at long last............

a) I've managed to get a sail in  and b) my daughter has come sailing with me after an absence of almost a year. She's been at university, is back for the summer and the last time we sailed together was August 2010. She's my sailing buddy and I miss her. It isn't the same without my daughter in the boat . My son and I, well we restore a vespa 'Stacey' together. My daughter? Well we go sailing together. She's a quiet type and just likes being next to the water. Conversation is not needed but very welcome when it comes.

definitely a watersports girl!

And what a morning. We went for a short trip - 4 hrs - a quick sail across to Cawsand bay and back again. Round trip about 8 nm. Wind was variable from the SE around to the SW and very gusty with some gusts of 27kts. Average wind speed was around force 4/5 and with another person in the boat, Arwen just flew. Our top speed was, wait for it, 6.8kts! Her average normally is 3.

Whats more,  I understand what Osbert was trying to explain to me along with Owen, Kevin and others.
I NOW GET IT!
The bit about steering by sails and not by tiller.

We played with the jib and pull her tighter the boat pointed in a slightly different direction; loosen the jib and the mizzen seemed to win and so we changed direction again........minimal tiller movements and we still managed to aim for somewhere and get there by only adjusting the jib!

the sail still blows up and over the boom bottom and I have to sort that out. Anyone with some tips or views, do please comment

I get the bit about the Jib and Mizzen going against each other and the boat pivoting around the mast area - AT LONG LAST!

It was pretty choppy today. When the wind blows from the south east, the water seems very lumpy.
Spray was flying everywhere but actually very little ever enters the boat.

We also adjusted the sail trim today. Tying the main halyard to the mainsail top yard further forward so it was well in the bottom third of the yard made it haul higher. Moving the attachment for the boom up to around 130 cm above mast step helped too as did adding the parrel beads at the tack around the mast. I was able to get more tension on the downhaul as well.  There is still an issue with the outhaul however. I think if I actually attach the outhaul to the boom right at the very end - it will give me a further 15 cm tensioning and pulling back of the boom and I think that will make all the difference. The boom was certainly much higher today.

big feet, short legs, stocky build

I cannot deny it any longer and I have to face up to the painful truth

I'm descended from Hobbits!

I still have to work on flattening the sail more; it does seem to billow somewhat at the base. I think there should be about 18" between boom and sail when its blowing out; there seems to be about 30"!
I also have to sort out the lazy jacks. We had a near disaster today and thank goodness my daughter had presence of mind to steer into the wind. When we were dropping the sail - the lazy jack was flapping and managed to get wrapped around the front end of the top yard and so wouldn't let the yard drop. In 20kt gust winds, it was a scary 10 minutes, in which I had to climb onto the deck, hang on for grim death and and try and unwrap the twisted and trapped lazy jacks. I think I had left them too slack and so they had caught around the front bottom end of the top yard. Lesson learned. On my own?  I think I'd have been over!  I don't want to contemplate what would have happened then!! But I will at some stage before I go out and certainly the lazy jacks will have been altered.

don't be fooled by the smile, she was hanging onto the jib sheet for grim life

I also took the advice from readers last time and reduced the mainsheet purchase. What a difference in light winds - so much more responsive in light winds.

So, a nice short sail in very breezy conditions which were testing but fun and lots learned. It all adds up doesn't it! Most importantly? My daughter came with me and that just made the day really special!

we passed this lovely boat on the way out of the Cattedown

anyone know what she is?

the little Barbican to Cawsand ferry whizzing back and forth

Oh, and a little short video of our sail today. If you can't get out right now because of weather, then enjoy and remember, my sympathies are with you. I've waited several weeks for this day!!

Steve