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9A+: Having just posted a review of the MY Samar your photos of this delightful vessel during her current cruise of the Croatian coast couldn't be better timed. Well done!
Coratia has of couse become an increasingly popular sailing/cruising destination over the past two decades and I very much look forward to taking my family there in the near future on what will be our first visit to your country.
500 fan wrote: That EC130 landing in Post #14 seemed a bit overly cautious with a lot of time spent in the avoid curve.
Most of the larger vessels are equipped with helicopter handling dollies enabling the crew (usually pilot) to manoeuvre the craft after it has landed. However, many mid-sized ships (such as Mr Washington's Attessa III upon which the EC130 is landing in the video clip) do not carry such a dolly.
There are a number of considerations to take into account when it comes to the post-landing positioning of an on-board helicopter. These range from the interaction [read distance] of the main rotors to the nearest outcrops of superstructure to the owner's son quipping: "Why wasn't the skid placed on the 'H' when you landed?". Again, on some of the smaller and mid-sized vessels access to certain parts of the airframe can be affected by seemingly small deviations from the 'ideal' landing spot. Pilots aboard such vessels therefore often take their time so as to ensure that they set down in exactly the right place on the ship's helipad.
Re: Tuna boat ops. Yes, many Tuna pilots are quite capable flyers and this would have been a 'fun' job back in the days when the work was largely carried-out by 500's. Now, as you probably know, the Mariner and her four-seat sister have taken over this market.