Summer Cruise

After all this time of in activity and this years summer cruise started early !

Three days early, but I understand that my crew had to ensure that the works ongoing at their house had reached a stage that could be left.  And so my skipper arrived with bags of provisions and bags of clothes and on the Wednesday my lines were cast and I slipped in to the Medina and headed out.  At last I was out and it was of no great surprise when my bow was pointed in to Totland Bay, where I anchored for the night.  Not having been out on many occasions this year meant that the majority of my pulley's needed attention and to remind my skipper of this fact I kept him awake most of the night with creaks and groans.

And so it was that on the second night we stopped off at Studland Bay, at least this time it wasn't full of oiks and the skipper had heeded my advice on the pulley's and applied plenty of lubricant.  So he was rewarded with a quieter night although I know the fact that his lack of sea time over the summer would still play on his mind keeping him awake.  A state he would remain in until he'd got back in to the rhythm of the sea.

From Studland we were well received in Portland marina, where the staff remember my name and still think my lines strikes the best look in the marina.  With the tidal information assessed we left the following day and just caught the start of the races East of Portland Bill but soon were heading West and the promised wind never came.  It wasn't till a few miles out of Babacombe Bay that the wind filled in and my crew had me unravelled and sailed me in.  Picking a buoy closer in supplied by The Carey Arms.  A lunch within with just one half of their friends paid for the mooring and the owner said that she'd watched my come serenely in under sail and also loved my lines.

Me in Babacombe Bay

A quiet night on the buoy and we rounded the point and headed to Salcombe.  My skipper had a 'post it' note stuck on my Nav table with dates of all the regatta's so as to miss them !  The wind picked up and I was slamming on a buoy in the river, my crew not having the most comfortable of nights.  Once the wind had abated, we headed to Sutton Harbour within the heart of Plymouth.  This enabled my crew to meet up with her friend as they tend to do each year when possible and so this year a meal was had on board, they then disappeared for a night cap on shore.  My skipper wandered off to the Marine Bizzare to buy a few bits and eventually the whole crew went walkies in search of a Gaz bottle as one of mine was empty, but more importantly the suppliers had been having issues and so the UK was suffering with depleted stocks.  Whilst I carry two and one usually lasts me for their summer break, they have fitted a new oven in my galley with a grill and meals were being prepared most evenings on board.

The Helford River was my next stop and I was taken to my usual spot to anchor, beautiful as it is, it's becoming busy, although the photo below doesn't show all the moorings & anchorages.  As is always the steady wind that had taken me there became awkward as my attitude changed and the crew had to fight to get my sails down, from what had been a fairly innocuous day.

Pretty Helford River

From my anchorage we headed around the Lizard to Newlyn.  The wind was such that we went quite south of the Lizard and eventually the wind died, the skipper spent at least a good 30 mins trying to fill my sails and get me moving in the direction we wanted to go.   Alas in the end the engine had to go back on.

Newlyn is a special place for my crew.  Not for any emotional reason, just that this is a real working port.  Doesn't matter what the clock says, if fishing crew come in then the harbour awakens. Oddly despite the noises my crew sleep soundly in between.  It is here that my skipper is studying the weather forecasts and evaluating whether or not this is the end of their cruise or whether the Atlantic and Azores High is going to give them enough window to head further West and make the Scilly Isles.  Again this year there was a break and so the 6 degrees 50 minutes West longitude was made and I was once again anchored close to Hangman's Island.  Not that this was straight forward, it took three attempts within New Grimsby Sound to anchor away from others in a busy place.  The wind around F6 keeping me pinned against the rock.

The gruel some Hangman's Island

With crew keeping any eye on the weather as you have to in this place, they went off and toured the Abbey Gardens on Tresco, a place that last time they didn't appreciate existed.  Set in 17 acres of land the former owner had the gardens laid out to support and reflect the areas that the plants came from.  A well worth visit including the Red Squirrel's that adorn my crew's homeland.

With the skipper noting that an Atlantic low was coming in and the fact that the strong winds had abated. Causing an 0600 meeting with the French mid stream, it was decided that a move back to the mainland sooner rather than later was on the cards. The wind however was not playing ball and despite trying to sail twice the swell knocked off any speed the sails could muster.  Fog or mist was never very far away and with my engine running skipper decided to take the opportunity to have radar practise.  Rounding Lands Ends 3nm off no shore line could be seen, even my close proximity alarm went off (0.5nm) but yet my crew couldn't see any vessel and so they creeped back in to Newlyn.

Sure enough the weather changed and the winds increased.  This gave my skipper time to replace the stereo radio he managed to blow up in Plymouth, when washing down my decks and a bucket of water entered an open hatch to soak the system, plus source a new aluminium step ladder having lost the original off Gorran Haven with a gust.

Once the weather had abated the journey East commenced.  Five days in Newlyn was not an issue but meant that to make ground East longer passages would need to be made. So we set off for Falmouth or rather Pendennis marina next to the British Maritime museum, wind was south westerly and we were making good progress with the tide too, but then came the Lizard as serene as anything on the way but this was something else.  I'd say worse than the Portland Bill we faced a couple of years ago, short steep waves built and whilst I had 6 knots of boat speed I only had 1.5 knots SOG (speed over the ground)  and so I became held up.  The waves crashed occasionally on my stern and tried to turn me, all my skippers senses where put to use including his ears which listened out to the oncoming beasts from behind.  We seemed to clear one area when a steeper section took hold, other, mainly motor boats where like trawlers, bows out of the wave and crashing down in to the trough behind.  Eventually the waves eased and my skipper was able to hand over the helm to his crew, after a long two & a half hour session.

The following day, day 28 we left a quiet Falmouth and headed for Fowey, the wind had also left and at under 10 knots my engine was back on once more.  It took 3 attempts to connect with mooring buoy S7, due to a malfunctioning mooring mate.  My skipper almost went over board trying to loop the ring leaning over my port side.  Never a good idea, so high is my free board.

The following day was again a mixture of wind conditions and as such my crew had me catching and passing others.  Thor the 170msq G2 Gennekar was out for a while,  We were naking such good progress that a change of course was made, but yet again the iron sail, the engine came on, to make our final destination.  Skipper, in front of the harbour master had me serenely reverse in to my allocated spot with ease.  Dartmouth had its regatta but we had a place for the night.

                                                                 Thor in the Sunshine

Lyme Bay was in the Doldrums on the way west, would it be the same going home ?  The simple answer was yes, with the added condition of fog.  Skipper played with my radar system again and responded to a Naval warship Southerland that was about to fire a few live rounds, fortunately it was confirmed that I was to continue my passage on the chosen course, to my allotted conclusion Portland.  The question was inner or outer route, this depended on what time we arrived.  As it was the sea was calm but soon evident that the boiling waters wasn't far away.  The surface of the otherwise benign sea soon had ripples and the swirls of the current deep beneath appeared on the surface. By 1800 my skipper had approval to enter the East ship channel, twenty minutes later I was secured on Tango pontoon.

Here I took on 170 lts of diesel with a touch of diesel bug inhibitor as always during a major refuel, prior to setting of once more.  The East channel was approved proving I had cleared the entrance as traffic was expected.  This came in the form of a cruise liner, wind under 10 knots and from the south west, Thor once more was hoisted this time without the main being up, instantly I picked up speed and headed for Anvil point and the overfalls that we've encountered many times before.  A gust of wind had me headed and my crew worked quickly to drop the sail and hoist the whites.  This may have been a tad over reacting but the exercise was completed quickly and I was back under sail quickly.  Again the overfalls weren't of significance and progress was very good, another race ensued.  However Studland was full of, well others that spoiled a place of natural beauty, ski boats, jet ski's, speed boats, all making life unpleasant. with a quick check on the tidal calculations the Skipper suggested that there was two hours maximum to get through the Needles and anchor in Totland Bay.  With some wind, I was motor sailed at around 7.0 knots, we approached the Shingles Bank buoy just as the tide turned, keeping to the island side picking up a slight eddy, anchoring further in Totland Bay than I've been before.  Once settled diner was on the go and a fleet of racing yachts took advantage of the ebbing tide to sail to St Peter's Port for their weekend race.  Their tricolours gently waving at the end of their masts as they silently past me.

Day 32 was not a very nice day, overcast with the threatening rain.  My crew motored me back to my home pontoon another summer cruise complete and I returned to Cowes in a better condition than when I left.  Lets hope that I don't have to wait to long before my next outing.

Fast approaching

All summer, if that's what it's been, I've been sitting on my mooring waiting.  All the hard work over winter may not have been that worthwhile if I'm not out showing it off.  Yet I know my skipper & crew have been working hard on their other project the house.

So August is fast approaching and it should be my time, yet I've not seen anyone, although skipper did turn up briefly to write down what stores I have on board, a sign I'll take as a positive one.

Still no word or signs of my wind generator being replaced, so I wait to find out what's happening on that score. In the meantime keep checking not only the blog site but Marine Traffic to find out where I am. Although the system isn't hard wired properly yet, I'm sure skip will transmit at least once a day so you can follow my progress, when I do eventually get away.

So hopfully better news soon, keep in touxh

RIR but not as it ought to be !

It's been nearly a month since I've seen my skipper, but as thought the scaffolding around his house has meant his attentions have been on Dagmar House and not me.

This weekend was this years Round the Island Race, but I knew something wasn't usual as I had no visitors leading up to the weekend or on the Friday before the race itself.  However on Saturday I heard the Yamaha outboard heading my way will the skipper on board, bu the didn't set about fitting the AIS properly nor getting the Webasto heater ducting sorted out, but he was preparing me for sail. Then it hit me, the river taxi pulled up near by and off loaded six other people including a small child.  The wind fairly strong didn't take long to blow me off the pontoon once the guests had been put through the safety talk and had warm tea inside them.  It was quiet out in the Solent but the wind blew quite hard from the West.

My engine was left on tick over but in gear and the Jib was unfurled but reefed slightly to prevent a roll developing making the newcomers from feeling the effects.  With the wind refusing to ease, I was guided over to Osborne Bay where my anchor came out.  Skipper realising that the further East I went the further they'd have to endure the effects of a head on wind.  Incredibly as lunch was being prepared, Pheado 3 a trimaran was heading for the finish followed shortly afterwards by Leopard a huge mono hull.  There was a lot of activity on CH16 as boats broke, people went over board and even one sank, wind increased if anything, but following lunch the opinion was to return home under the lee of the island to keep out of the waves as best as possible.  The new prop biting hard in to the water maintained a healthy 5.1 knots despite 27 knots of actual and 32 of apparent wind speed.

Skip knows his stuff and the pontoon was clear of Polly & Craftmans Art, probably still the other side of the island, so had a free run back to the pontoon against the wind.  With another brew on go until the allocated free ferry time had surpassed allowing the crew to disembark, then Skip tidied me up.  I'm pleased to report that no hick up occurred, everything that work before worked now.

That didn't include the Marlec wind generator, whose absence is still felt since I've been back in the water.  I think that one's going to end up in court.  Still the alternator and intelligent regulator had been running all afternoon and so my batteries had been replenished.

So it's now July and thoughts must be focused on the one purpose I have.  That is to take my regular crew away for August and provide them with a stress free time.  Although I think Skip still likes to clean here and there, or tweak something, as he has the time to just wallow in self indulgence whilst on board. I'm also of the belief that we'll be leaving a week early.  I'm so looking forward to being out, away from the confines of the muddy Medina river, that tries to blemish all the hard work my Skipper did to my hull over winter and give something back.

Bank Holiday but no show ?

Today my skipper turned up.  I thought I had been abandoned after being taken out most weekends since I've been back in the water and then nothing.  Bank holiday came and went and it appeared that this weekend too I would not see anyone.

But skip turned up and tidied up my saloon, had my engine running and gave me a once over.

My wind generator, appears to have been burnt out, according to the manufacturers Marlec and my skipper is struggling to understand how seeing as it was charging my batteries right up until the time I was taken out of the water and the device had to be lowered to enable the sling of the crane to pass over.  So currently I have nothing that keeps all of my eight batteries topped up, unless of course I'm taken out with the engine running. Take today for example, skipper had it ticking over at 1200rpm and it was baulk charging at 23amps, with the volts up to 14.4v.  He's been in long discussions as to whether the device is fit for purpose, bearing in mind that it's intended for us yachts in all weathers,  apparently not according to the manufacturer. If it's too windy, and what level that happens to be has not been stated, my skipper has to climb up the rail to slow or stop it from spinning. Get real.  But that does leave me without free electricity.  Still with the way the sunshine has been, may be a solar panel or too ?

Both the G2 Gennekar and the Code 0 fit through the door of my starboard rear cabin, so at least there's somewhere to stow the sails when not required.  The insulation socks and other bits for my Webasto Oil fired heater, that never seems to get finished, has also been stowed in the starboard rear cabin.  Lets hope that I'm not expecting any overnight guests anytime soon then !

I understand that the 1850's house that skip and his crew live in has scaffolding up. so he's taking advantage of the good weather and doing whatever it is he needs to do.  I only hope that it doesn't suffocate summer.

When Do the COLREGS Not Apply

I'm doing well.  Another weekend and another trip out.

This time I gave my skipper no surprises and behaved all day, although probably a bit better than he did.  With the tide coming in, the second of the two high tides as usual I was under engine in a crowded Inner Fairway and was held back slightly to allow the Red Funnel car ferry to get away and I was slotted in to its wake.  No my skipper, as always watching the other vessels moving around did not flinch as another yacht was approaching from the east from the small ships channel.  In fact he stood ground and made the other alter course to go behind me.  This the skipper of the other vessel did not like and shouted across that it was his right of way, my skipper with his arms folded, merely shouted back that he was in the main channel and had right of way.

People that visit Cowes or possibly any other harbour for that matter forget that when entering the jurisdiction of a harbour, port or River. the local authority that has control of the confines of that waterway has powers to make its own rules.  Unfortunately in this case my skipper was right and the blue faced man was in the wrong.  Lets hope that at some point somebody shows him the local instructions to mariners and he can eat humble pie and toast the skipper who stood his ground !

So today I was taken out in light airs and the skipper had the balance of my sails right again and I ploughed on without the need for the crew to hold the helm.  Back and forth I went, a big cloud over the New Forest and I was taken back over to the Island.  For a change I was held up just outside of Newtown Creek.  It was all a bit weird, the tide running quite strong was still overwhelmed by the wind that blew me away from my anchor.  So my anchor was actually behind me !  At least my windlass worked without fault.

After the crew had lunch and anchor stowed back on board, my engine was run all the way back, charging my batteries yet again.

Busy, busy, busy

Well another weekend arrives and I'm out once more, this looks to be an exceptional year, although I'm still providing my skipper with a few issues to keep him on his toes.

The sun was out and the winds fairly light but there was a vast number of yachts out in the Solent, I had watched a few arrive in the Medina river the previous evening. My skipper arrived at my pontoon, with two people and then two more and two more, I had heard that skip had spotted a sea horse whilst getting the dinghy ready for launch !  Some people clearly hadn't been on board before, as a safety briefing was given and how to put on life jackets and use my heads etc. With sun screen rubbed in hats dished out, skip eased me off the pontoon and we headed out.  The Solent had about three different yacht races going on and the colourful sight of all the kites was a warning that it was going to be busy out there.  Skip, with a colleague, manually hoisted the main, whilst another tailored the winch.  Then when almost fully raised used the repaired electric winch to complete the lift.

With the wind light and going lighter, plus the approach of yet another car transporter, I was kept over close to Norris point and close to Osborne Bay. Eventually with the tide making up for most of my speed and the fact that we had a late start, the engine went on and I was pointed in to the Bay for a lunchtime stop.  It must have been my Skippers birthday as a cake came out for him.  With everyone suitably fed, plates washed and stowed, I was led across the main channel to the other side near the Bramble Bank.  The theory behind this I believe, was that Thor, the G2 Gennaker, came out and soon I powered up and was passing others that struggled to make progress.  However as I approached Cowes the wind shifted slightly and I was heading more northerly, so the decision to return to the pontoon was made.  Now the fairway is a busy place at the best of times, but there's still the idiots who come in on their mains and then have to drop them within restricted water, getting in the way of others, no wonder I hear the ferries blasting away five quick blasts almost every weekend since I've returned to my berth.

Skipper ran the crew back to the shore and returned to sort out my halyards, sheets, stow the main, gas off and the usual list of jobs once we've been out.

Although the weather was good, it was a shame that there wasn't more consistent wind to enable me to stretch my legs and show the whole crew what I'm capable of, or better still get the code 0 out.

My wind generator hasn't returned yet, since the manufacturers told my skipper to return it together with the controller as allegedly it had burnt out. So not sure what's happening with that as now my only source of charging up the batteries is by running my engine or if I'm taken to a marina, am sure it'll be sorted soon.

Had to laugh !

This weekend my skipper and crew turned up on Sunday and took me out for a similar run to last week.  However this week the wind was stronger and from the East.

So I was taken out of the Medina with my old mate Polly Agatha back in her space.  With a reef already sorted out on my mooring the main was hoisted with the aid of the electric winch, all sorted out by skip previously.  I was a tad difficult to control until the jib went out and sorted out the pointing of my nose.  This then enabled me to dig in and push through the waves. I was taken over to the beach on the main land and the crew had my sails perfectly balanced again, so the helm was as light as a feather.

Last time after 11nm I was passing the forts but this week with the wind on the nose 11nm only got me as far as Ryde Pier and the guys took me in really close before gybing round and heading back (my skip had other work to do).  With the wind to my rear quarter and the tide on spring and going for it the apparent wind speed fell off.  So skip decided that it would be a good idea to fly, for the first time in the Solent Thor the G2 now the bag was in the rear starboard cabin, so he fed it through the master cabin and up out of the hatch.  All was good but a last minute gybe to make the point they wanted to achieve, upset the proceedings.  The lines had to be re-fitted and this appeared to be done but proved otherwise during the release as the G2 just wouldn't fly.  Once the reason was spotted the sail was bagged and the lines reset, bar one.  Yes it was realised that one of the guys that should've gone round the jib hadn't and so the sail was not released.

Just as well really, Cowes was looming such was the speed of the tide and by the time skip had the lines sorted I was heading back in.  This however proved trickier than first thought.  The tide was so strong that I was going no where in the Fairway and the car ferry was approaching.  Skip took the wheel and soon had me crabbing sideways in to the River but at least I was making headway and not heading for the shallows.  Once safely inside behind the new breakwater which to be honest may have caused some of the issues, the helm was relinquished and my fenders set.  As we approached my berth it became apparent that another boat was sitting not too far downstream of my place.

Anyway skip decided with the wind blowing me on he could make the gap, what he forgotten of course was the G2 still in its sock was creating more windaged and so as soon as he drew level with my berth and slowed me down the bow was caught by the wind and turned me into the berth.  Now this would've been fine if there was a roving fender but there wasn't and so I got a bloodied nose but we hadn't hit anyone and I was in.  Within minutes the tide was almost full bore and would've made the proceeds that much more interesting.

The up side of this is the boat that had squeezed my space took aged to work out how to get themselves off.

It was a cracking day never-the-less and at least all of my remaining electrics behaved themselves.