Maewan Adventure is a boat led by a Skipper that is also a cross sport extreme athlete. His aim is to take extreme sports to new destinations. To reach these remote locations and feel safe in them, Skipper Erwan Le Lann uses TIMEZERO marine navigation software.
Watch this teaser video on the Maewan crew skiing and snowboarding down snow covered volcanoes in the Kuril Islands:
Below, Erwan Le Lann gives an account of mooring in the unknown bays of the Kuril Islands:
“During the preparation of a route, one of the most important steps is to figure out where to moor. If I take the example of the Kuril Islands where I recently sailed in during May of this year, well, knowing that there is only one village on the Northern side and one village down at the very Southern side means that there will be no especially designed ports in which to drop anchor.
Part of the trip was about riding down snow covered volcanos on snowboard and skis with the crew members who happen to be professional athletes joining to search out new locations and make first ever descents. To find adequate volcanos that were within a close enough distance of adequate mooring locations was the challenge I was faced with.
I find that throwing down anchor is very much a delicate operation. It is vital to have somewhere that is safe so you can finally let your guard down and be able to recuperate from the fatigue that has built up during the trip, and lastly to be able to access land without stress. The ideal location is a bay that protects from strong gusts and wind, while also having a relatively flat surface of about 10-15 meters deep preferably being sandy.
With the ideal spot in mind, I then use TIMEZERO to find it. Having downloaded the weather forecast, I know how the wind and gust will behave, while the chart provides the depths and the various bays can be studied to see which one will provide the most shelter. Using the satellite photos within TIMEZERO as well as the 3D view, I can easily see the summits and valleys and then make an estimate guess of the quality of the ground, the Venturi effects.
Once I’m in the mooring spot, I verify that the area is indeed suitable by taking my boat in a circle around the targeted spot to anchor. I make sure there are no rocks or anomalous terrain, that the ground is nice and flat in the eventuality that if the wind picks up or that the anchor starts getting moved around, no matter what, we are in a position to adapt.
The fact of having a software that has all the information grouped together allows to get to the point precisely. It is a great tool to gain an extra level of security!”
To find out more about TIMEZERO’s 3D chart engine and worldwide chart coverage as well as the weather forecast service, visit our dedicated page on website:
