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

Tuesday, 13 September 2011

from AC 45's to small boats again

Remember 'Jaunty'? 'Jaunty' was Dave P's navigator in which he made some fantastic voyages. Well a new video clip has just appeared on YouTube of 'Jaunty' and here it is below



If you are tiring of my current obsession with the America's cup, firstly I apologise and secondly I hope this goes a little way to addressing the current imbalance. Enjoy.

I hope to get out in Arwen this weekend when I'll be able to report on the new outboard and some modifications to the lazy Jacks. Of course it will be weather AND America's Cup course dependant!!

I'd hate to have a collision with one of the AC 45's. One of the boats did stray outside the course on Sunday and there is a great bit on the local news about one poor spectator minding his own business at anchor inside one of the designated spectator zones (he was in a 19' white boat with a little cabin), when he heard loads of yelling. Sticking his head out of the cabin, he wasn't too amused to find a whacking big AC 45 about to wrap itself around his anchor warp!! I've never seen a guy in a small boat move so fast!!  Ah! the disadvantages of having on board cameras - they capture EVERYTHING!

Finally here is a dilemma..........I've been offered a place on one of the spectator boats for Sunday's final fleet 'winner takes all' race in the Sound.  Now Sunday is marking and work preparation day....so in the words of the song.....'should I stay or should I go now; should I stay or should I go now?'

Duty over sheer pleasure..........tough call!

Steve

2 comments:

Joel Bergen said...

That one's easy, Steve. You should go! Opportunities like that rarely present themselves and don't wait for you forever like work does. haha
-Joel

steve said...

um......i know what you mean but sadly, ingrained in all UK teachers (and I suspect teachers worldwide) is the inbuilt guilt factor................and i know whilst on the boat - i'll end up fretting about not planning suitable quality lessons for the following week........guilt! ho hum tough decision. nice report on the boat festival by the way - thank you!

steve