Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Thursday, 20 January 2011

30th May to 6th June 2011 – should I go?

La Semaine Du Golfe, in Morbihan looks like its coinciding with half term this year.....and living in Plymouth, it’s a short hop across the channel on Brittany Ferries to Roscoff. So, I could take Arwen across, couldn’t I?





Aaaahh! Decisions, decisions!

Do I have enough sailing experience? I’ve never sailed in the company of others! Will I stand out like an inadequate, inexperienced idiot? Could I cope sailing in some pretty powerful tides? And there are 1000’s of boats! Do I have the skills of seamanship and good enough understanding of rules of the road?


Copyright Cyanat

Could I persuade my good friend who is exceptionally experienced in sailing small boats to come with me?

The “Small Sea “offers lovely sailing and exciting day trips. There are a wide variety of harbours, islands and inlets. The gulf of Morbihan also has these interesting tides, currents and eddies. It is an oar and/or sail meeting and I do tend to reply on the outboard quite a bit ......I haven’t got this MOB/coming alongside; sailing onto/off the beach malarkey down pat yet. So that is a factor as well.



3 to 4000 sailors are involved, most of whom are amateurs. All the sailing clubs in the Gulf host the fleets each day and after the day’s sailing there are festivals, music events, exhibitors etc. Last year I think there oyster events, model making, Celtic music, concerts, fireworks etc. Sounds like a magic party. Every day the flotillas follow a programme of navigation and stop off in different harbours every evening. On the last day all the different flotillas combine for a sail – I suspect this must be an awesome and inspiring event.


Copyright Sailing Networks

Um! If did lots of sailing during February to April – could I develop the skills by then?

Don’t know....not feeling 100% comfortable about this......so may be ought to let it go this year.......but when will it next coincide with a half term holiday? Ho hum, decisions, decisions!

Steve

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