Took Robinetta to Tollesbury at high water to fill up with diesel ready for the August Classics. She hasn't been near a marina since Ramsgate across the Royal Wedding and we used a lot getting to Southwold last Friday.
We saw at least four Westerly 22s (or Nomads - not sure I can tell the difference) - including one called Kittiwake. Don't know if they are all local.
A real Rayner Sunday!
Lots of smacks out too - practicing for Mersea Week?
The gap between the front of the bits and the deck is getting bigger and I can wiggle the port bit slightly. Scary.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Perfect Day
Sometimes things go better than one has any right to expect. I had to work on Monday but Tuesday looked good to come home. On Sunday night, Pete and Sarah had given us a lift to Manningtree in their camper van. They offered to bring us back to Southwold too, but we found a decent public transport option. It was a bit critical - 1600 train from Liverpool Street to Ipswich, connecting train to Halesworth and connecting bus to Southwold. But the bus would not wait for the train! In the event everything went like clockwork.
We had a fine meal at Coasters in Southwold and a good night's sleep on Robinetta.
We left Southwold at 0630 and caught the last of the flood towards Sizewell. We got the sails up and had a remarkable single reach all the way into the Blackwater.
We did go head to wind three times - twice to reef and once to shake them out, but the engine went off as soon as we were clear of Southwold Harbour, and did not go on again until we reached the Nass beacon. We made over 6 knots when the tide was with us, and over 4 for most of the time. Such a difference from the trip up there.
We beat up the Blackwater to West Mersea and motored up the Thorn Fleet and Ray channel. We saw a chap on a Laser paddling, proving that the wind had really died!
It doesn't get any better than that!
The only problem was the pumping. She pumped at least once an hour all the way home, and more than that when we were pushing her hard with a double reefed main and staystail (no jib). It seemed to be coming in near the mast step, not a good sign....
We had a fine meal at Coasters in Southwold and a good night's sleep on Robinetta.
We left Southwold at 0630 and caught the last of the flood towards Sizewell. We got the sails up and had a remarkable single reach all the way into the Blackwater.
We did go head to wind three times - twice to reef and once to shake them out, but the engine went off as soon as we were clear of Southwold Harbour, and did not go on again until we reached the Nass beacon. We made over 6 knots when the tide was with us, and over 4 for most of the time. Such a difference from the trip up there.
We beat up the Blackwater to West Mersea and motored up the Thorn Fleet and Ray channel. We saw a chap on a Laser paddling, proving that the wind had really died!
It doesn't get any better than that!
The only problem was the pumping. She pumped at least once an hour all the way home, and more than that when we were pushing her hard with a double reefed main and staystail (no jib). It seemed to be coming in near the mast step, not a good sign....
Sunday, 7 August 2011
To Blythburgh
The Sunday plan was to take the little boats up to the White Hart Inn at Blythburgh. We wanted to sail up in Worm. Great Days had their Tinker inflatable sailing dinghy, Robert from Charm had a lug sail on his dinghy and Pete the knife and Sarah had trailered their Wayfarer. Trevor from Gromit, Melvyn, Mike and Clive came on flubbers with outboards and Lorna (Charm) hitched a ride on the safety boat.
Alison and I spent some time seeing if Worm would actually take two sailing. With Alison propping her back against the mast it just about worked.
We rowed under the Bailey bridge and put the mast and sail up. It soon became apparent that it would be a hard beat up to Blythburgh and after a gallant effort we gave up and got a tow from the safety boat.
After good beer and craic at the pub we headed back. This time Worm sailed really nicely in the evening sun.
Alison and I spent some time seeing if Worm would actually take two sailing. With Alison propping her back against the mast it just about worked.
We rowed under the Bailey bridge and put the mast and sail up. It soon became apparent that it would be a hard beat up to Blythburgh and after a gallant effort we gave up and got a tow from the safety boat.
After good beer and craic at the pub we headed back. This time Worm sailed really nicely in the evening sun.
The Nancy Oldfield Cup
should have been won racing on Saturday, but as we chickened out the committee decided to award it to 'the most helpful harbour masters on the East Coast'. The Southwold team had really entered into the spirit of our visit
both front and back!
Saturday, 6 August 2011
A morning race
We had come to Southwold to race for the Sole Bay Cup, and the Nancy Oldfield Trophy, so the plan was for two races, on before and one after lunch. There were not many competitors, as a lot of boats that might have been there were stuck in Holland after the Dutch Classic Yacht Regatta. Great Days was not intending so race, so Clive, in Quintet, the only other Bermudan there, decided not to race her, and helped out by helming the undermanned barge Dinah. Charm, Gromit, and Robinetta were the only other competitors, so a rather mismatched four boats began the race.
Mismatched boats are nothing new for an old gaffers rally, and since Southwold is a round the cans race they make it work by having timed laps, and comparing best lap time for each boat, rather than over all elapsed time.
Patient Griselda, the committee boat made one end of the line, with the other being Southwold Pier, and the first race began at 1110. Robinetta soon fell behind Charm and Gromit, but started well ahead of Dinah, and managed to extend the lead to complete her first lap about ten minutes clear. We got the topsail up for the down wind and broad reaching legs, and were effective round all the buoys, so felt quite pleased with ourselves. At that point Patient Griselda announced that Dinah and Robinetta were only going to go round once, while Charm and Gromit completed two laps.
Gromit decided to retire after completing the first race, and Dinah headed back to harbour too. Robinetta against Charm seemed like too much of a foregone conclusion, and the wind and seas were getting up, making Patient Griselda look uncomfortable rolling on her anchor, so I decided to retire as well.
We were all back in harbour by 1345, and we moored up next to Dinah. She made a very stable "pontoon" berth for us; we could not get shore lines past her!
A new boat joined us that afternoon for her first OGA rally. Lodestar is a Stella, that will be based in the Medway area, but her owners are cruising her on the East Coast this year since they bought her on the Orwell, and have fallen in love with the area.
The evening chilli meal provided by the Southwold sailing club was really good, as were the 8 different beers available for the OGA beer festival. More OGA members arrived in the evening without their boats, but I'm not sure we made much of a dent in all that beer...
Robinetta was awarded the Passage Race Cup, for having come the furthest distance (certainly not the fastest, all that engine use....). We also got 3rd place in the racing, with Charm first and Gromit second. It felt good to be going up for prizes, but very odd!
Mismatched boats are nothing new for an old gaffers rally, and since Southwold is a round the cans race they make it work by having timed laps, and comparing best lap time for each boat, rather than over all elapsed time.
Patient Griselda, the committee boat made one end of the line, with the other being Southwold Pier, and the first race began at 1110. Robinetta soon fell behind Charm and Gromit, but started well ahead of Dinah, and managed to extend the lead to complete her first lap about ten minutes clear. We got the topsail up for the down wind and broad reaching legs, and were effective round all the buoys, so felt quite pleased with ourselves. At that point Patient Griselda announced that Dinah and Robinetta were only going to go round once, while Charm and Gromit completed two laps.
Gromit decided to retire after completing the first race, and Dinah headed back to harbour too. Robinetta against Charm seemed like too much of a foregone conclusion, and the wind and seas were getting up, making Patient Griselda look uncomfortable rolling on her anchor, so I decided to retire as well.
We were all back in harbour by 1345, and we moored up next to Dinah. She made a very stable "pontoon" berth for us; we could not get shore lines past her!
A new boat joined us that afternoon for her first OGA rally. Lodestar is a Stella, that will be based in the Medway area, but her owners are cruising her on the East Coast this year since they bought her on the Orwell, and have fallen in love with the area.
The evening chilli meal provided by the Southwold sailing club was really good, as were the 8 different beers available for the OGA beer festival. More OGA members arrived in the evening without their boats, but I'm not sure we made much of a dent in all that beer...
Robinetta was awarded the Passage Race Cup, for having come the furthest distance (certainly not the fastest, all that engine use....). We also got 3rd place in the racing, with Charm first and Gromit second. It felt good to be going up for prizes, but very odd!
Friday, 5 August 2011
Another Early Start
Getting to Southwold is very weather and time dependant. Julian booked Friday off, and the weather looked favourable (SW wind), so we headed to West Mersea on Thursday evening ready for an early start.
Spring low water tides meant we could not launch Worm until gone 2330, so we left home late. There was only just enough water, and we could not get the outboard prop in the water near the pontoon so I had to row until we reached the Gut. After that the tide was running in so strongly that I could not make any head way, and was really relieved when Julian found there was enough water for the outboard!
The stars were amazing, and I even saw the Milky Way for the first time.
High tide was at 0505 in the morning, and we wanted to make the most of it, so we planned to off the mooring before 0400. We managed to get off at 0350, and made it to Colne Bar, motor sailing, by 0520. We turned the engine off and put the top sail up, then ran/broad reached up to the Deben, getting there at 0915. We went beautifully for the first three hours, with good wind and the tide under us, and the sunrise over Colne bar made getting up so early worthwhile.
The wind dropped after we reached the Deben, and we were not going fast enough to make the tidal gate into Southwold Harbour, so the engine went on for a bit. We tried turning it off half an hour later, but we were falling behind schedule, so it went on within the hour, and stayed on. We took the inside course up to the Orford light house, going inside the Whiting Bank, and with the tide running strongly against us we only managed 2 knots, even with the engine, so decided it might be better to go outside the Aldeburgh Bank. It was, and we managed to get to Southwold and enter the harbour before the ebb began running.
We tied up alongside Charm at 1555, after a 12 hour trip. We could have done with more wind, but at least it was not against us, and the weather was reasonably sunny. Having to make the tidal gate to enter Southwold does not make for a relaxing journey, but having planned it well enough to succeed is a reward of a sort.
Spring low water tides meant we could not launch Worm until gone 2330, so we left home late. There was only just enough water, and we could not get the outboard prop in the water near the pontoon so I had to row until we reached the Gut. After that the tide was running in so strongly that I could not make any head way, and was really relieved when Julian found there was enough water for the outboard!
The stars were amazing, and I even saw the Milky Way for the first time.
High tide was at 0505 in the morning, and we wanted to make the most of it, so we planned to off the mooring before 0400. We managed to get off at 0350, and made it to Colne Bar, motor sailing, by 0520. We turned the engine off and put the top sail up, then ran/broad reached up to the Deben, getting there at 0915. We went beautifully for the first three hours, with good wind and the tide under us, and the sunrise over Colne bar made getting up so early worthwhile.
The wind dropped after we reached the Deben, and we were not going fast enough to make the tidal gate into Southwold Harbour, so the engine went on for a bit. We tried turning it off half an hour later, but we were falling behind schedule, so it went on within the hour, and stayed on. We took the inside course up to the Orford light house, going inside the Whiting Bank, and with the tide running strongly against us we only managed 2 knots, even with the engine, so decided it might be better to go outside the Aldeburgh Bank. It was, and we managed to get to Southwold and enter the harbour before the ebb began running. We tied up alongside Charm at 1555, after a 12 hour trip. We could have done with more wind, but at least it was not against us, and the weather was reasonably sunny. Having to make the tidal gate to enter Southwold does not make for a relaxing journey, but having planned it well enough to succeed is a reward of a sort.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Scrubbing Posts
By 6am we were high and dry, but being bed loving folks we didn't venture down until 7. As expected, there was a lot of weed. The new prop and the whole of the lower hull were totally encrusted in barnacles.
Judicious use of broom and car ice scraper and generous amounts of elbow grease resulted in a nice clean hull with plenty of time to spare. We waited until Worm was afloat and rowed to the pontoon and had ham egg & chips at the Blackwater Pearl. Shortly after we got back Robinetta was afloat and we motored back to our mooring.
It was Mersea Cadet Week and we saw the Optimist, Laser, Topper and RS fleets and a miscellaneous group of Mirrors and other dinghies go out and come back. In the afternoon, the Oppies raced right passed us in the Ray Channel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
