It was a lovely day for a sail but we were a bit lazy getting up and in any case we had been waiting for a 'gentle' day to retrieve the topsail halyard. We'd lost it up the mast the last time we'd used it. I really need to improve the attachment point. Its a rectangular runner that slots into a track on the yard and it pops out sometimes when lowering the sail.
It was also an opportunity to replace the peak halyard which is attached to a wire rope strop at the top of the mast. We've already done the throat halyard and the jib halyard.
Alison did a grand job going up the mast on the jib halyard. She took a lot of her weight by gripping the mast with her bare feet and some more by hauling on the safety line. Coupled with the 2:1 purchase on the jib halyard it made my job really easy.
By pulling herself up on the safety line she was able to grab the wayward topsail halyard and bring it down. She also unshackled the old peak halyard so we could get that down.
I re-used the thimble in a new eye splice and Alison went up again to fit it. It took a while to get it running clear, but we now have good rope on all the main hauling lines.
I thought we might get around to giving her a bit of a scrub, but it wasn't to be. Hopefully we'll manage something before the East Coast race next week.
So no sailing, but a lovely day on the water anyway.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Sunday, 19 June 2011
A very short trip
The Holbrook Rally was the first OGA event we ever went to, and having missed it last year we definitely wanted to go this time, so Julian booked a day off. We checked the weather reports, and they were just about okay, and we headed to West Mersea in plenty of time to catch the lunch time tide.
It was windier than we expected on the mooring, and spitting with rain, but we set everything up, and cast off at 1305. The radio had been silent all morning, despite being on 16, so when we did not hear the 1310 forecast announcement I went straight to channel 84, and luckily caught it all. General synopsis contained a gale warning for Thames of force 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later. The Inshore waters forecast was just as bad so, not being idiots, we turned straight round and were back on our mooring by 1320.
We drove to the rally next morning instead. Only five boats actually went to Wrabness, and they spent a very rough night on the moorings. The racing was cancelled (not enough boats), but the lunch at the Royal Hospital School, and the barbeque on the beach both went ahead as planned and were very enjoyable. The weather was fine.... as long as you stayed ashore!
It was windier than we expected on the mooring, and spitting with rain, but we set everything up, and cast off at 1305. The radio had been silent all morning, despite being on 16, so when we did not hear the 1310 forecast announcement I went straight to channel 84, and luckily caught it all. General synopsis contained a gale warning for Thames of force 8, occasionally severe gale 9 later. The Inshore waters forecast was just as bad so, not being idiots, we turned straight round and were back on our mooring by 1320.
We drove to the rally next morning instead. Only five boats actually went to Wrabness, and they spent a very rough night on the moorings. The racing was cancelled (not enough boats), but the lunch at the Royal Hospital School, and the barbeque on the beach both went ahead as planned and were very enjoyable. The weather was fine.... as long as you stayed ashore!
Monday, 6 June 2011
...and back home
After an enjoyable Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning socialising with the Old Gaffers it was time to head home. The planned picnic at Kirby Quay got cancelled because of the weather; no one wanted to be out in a small boat in a F5-7, however sheltered the area!
At least the wind direction was right for going home, still NE, but the sunshine went before lunch time.
Our plan was to leave just before the evening low water to catch the last of the ebb out of the Backwaters and then enjoy the flood sweeping down the coast. The cancelled picnic made us think about leaving earlier, and we left Tichmarsh at 1630 and motored down to Stone Point. One look out into the bay made it clear that the wind over tide would make for a very uncomfortable trip, so we decided to stick with our original plan, and picked up a buoy in the Walton Channel to wait.
We ate dinner on the mooring, then stowed everything carefully before listened to the 1910 weather. Wind speed was down to F5-6, and this was when we planned to leave anyway, so we were off the buoy by 1915, and motored out to Pye End (no cutting any corners on a falling spring tide!). We hoisted a reefed main and stay sail in the swell, then sailed off out towards Stone Banks, glad not to be heading straight into the waves any more.
We soon shook out some of the reef, and unfurled the jib to balance it. We had to refurl it after we reached Stone Banks, and turned onto a run. Low water was 2043, and as soon as the tide turned the swell eased. We were past the Holland on Sea radar tower by 2145, having hoisted the full main. We were making 5.5 knots, touching 6 sometimes. Fast for us.
We rigged a preventer, then I had a doze for an hour while Julian helmed, then we swapped after unfurling the jib since we were now on a very broad reach. It was full dark, and the GPS was invaluable for peace of mind even though we could see the navigation lights on the Gunfleet and channel markers.
Using the channel markers as aiming points was excellent for steering, but I nearly put us on the Eagle shoal after I mistook North Eagle for Colne Bar and did not check the GPS at the right scale to confirm my aiming point. The depth was shallowing when I did not expect it too, but luckily Julian woke up and realised what was happening before we touched.
We rounded North Eagle (on the correct side) at 2330, and had a lovely reach up the Blackwater to the Nass Beacon where we dropped the sails just as it began raining.
We picked our way up to our mooring through progressively heavier rain, with horrible visibility. Julian kept us on course, while I kept collision watch in the bows. We've definitely got better at this, since we were never in any danger of touching anything, but it makes a nerve wracking end to a long night sail!
We were on our mooring at 0125, and ashore at 0240, absolutely soaked through.
We had a good weekend of sailing, the only problem being that most of it was in the dark!
At least the wind direction was right for going home, still NE, but the sunshine went before lunch time.
Our plan was to leave just before the evening low water to catch the last of the ebb out of the Backwaters and then enjoy the flood sweeping down the coast. The cancelled picnic made us think about leaving earlier, and we left Tichmarsh at 1630 and motored down to Stone Point. One look out into the bay made it clear that the wind over tide would make for a very uncomfortable trip, so we decided to stick with our original plan, and picked up a buoy in the Walton Channel to wait.
We ate dinner on the mooring, then stowed everything carefully before listened to the 1910 weather. Wind speed was down to F5-6, and this was when we planned to leave anyway, so we were off the buoy by 1915, and motored out to Pye End (no cutting any corners on a falling spring tide!). We hoisted a reefed main and stay sail in the swell, then sailed off out towards Stone Banks, glad not to be heading straight into the waves any more.
We soon shook out some of the reef, and unfurled the jib to balance it. We had to refurl it after we reached Stone Banks, and turned onto a run. Low water was 2043, and as soon as the tide turned the swell eased. We were past the Holland on Sea radar tower by 2145, having hoisted the full main. We were making 5.5 knots, touching 6 sometimes. Fast for us.
We rigged a preventer, then I had a doze for an hour while Julian helmed, then we swapped after unfurling the jib since we were now on a very broad reach. It was full dark, and the GPS was invaluable for peace of mind even though we could see the navigation lights on the Gunfleet and channel markers.
Using the channel markers as aiming points was excellent for steering, but I nearly put us on the Eagle shoal after I mistook North Eagle for Colne Bar and did not check the GPS at the right scale to confirm my aiming point. The depth was shallowing when I did not expect it too, but luckily Julian woke up and realised what was happening before we touched.
We rounded North Eagle (on the correct side) at 2330, and had a lovely reach up the Blackwater to the Nass Beacon where we dropped the sails just as it began raining.
We picked our way up to our mooring through progressively heavier rain, with horrible visibility. Julian kept us on course, while I kept collision watch in the bows. We've definitely got better at this, since we were never in any danger of touching anything, but it makes a nerve wracking end to a long night sail!
We were on our mooring at 0125, and ashore at 0240, absolutely soaked through.
We had a good weekend of sailing, the only problem being that most of it was in the dark!
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Up the coast with the tide
Real life got in the way of sailing after our adventures at Easter, so I only went to Robinetta once in May to check on her. She was fine, but looked a bit shabby with bird droppings, and the same was true when Julian and I got on board on Friday evening. We spent a couple of hours cleaning her up and getting her ready to sail then went to bed; we wanted to catch the early tide window up the coast to Walton.
High water was 0230, and that was when we dropped off our mooring and set out in the pitch black. We had the GPS chart, with our previous track on it so we knew where we were going, but the ticklish bit was picking the way throught the crowded moorings. Julian helmed, and I went to the bows and made sure we did not hit any buoys (the boats were much easier to miss!).
We were in open water and sailing by 0315 and made good progress to reach Clacton by 0545 despite the NE wind. After that we were headed too much by the wind, so it was on with the engine before we reached Holland on Sea and we motor sailed up the coast and round the Naze into a very rolly Rolling Ground littered with scrap plastic crab pot markers that were hard to see in the swell.
We cut across Penny Hole bay to the Backwaters number 2 bouy, keeping a careful eye on the depth gauge. We did not touch, but it was a huge relief to turn into the channel and turn the engine off to run into the Backwaters.
We were moored in Titchmarsh Marina at 1030, ready to drop.
High water was 0230, and that was when we dropped off our mooring and set out in the pitch black. We had the GPS chart, with our previous track on it so we knew where we were going, but the ticklish bit was picking the way throught the crowded moorings. Julian helmed, and I went to the bows and made sure we did not hit any buoys (the boats were much easier to miss!).
We were in open water and sailing by 0315 and made good progress to reach Clacton by 0545 despite the NE wind. After that we were headed too much by the wind, so it was on with the engine before we reached Holland on Sea and we motor sailed up the coast and round the Naze into a very rolly Rolling Ground littered with scrap plastic crab pot markers that were hard to see in the swell.
We cut across Penny Hole bay to the Backwaters number 2 bouy, keeping a careful eye on the depth gauge. We did not touch, but it was a huge relief to turn into the channel and turn the engine off to run into the Backwaters.
We were moored in Titchmarsh Marina at 1030, ready to drop.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Getting home across the Raysand Channel
Julian and I headed back to North Fambridge after work on Wednesday, to spend the night on Robinetta before sailing home on Thursday, but she was no where to be seen when we got there! It took us quarter of an hour to find her tucked in between two larger boats in a different part of the marina!
Low water was at 0900 next morning, and there is a sill at the marina entrance that is too shallow to cross an hour either side of low water, so when we woke at 0530 we left and went to tie up at the yacht station pontoon for another couple of hours sleep. It was so peaceful there that after breakfast Julian tried climbing up the ratlines and onto the mast hoops to reclaim our lost top sail halyard. He got onto the first hoop but decided against trying to climb higher, and came down again.
We set off down river at 0905, on a rising tide, with the wind on the nose, but unlike last Sunday today's wind was only forecast East, or North East f3-4, and so not too rough. We had the main and stay sail set, but were relying on the engine to go anywhere, and we had a timetable to keep. By 1130 we were past the entrance into the Roach, and motor sailing to keep up a speed of 4 knots against the tide.
Normally heading home from Fambridge we work with the tide, and head all the way out to the Spitway, but today we had decided to use the shortcut across the Raysand channel, (pronounced raisan) so wanted to be at the Outer Crouch Bouy by 1230, two hours before high water to cross the drying sand bank with enough rising tide in hand to back off if we grounded. I was extremely nervous about this passage, but we had planned it carefully, and taken all care we could, so after we passed Outer Crouch and reached the narrowest part of the Buxey sands, with a least depth of 0', we left the Whitaker channel and sailed over the sand.
This was a good point of sail, a very pleasant reach, and we put the engine in neutral, but kept it on in case of problems. I was helming, and concentrated on following the "deepest" path shown on our GPS charts, while sailing Robinetta in the slight swell. I asked Julian to watch our depth gage, so I wasn't worrying about it, and he kept up a constant and reassuring report of "no change" after an initial "5 foot". Once the GPS showed us in a non drying area I turned the engine off and relaxed, and let Julian look up again! He said out least depth had been about 3', which gives us 2' beneath the keel. Not great clearance but enough given the sea state.
We were clear of the sand with 1 1/2 hours of rising tide, so stayed in the shallows, taking the most direct course to clear the end of the drying area of the St Peter's flats. Julian made lunch, in a suddenly rolling sea, while I sailed Robinetta, then after we ate I gave him the helm, and we sailed all the way up to our mooring, picking it up under sail at 1540, after nearly a fortnight away.
Worm towed beautifully all through out expedition, but something definitely happened to her, possibly when the North Fambridge marina staff moved her. When I went to get in to head back to the pontoon at West Mersea Julian noticed that the front thwart, where I sit when rowing or a passenger, was only attached on one side. Not good, and I was glad the outboard was working as I held my seat in place for the trip!
Robinetta's bows are now dry, but she is letting in water somewhere, as we pumped on a regular basis on every passage. Julian had a look, and he thinks it is coming in through the stern gland; stopping that, and reclaiming our top sail halyard are our next maintenance tasks. I also want to put another layer of varnol on the cap rails in the cockpit. The sadolin wore just as quickly, but the varnol looks so much better that I want to keep it smart!
Low water was at 0900 next morning, and there is a sill at the marina entrance that is too shallow to cross an hour either side of low water, so when we woke at 0530 we left and went to tie up at the yacht station pontoon for another couple of hours sleep. It was so peaceful there that after breakfast Julian tried climbing up the ratlines and onto the mast hoops to reclaim our lost top sail halyard. He got onto the first hoop but decided against trying to climb higher, and came down again.
We set off down river at 0905, on a rising tide, with the wind on the nose, but unlike last Sunday today's wind was only forecast East, or North East f3-4, and so not too rough. We had the main and stay sail set, but were relying on the engine to go anywhere, and we had a timetable to keep. By 1130 we were past the entrance into the Roach, and motor sailing to keep up a speed of 4 knots against the tide.
Normally heading home from Fambridge we work with the tide, and head all the way out to the Spitway, but today we had decided to use the shortcut across the Raysand channel, (pronounced raisan) so wanted to be at the Outer Crouch Bouy by 1230, two hours before high water to cross the drying sand bank with enough rising tide in hand to back off if we grounded. I was extremely nervous about this passage, but we had planned it carefully, and taken all care we could, so after we passed Outer Crouch and reached the narrowest part of the Buxey sands, with a least depth of 0', we left the Whitaker channel and sailed over the sand.
This was a good point of sail, a very pleasant reach, and we put the engine in neutral, but kept it on in case of problems. I was helming, and concentrated on following the "deepest" path shown on our GPS charts, while sailing Robinetta in the slight swell. I asked Julian to watch our depth gage, so I wasn't worrying about it, and he kept up a constant and reassuring report of "no change" after an initial "5 foot". Once the GPS showed us in a non drying area I turned the engine off and relaxed, and let Julian look up again! He said out least depth had been about 3', which gives us 2' beneath the keel. Not great clearance but enough given the sea state.
We were clear of the sand with 1 1/2 hours of rising tide, so stayed in the shallows, taking the most direct course to clear the end of the drying area of the St Peter's flats. Julian made lunch, in a suddenly rolling sea, while I sailed Robinetta, then after we ate I gave him the helm, and we sailed all the way up to our mooring, picking it up under sail at 1540, after nearly a fortnight away.
Worm towed beautifully all through out expedition, but something definitely happened to her, possibly when the North Fambridge marina staff moved her. When I went to get in to head back to the pontoon at West Mersea Julian noticed that the front thwart, where I sit when rowing or a passenger, was only attached on one side. Not good, and I was glad the outboard was working as I held my seat in place for the trip!
Robinetta's bows are now dry, but she is letting in water somewhere, as we pumped on a regular basis on every passage. Julian had a look, and he thinks it is coming in through the stern gland; stopping that, and reclaiming our top sail halyard are our next maintenance tasks. I also want to put another layer of varnol on the cap rails in the cockpit. The sadolin wore just as quickly, but the varnol looks so much better that I want to keep it smart!
Monday, 2 May 2011
The Fambridge Rally
We picked up a buoy at Burnham overnight, then used Worm to get ashore for some shopping on Saturday morning. Ben was due to join us for the weekend, so we waited until he joined us for a late lunch before running up to Fambridge.
The wind had picked up again, and it only took us an hour to get there, even against the tide. Given the high winds over the past week there were a lot of boats on the yacht club pontoon. Aussie II, Baldrick, Gwenilli, Mole, Robinetta, Quiet Days, and William. Janner was only just back in the water, but stayed in the marina while her crew joined us at dinner at the Ferry Boat Inn.
Robinetta draws too much to make it to Battlesbridge, so next day Mick King gave us a lift up river in Baldrick, his Memory. We had a nice run up there on jib alone, with the centre plate up, and Mick desperately hoping he could remember how to find the deepest water. There was only just enough space with sufficient depth to turn Baldrick, and too little water to get to the pontoon to tie up, so we rafted up on a friendly barge, as did Mole, Quiet days, and William. Aussie II did make it to the pontoon, but only just!
Coming back down river after lunch was a graphic demonstration of the difference wind over tide can make to a situation. We were motoring for a start, since the wind was on the nose, and Baldrick has a small outboard, mounted beside the rudder, which it can foul unless both are steered at the same time. The prop is shallow, and with waves over 2' high and closely spaced the prop was out of the water more often than was healthy for it. Then there were the moored boats...
Heading up river with the wind and tide the boats on their moorings had all lain the same way, without moving noticeably. Coming back they formed a moving maze that had to be navigated with extreme caution; not all the moorings were properly spaced and we saw at least two boats colliding with each other on their moorings. Thanks to Mick's skill we made it through without touching a thing, but it was very hard work for him!
The rally plan was to pick up the larger boats (Gwenilli and Robinetta) from Fambridge, and continue down to Burnham for dinner, but the trip back from Battlesbridge had been such hard work that only William continued on. Quiet Days went straight into the marina to join Janner, while the others just tied up on the pontoon, and had dinner at the Ferry Boat Inn again. We had hoped that the forecast for tomorrow would show a decrease in the wind, but it still predicted NE f5-7, so we decided not to go. Ben caught the train back home, while Julian and I stayed on Robinetta.
We regretted staying on the pontoon after the tide turned again after midnight. Robinetta was plunging up and down, constantly snatching at her mooring lines. When we listened to the 0600UTC forecast there was a gale warning, so we ended our rally by motoring Robinetta into the marina, and tying up next to Janner, while we headed home by train.
The wind had picked up again, and it only took us an hour to get there, even against the tide. Given the high winds over the past week there were a lot of boats on the yacht club pontoon. Aussie II, Baldrick, Gwenilli, Mole, Robinetta, Quiet Days, and William. Janner was only just back in the water, but stayed in the marina while her crew joined us at dinner at the Ferry Boat Inn.
Robinetta draws too much to make it to Battlesbridge, so next day Mick King gave us a lift up river in Baldrick, his Memory. We had a nice run up there on jib alone, with the centre plate up, and Mick desperately hoping he could remember how to find the deepest water. There was only just enough space with sufficient depth to turn Baldrick, and too little water to get to the pontoon to tie up, so we rafted up on a friendly barge, as did Mole, Quiet days, and William. Aussie II did make it to the pontoon, but only just!
Coming back down river after lunch was a graphic demonstration of the difference wind over tide can make to a situation. We were motoring for a start, since the wind was on the nose, and Baldrick has a small outboard, mounted beside the rudder, which it can foul unless both are steered at the same time. The prop is shallow, and with waves over 2' high and closely spaced the prop was out of the water more often than was healthy for it. Then there were the moored boats...
Heading up river with the wind and tide the boats on their moorings had all lain the same way, without moving noticeably. Coming back they formed a moving maze that had to be navigated with extreme caution; not all the moorings were properly spaced and we saw at least two boats colliding with each other on their moorings. Thanks to Mick's skill we made it through without touching a thing, but it was very hard work for him!
The rally plan was to pick up the larger boats (Gwenilli and Robinetta) from Fambridge, and continue down to Burnham for dinner, but the trip back from Battlesbridge had been such hard work that only William continued on. Quiet Days went straight into the marina to join Janner, while the others just tied up on the pontoon, and had dinner at the Ferry Boat Inn again. We had hoped that the forecast for tomorrow would show a decrease in the wind, but it still predicted NE f5-7, so we decided not to go. Ben caught the train back home, while Julian and I stayed on Robinetta.
We regretted staying on the pontoon after the tide turned again after midnight. Robinetta was plunging up and down, constantly snatching at her mooring lines. When we listened to the 0600UTC forecast there was a gale warning, so we ended our rally by motoring Robinetta into the marina, and tying up next to Janner, while we headed home by train.
Friday, 29 April 2011
Sailing!
We left Ramsgate on Friday morning and fought the wind & tide up to North Foreland. It was a little choppy but nothing bad. Once we got to the Outer Fisherman's Gat buoy we turned into a sailing boat!
The wind gradually got up as we went and we rolled more and more of the main onto the boom and eventually put the jib away.
We haven't updated the charts. A mistake. The Sunk Beacon has gone.
Once we got into the Whitaker we were on an almost dead run all the way to Burnham, touching 6 knots (with the tide) at times.
It was sunny all day and quite lovely.
Worm towed beautifully.
The wind gradually got up as we went and we rolled more and more of the main onto the boom and eventually put the jib away.
We haven't updated the charts. A mistake. The Sunk Beacon has gone.
Once we got into the Whitaker we were on an almost dead run all the way to Burnham, touching 6 knots (with the tide) at times.
It was sunny all day and quite lovely.
Worm towed beautifully.
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