I'm sure it was around this time last year that I was all ice'd up, snow everywhere being visited for the first time by my new owners. Yet here I am, Sunday out in blue skies and sunshine with temperatures in double figures.
There is a low pressure system in France somewhere bringing in a northerly wind about F5-6 according to the weather models my skipper scours over, dropping to F4 later, according to the inshore weather forecast. The Solent wasn't busy but then again you don't expect it to be this time of year do you or do you ? I've not been here long enough yet, but I've watched a lot of craft moving back & forth, every day.
So I was restricted to one reef and the compass was heading in a westerly destination, my wind instruments failed to acknowledge anything so they were turned off. Also the speed & trip sensor wasn't either but that probably had some life form or debris in it ! Still the GPS gave SOG so that was good enough for a pleasant run out. The little list of jobs just gets longer !
With the tide behind me and just the reefed mainsail exposed to the wind I set off to stretch my legs 7, 8 & 9 knots, the Solent had horses but no swell to speak of, this was easy. I had a chap I'd not seen before on the helm and obviously it was new to him, after a while he got the hang of it and I was no longer pointing 30 either side of the intended course. I passed a container vessel taking advantage of the reasonable conditions & coming into the Solent via the Needles, his wash was minimal against the wave pattern, although he was empty.
It must have been around lunchtime I suppose before the kettle went on and I had drawn level with Yarmouth, with tea drunk, I was brought about and headed against the last of the tide & a head wind. So close hauled and mid channel amongst a number of yachts that were keeping out of the tide I jogged up to around 5 knots, which seemed excessively slow compared to my run here. So my skipper hauled out 3/4's of the jib and soon I was well balanced and clocking 6.5 knots, easing past all around me. With the tide now turned I was gathering pace again - full jib and the large ketch in front was getting closer, I could also sail higher than her. 8, 8.5 even 9 knots again and by the time Egypt Point was coming up the Ketch had to tack and conceded second best in my virtual race.
I didn't alter course and passed the Medina allowing the car ferry to pass to stern of me and also my skipper was aware that the high speed Red Jet catamaran was due to come out. So by the time I'd dropped my sails and headed back to the Medina it was empty. The chain link clunked across in front & I reduced power and let the wind & tide brig me in. Turning back on to my remote pontoon, I gently came along side, pleased in the knowledge that full advantage had been taken of a beautiful sunny day.
Monday, 7 November 2011
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Buoy It's Busy
Hardly seems it - but a month has passed since I left Scotland to come down to Cowes. The weather has been wonderful and I hope friends I left behind haven't had too much rain - ha. The back drop might not quite be the same but you can see the history of ship building that turned this town in to the mecca of the sailing world. In fact I am opposite the only pre-WW1 hammerhead crane still in existence in the UK and it's almost home from home. Built in 1912 in Renfrew, Glasgow only a few miles from where I've just come, it was used to build warships of its time, in fact HMS Cavalier is currently in Chatham and the Polish destroyer ‘ORP Blyskawica’ is also preserved in Poland.
Boy is it busy, every day there are boats of all descriptions passing up & down the Medina River. The Red Funnel ferry's lands not far from me and I can see the quaint chain link ferry or floating bridge for want of another name.
Work has taken my skipper away at the moment but I know he's been going through secondary port calculations, why I don't know to be honest, may be thoughts of anchoring in Newtown or Wootton Creek without getting stuck. Newtown the old capital city of the Island is now a National Trust area so I'm told and remains unspoilt. Not untouched as signs of the original timber harbour wall are still visible, although barely recognisable as one, more a revetment but without a purpose. Despite the number of visitors it must get through its narrow entrance during the summer, it is a remote piece of the island, we will probably not share it or many similar places now with visitors until after April when the masses return following their winter hibernation. I have the ability to take advantage of crisp sunny weekends and already in a position to ease out into the Solent in search of that tranquil spot.
As always there is a list of 'things to do' for me, not quite as urgent as the replacement of my hull windows, but none the less be good to get done when the weather has made a stand or other commitments that prevent my crew from taking me out. The oil fired heating system has the wrong size ducts fitted, a factory fault at birth, that for some reason the factory has managed to shy away from. The clamps on the bottom of the mast need to be re tightened. Seems a simple job but the running rigging needs to be relaxed so that the top plate can be pulled back down to the deck without twisting, the reason for water seeping in. I'm sure the VHF speaker at the rear is a matter of something between the two mike's has been turned off or gone out of sync with each other. Still a simple electrical test will show what's happened to both external speakers on my port side. I may even get an inverter, so that the 'mains' system can be used even when shore power is not connected, the eight batteries I have will have a good flow between them but I may have to have an upgrade to the alternator at some point to keep things topped up.
It's a never ending list fortunately unlike wooden boats, I haven't got to worry about my skin and have varnish and other coverings to keep me looking cared for, just a good wash & occasional polish. Although I do need the rigging in the coach roof exposed to ease my pulleys under the covers and of course wash out the years of crud that has accumulated in there.
It certainly getting colder at nights, but nothing compared to the winters I've been through, so I have lots to look at whilst my crew look to their diaries for an opportunity. At least once a week if not more I get a visit to make sure I'm ok and a quick spruce up in side.
Boy is it busy, every day there are boats of all descriptions passing up & down the Medina River. The Red Funnel ferry's lands not far from me and I can see the quaint chain link ferry or floating bridge for want of another name.
Work has taken my skipper away at the moment but I know he's been going through secondary port calculations, why I don't know to be honest, may be thoughts of anchoring in Newtown or Wootton Creek without getting stuck. Newtown the old capital city of the Island is now a National Trust area so I'm told and remains unspoilt. Not untouched as signs of the original timber harbour wall are still visible, although barely recognisable as one, more a revetment but without a purpose. Despite the number of visitors it must get through its narrow entrance during the summer, it is a remote piece of the island, we will probably not share it or many similar places now with visitors until after April when the masses return following their winter hibernation. I have the ability to take advantage of crisp sunny weekends and already in a position to ease out into the Solent in search of that tranquil spot.
As always there is a list of 'things to do' for me, not quite as urgent as the replacement of my hull windows, but none the less be good to get done when the weather has made a stand or other commitments that prevent my crew from taking me out. The oil fired heating system has the wrong size ducts fitted, a factory fault at birth, that for some reason the factory has managed to shy away from. The clamps on the bottom of the mast need to be re tightened. Seems a simple job but the running rigging needs to be relaxed so that the top plate can be pulled back down to the deck without twisting, the reason for water seeping in. I'm sure the VHF speaker at the rear is a matter of something between the two mike's has been turned off or gone out of sync with each other. Still a simple electrical test will show what's happened to both external speakers on my port side. I may even get an inverter, so that the 'mains' system can be used even when shore power is not connected, the eight batteries I have will have a good flow between them but I may have to have an upgrade to the alternator at some point to keep things topped up.
It's a never ending list fortunately unlike wooden boats, I haven't got to worry about my skin and have varnish and other coverings to keep me looking cared for, just a good wash & occasional polish. Although I do need the rigging in the coach roof exposed to ease my pulleys under the covers and of course wash out the years of crud that has accumulated in there.
It certainly getting colder at nights, but nothing compared to the winters I've been through, so I have lots to look at whilst my crew look to their diaries for an opportunity. At least once a week if not more I get a visit to make sure I'm ok and a quick spruce up in side.
Friday, 7 October 2011
Good Old Hanse
As you may recall, during my trip down the east coast of Ireland to Falmouth, a small matter of a loss of a port hole sometime before 0100 happened.
How it happened will never be known, speculation amongst my skipper is that, like the replaced panels on my coach roof, that buckled in the sun. The port side hull window, which also happened to be predominantly in the sun when it wasn't raining, may have also distorted. Due to the smaller size of the window this distortion may have only been slight but enough to crack the glued seal allowing water to seep in. This in turn froze during the harsh winters in Scotland acting further on the seal, opening it up some more.
Externally there were black streaks running down the hull, but this was not uncommon on all six of these windows, no other sign of impending failure at all.
So my skipper e-mailed Inspiration Marine (IM) the Hanse UK dealer in the Hamble, just over the Solent from where I am now. They have contacted the manufacturer who have instructed IM to inspect the remaining windows and if necessary take them out, clean up & re-glue with a more advanced modern material.
Hanse themselves have gone further & located a more traditional clamped window, which may be more of a safer solution for the windows in my master cabin as these tend to take the onslaught of mother nature more than any other. I'm not sure what they look like and my skipper has requested images so he can see.
So soon I'll be off to Hamble Point Marina, where I'll be worked on for a few days and hopefully return the confidence of my owners that I shall not allow the dolphins to pinch the window again !
Photo's of my new works will be posted or alternatively look on http://www.myhanse.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=13 and look for JonB's entry
How it happened will never be known, speculation amongst my skipper is that, like the replaced panels on my coach roof, that buckled in the sun. The port side hull window, which also happened to be predominantly in the sun when it wasn't raining, may have also distorted. Due to the smaller size of the window this distortion may have only been slight but enough to crack the glued seal allowing water to seep in. This in turn froze during the harsh winters in Scotland acting further on the seal, opening it up some more.
Externally there were black streaks running down the hull, but this was not uncommon on all six of these windows, no other sign of impending failure at all.
So my skipper e-mailed Inspiration Marine (IM) the Hanse UK dealer in the Hamble, just over the Solent from where I am now. They have contacted the manufacturer who have instructed IM to inspect the remaining windows and if necessary take them out, clean up & re-glue with a more advanced modern material.
Hanse themselves have gone further & located a more traditional clamped window, which may be more of a safer solution for the windows in my master cabin as these tend to take the onslaught of mother nature more than any other. I'm not sure what they look like and my skipper has requested images so he can see.
So soon I'll be off to Hamble Point Marina, where I'll be worked on for a few days and hopefully return the confidence of my owners that I shall not allow the dolphins to pinch the window again !
Photo's of my new works will be posted or alternatively look on http://www.myhanse.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=13 and look for JonB's entry
Sunday, 2 October 2011
A place they call Home
Wow the temperature is really different down here. It's October & not that far away it's nearly 30c a record for this time of year ! Still this morning there was good old fog but that soon burnt off and the warm air I felt as we approached the island was entering the hatches once more & drying my insides out.
The passage from Weymouth gave one more chance to do what I do best & sail. Having left the old town at 1030, replacing my water pump first. I sailed at 8knots on the rhumb line to the next way point, keeping me away from Lulworth firing range, at this rate I'd reach the Needles around 1700. After lunch I was tacked over only to find that the wind & the angle was not great, so the engine went back on, shame, it had been a good run. Yet again though the windex played up and despite re-setting them to factory defaults it still didn't work properly. I can see another trip up the mast for my skipper, turning the vane slowly through two 360 degree motions to re-calibrate it.
Cowes was extremely busy, the warm weather had brought everyone out, no doubt a welcome injection of last minute income to the community. I passed all these lights & yachts I've not seen so many in one place, & taken up a river to find a place to stay. It got really shallow at one point but I swung round & came to on a remote pontoon, likely to be my home for a while.
So 787 nm, 250 lts of fuel, 13 days, 5 crew, 2 night passages, 1 crew change, I'm in Cowes
Now the adventures begin, just need to sort all the little jobs out first
Don't forget to revisit the blog to see photo's as they're added plus possibly more detail added to the routes
The passage from Weymouth gave one more chance to do what I do best & sail. Having left the old town at 1030, replacing my water pump first. I sailed at 8knots on the rhumb line to the next way point, keeping me away from Lulworth firing range, at this rate I'd reach the Needles around 1700. After lunch I was tacked over only to find that the wind & the angle was not great, so the engine went back on, shame, it had been a good run. Yet again though the windex played up and despite re-setting them to factory defaults it still didn't work properly. I can see another trip up the mast for my skipper, turning the vane slowly through two 360 degree motions to re-calibrate it.
Cowes was extremely busy, the warm weather had brought everyone out, no doubt a welcome injection of last minute income to the community. I passed all these lights & yachts I've not seen so many in one place, & taken up a river to find a place to stay. It got really shallow at one point but I swung round & came to on a remote pontoon, likely to be my home for a while.
So 787 nm, 250 lts of fuel, 13 days, 5 crew, 2 night passages, 1 crew change, I'm in Cowes
Now the adventures begin, just need to sort all the little jobs out first
Don't forget to revisit the blog to see photo's as they're added plus possibly more detail added to the routes
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Nearly Home
Not that I've ever seen home before, but the last leg from Plymouth to Weymouth passed without incidence, mind you the southerly wind promised had far to much east in it also it had no strength either. Also with warm weather you just know that fog will not be far away & sure enough yet another morning to gain more familiarisation with the radar system. This all went with out a hitch I'm pleased to say.
So with no wind & what there was was light.
So radar on & creeping out of the bay, passing the 3 Polish warships that I had come across before in the Bristol channel the night before. My crew eye's peeled for lobster pots & other small vessels not able to be picked up on the radar, due to as they say 'being under the radar' & just too small to pick up. By 1000 the fog had burnt off but the wind remained devoid of strength & still on the nose. It wasn't till approaching Chisel beach that the wind picked up & the main was trimmed to add another 2 knots to the boat speed. Rounding Portland Bill in the dark, working out the navigational lights I got in tied up to a Sea Cadets vessel at 2030. So tomorrow another 80 mile sail to 'home'
So with no wind & what there was was light.
So radar on & creeping out of the bay, passing the 3 Polish warships that I had come across before in the Bristol channel the night before. My crew eye's peeled for lobster pots & other small vessels not able to be picked up on the radar, due to as they say 'being under the radar' & just too small to pick up. By 1000 the fog had burnt off but the wind remained devoid of strength & still on the nose. It wasn't till approaching Chisel beach that the wind picked up & the main was trimmed to add another 2 knots to the boat speed. Rounding Portland Bill in the dark, working out the navigational lights I got in tied up to a Sea Cadets vessel at 2030. So tomorrow another 80 mile sail to 'home'
Plymouth
Apparently it's Thursday, names of days no longer mean anything. Yet again having left Falmouth in fog, what wind there was, was on the nose, so another destination by engine. The fog did clear & the radar worked well at least something of me is, so that was good to see. The fog did clear leaving a beautiful sunny clear day, but no wind to speak of.
So some tidying was done and my crew caught up on sleep loss from previous days.
Again I saw the three Polish warships as I slipped in to the bay & the water level was such that the lock was open so straight in with E20 right in front, my day done. It was the turn of the crew to have a problem. Plymouth is not an easy place to get to by public transport on land & the roads are clogged too. So a crew member that had to leave had to wait till the morning. So crew down to three now but the Indian summer could be upon us see what tomorrow brings.
So some tidying was done and my crew caught up on sleep loss from previous days.
Again I saw the three Polish warships as I slipped in to the bay & the water level was such that the lock was open so straight in with E20 right in front, my day done. It was the turn of the crew to have a problem. Plymouth is not an easy place to get to by public transport on land & the roads are clogged too. So a crew member that had to leave had to wait till the morning. So crew down to three now but the Indian summer could be upon us see what tomorrow brings.
Monday, 26 September 2011
Dun Leary to Penzance, Newlyn, no Falmouth
I left at 0930 in clear skies & little wind such a contrast to yesterdays weather, so currently motor sailing, tide behind for now SOG 8.3 kts. I'm to hug the Irish coast till I get close to Rosslare then start add east to the bearing. ETA Tuesday 1000 so till then.
Well what a passage that was ! Winds were a pleasant 3/4 but completely south not helpful when you are heading in that direction. So we motored sailed, I'd like to get the tidal gate around Lands End hopefully getting its full benefit & rounding the Lizard too. Things are not like that in reality and were soon to change !
Firstly the windex instruments started to give us some erroneous readings, wind was supposed to be on our beam, but blatantly not. Then they went off all together, but that was sorted after the wiring was chased from the mast, then a case of turning the instrument off & on again ! The GPS flickered on & off occasionally too more worryingly as charts covering Dublin to Cornwall were not available at this time of year. The fuel gauge then read a mere 17lts in my tank, although not easily to read when slamming against the waves on the nose. All these little things start to get annoying without knowing why or my skipper not understanding me fully. Worse was yet to come !
My crew were split in to two's & went in to 4 hour watches with the Skipper & Alex covering 2100- 0100 & 0500 - 0900. First night watch & with no improvement to in the wind, direction or speed it was looking like my crew would miss that tidal gate, still they had company as dolphins had arrived in numbers & played around my hull. A couple of them must have been hoodies, as they stole the port hole on the port side only discovered when my crew changed watch (0100). The use of a new unpacked pillow was quickly stuffed through the hole & lashed in side polythene bags stuffed in any remaining openings and all the wet clothes & pillow cases stuffed on top to weigh it down. Just how much water had entered will never be known.
Hasty repair made at 0120 approaching the Bristol Channel
photo'ed in the morning
Falmouth coast guard was contacted just to let them know that I had an issue, but that my crew had everything to hand. Three Polish warships in formation came on the radio and asked me to move over, which I obliged, although I believe they had plenty of sea space.
With the electrics flickering again, my skipper noticed on port tack water appearing through the boards. Removing a single seat on that side & with the floor up the bilge pump suction hose was quickly inserted. After about an hour & a half 95% of the sea water had been removed. Port tack lifted the port hole away from the water. This also improved the electrics & the fuel gauge came back with a figure my skipper had thought was in the tank. So now the engine went back on improving progress & enabling Falmouth to be achieved, where a better temporary repair could be made.
The issue at Falmouth was were could I go to of the two marinas tried one was full & the other was half full but the other half being dredged. The visitors pontoon was first come basis but only guaranteed for 1.5m in 2000. I was moored on a buoy till more water came in then headed to the fuel pontoon to take on 230 lts of diesel just 20 lts short of a full tank, those 20 had been added at sea from cans, when I gave a false reading of a mere 5lts in my tanks.
From there I was taken to the outside of the pontoon where I stayed for the night without grounding.
More permanent repair made in Falmouth, larger plate inside, with draft excluder & marine mastic around plate seen. No further water came in.
Old Falmouth Harbour
So today Thursday my crew wake up to Fog & at 1200 I slipped line & reversed out grounding on the sandy bottom only once before disappearing in the fog, creeping past black rock on my way to Plymouth for tonight's stop
Warm weather causes fog !
Well what a passage that was ! Winds were a pleasant 3/4 but completely south not helpful when you are heading in that direction. So we motored sailed, I'd like to get the tidal gate around Lands End hopefully getting its full benefit & rounding the Lizard too. Things are not like that in reality and were soon to change !
Firstly the windex instruments started to give us some erroneous readings, wind was supposed to be on our beam, but blatantly not. Then they went off all together, but that was sorted after the wiring was chased from the mast, then a case of turning the instrument off & on again ! The GPS flickered on & off occasionally too more worryingly as charts covering Dublin to Cornwall were not available at this time of year. The fuel gauge then read a mere 17lts in my tank, although not easily to read when slamming against the waves on the nose. All these little things start to get annoying without knowing why or my skipper not understanding me fully. Worse was yet to come !
Hasty repair made at 0120 approaching the Bristol Channel
photo'ed in the morning
Falmouth coast guard was contacted just to let them know that I had an issue, but that my crew had everything to hand. Three Polish warships in formation came on the radio and asked me to move over, which I obliged, although I believe they had plenty of sea space.
With the electrics flickering again, my skipper noticed on port tack water appearing through the boards. Removing a single seat on that side & with the floor up the bilge pump suction hose was quickly inserted. After about an hour & a half 95% of the sea water had been removed. Port tack lifted the port hole away from the water. This also improved the electrics & the fuel gauge came back with a figure my skipper had thought was in the tank. So now the engine went back on improving progress & enabling Falmouth to be achieved, where a better temporary repair could be made.
The issue at Falmouth was were could I go to of the two marinas tried one was full & the other was half full but the other half being dredged. The visitors pontoon was first come basis but only guaranteed for 1.5m in 2000. I was moored on a buoy till more water came in then headed to the fuel pontoon to take on 230 lts of diesel just 20 lts short of a full tank, those 20 had been added at sea from cans, when I gave a false reading of a mere 5lts in my tanks.
From there I was taken to the outside of the pontoon where I stayed for the night without grounding.
More permanent repair made in Falmouth, larger plate inside, with draft excluder & marine mastic around plate seen. No further water came in.
So today Thursday my crew wake up to Fog & at 1200 I slipped line & reversed out grounding on the sandy bottom only once before disappearing in the fog, creeping past black rock on my way to Plymouth for tonight's stop
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