The Serengeti Happy Story

I have a friend who wants to meet you said Barry one day back in 2004, he wants to buy you supper and talk about sailing around the world. Geremy Thomas who had read my book about the circumnavigation with my son on Windfall, a Swan 61 was going to buy me an Italian feast. Well who am I to turn down a free meal, have you ever heard the phrase “there is no such thing as a free meal”, read on.

We had a great evening followed by a call some months later, “Hi Graham, Geremy here, I’ve found the yacht, what are you doing on Wednesday, we are going to see it.
On Wednesday off we went, over to the East Coast, a little boat yard on that wind swept shore.

Those of you who know Geremy are well aware that “a problem is not a problem, it’s an opportunity, nay, an adventure”. Geremy is now set on a new adventure, THE SERENGETI SAGA.

In true style no corners were cut, a full survey, hard negotiations, sea trials, a professional skipper and Serengeti was in the Hamble being prepared for fun and a bit of charter work in the Caribbean.

By this time Geremy and I were becoming friends, I had met Pamie, been shooting at the farm, met the new skipper at the Hamble and had a few meals together.
I was planning to charter Serengeti in the February 2005 when Geremy phoned to say Serengeti was out of the water again as the skipper had driven her into the dock and damaged the portside just above the waterline. This was a bit of a blow to the adventure, I was in the middle of a major house rebuild, so the “Serengeti Saga” continued without me following events.

One afternoon in March, “ Hi Graham, Geremy here, glad you are in, I am just on my way back from the yacht, ok if I drop in”. Fifteen minuets later we are both having a cup of tea in the dust and dirt of my house. “The yacht is nearly ready to go Graham, but!!!! the skipper has left, so I have a great idea!!!!! Why don’t you take her to Vancouver????”   VANCOUVER------VANCOUVER?? said I, why Vancouver?

Over the next few days I mulled the offer through, it appealed. It was agreed a June start would be good for us both as Geremy’s business interests were in Vancouver and my house project would be finished. I would need help with this trip, at least two other qualified for insurance purposes, I recruited Mike as number one and Ann as cook and crew, plus several friends to join on various legs. The best route was down the English and Spanish coast to the Canaries, Antigua, Panama, Galapagos, Hawaii, Vancouver and Geremy’s island home.

Early June, a close inspection of Serengeti revealed rather more to do than expected, Ann was taking a nine month sabbatical from work and let her house out. Mike was winding down his outstanding jobs and we were preparing to set sail in a couple of weeks.

I am sorry to say “nearly ready to go” translates into a list of seventy six jobs to complete. Although the previous skipper had done a lot of work the list kept growing from the simple, like a light bulb, to the somewhat more serious, like the three fuel tanks cleaned by The Fuel Doctor with a centrifuge, the fuel filter system being replaced, pipes re-routed, basically totally redesigned. Filthy fuel and inadequate filtration had lead to the engine stopping causing the yacht to be driven into the dock with the previous skipper.

This work took all our time and it was mid September before we had any chance of leaving. Mike and Ann had joined by then, working towards our goal. With the discovery of the terrible rotten ribs and planks the trip had to be postponed. Geremy was now in Vancouver so this was a difficult time, we are talking a lot of money to put the boat in good order.

H.Y.S Malcolm, the works manager, Pete, the foreman and me with Sad Serengeti in the background. The email line between Geremy and myself was red hot for a lot of that winter as I project managed Serengeti on his behalf. This resulted in a refit with all sorts of new equipment installed, systems checked and overhauled, a full varnish and paint job. The re-launch went well, by June 2006 we had completed a couple of sea trials and set the start date.

On the 24th June 2006 at 10.30 we slipped our mooring lines, motored out of the Hamble and set sail for Poole. This was to be our sea trials, port hopping to Falmouth, Bob, Silvia and Roger had joined us as crew. This was our first chance to get to grips with sailing Serengeti, she is a motor sailor and with a max of 12 kts of wind we motor sailed all the way to Falmouth.

Using the variable pitch prop was easy to adjust with the fuel flow meter indicating 4 litres an hour at 1800 RPM. The new auto pilot worked a dream and close quarter manoeuvring using the new bow-thruster was child’s play.
Geremy turned up at Poole with steaks and wine for the Barbie, now back from Vancouver and the plan had changed. Now we are taking the yacht to Antigua where he and his family would take over for the Caribbean season.

The Raymarine C120 is a fabulous piece of kit, the best I have ever operated, with radar tracking, up to ten targets speed and direction could be plotted making a night watch a doddle. Every evening we would have a G&T with as much ice as the glass would hold from the icemaker. The fridge freezer was plenty large enough to cope with frozen meals etc with loads of room for the white/rosé wine.

Geremy joined us at Falmouth to do the Biscay crossing, by this time we were unhappy with the battery voltage and following a test the house batteries were replaced. The list of jobs never became smaller, every time we knocked one off the bottom, two found themselves to the top, this seems the way with yachts.

We left Falmouth on the 4th July at 13.00 hrs with Geremy at the helm, it was late the following day before we had enough wind to sail her properly. With 15-18 kts NW wind over her starboard quarter she performed well, 8/9 kts. By nightfall on the 6th the wind had dropped and we were motor sailing again arriving in La Coruna 13.30 on the 7th.  By the 14th we had arrived at Vigo.

The list of jobs were attended to at Davila Sport Marina, despite their best effort the jet rib tender was still a handful and in the end proved not to be a good purchase.
Geremy’s family arrived and a good time was had by all. We spent a month in the Vigo area, a bit like the Solent with sun and warm sea.

Serengeti was sailing well and we made our way down the Spanish coast trying different sail configurations in various weather conditions, she proved to be a very comfortable and seaworthy yacht.

By mid September we were in Lanzarote where Geremy and friends joined us for a fun week. Serengeti was lifted out for a few days, when the rudder post and drive glands were replaced and a keel bolt resealed as we had been having problems with this since we left the UK. We also replaced the starter motor, did an anti-foul and prepared for the Atlantic crossing. But first we sailed to all seven Canary islands, this brought up two problems, loss of drive and a very stiff prop pitch operation. As the two occurred at the same time we assumed them to be connected, this was not the case.
The variable pitch unit was removed (an enormous cast screw) and inspected only to find it in good order except for a small piece of metal jammed in the threads. Once refitted and a new hose on the gearbox oil cooler we were in business.

The Atlantic crossing was our next challenge, with Malcolm and Ian joining Mike Ann and myself we set out on the 7th December from Rubicon Marina in good spirits.
For the first few days we had a mixture of weather but in the main NE winds with a two metre swell.  Serengeti loved it and we were making just short of 200 mile days.
The swell and wind increased for a day or two then by mid Atlantic dropped to little or no swell with a few knots of wind.
This is when the motor sailor part comes in, our miles per day dropped to about 160/170 but we were able to have barbies on the after deck and go for a swim.
In the last week we picked up the trades, we found using the staysail and genoa forward and the mizzen to stabilize with no main was the best way to deal with the nightly gusts.
We sailed into Falmouth Harbour on Christmas eve having taken 16 days 23 hours and 12 mins to cover the 3200 miles from Lanzarote to Antigua.

On the 14th Jan Ann, Mike and myself left Serengeti to Geremy and the new skipper Gordon with three small outstanding jobs and 23 recommendations. We had taken Serengeti from a tired old dated lady to a fine working Classic Yacht covering over 6000 miles and spending a couple of years enjoying, despairing, planning and working to achieve a great result.
Thank you Geremy for giving me the opportunity.

Graham Dimmer S.S.R

(Skipper Serengeti Retired)