a nice day on the water

I've had a nice day on the water with a good friend. He's an extraordinarily talented and experienced sailor who started me off on the boat building lark!  Within minutes of raising Arwen's sails, he'd suggested some subtle adjustments and all of a sudden - the top yard was going almost to the main halyard sheave; the sail had set the best it has done all year and we were pottering 'quite nicely' thank you.

Now I know that this was in part also due to some adjustments. The topping lift works nicely - I just need to move it further aft on the sprit boom. The new outhaul arrangement discussed in a previous post worked a treat. It flattened the sail base nicely and tensioned it so that it was no more than 15 inches from the boom. I was able to loosen it easily in light winds giving a more 'bellied' lower bit. I now just want to alter it so that I can run the outhaul halyard down the mast front; down through the deck and back along the side of the centre case so that I can alter it without having to move forward.

We sailed across to Cawsand (had to motor sail some of it because the winds just dropped away to nothing) where we dropped anchor, had 'breakfast' and admired the four or five old wooden boats safely anchored there. These were all 30 - 40' in length - old gaffers. Beautifully maintained, they are gathering for the classic boat rally next weekend.

Sadly, I have no photographs - sorry. This is because my beloved Sanyo Xacti CA9 waterproof camera has given up the ghost. It has died. Lifeless other than a mournful flashing light. No screen shots, nothing, not a flicker. I've done everything including buying new batteries but to no avail.  Well funds are short and so it will not be replaced for quite sometime. I have a non waterproof camera which takes good quality video and so that will have to suffice........and just as I'm planning to sail up the Tamar and down to Fowey. Rats, rats and rats again!

Departing Cawsand, we drifted around for a bit, avoided the outgoing Brittany ferry and then finally found some breeze. Not much but sufficient to have us going down the south side of the breakwater at 3.2 kts average. we passed cormorants, shags and the odd gannet or two.  We watched HMS Somerset come in past the western end of the breakwater and laughed when we heard them politely, but clearly somewhat miffed, call the Plymouth Longroom to enquire where their police escort boat was. Found it even funnier when the Longroom seemed a little surprised that it wasn't there!  

HMS Somerset: copyright carol-jon-son

 The wind died just as we went through the eastern gap between breakwater and Fort Bovisand..........not helped by a stiff outgoing tide!  We then caught the breeze again along the inside of the breakwater across to the fort passing Gold Rover one of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships swinging at a mooring. 

RFA Gold Rover: copyright jdurston

HMS Somerset continued down the eastern side of the sound along Smeaton's Pass (one of the deep water channels), before curving around to go along the Hoe and then turning starboard into the Tamar. My friend helmed Arwen across to the western side of Drakes island, past the antisubmarine traps and expertly slotted her between the 'Bridges' (the deep water narrow channel) before we came to a dead stop - no wind and outgoing tide. In fact we started drifting backwards. well with increasingly heavy rain showers and no wind, we decided that was it for the day and slowly motored back to QAB. The sails dropped nicely between the lazy jacks to be tied up. because it was low tide we were at the bottom of the slip and there wasn't much room to get alongside the pontoon. This is because half the small space available was taken up by a lovely steam launch. Called 'Annie' and about 14' long, she had been salvaged and restored with a LPG condensing boiler and was on her new maiden launch. A lovely restoration with three very excited and proud men fussing around her and rightly so.

It was a nice day. My friend is great company knowing when to talk and when to just sit in companionable silence. The weather was mixed but time passed nicely and there was plenty to see.

Top speed was 3.4kts. Distanced travelled is shown on the google earth image below.  About 11 nautical miles in all.  Wind was variable, never more than about 5 kts, from NW, NE and S...truly variable direction.

Our track, part sailed, part motored

Well, hopefully, some more sailing next week and I need to arrange with my Dad when he's going to come down and sail up the Tamar with me and overnight camp. More about these plans as they develop.

steve