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

Monday, 28 April 2014

Looking back: old photos and memories

Whilst doing some sorting out of files I found two fuzzy photographs. One was the only other time I have almost run aground with Arwen (regular readers will recall from a post last week the embarrassment I suffered when running aground the mudflats in Salcombe).

This fuzzy photo - it has been taken as a frozen image off a short film I made - shows the time when the jib had twisted badly and the furler jammed. So intent was I on solving that problem that I didn't see the underwater hazards ahead until too late - fortunately I went over the rocks with about 2' of water to spare. Phew! In fairness , from water level, I didn't see them ahead when looking either....so double lesson learnt!

 
 
The other photo is from a couple of years ago - again a poor image captured off a poor quality film. It was the time I was surrounded by a school of porpoise in the middle of Jennycliffe bay on the eastern side of Plymouth Sound. In fairness I was trying to film with one hand and steer and sheet the main with the other. Still happy memories. Lets hope the porpoise make a return this year. I did try to avoid them but they kept coming up so close - very unusual.  Normally I try to keep 25m from them minimum. But this lot were pretty inquisitive.  Not for the first time have I been surprised by porpoise popping up alongside Arwen. On the very day she was out for her first sail, we had a porpoise accompany her for 25 minutes.......right up as close as this one!  Perhaps Arwen makes some underwater noise or swirly water pattern that porpoise find amusing!!
 
 

 

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