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Hello Stefan
Many thanks for offering to help. This is really much appreciated.
I do hope you had an enjoyable time.
I see that you are based in Malmo; I sailed there in my H455 in July 2016. I had just acquired the boat and came over for 3 glorious months in the Baltic. I'm keen to return....but it won't be this year.
We (a group of 6 adults, 2 young (grand) children and 1 baby) will be on a two week charter out of Praslin shortly. We are chartering a Lagoon 450 catamaran with a watermaker. We are used to chartering such craft most years - principally in the Caribbean, Mediterranean or Asia.
I'd be very grateful for any advice ahead of our visit. I apologise if the questions seem too lengthy; any help will be much appreciated.
First, provisioning. Are there any items that you think we should bring with us from home that won't be available locally? I'm thinking about food primarily. We will be sure to bring items for the baby of course. Are there any recommended places to provision the boat? We tend to stock up as much as possible before we set sail - and then pick up what we can in local markets/shops as we go along. We don't want to spend too much time in supermarkets (or their local equivalent) during the cruise.
Second, we tend to prefer solitude - ie noisy anchorages are not for us. Days are spent swimming/snorkelling/paddle boarding or exploring islands. Are there any recommended places to visit - and to avoid?
Third, thinking about occasional visits ashore - are there any recommended places to visit - whether for places of interest - eg architecture & local culture/good places to eat/natural beauty (both fauna & flora)?
Fourth, are there any specific health considerations to take into account - particularly as regards the children? I've noted where the hospitals are. I know we must be sure to guard against sun burn. Is it right to assume that drinking water from a supply tap is safe to drink or do we need to treat it first?
Fifth, safety. In addition to the usual rules of conduct etc ashore are there any particular hazards to bear in mind when afloat? We normally stay on board after nightfall. I'm also thinking about swimming risks - marine creatures to be avoided - debris of all sorts in the water.
Sixth, communications. We need to stay in contact with our elderly parents in the UK. I assume that there will be periodic, prohibitively expensive mobile phone coverage in places. Is wifi available too? If so where?
Many thanks again.
Best wishes
Richard.
------------- Richard M
(S/Y BrightStar - H 455 #90; ex S/Y Providence - H 400e #290)
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