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

We popped along to Salcombe yesterday for a little break after a very tough week. OFSTED visited my school and as always, it was a tough experience. I don't have a problem with being scrutinised. We are public servants after all and the public have the right to expect that we maintain high standards and do our very best for the students and communities we serve. But why, oh why do many of OFSTED inspectors have to be so arrogant and 'bullish'? Sacrcasm and an inquisitorial style that makes the Spanish Inquisition look like a chat between friends around the barbie! Not all inspectors, but enough to make it an unpleasant experience.

Still enough about that.
Salcombe. We arrived to find the Salcombe yawl fleet out and about. It seemed pretty cut throat out on the water. I think they were racing up channel to Kingsbridge and back...but I could have been wrong.

lots of to-ing and fro-ing

pretty breeze with some interesting gusts


the ferry inn was an excellent viewpoint with lovely windows, food and service
highly recommended


trying to get into a position for the race start

gets pretty intense out there


final few seconds to the start

and they are off up channel

well most are
some just like to be out for the fun


Now it's time to reassemble the house, empty the car, put the study back into one piece, clear all the folders and bags of books from the entrance hallway; sailing......well only after I've reassembled the house and put in some quality father and husband time!

Steve

2 comments:

Joel Bergen said...

Wow, what a beautiful sight to see all those yawls racing. We have nothing like that here. Do you know what they are called? They appear to be about the same size as a Navigator.

steve said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salcombe_Yawl

http://www.syoa.co.uk/syoa_wp/

That should keep you busy for a bit Joel! They are pricey; I've also found one or two of them to be somewhat pushy and arrogant on the water and at Batson creek slipway; but that is only one or two. Others have been lovely and chatted amicably whilst waiting for trailers to be bought down. I guess that is the same in any class/association

Steve