a broken tiller extension but the company definitely made up for it

Well the new tiller extension didn’t last long........

But it was nice having it! Being able to stand, sit out on the side and get that extra height advantage was a luxury........until with a crack the tiller extension broke! It split along the laminate lines on the extension handle and out popped the screws. So that’s tomorrow morning taken care of......let me think...grout between the patio blocks or mend the tiller? Um tough choice!!

Today was a special sail. My sister, brother-in-law and niece joined me for a sail. On holiday in Cornwall, they popped up for the day so that number one niece could sail a boat bigger than a laser on a lake! Her brother disappeared off with my son to do paintballing!! They aren’t into sailing!

And a good sailor my niece is. She displayed excellent helm control being able to choose a direction, pick a transit line and keep on it with minimum leeway. She took us from just north of Dunstone rock buoy in Jennycliffe bay south to Bovisand and the across the northern side of the breakwater towards Cawsand. My sister was uneasy about the naval survey ship that departed just behind us and seemed to be following us at one point but it was going well clear of us! She had a big grin on her face most of the day and seemed very chilled at the end. My brother in law made downwind sailing look dead easy!

Cawsand was our destination but as fate would have it that was the direction from which the winds were coming so there was lots of tacking. An outgoing tide against the westerly winds made cross in the western breakwater end narrows a choppy experience.....!

With really choppy waters we tried a mixture of motor sailing and sailing without engine until we eventually managed to get into the lee of Penlee point. The wind dropped and we motored in to the shingle beach and Arwen gently crunched onto the shingle. A loo stop and hot pastie and we pushed off the beach gracefully I might add and moved over to the rocks where we anchored for ham rolls and hot chocolate.

The afternoon sail back was much faster. Downwind sailing, goose winged, making 4.5kts. We did have some emergencies. Concentration was lost when a pack of ‘refresher’ sweets mysteriously disappeared for a time causing the helmswoman to lose concentration.......several times. When it started to rain I generously handed over my waterproof wide brimmed hat to my niece. Ten seconds later it was in the sea floating away at a rate of knots. My wife had phoned and poor niece who had the phone grabbed with it to take it off around her neck....forgetting the hat.....and it in went! We did a HOB (hat overboard) procedure in 2 minutes flat! And that was from a downwind position – gybing around to bring it onto a close reach!! My sister was very impressed! Personally I was rather surprised it worked at all! Anyway one soggy hat got fished out with a mooring pole. Moral of the tale? NEVER, never, give your favourite hat to your niece however much you love her!!

Her dad sailed us back downwind very nicely. In the Cattedown, just in the lee of Mountbatten breakwater we turned head to wind and dropped sail.......to be neatly mobbed by some youths in topaz’s who promptly capsized 2m in front of us! Um!

We arrived back at very low tide so I dispatched the crew to wander around the Hoe. The Fastnet race is on; finishing point Plymouth and the Barbican is full of race tents and big screens so there was plenty to see.

one who passed us on the way back in

I had a great day out. It was cold, with shifting winds which made sailing tricky. The outboard worries me too ....but the company was fantastic and my niece is one cool sailor! I’m really proud of her! It was great having my sister in the boat too along with my brother in law. Now, if only I could get my brother who lives in Christchurch, New Zealand in the boat – that would be the whole clan!

Steve