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 6 May 2012

Just for Joel.....

Joel, my friend, enjoy.



Steve

6 comments:

Joel Bergen said...

Such beautiful yawls! You're right, very pricy at $40,000 quid or $64,500 bucks. I checked out the links you gave me, and found this vid:

http://tinyurl.com/88xz33u

Wow! To sail such beautiful and expensive yawls, under such conditions, and to do it so well leaves me in awe. I can barely consider myself a sailor after watching them. We may have some fine craftsmen at Port Townsend, but the sheer number of highly skilled sailors and the variety of beautiful boats in your country is overwhelming.

steve said...

they freak the hell out of me - I once got caught in the middle of a race on the bend just up from the main town jetty - 30 came around a corner in the fairway.......belting up river; i nearly had an accident over arwen's thwarts; i closed my eyes and kept going and to this day, honest to God, I have no idea how I slotted myself through them. Every time I peeked someone was heading right at me yelling abuse or right of way! and i mean close - like 3'!!

Glad you enjoyed. remember, here in the UK (an island nation) on the south coast in the 1700's we were either farmers, smugglers, fishermen or sailors for the Royal Navy! The sea is in our blood...300 years later we are genetically programmed to be seafarers....still doesn't mean I can sail though!!!!

Steve

Joel Bergen said...

Oh man, I can picture that and I would have the exact same reaction! That's why I don't race. I admire the skill it takes, especially under those conditions, but it's not for me. I enjoy exploring, and I think we are a lot alike in that respect. I love sailing to places I've never been before and seeing sights I've never seen. I would love have been a part of the voyages of exploration around this area 250 years ago. I'd sign up to crew with Capt Vancouver in a heartbeat! Imagine exploring areas never seen before in a time with no gps, no charts, and no idea what was around the next bend. I admire those men more than any racer.

steve said...

never really understood the need to race - can appreciate the adrenalin buzz - but I'm an explorer at heart - mountain environments; travelling through Africa; cruising along to new places along my coastline
With you on exploration of old - finished reading joshua slocum's book about his crcumnavigation and spray - mind kind of guy!

steve

Thunker said...

Ahhh Steve. Rash words?

If I ever get round to building my Nav, I will of course bring it down to QAB and then we'll see whether you get bitten by the racing bug....

If....

Still clearing the garage, but have started collecting clamps!!

Hurrah! It's a start.

steve said...

funny that - i started with collecting clamps too.....Ok I'll take you up on that......get it built and lets meet up! In meantime I too would like a clear garage - one 'stacey' the vespa is taking up all the space whilst my son focuses on GCSE's....but come the end of the exams - that vespa better make progress!! Good luck and good to hear from you. Let me know how progress goes! Stay in touch and if you need to sail a nav - you know where I am!

Steve