Well - it appears we can now do overnight trips. Lock down to be lifted from July 4th which allows camping on board.
I have held off going sailing for the simple reason that the local marina I use has not been allowing self launching to take place - even though it is open. Extremely frustrating to say the least but I sort of understand under the circumstances. However, with the lifting of lock down I am hoping they will review that situation for later on this week.
Otherwise, for the first time ever, I will have to use a public slipway in my home area. And that makes me nervous - after all I am the genuine paranoid dinghy cruiser!
I have a choice of two really - the first, in a car park and fairly steep with a tight right angled dog leg towards the bottom. Enclosed between car park wall and a building surround high decking on metal pillars is sheltered. But, alas, there is nowhere whatsoever to tie up your boat. So you grab the anchor and drop it on the ramp whilst you go park the car. The car park at the top of the ramp is smallish and getting a double space for car and trailer in a spot where you can make turns and get the rig down the ramp at the end of the day is tricky. In addition, you then have to pay by card for everything now and that means downloading an app - which often doesn't work - I speak from experience of it! The ramp exits immediately into the Sutton harbour area immediately south of the large pontoons where the pilot and tourist boats tie up. Its a busy traffic area. No time to warm up an outboard - row out into the busy waterway, raise sails and hope!
The alternative site across the Cattedown entrance from it, is a wide smooth ramp. The south west coastal footpath runs alongside it. Its a popular walking area. Here the car and trailer have to be driven up the ramp, along a side road and back onto the main road for either parking on the road, if available, or for putting in a public car park opposite, subject to spaces being available there. The ramp is shared by the water-sports centre as well. Again, there is nowhere to tie the boat up to. You have to launch the boat, guide it onto a small rocky beach, dump the anchor on the shingle/rock and then get the car parked asap. Car parking is free. You can't leave valuables in the boat - the area is too open and insecure with high volume of passers by; you need to lock your outboard onto the transom bracket. Once pushed off - you are out immediately into the current. It is a short row to some mooring cans, most of which will be vacant at this time of year. I could then warm up and sort the outboard engine, or depending on wind etc - raise sails and sail off the mooring. I guess I could try and push the boat out a little and go for a straight raising sail - there is sufficient room to give it a try, depending on wind direction.
In either scenario - I will be launching half an hour before the top of the tide - and that adds a little frisson of excitement in itself - since I will be rowing over the ramps themselves and on the second ramp, trying to avoid being swept onto the rocks either side of it!
Anyway, problems to solve over the next few days.
Meanwhile, like so many other dinghy cruisers in the UK, I can now plan some over-nighters. I am thinking of the following trips in the coming months:
Old favourites:
I have held off going sailing for the simple reason that the local marina I use has not been allowing self launching to take place - even though it is open. Extremely frustrating to say the least but I sort of understand under the circumstances. However, with the lifting of lock down I am hoping they will review that situation for later on this week.
Otherwise, for the first time ever, I will have to use a public slipway in my home area. And that makes me nervous - after all I am the genuine paranoid dinghy cruiser!
I have a choice of two really - the first, in a car park and fairly steep with a tight right angled dog leg towards the bottom. Enclosed between car park wall and a building surround high decking on metal pillars is sheltered. But, alas, there is nowhere whatsoever to tie up your boat. So you grab the anchor and drop it on the ramp whilst you go park the car. The car park at the top of the ramp is smallish and getting a double space for car and trailer in a spot where you can make turns and get the rig down the ramp at the end of the day is tricky. In addition, you then have to pay by card for everything now and that means downloading an app - which often doesn't work - I speak from experience of it! The ramp exits immediately into the Sutton harbour area immediately south of the large pontoons where the pilot and tourist boats tie up. Its a busy traffic area. No time to warm up an outboard - row out into the busy waterway, raise sails and hope!
The alternative site across the Cattedown entrance from it, is a wide smooth ramp. The south west coastal footpath runs alongside it. Its a popular walking area. Here the car and trailer have to be driven up the ramp, along a side road and back onto the main road for either parking on the road, if available, or for putting in a public car park opposite, subject to spaces being available there. The ramp is shared by the water-sports centre as well. Again, there is nowhere to tie the boat up to. You have to launch the boat, guide it onto a small rocky beach, dump the anchor on the shingle/rock and then get the car parked asap. Car parking is free. You can't leave valuables in the boat - the area is too open and insecure with high volume of passers by; you need to lock your outboard onto the transom bracket. Once pushed off - you are out immediately into the current. It is a short row to some mooring cans, most of which will be vacant at this time of year. I could then warm up and sort the outboard engine, or depending on wind etc - raise sails and sail off the mooring. I guess I could try and push the boat out a little and go for a straight raising sail - there is sufficient room to give it a try, depending on wind direction.
In either scenario - I will be launching half an hour before the top of the tide - and that adds a little frisson of excitement in itself - since I will be rowing over the ramps themselves and on the second ramp, trying to avoid being swept onto the rocks either side of it!
Anyway, problems to solve over the next few days.
Meanwhile, like so many other dinghy cruisers in the UK, I can now plan some over-nighters. I am thinking of the following trips in the coming months:
Old favourites:
- overnight up at Redshank Point beach on the Lynher; or up to Treluggan or St Germans - this time exploring the waters up beyond these normal overnight stopping points - some real creek crawling
- up to Calstock again, but similarly, pushing on beyond the old port town up towards Morwhellam Quay area
New-ish areas:
- sail across to the mouth of the Avon, enter the river and sail up as far as Aveton Gifford.
- sailing a little further along the coast over to Hope Cove
Longer voyages:
I am thinking seriously about two longer voyages over the summer - each about 10 days or so.
- firstly, down to Falmouth, via Fowey (and passage up to Lostwithiel) and then sailing the Fal tributaries and the Helford river - taking the boat out at Falmouth.
- secondly, going eastwards - sailing over to Salcombe and overnighting up Frogmore Creek, before sailing around to Dartmouth and overnighting up at Totnes - I would then either sail on to Brixham or Torquay and take Arwen out there; or I would do the return journey back to Plymouth from Totnes, possibly stopping off and overnighting up the Avon again.
In the meantime, this week - on a 4.9m outgoing tide with low tide mid afternoon-ish, I guess what I am looking to achieve is
- a sail across to Rame Head and a lunch stop at Cawsand beach
- some sailing practice up to mooring buoys
- reacquainting myself with the basics - heaving to, anchoring etc.
- reacquainting myself with sail trimming and setting Arwen up so she helms herself
- taking photographs of the camera equipment I use aboard Arwen for a series of magazine articles
I'm really looking forward to it all.
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Thanks for taking a look at my blog. All comments and advice are welcome - drop me a few lines. You can always find videos about Arwen at www.youtube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy. Look forward to hearing from you.
Steve