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

Sunday, 3 April 2011

another new navigator gets launched.....and bits and pieces

Well another navigator has been launched. Named ‘Stingaree’.  I haven't emailed Geoff but I hope he is OK with me posting a few details about his launch.



Geoff ordered the plans for her in July 2006. She was launched 2 April 2011 (a launch under oars only says Geoff......a launch is a launch says I). 



It’s taken 4 years 9 months and 2 days which Geoff works out as 248 fabulous weekends of enjoyable boat-building (he also says he exaggerates, apparently not every weekend was an enjoyable one!)




His maiden voyage with ‘Stingaree’ was to Kapiti Island in light airs and on a fantastic sunny autumnal day where the wind was rising to 10- 15 knots on the homeward reach. Apart from the main's crease which he says he still hasn't 'nailed', the sail was perfect.


Kapiti island is at the southern tip of the North Island of New Zealand on the western coast
Opposite on the mainland are the coolly named Paraparaumum beach and Waikanae beach

Geoff describes the boat as ‘awesome’! Well that echoes the sentiments of all other navigator owners doesn’t it?



Well done Geoff and congratulations. I’ve followed your posts and updates on the forum with eager anticipation and the day has finally arrived. Happy sailing Geoff and welcome to the ever growing navigator family.

Is that a British Seagull engine I see attached to the transom.......wow I remember having one of those on my very first boat 'Pugwash'......that was a long long time ago

All photographs copy right Geoff 'Way_back_there'

In the meantime, John has made another couple of postings on his blog and they are well worth a read at http://jwboatdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/cordless-drill-that-wont.html

In a similar vein, Robert is one step closer to his launch day with 'Annie'. Now Robert is what I would call a master craftsman and if you want to see 'perfection' in a navigator, then you must take a look at his blog and the photographs. He's also a poetic writer, unlike me, having a way with words that are simple, concise, and basically pure prose! Go take a look at http://middlething.blogspot.com/2011/04/why-is-perfect-soup-so-scary.html
Another man with a gift for the simple prose and stunning photographs is Steve. His blog 'Log of Spartina' is a must read and if you haven't found it yet, go now and see what you have been missing. http://logofspartina.blogspot.com/2011/04/books-bearings-and-plans.html

Finally, I rarely publish the stat's for the blog but here is the chart. It has almost been a year since the blog started and page views seem to be on the increase. Thanks for reading about 'Arwen's meanderings'. Easter is just around the corner so look out for more posts. We will be out there in the next few weeks practising picking up moorings, mooring alongside and sailing off a mooring. Getting ready for our awefully big adventure in the summer - Arwen and I are thinking of sailing down to Falmouth (50NM in two days). We'd spent a couple of days shoving our bow up the creeks of the Fal and then, all being well, try and find someone to come and collect us with the trailer! More about that possibility in future blogs.


Don't panic about April......we are only getting started; but since December 2010, well things have been on the up. Thanks for all your support folks.

Oh and one more thing......THE AMERCIAS CUP IS COMING TO PLYMOUTH UK IN SEPTEMBER 2011......oh yeah!

Steve


Kapiti island looks like a good 'explore' and I'd quite like to sail over to those smaller islands or are they mere rocky outcrops?

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