v. (Note also the battery charge indicator bars do not drop proportionately when in use! So don’t get caught out) So we installed a Voltage Sensitive Relay hard wired to the 12v MPPT charger and leave the EProp plugged in for a couple of days when not in use. Charger only kicks in when battery reaches 13.7v after solar/other energy source has topped up the batts. Just takes the hassle about how/when to recharge if living on a daily Amps budget. A solution recommended by the U.K. EProp team.
Thanks for the tip on the charge indicator, I guessed it might not be linear so good to know. we went out for a couple of hours yesterday thinking we would use most of the battery, in fact I full expected to be rowing back, but we still had 50%, finding it difficult to test the lower reaches of this battery!!
The relay for MPPT is a genius idea with the solar charge. I have been plugging it in via the cigarette lighter attachment when the house bank is charged & as expected the attachment gets a bit hot. I had thought of changing it to a XT60 and wiring a female XT60 connector into the boat, but you're idea is much better!
@@svfairisle , I see you received your eProp at Isola La Certosa. Did you order/buy locally? (i live in Chioggia and was pondering the purchase of the eprop spirit evo) Thanks.
@@matthiasbroersma4339 no we actually got ours straight from the manufacturer as it’s a new model and wasn’t with the European dealers at the time. The Evo should be with them shortly, if not already, though and they will certainly have the Spirit in stock I would think.There is a dealer in Northern Italy apparently I don’t have the details of that one but I was told the German dealer was probably my best bet for spares... epropulsion.de/. So maybe that’s your best bet? If you opt for delivery from China don’t use UPS as it will sit in Venice airport for a month!
@@svfairisle thank you for the quick reply. I will try and call some numbers. It was to good to be true that I could get one on Certosa :-).
Fascinating view of non-Touristy Venice: strong, reliable clothes-line pegs required. Impressive 'new gear'.
My last yacht had one of those furler leads, attached to a piece of wire. I never used it as I never realised that was what it was designed for! What a muppet!
For the competition, also agree its Radichio Rosso Di Travisio tardido or red chicory, quite popular here in Munich too.
As always your video is most enjoyable, I look forward to all your postings. Stay safe and later from the US
Thank you very much!
Great video! We have our eyes on one of these...our outboard breaks all the time!
Fantastic 👍
UPS in Venice sounds like DPD in the Isles of Scilly! But we won’t talk about it... ;-)
Important message regarding the immigrants. Thank you for sharing.
Great stuff guys
My first week driving CDL in the United States, I saw a FedEx truck crash. Then, a second. Then, a third. Having any parts delivery via truck is a crapshoot. Count your blessing if you ever receive ANY parts.
👍 good on the ⚡motor.
Good luck with the new 'engine' thats really a motor. 😂
Here in the States it's FedX that drives right past our address.
Very sexy solar cells , but , are they as smart as the homely ones ? ....just what I thought !
Had to laugh beginning of video not going to mention UPS again. Steve had to edit a couple of texts during videos UPS are pants lol👍
EPropulsion 'motor' is wonderful! You can get an extension cord and keep the battery inside the boat while motoring. You may also want to replace diesel 'engine' with an electric drive and charge the LiIon batteries while sailing through regen, clean, reliable, no vibrations, no noise, no maintenance, no smelly leaks.
Engine and motor are interchangeable..
engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/whats-the-difference-between-a-motor-and-an-engine/
UPS, DPD, TNT, DHL. As much use as an ashtray on a motorbike!!! We have parcels from the UK as a vessel in transit. One of which has been sitting in customs since 7th Jan. Digging into it. It appears that all EU customs services have not been provided with guidance from Brussels on how to deal with UK mail/goods. Bit like their negotiations/ability on getting a vax contract to delivered on time... When we get our delivery of HP sauce, and Yorkshire pudding mix we will let you know! lol. Engine is interesting new technology, as the panels and the "polish". Love the way you guys push the boundaries new tech. Because if we keep doing what we have always done we will get what we have always got... Sail Safe Guys, Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
It's a nightmare, parcels from the UK are just a joke now. Paying VAT twice, who's great idea was that!?!
UPS are Sierra Hotel India Tango. And that's on a good day!
In the US UPS is prefered over the postal service by a long shot.
In 1965 I bought a 40+ seagull. In 2015 I bought Torqeedo - it broke, and then I bought a second Torqeedo, which now has reliability issues . “Guess what engine I go to sea with now ?“ thanks you British engineering. Jacktar
Ha! yes they don't make engines like the Seagull anymore. But you opted for the wrong electric engine with the Tordeedo that's for sure!
Are you able to adjust the lengh of your shorelines (as flat bands) using the winches? Or you tension them indirectly adjusting the anchor chain?
Normally when using webbing for stern shore lines I'm not looking to tension everything up. The aft line/lines are there to stop you swinging out it's the anchor thats holding you. So I would just position the boat where I want her to be (in say a bay with deep water this would be close to the edge where the water isn't too deep, but still might be 10/15 meters, I would put out the appropriate amount of chain, which will be quite a lot in deep water! and then use the shore lines to hold me in position close to the shore so I'm not swinging all over the bay in areas where there is probably other boat activity.) So in this situation the webbing need only to be pulled up by hand. If you need to really pull on it to reposition the boat they can be used on a winch but best to not use the self tailer but tail it by hand.
Interested to see your new ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus. I have had the Spirit 1.0 for 9 months. Managed to bend and snap a control pin on the cable where it connects to the battery. Be careful, it is very fragile. Also snapped the plastic tiller trying to hold the prop out of the bottom. It broke at the bolt it pivots on. Both were repaired quickly and inexpensively here in Brisbane. Very happy with the Spirit. Great not to have to carry petrol on the boat anymore. And We love the quiet. We bought ours after out Yamaha 2hp 2-stroke seized from improper storage during Covid. In Australia 2-strokes are banned and it is a big weight increase for the 4 stroke. So our primary motivation was weight as my wife did not want to be lifting a 20kg + outboard.The two pieces of about 10kg each are a great solution. Looking forward to your review.
Thanks for the heads up Greg. What actually broke in the cable? One of the pins on the flying lead to the battery? Was this simply from wiggling it around until keyway lined up & you could push it in, or just from it getting knocked around when unattached? Re the tiller, does the 1.0plus have the pin that allows you set the tilt mechanism to let the engine pivot itself if you hit the bottom? I thought that was a niffty bit of design that should really help with grounding problems. Just trying to see if I can find some sort of fault with this engine, so far it's been ace. The review is going to sound like a sales demo!
@@svfairisle Yes, one of the fine pins on the flying lead where it connects to the battery. Wiggling it to line it up and then it wouldn’t go in. I noticed it was bent about 20 degrees. I straightened it with my thumbnail very gently but it snapped at the base. I am now super careful to line it up. Malcolm Betts, the Brisbane dealer repaired it with a new fly lead and said it was the first time he had seen that happen.
The tiller problem was not due to grounding. When operating in very shallow water over sand, say 30-40cm, I was holding the prop up far higher than the highest trim angle by pushing down on the tiller. The Yamaha could handle that sort of treatment. On the Spirit, while most of it is aluminium the tiller is a rigid plastic. It cracked at the base where the stainless steel pin goes through. Call it a user error. I should just use the oars to get out of the shallows.
The Spirit range is about 6 years old. I believe the very first units had problems with the paint bubbling with corrosion. They have fixed that. Mine is going well.
The Plus has a 25% bigger battery (1276 cw 1018)
, a stainless steel electrical connector on the battery instead of plastic, a rubber cap for the fly lead and 3 zinc anodes to one on the Spirit. The plus has moved to 48v from 40.7, which appears to be the emerging standard for high amp devices on yachts, and lets you connect an external battery. So some nice improvements.
I did used to have a Torqeedo but kept having gearbox failures. The Spirit uses a much simpler design with the motor directly driving the shaft.
Thanks for the info Greg, I'll have a close look at ours. I'm not sure what changes there have been from the spirit to the spirit evo 1.0, if any on the external hard wear, we still have the plastic tiller.
I only looked at direct drive motors, really hate the high pitched whine you can get from gearbox models and a friend of ours here in Venice who runs 'Classic Boats' has a dozen of more Torqueedos for his traditional 'topetos' Venetian boats and hates them with a passion! Says they're always going wrong.
The red lettuce is a kind of chicory.......sometimes mouth puckeringly bitter........ ; )
As always another great video. Funny, here in the US, UPS is great I can track where my package is at any time. Never late, always intact. Now our postal service is absolutely abysmal.
Can't comment on what they're like in the States but I talked to several of their offices in Europe including the one in the UK who I'm sad to say was the worst of the bunch. I talked to a woman who claimed to be a supervisor, I wouldn't have let her supervise flushing the toilet on my boat. Stupidity coupled with arrogance, not a pleasant mixture!!
In NYC I know the local UPS driver and one of my coop neighbors happens to be a long haul semi (lorry) driver for UPS. If you could hear some of their stories. It’s a huge company with lots of moving parts but their customer and employee relations leaves a lot to be desired.
With dynema that doesn’t stretch, would you not use a snubber with it?
yes
“Rescued”
What an important episode this was, between the issue with migrants in the Med and the responsibilities cruisers face, to the new solar panel and your e-engine. Everything from humanitarian issues to climate change issues. I love it when these sailing channels tackle and touch on important humanitarian issues that people face as individuals and what the planet faces as a whole. So I just bought a new 3.5 hp Mercury gas outboard for my dinghy and didn't buy an electric engine because they're sometimes more than double the cost of a gas engine and I'm trying to keep things w/in budget, since I only cruise around Southeast Alaska and getting to shore when anchored isn't that difficult. Otherwise, I would have purchased a Torquedo engine from a local friend who's a dealer. Again, thanks for the socially important content!
In my experience, batteries have a significantly reduced performance in the cold. I’d be interested to see how this affects electric outboards. I live in colder climes also, and I would love to pick up an electric outboard if they perform well.
Good Morning !
Steve, I tend to agree with you on the UPS - lack of service - as I had items ship from the USA at the same time - (1) with DHL and that arrived after 5 days and the (2) with UPS that took three weeks, as it arrived in NZ only to go further on to Australia then back to NZ they are a really poor show.
Could you provide a link to the bifacial panel? How is it holding up after two years?
I don’t have a link, I found them in Italy when we wintered in Venice. They are LG panels and are excellent. The one panel I have gives me almost the same power as the two slightly smaller standard glass panels put together.
@@svfairisle Thank you.
FYI
Looks like LG now makes 440w, 435w, and 430w BiFacial panels.
All these refuges. The world is a mess. Thousands of children cross from Mex into usa. Itçs tragic. Lots of imbalance.
You are keeping her looking quite pristine. A lot of maintenance for such non production boats. Would be interesting to know roughly how much time you spend on just keeping her looking good ~ 10, 20...hours a week?
At the moment it probably is, but this time of year I'm just getting things done. Through the summer it's really minimal though. I do try to come up with time saving ways for boat upkeep. That's why I'm trying things like the Gtechniq nano technology products, I've got great hopes of that saving me a lot of time. The International woodskin varnish I've found requires a tiny fraction of the time polyurethane & tong oil varnishes take. Semco on the decks I find helps a lot and is really quick to put on (just can't find anywhere that sells it in Italy!) So yes it's more work than a production boat no question and if I were just sailing on weekends in the summer it probably wouldn't be worth it, but living aboard I've got no grass to cut so I might as well do some varnishing!
@@svfairisle many thanks for the insight
And I thought it was special crossing Tobermory anchorage to shop at the coop 😊
3:48...something I would NEVER eat but probably should.
No you really shouldn't!
@@svfairisle Smoke it?
What material is the hull of your sailboat made of?
It's a glass hull, fully encapsulated lead keel. There is half a rain forest of teak on board but it's not structural.
UPS should be banned from earth. I feel your pain! :)
Love the video and quality. Still I would prefer not to speed up video as I am trying to get sense of speed of this ePropulsion.
We have done a full test video
How did the power station work out? With recharging from solar could it provide reliable inverter/AC power?
We're testing it all this week. There will be a video out very soon. Performing very well so far.
Just to let you know, UPS did a fine job of shipping my parcels. :)
Someone must have been sleeping & missed the opportunity to lock it away in a cupboard for a month!
UPS is bad everywhere no just in Italy. Next time choose another company Steve. I stop using UPS 10 years ago!
Will be interesting to see how you get on with the ePropulsion. We've had the torqueedo t1003 for a few years which is very similar. My wife loves it as its a. very quiet, b. no pull start so means she can start it on her own giving independence and c. easy to carry in subcomponents. Will also be interested to hear how you are getting on with the eco flow,. Cant decide on an eco flow delta 1300 or a blueetti 240 looking at the max cycles v charge time comparison. I assume you got the eco flow with the 3 pack solar panels,
Yes we've got 2 x 110w solar which come from Holland I think. They're very good anyway & we can use one for the ePropulsion as well as the Eco flow. My take on the Bluetti is that if you are using it every day, charge / discharge then it's good as it has more cycles, but it's not as well set up in most other ways and takes ages to charge. The fast charge of the Eco flow is pretty unique I think.
@@svfairisle Compelling quick charging (1 hour or so is amazing on powerline) for sure on the eco flow and the blueetti is finicky about panel type according to some reports.. Our torqeedo lasts about a week commuting a couple of times a day to shore a few hundred yards a trip if we keep revs down under half power. I would imagine the epropulsion will be same/similar.I think the epropulsion does look nicer though. Less boxy. Having a second drop-in battery provides reassurance although to be honest we seldom use it. Certainly cleaner than a 2 stroke with same weight advantage.. Fair winds!
Another excellent and inspiring video. You guys are great explorers and such professional narrators and video editors. So enjoyable to watch! Which epropulsion model is it? And what’s the full weight incl. battery? Stay well guys!
Thanks Agne, the model we have is the delta evo 1.0, I'm not sure what the combined weight is, but I'll try & work it out and include it in the upcoming test video.
Another great video guys. Hope you are both well. We feel your pain with UPS. We're waiting for our water maker and you are closer to it than we are. It should be in Sicily, but it's been stuck in Tessera (Venice) for 6 days so far. No telling how long it will be there.. No updates.....no answers. (head-bang, face-palm) Hope we run into you over the summer. COVID willing. Cheers!
Oh no! Not Tessera! Well we scoped out exactly where their warehouse is because I thought we might have to go and get it ourselves, in fact we should have done, would have been a lot quicker! UPS seem to think they haven’t done their job properly if they haven’t held a parcel for a month. Im afraid there’s not much that can be done, we literally phoned every UPS headquarters and tried really hard to contact the UPS ‘agents’ who are the ones that hold things up thinking it must be something we need to do. It isn’t! When they finally cleared it from customs it was for no reason whatsoever, they had no more information than they had after the first contact when they failed to deliver. What are your plans now? When are you hoping to set off?
@@svfairisle Hi Steve, Well we're in Germany at the moment (I'm contracting again). Deirdre is heading back to the boat in a week, and I will join her a week or so after that. Not sure yet if we will be cruising this summer or putting her on the hard for bit. All up in the air with the never ending pandemic. The way the EU is running the vaccination campaign, it doesn't inspire confidence. (something about a piss-up at a brewery comes to mind) I have plenty of boat jobs to do, but right now it might be better to keep working and hoover-up as many euros as I can (Freedom Chips). We'll see. You'll have to tell me how the new outboard compares to the last one. New one looks interesting. Anyway best to you and Judy. Keep up the good videos. It gives us hope. :-)
@@svfairisle Hope you guys are doing well. We're back on the boat for a couple of weeks with the hope of installing a watermaker and composting head. Still waiting for the watrmaker it to be released from UPS purgatory (34 days and counting). I'm losing hope of ever seeing it. The head hasn't arrived yet either, but at least it is coming from Germany so no UPS in the equation. Busying ourselves with other odd jobs in the meantime while I am in quarantine. Cheers!
Oh don't get me started on UPS! Just write to them constantly, I bombarded them with about 20 emails a day copied to everyone who had ever emailed me (there seemed to be about 6 people working at the vcebrokerage@ups.com dept, which is where it gets held up) they call these guys the 'customs brokers' but it seems they work for UPS. They tried ignoring the bombardment for a couple of days and then gave in and sent the package! You remind me actually I'm going to write to them again and demand compensation, which of course I will never get but it's worth hassling them if only for my enjoyment!
Do you have a travel plan for when you get going?
@@svfairisle Hi Steve, did they ask you for an EORI number? It seems they want this for some reason. I don't have one as I am not involved in trade. Argh!!!
There is no handbook regarding the parking of the dinghy existing. We never faced problems when we had parked our topetta, sometimes it is useful to ask the shop or restaurant close the parking. Very good place is the channel leading to the Arsenal from the south, there is a lot of police nearby. The radicchio is the trevision type, "radicchio di Treviso". Do you use the ultraline for anchoring as well? All the best thank you for the informative video, greetings to Venice! Axel
Yes we've asked to, but it all seems pretty sketchy. We've had no problems so far, lots of Venetians have told us the police like to give out fines though & we try to do the right thing but it's difficult with no clear rules on what can & can't be done. I know the canal you're talking about but to get there without braving the wash on the outside past St Helena we would have to go through Arsenale. Not sure if that's allowed as it's military? I have been in there several times but that was on the committee boat for racing so I guess they have permission.
Don’t get me started Steve. 😡 There’s only one reliable delivery service, Yamato, but using it requires Japan residency. UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc all have tremendous problems with theft and lost items. Still waiting on a refund from months ago. Of course the onus is on the package recipient to wait for the shipper to officially declare it lost before a refund is issued. Silly, they allow things to drag out so long. Should be a universal 10 day rule or something.
Envious of your plans for Turkey. Will you be touring the Black Sea? Some friends rented a place on the Turkish coast a few years back, dirt cheap, and absolutely loved it. Said it had all the best aspects of the Med without the nonsense. The Black Sea has a unique ecology, and amazing assortment of plant and animal life.
Really interested in the Black sea, I confess I know very little about it. The only comment I had heard before was it was quite industrial without any facilities for yachts (all industrial harbours) but I will certainly look into it. A marine company from Istanbul has been messaging me on facebook I will talk to them.
The gizmo that helps get the foresail in the track - can’t find one for sale in UK, any ideas?
Well I just did a quick search & there is this one from force 4 www.force4.co.uk/item/Wichard/Pre-Feeder/IJG I'm not sure how this attaches though. To get the pre-feeder to work well it needs to be close to the track, mine has the little leg that slots into the bottom of the track where it disappears into the bottom furler. Have a close look at your furling system and work out how you're going to mount it.
@@svfairisle many thanks
@@svfairisle Tie it to the forestay just under the track and down to somewhere at deck level to stop it riding up when hoisting the sail.
Lekker man lekker
Its a strange octupus!
Treviso radicchio its a kind of lettuce
Red endive sallad?! Well sow that is way there are stone steps down under wather in the canals! Must give an yearly natural option ot have cleening weeks in the city canals! Very good shoutout in the refugee situation and sailors responsibility! Barbro Sweden
Hi Steve. 40 quid I paid for a secondhand seagull -torqeedo £2500. Of course oars will be extra... British seagull don’t need to make more engines, they can still be found all over the world. Look to the horizon you will see a plume of blue smoke then you hear The engine chattering, and behold there is a man with a White beard and a red cap then you’ll no it’s Jacktar in the dinghy.
Yes most of the world has banned 2-strokes, Seagulls will send the greens into fits of anger! I think it's great we now have greener options, but the odd seagull rattling through the anchorage is rather like seeing an old traction engine on the road. Wouldn't want them to die out altogether.
Thx for highlighting the awful plight of the migrants in the Med. I know La Vagabonde did a similar shout out for refugees around the Azores as because of the Med 'closing it doors', migrants are now leaving from West Africa and heading to the islands belonging to Spain & Portugal, but the risks are so high that if they miss the islands they are doomed. Very sad.
You made the comment . Electric engines are welcome here. Is that a way of saying petrol ones are not?
Yes, there are now places in Venice that don't allow petrol engines. Word is they will be phased out pretty quickly from here in the canals at least, the lagoon comes under a different jurisdiction.
So, yeah... I'm interested in your thoughts on using UPS :D
Hmmm!
My experience of UPS was truly awful. Our son adam was on a gap year in the US he decided to walk part of the Pacific Crest trail while crossing part of the Californian desert he had a issue with a black bear outside his tent at night he had broken two rules one camp with other and never throw food left overs away by your tent!!! Any way he decided to run away another thing you are not supposed to do. While he ran away he lost is wallet and phone. So the found a main road hitched a lift to a motor way services persuaded their receptionist to phone us in the U.K. ( American people were so kind to him ) so we paid for his room in a motor way motel which only supplied breakfast which he went down for two sittings a day to fill him up for the 24 hrs. All this is bad enough worried parents isolated trapped son. In comes UPS to deliver adam’s replacement bank card it was cock up after cock with no acceptance of the impact it was having on a 20 year old eventually we tracked the package to Adam’s location 8 days after UPs departed from the U.K.this was a Friday afternoon last drop of the week UPs close for the weekend !! Only to find the driver refused to give adam the package due to a admin issue spat on the floor and drove off. What is wrong with this company no common sense to many layers of ineffective management
10 days latter he got his card jumped in a cab and bought the biggest steak money could buy. DONT use UPS
Stop beating up UPS, they’ve been doing this for 112 years - my guess compared to your solar panels is where the product originated, whether your motor may have import restrictions. Likely the delay was due to Italian customs.
Well actually this was the perfect test because I had two parcels from the same place (it was the new outboard engine) So coming from exactly the same place in China to Venice. The first was sent, got stuck in the UPS warehouse in Italy and stayed there for no reason whatsoever for almost a month, they knew it was there, they scanned it every day, but they wanted all sorts of information given up to 6 times over those weeks until they released it having no different information than they had on day 3. Three weeks after the first package was sent a second similar sized package was sent FedEx, it arrived in 3 days with no extra information needed and no fuss, got here a week before the first one! I think that's pretty clear.
Those boats full of refugees looked scary, unsafe and unsanitory. There’s not many small boats would be able to do anything!
Radicchio!
08:52 How do people hang their clothes on the canal?
Just a circular line with a pulley at the other end, same as some cities. You would want sturdy pegs though!
Great to see you both out and about and looking forward to the updates on epropulsion and the ceramic polish. It was nice that you did the piece about SAR, nobody should forget we are obliged by international law to offer support to anyone we come across who is in distress at sea. Lovely weather as well, oh to be in Venice in the Spring, or indeed anytime! ;)
Parking rules. Seek forgiveness, its easier than getting permission
I’m thinking of ordering some kit UPS ? 😊
Happy to hear you're finding the ePropulsion a great way to get around. It made watching your trip through the canals so much more enjoyable as you meandered almost silently. I haven't tested the range on mine, but I have never run out of juice and I often use it at full power as I have mine attached to the rear of a 20ft trailer sailer. Looking forward to your more technical review...
Yes I'm amazed at how good it is having tried other electric engines. This one is the EVO which has hydroregeneration, so it can recharge while you sail. Would be perfect for a trailer sailer, we will try it towing the dinghy, not sure if that will work or not, but will be interesting.
Sounds like UPS is being sabotaged by the domestic delivery union.
No it's ALL U.P.S. trust me I know every step of that parcels movement. UPS have 'agents' to clear customs, still UPS employed. It's those guys that think it's their job to hold up parcels for at least a week. I think it's just if things get passed through without sh!T loads of hassle they'd be out of a job. They didn't have any more information on the day they released the parcel saying they 'now have what they need' that they didn't have on day 3 of it arriving in Italy. Also even that information (a scan of my passport, an Italian tax number) should have been asked for on sending not 3 days after they arrived & why were they needed anyway? A second parcel from the same supplier in China was sent FedEx 20 days after the first and arrived a week before it with no hassle whatsoever!
Thanks for sharing the migrant issue
endive
Radicchio
My great neighbor who fled Italy years many yrs ago for religious persecution taught me the various uses of radicchio. Been interesting to see that he called out what is occurring today....many years ago.
Good idea ref the telephone number ,you are UPS i am DHL :):)
Well ended Judy , put your foot down 🤪
This migrant issue is a very touchy subject sailing la vagabond done avideo on it not long ago too .it's ok these ships going out and picking them up but it's where they take them is a problem places like Greece just don't want them there .great video to highlight the proble tho 👍👍👍
Perfect video, these organisations need all the public they can get. Enjoy the Venetian sun!
Interesting to see low water in Venice when some will tell you that Venice is sinking.
Would the illegal immigrants suffer these problems if they simply stay at home and we all try to help them have a better life in their own countries instead of being a heavy economic burden in other countries? So how will you deal with a boat of 20-30 illegal immigrants. I think they should stay at home.
I think it is rather easy for us to sit around assuming that there's a quick fix to an issue like this. If they could, I'm pretty sure that many of them would gladly stay at home with their family and friends, speak their own language, run their own businesses, enjoy their own culture/traditions, etc. over having to start with nothing in a country that you do not have anyone to turn to where you will have to quickly learn the language and customs (not to mention bureaucracy) in order to integrate. People don't just decide to get into an overfilled boat that is completely exposed to the elements so they can bob around to Europe risking literally everything including their lives and the lives of their children on a whim. It's no easy feat and their situation must have had to be pretty dire. I've spoken with many refugees who have some harrowing tales to tell about making a journey like this. There's a lot to consider here, not to mention that western influence may also have played a role in their current situation (whether it's weapons, shady deals, colonialism, etc.). The least we can do for now is help our fellow human beings that are in some pretty dire straits - at least that's my opinion.
Loved video until piece on migrants.
Spot on with the immigrant coverage. But UPS? We live in Vermont in the States a few miles from the Canadian border and UPS is brilliant! But FedEx, don’t get me started!!!!
We come to you tube channels to get away from politics and woke virtue signaling, unsubscribed!
@@nickjames1892 Yes, it's truly a shame that some humans on this rock have somehow maintained their humanity. Please let us all know how you lost yours so we can be cured, too!
@@nickjames1892 I've read your posts here - your personal attacks, your abuse, your passive-aggressive arguments - all apparently from a blind adherence to a very twisted politics. I feel sorry for you.
Oh, yeah - you suggest I have no 'real argument' (as if the above isn't enough...) - here you go: There's no such thing as 'illegals'. Suggesting that people be forced to stay in a place when staying means death is as sick as the proponents of such an inhumane concept. Every nation on Earth was built on immigration - fences are abhorrent. It's the duty of anyone on the sea to aid those in distress and bring them to safety (no, Amigo, 'back to their own country' often is NOT safe). Hey Nick - Try to be a better human.
@@nickjames1892 Ad homimens and strawmen. Go away, troll.
@@nickjames1892 You don't even see how ironic your attacks are, do you? Note that this isn't your sailing channel, yet you seem to feel that anyone here desires your political beliefs on refugees. News flash: We don't. Let me guess: I'll bet you're an American 'republican'. Find another place to troll.
I love your videos and enjoy following your journey, but totally disapprove of the migrant propaganda. You say in the comments that you stay away from politics but it's extremely evident in the video, in your comments, and "loved posts" that you are very political. 120 tons of fuel, what a waste.
We stay away from politics in the videos because that's not what they are about. We deal with issues in other films we make, still trying to keep out of politics though as its really not our bag. As for the fuel, yes motor boats are terrible pollutants. One of the (probably over political films, in your view) I made a few years back charted those pollutants. A single supertanker, before scrubbers were mandatory, produces as much heavy particulate matter in it's emissions as every car on the planet put together. But the Mare Jonio picked up several hundred people at sea last year many of whom may have died. I would say that's a very good use of fuel.
@@s2sailingfree Are you the comment police on this channel? I'd advise you go find something more productive to do for humanity. These people put themselves into this predicament on purpose to emigrate illegally. I support all humanity but this is insanity. It's a bait, and you seem to have taken the hook.
@@svfairisle I don't think that video was overly political, I agree 100% that motor ships should be the focus of scrutiny. I believe that countries should fix the problems they have and sell things within their own country, we all have to find our own way. I guess it was upsetting to see you "love" the comment against the fellow that said the ship should return them to Africa. I support rescuing these people over letting them drown, but why not support returning them to their legal country of origin? That would be something I could get behind. You and I play by the rules, sorry I don't agree with letting this happen.
That said, I hope you have a great day!
Believe me I've seen all sides of this issue and you might not believe it but I don't have strong views about the political aspects of this at all. (apart from the fact the politicians should pull their finger out and do something positive rather than just be reactive, usually in the wrong way) As a journalist I'm neutral, and that's just become a way of thinking now. Never been political, never even voted. Having worked in most African countries I know there are many reasons for people trying to get to Europe, some would stay if they know what awaited them and it wouldn't take much to inform and help these people in country to stop them trying to move countries illegally. I've interviewed hundreds of migrants in camps around the world, a lot of them regret ever leaving. But Judy and I have also worked in war zones in Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans and there are people who simply have no choice, leave or die. What would you do? So I'm sorry if flippant remarks like 'drive them back to Africa' from some of the xenophobic tossers the internet seems to dig up piss me off, but I guess they do!
Strange that all we actually said in the film is that sailors should keep hold of the code that says sailors go to the aid of anyone in trouble at sea no matter what. That just seems quite straight forward to me as a sailor and not at all political. And yet it seems from some people on here that they would want a National insurance number, a place a residence and a full life history before they would pull you out of the water & it's those people who call me political! I find that strange.