Arwen's deck seems a lot higher from water level!
The day started well......a launch at Queen Anne’s Battery by Sutton Harbour just inside the Cattedown entrance......where I met my very first blog readers...wow.....they’ve actually read some of my blog........I was slightly overwhelmed. Despite them reading it, I would say this even if they hadn’t. I always launch at QAB.....it’s a great ramp, easy parking, good mooring pontoon...there is a little cafe which makes brilliant bacon rolls and wonderful coffee to take away...and most importantly the QAB team are great people – always smiling; always a positive word.....always a helping hand to take a mooring rope if they are passing by. I Like QAB and I like their office and yard team too......people who make you feel welcome. I also guess it has its advantages if you are a visiting yacht – you can catch a water taxi straight across to the Barbican – or it’s a 10 minute stroll around past the Marine Aquarium. The historic Barbican has old buildings, curio shops and it’s a 10 minute walk into the main city centre. There are two big chandlers with 10 minutes walk of the mooring pontoons as well .
Followed this nice boat out from Queen Anne's Battery
Anyway back to yesterday’s trip. The kids came with me yesterday (there’s a first!) and they sailed across Plymouth Sound with me to Cawsand (enticed by the offer of a swim (my daughter) and a Cornish pasty, chips and coke (my son!!).
'Hey Dad....I hate my photo being taken' look!
Wind was from west south west and so Cawsand was virtually in the no-go zone...so it was tacking most of the way; it was also very light (6 knots) and of variable direction....making it even trickier. The tide was coming in (a 4.8m tide) and so we were going against the flow. In saying that we averaged 3.8 knots most of the way; took some deviations to see some of the Russian and US Naval ships (in port to do manoeuvres with our Navy)...and generally ambled across. My daughter did most of the helming...and very well she did too as she hasn’t sailed a boat in almost a year! There was one rough area....it always gets a bit ‘rolly’ just west of the end of the western end o f the breakwater. This is where the main channel is and of course, it’s an area no longer in the lee of the massive breakwater!
My sailing buddy......the only one in the family who shares
her Dad's passion for boats and all things to do with the sea!
We tried out the new tacking manoeuvre recommended by Steve Early (Log of Spartina)......who told us to keep the jib backed as we went into the tack...so that the bow would whip around faster and then release jibs and reset them when through the turn. Coupled with advice from friends off the John Welsford forum about not turning the tiller/rudder so hard over......and guess what – we went through all tacks successfully without losing any speed or stalling......HEY THANKS GUYS!
My 'loves visiting museums with his Dad' buddy.........
hates boats.......awesome on horseback........loves the
British Museum!
We also tried something else that one of the guys on the forum told me. I’ve been having trouble keeping the upper yard tied close to the mast; and keeping its for’ard end going past the mast. Someone suggested when I tie on the main-haul halyard – leave enough spare so that I could loop it around the mast and tie it back onto the yard. Well it certainly worked.......no more banging or flapping of the upper part of the sail; dropping the sail was a different matter – it didn’t drop and so we were being spun around by the wind; the sail was billowing out over the port side of the boat....I had to jump up on deck and struggle with a flapping sail and yard to untie the loop – then it went down as sweetly as anything between my lazy jacks.......um! Don’t want to repeat that again and wouldn’t be able to if single handed – so need to rethink ‘loop idea’ again!
The loop around the mast idea; I also forgot to take off the normal
parrell bead strop that I use......um - need to rethink the whole thing
again!
Lovely old clinker built fishing boat...drifting for Bass between
The Draystone buoy and back of Drakes Island
It was a cloudy day with some sunny spells and temperatures around 19C....and more importantly. It didn’t rain! Fish were jumping (mainly mackerel) but also some bright orange fish which we have never seen before.....know I’m a keen fisherman and I know our fish....but this one......well it beats me......the water seems warm and we have over several years been getting more exotic fish drifting up from the Mediterranean....so I am on the fish identification case.........it really was bright orange too!
Testing the water temperature!!
Cawsand had several boats moored in it – right up close to the shore line where there was a combination of shelter from wind, deep water and no rocks – the sea was a lovely green colour due to the sand beneath. Most of the boats were big white and blue plastic thingies......however, tucked in between them were two drascombes rafted up together. We dropped sails and went the last 50m by outboard – motored up and down and checked the anchorage and then dropped anchor...ending up about 20m from the shoreline and out of the breeze that was picking up. Then my daughter had this bright idea about going for a swim....and so in we went...my son having the good sense to stay in the boat.....it wasn’t quite as warm as we thought! So it was a short 10 minute swim! Managed to get some shots of Arwen; discovered that if I held onto the sides my feet can rest on the skeg beneath. Discovered that I can’t pull myself up out of the water....sides are too high up. The little brass step on the transom helps but is still too high up to get a foot onto it without being a contortionist who is able to raise a leg above head height. HOWEVER, a rope ladder strop hung off the back port corner, coupled with the brass step and ‘bob’s yer uncle’ – the rope ladder enables me to stand vertically in the water alongside the hull; the brass step is now within range and so out I pop over the coaming to end up in a heap in the cockpit gratings! I did it twice...so I know the ‘method’ works.....so damned exhausting though!
Moored just off shore in the lee of a wooded hill, Cawsand village and old
Napoleonic fort in background!
Arwen looks great from the waterline....she really does have lovely curves...despite being built in a garage with only 18” clearance both sides. The bow is odd – I’d never noticed before...well they say that no boat has identical sides...Arwen definitely doesn’t....it adds to her charm!
Pictureques Kingsands, nextdoor to Cawsands
Towelled down, ham sandwiches, hot chocolate drinks and we were ready to start off; weighing anchor is easy with two in the boat – I pull up; daughter keeps engine ticking over and pointing head to wind.....no problem. We made good progress back running on a training run with wind almost behind us.....making 4kts....and then the wind died.....completely......nada....nothing....zip......! Weird!! Nothing for it but to motor the last 1.5NM back to QAB...where we helped a young guy in his 20’s launch his huge 7m long rib......so big that despite dipping the double wheels well over the top.....the boat just wouldn’t shift.....he asked me to reverse his car a little further down the ramp whilst he remained in the boat...lowering two HUGH outboards.....I jumped in...now it’s some form of four wheel Nissan Tank drive thingy which doesn’t have normal gears......now I did think about giving it a go...but hey the thought of the entire rig submerged at the foot of the slipway with the tide still coming in........I got out, jumped onto his trailer and used brute force to push the bow...his rib rolled off eventually.......moral of the tale? If it’s so big you can’t launch single handed, then it ain’t worth having.......my small boat philosophy!!!!!! (Said with tongue firmly in cheek).
Oh.....the looks like a beached elephant seal bit? Well watch me getting back into Arwe
and and you see what I mean....enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GgAp5f_SBc
Steve!
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