All our posts - Eucalyptus Leaves

Deva The Bengal Boat Cat

April 22, 2024 | By DWS Production

How to set up the Parasailor for use in light winds

July 20, 2022 | By Shelley Beer

How to set up the Parasailor for use in light winds The parasailor loves light winds. If you take care to set it up properly, you will enjoy using it. According to ISTEC, the manufacturer, this sail can even cope with very strong winds. They claim 10 knots higher than usual spinnakers. So unlike the Gennaker, it can still be safely used after 18 knots. However, we do know of one case where a parasailor was not able to be…

Air Conditioner maintenance-sea strainer & evaporative filter

December 18, 2021 | By Shelley Beer

So why do we have to maintain the aircon? A/C Sea_Strainer_Evaporative_Filter. This video shows anyone who owns Dometic Air con, how to keep it working optimally. The unit uses seawater to keep the motor cool. Hence cleaning the seawater strainer is one of the monthly jobs you will need to schedule as a new boat owner. Over time, the evaporative filter will become dust and grease filled. The unit does not work efficiently if the filter is blocked. This also…

Caretta caretta (Loggerhead turtle) in Turkey

August 24, 2021 | By Shelley Beer

Why is the Caretta caretta (Loggerhead turtle) endangered? For the Caretta caretta (Loggerhead Turtle), the loss of nesting habit is its greatest threat. This occurs because of coastal development, predation of nests, and human disturbances. Examples of the latter are coastal lighting and housing developments. These factors cause disorientation to the hatchlings, during their emergence. Other major threats include incidental capture in longline fishing, shrimp trawling, and pollution. Incidental capture in fisheries seems to have played a significant role in the…

Cappadocia/Kapadokya

March 11, 2021 | By Shelley Beer

Preparations Before we can leave the marina, someone needs to take care of the cats. Someone is our good friend Marina. And so she took the opportunity to stay on our boat for a change from her smaller Halberg Rassy mono-hull that pitched in the marina whenever there was a swell. Marina knows at least we could stay on board when it was a bit rough, and the living space is very nice. Additionally, the cats didn’t seem to mind…

Post covid lockdown dash from Spain to Turkey! 2020

November 20, 2020 | By Shelley Beer

Post covid lockdown dash to Turkey! 2020 The Purpose of this overview Jill was approached by The Local, a Central highlands Victorian, Australian magazine that had featured us leaving the district during 2018, to see if we wanted to update our travels, given the Covid lockdowns. They knew we had been in Europe. Could we write an article in 400 words? Well, Jill tried to restrict the words, but they just couldn’t fit without leaving too much out. The final…

Improvements to Fender handling

November 27, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

The problem The clove hitch is a nice easy knot to do, but under the pressure of mooring can be difficult. I have to forget the Girl Guides method of 50 years before, and learn to tie it to a stationery line. This can be too slow for immediate needs. Also, clove-hitches are not so easy to undo because of the weight of the hanging fender pulling against the simple knot. If the fenders have to be moved to the…

‘Airmar Smart Multi tri-sensor’: Cleaning & Maintenance

November 23, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

Purpose of the tri-sensor The ‘Airmar smart multi tri-sensor’ measures three things: boat speed, water temperature and depth. We notice that we need to clean it when the apparent wind and true wind readings were the same value when seen at the helm wind display. Although this device reads the depth and water temperature, we are most concerned with the boat speed detector to calculate apparent wind speed. We need apparent wind speed to decide which sails to use. Other…

Tangiers to Gibraltar

November 5, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

This post covers the very end of our time in Morocco, initially shot in Tanja Marina Bay. Jill’s niece Nicole, her husband Simon and the children – Jess, Patrick and Sebastian are coming back to Gibralatar with us. Before we leave, Jill decides to take the children for a spin in the dinghy. So the opening scene sees Jill in our OC Tender, “Gumnut”. Testing the tender Jill starts the outboard with the first pull. Watch the tender plane in…

The Algarve to Gibraltar and Morocco

August 12, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

Portimao to Culatra Our previous day together had gone well, getting us from Sines on the Altlantic to Portimao anchorage in the Algarve, with our last post. We continue our adventure into the Algarve with experienced sailors by our side. Patsy and Dave are relaxed enough to let us find our own feet. They were happy to share their extensive knowledge when we needed it. In Portimao we anchored in a beautiful bay that was quite busy with day-trippers and…

Improvements to thread webbing straps on factory clears.

August 12, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

The Problem When taking on a new project, it takes time to notice when things don’t work very well. We left La Rochelle in France at the end of autumn. During the days when we were having sailing lessons, we struggled to roll up the factory bimini clears efficiently. After a while, we noticed that the screens produced by Christophe from Voilerie Klien, were far easier to roll out of the way. When we carefully compared the FP product against…

The Gennaker

July 26, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

1. How to set up the Gennaker First, tie the top of the sail using a bowline, or use a shackle to clip to the Gennaker halyard. Attach the bottom of the sail furler to the bowsprit, ensuring the direction for the furler is counterclockwise ( Note the arrow). Clip the endless furler lines to two pad eyes on the starboard part of the front crossbeam, then onto a stanchion of the guardrails. Now both ends of the sail are…

Dave & Patsy are here! (Here? with us, on Eucalyptus)

July 23, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

Who are Dave & Patsy? When Jill went on the crossing from Vanuatu to Bundaberg in October 2017, while crewing for Ron & Toni Borret on SV Cruising Kitty, she met Dave & Patsy Mitchell. Pristine waters of Champagne beachPatsy L, then Jill, Toni far RPort Olary. Jill L, Toni & Patsy RVanuatu 2017 Dave & Patsy are very experienced sailors. As a young family, they had circumnavigated the world on a 32 ft Phantom monohull – “Mr Walker” during…

From Peniche via Oeiras to Sines

July 21, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

Oops ! no video We cast off the lines early at Peniche and set off down the coast. It was a good feeling to be on the move again, and leaving the busy little marina was a relief. We would not miss the wake of the fishing boats every morning and afternoon. I would still recommend a stop there for the proximity to the great little restaurants and the trip out to Obidos was well worth it. Our Journey- part…

No Portugese Tarts

July 11, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

I quite like Portuguese tarts but Jill is not so fond of them, hence the name of this video. The Journey We wanted to leave at first light so we put the alarm on to get an early start. It was a 60 nautical mile sail to Figuera da Foz and we expected a 12 hour day at an average of five knots. We woke to very dense fog. Captain Jill was a little nervous about the dense fog, so…

Moaña to Portugal

July 2, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

Moaña to Leixões We had picked up our newly ordered Atlas for the detailed maps south of Vigo while we were in Moaña. Therefore, we were now ready to plan our onward journey. From Ria de Vigo, Spain we were finally heading for Portugal. Planning On this leg, we would be heading to Portugal where our crewmember, Gosia would leave us. There was much less opportunity to anchor along this part of the coast and so we’d have to look…

We Leave Arousa and head for Vigo

June 20, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

The anchoring away that just preceded the video… It was time to leave Arousa but that proved to be more difficult than usual. It is such a shame that we never remember to film at these times because there is always a varying degree of stress involved in the moving process. This time the anchor got to a certain point and wouldn’t budge. Shelley thought it was all the mud on the anchor and hosed it off. But it was…

Another Day another Ria

June 15, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

Rias Baixas, Spain The Rias of Spain are best known for the lower rias that come after the rounding of Cape Finisterre. They are a series of four estuaries located on the southwestern coast of Galicia, Spain. These are Ria de Muros e Noia, Ria de Arousa, Ria de Pontevedra and Ria de Vigo. Overview We rounded Cape Finisterre to spend two days in Muros then traveled to A Probol do Caraminal- in the Ria de Arousa. From St Marta…

Don’t cry for me A Coruna

June 10, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

“Don’t cry for me A Coruna” refers to us finally leaving after 5 weeks, having enjoyed very much the hospitality found there. Before we sail on, I will fill you in on our time there. Personal guide Mercedes Villar Lopez, our graphic designer lives here and looked after us when we first arrived. She introduced us to the best places to eat real Spanish food and we admired the impressive architecture of the old town centre. Mercedes and BBQ ribsJill…

We cross the Bay of Biscay

May 4, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

The maiden voyage of SV Eucalyptus Our plan was to sail from La Rochelle, France across the Bay of Biscay to A Coruna, Spain. It would be the maiden voyage of SV Eucalyptus. Finally the day arrives. Veronique Claus had been training us in La Rochelle over a number of days, and after many exercises, she decided it was time to go. The Captain and crew were appointed. Veronique knew of a Cruising instructor, Franco Di Fabbrio, who was happy…

The magnificent La Rochelle skyline

April 30, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

There are so many spires, tall narrow structures and clocktowers in La Rochelle that I’m perpetually looking upward. Firstly, there are well-known clocks, such as the Grand Horlage at a major opening archway, the clock at Gare SNCF (Railway station), the clock tower at the Town Hall and the clock tower at the end of Eglise Notre Dame’s rambling buildings. Also, there is the magnificent ancient Belltower of Eglise St Saveur. There is a ‘lighthouse’ rising, not from a rocky…

Tender lessons

April 20, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

Yacht-master Veronique Claus takes us on our first tender lesson It was so good to finally have “Gumnut” united with Eucalyptus. Our Yacht-master instructor, Veronique Claus was keen to see us competent to use this means of transport, so our first lesson began. Shelley (who is writing this) was needing instruction from scratch. An early near-miss of another stationary boat was nearly a casualty. The lesson continued with more control. Jill had been in tenders previously but never driven one….

Gumnut arrives

April 17, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

Gumnut arrives all the way from the Bay of Islands in beautiful New Zealand, to La Rochelle, France. Import and customs were taken care of behind the scenes by OC tenders and Uchimata Sailing Service. This video is about Gumnut, our tender, being unpacked in La Rochelle. It was an exciting reveal. The launch followed on quickly. 18 April 2019. Video- Jill de Vos https://youtu.be/7IMgLeZr2Nw Photos- Shelley Beer

Eucalyptus gets her gear on!

April 14, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

The culmination of 12 months work designing a boat name logo finally came to fruition today. Naming a boat is a traumatic ordeal, especially when you rarely agree with your partner. Compromise is always the outcome and while neither of you are completely happy you are both relatively happy. And so Eucalyptus came into being. It is quintessentially Australian, but, Shelley said, they are all around the world, yes I said, but we sent them there! What about coolabah, a…

Gilets Jaune

March 23, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

https://youtu.be/-vIavzWvO8o 23 Mar 2019 La Rochelle Photos Shelley Beer, Video Jill de Vos 23 Mar 19

The Central Marche

March 22, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

Sunday is not the busiest day at the market so it was an ideal day to do a quick video. Suffice to say it is another learning curve to film and edit these things. It’s a bit tricky to be unobtrusive but when I mention they will be famous in Australia, they smile! We shop regularly at this market, it has a marvelous selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meat and fish, pre-prepared meals, wines and cognacs and of course…

Looking for Eucalyptus

March 20, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

It was a beautiful day so we headed down to Les Minimes port. We had seen other FP’s near the Captainerie and because it wasn’t at Uchimata’s pontoon, this was the only place it could be. Uchimata is the after factory fit-out person, he is French and his name is Pierre. His business is named after a martial arts move. I have just googled it to save you time; it is one of the original 40 judo moves. Uchimata will…

We arrive at Port Minimes

March 17, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

The journey finished at Port Minimes where the boat was unloaded. We returned the next day to watch the stepping of the mast and finally the entry into the water. Fontaine Pajot will check all systems with the dealer, in this case, Multihull Solutions, who make sure everything is correct before accepting the handover from them. https://youtu.be/4HVepLzuuK0

We follow the boat!

March 17, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

The reason we wanted to come to La Rochelle early was to follow the boat on the truck to Les Minimes. It proved to be an exciting experience that was well worth the trouble. We hired a car from Rent A Car which is not far from La Rochelle railway station, it was much cheaper than the more recognizable companies and a nice little Renault. It was 51 Euro with insurance for 24 hours. We picked it up in the…

She’s ready to leave FP

March 16, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

We drove out to Aigrefuille the evening before the boat was to be transported to Les Minimes. It was important we knew where we were going so navigational arguments could be avoided on the big important day. The factory is easy to find but we were apprehensive about going in so contented ourselves with looking through the gates. The factory backs on to a main road and the new cats are lined up like huge white beached whales. Shelley did…

Eucalyptus leaves the factory

March 16, 2019 | By DWS Production

Shelley’s bit of culture

March 14, 2019 | By Shelley Beer

Requiem de Mozart in La Rochelle- Eglise Notre Dame de La Rochelle The ticket We arrived half an hour early under threat of our discounted seats being given to someone else. This gave us time to really explore the space from our smallish chairs, bound together at intervals of four chairs by long pieces of timber. I could see many people before me had worn the rear stretcher of the chair in front by placing their feet up onto the…

The boats of La Rochelle from the Yelo Electric Seabus

March 12, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

It was a bit of a windy and miserable day so we rugged up and went down to the Yelo Electro Seabus that goes from the old port to the marina at Les Minimes. It was a 20-minute trip and we could use our monthly ticket, otherwise, it is 2 Euros return. We alighted at the marina and felt the icy cold wind so promptly got back on for the return trip. We had a chance to film a few…

The city of boats

February 23, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

Port de Minimes name is derived from the establishment of a convent of the Frères Minimes in this area during the 1550s. The Hermits of the Order of the Minimes was founded by St Frances of Paola in Italy in 1493. They were an order that not only adhered to the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience but also the perpetual abstinence of meat, eggs and dairy products. The name minimes is from the Italian minimo meaning smallest or least….

We arrive at La Rochelle

February 20, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

Gare SNCF La Rochelle Oh the relief to finally arrive at our destination with every piece of luggage and our relationship intact. Our bodies, mine especially, was a bit battered and I was gallantly fighting off a case of changing climate flu. We got off the train in La Rochelle jubilant that we had arrived, the joy was short lived as we found another lot of stairs descending and ascending before we could get a taxi to take us to…

On our way, almost

February 17, 2019 | By Jillienne de Vos

Four granddaughters blatantly promoting our boat! We headed from Yamba back to Melbourne, stopping halfway at my sister Gays in Pitt Town. The car seemed to have less in it that when we drove up 9 months earlier. This would be the last long trip in my car that I was quite fond of. It had to go because storing it was just not viable. It is only a car but oh such a nice one! It was a busy…

In The Water!

January 16, 2019 | By DWS Production

We Decide to Leave Earlier

December 30, 2018 | By Jillienne de Vos

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. We were at my daughters in West Footscray, there was no one there except us, my daughter had taken her family to Penang to meet other family members for Christmas and my son had wiped us over a refusal to babysit issue months earlier! It did not seem like Christmas and it was a bit depressing. Nod, from Multihull Solutions, had…

The tender

November 10, 2018 | By Jillienne de Vos

I saw an advertisement somewhere about a tender that was made in New Zealand. I saw the post and I wanted a tender just like that one. OCTenders are a New Zealand company located in the beautiful Bay of Islands. Each tender is made by hand to order. octenders.co.nz Karin was wonderful to deal with, I knew nothing about tenders and she was very patient with me. They cannot compete on price with a RIB but I wanted a tender…

Pre-order options

August 15, 2018 | By Shelley Beer

Why Options? The base boat does not come equipped with all you need to go bluewater cruising, not even an anchor; according to the opening paragraph of the contract appendix ‘Standard Equipment’, imaged immediately below. That is not a big inclusions list. To see what we added please read on…. The inclusions in the base boat You must fit out the boat to suit your needs. We have chosen the Comfort Version as per the contract, and below this list,…

Leaving home

May 15, 2018 | By Jillienne de Vos

We were always going to move somewhere warmer. We were never going to buy a boat, never even gave it a thought until I came back from that Vanuatu trip. We were going to buy a nice place in Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast. Shelley was going to practice her Chinese Medicine and I was going to find a new hobby. While I was away I had organized painters to give the house a bit of a face lift,…