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

Friday, 26 August 2022

astrophotography from boats

 Well not from the boats, I mean that would be impossible wouldn't it, all that bobbing about!

However, on those nights beached in remote spots where there are dark skies up the river Tamar, well that is a different scenario isn't it.

I have been saving for some time and finally I have bought a good astrophotography travel rig comprising

  • zenithstar 61ii with field flattener - for both visual and imaging work
  • samyang 135mm F/2 lens
  • skywatcher star adventurer 2i wifi pro star tracker 
It will all team up with my canon 800d dslr and my Benro mach 3 carbon fibre tripod. 

Astrophotography is new to me. It is a huge steep learning curve. I am getting to grips with the tracker and the image taking. The actual post processing is a dark art which I continue to grapple with and I feel I am making little progress in that area. 

Still, the kit packs down well into one storage box inside two dry bags (one inside the other) and on days when the weather gives gentle breezes and good spring tides, I feel some trips up river for stargazing coming on. I will keep you posted. 
The new telescope

the night sky above my garden in a semi rural - suburban area


my first planet image - Jupiter and three of her moons

the sky above my nearest beach

Thursday, 4 August 2022

Episode three

 Enjoy. Links to episode one and two on video in first few minutes 

https://youtu.be/bbzt1EMiJ_E