I love this camera. Mount it on the top yard; on a mooring pole and send it overboard; on a tripod in the cockpit. It is versatile although I haven't yet managed to sort the water on the lens effect or the salt left as it dries out in the sun. It leads to irritating salt deposits.
After sailing across to Cawsand, I returned to Jennycliffe, where I spent an hour or so sailing up to one of the large moorings and coming alongside......to a full stop! These are skills I very rarely practise and I need to do more of it. Out of six attempts I only failed once and I'm pleased with that. Mind you most of those attempts were towards low tide when it was barely running.
The one I am most pleased with was picking up the mooring buoy off the north side of Drakes Island. It was tricky because it was between a boat and a floating pontoon with little room for error. On the first attempt I pinched too close to the wind, cleared around the stern of one boat and knew immediately I wouldn't be able to reach it as the wind veered slightly further south. I sailed past, gybed and came back into a close haul tack holding about 40 degrees all the way up to the buoy where a quick turn head to wind bought it neatly alongside. Having already furled the jib, the main fluttered and filled nicely on the approach. The mizzen, well I left that slack. It is a lovely feeling of smug satisfaction when the mooring buoy comes amidships with barely a bump and Arwen comes to a standstill so that you can walk the buoy for'ard and tie off the bowline.
And there is never anyone around to witness it is there.......whilst any miss is witnessed by crowds. Funny that isn't it!
Steve
After sailing across to Cawsand, I returned to Jennycliffe, where I spent an hour or so sailing up to one of the large moorings and coming alongside......to a full stop! These are skills I very rarely practise and I need to do more of it. Out of six attempts I only failed once and I'm pleased with that. Mind you most of those attempts were towards low tide when it was barely running.
The one I am most pleased with was picking up the mooring buoy off the north side of Drakes Island. It was tricky because it was between a boat and a floating pontoon with little room for error. On the first attempt I pinched too close to the wind, cleared around the stern of one boat and knew immediately I wouldn't be able to reach it as the wind veered slightly further south. I sailed past, gybed and came back into a close haul tack holding about 40 degrees all the way up to the buoy where a quick turn head to wind bought it neatly alongside. Having already furled the jib, the main fluttered and filled nicely on the approach. The mizzen, well I left that slack. It is a lovely feeling of smug satisfaction when the mooring buoy comes amidships with barely a bump and Arwen comes to a standstill so that you can walk the buoy for'ard and tie off the bowline.
And there is never anyone around to witness it is there.......whilst any miss is witnessed by crowds. Funny that isn't it!
Steve
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