...indeed.. 😏
..just back from a week in Kefalonia (lovely.. 40'... wall to wall sunshine... Greek salad and feta cheese... what's not to like*??) and with the last sail being that evening drift I was gagging to get back on the boat.. pausing only to throw the holiday laundry in the washing machine I headed down to the boat for what I hoped was a decent session on the water.
1'ish high tide, forecast was growing wind, 2 gusting 3, but unfortunately what we got was a lot less...
First job was to change the fuel in the outboard tank... based on advice from various sources, but mostly my (excellent) outboard mechanic, I try not to leave it for longer than a month or two, and the stuff in the tank was what I had first bought at the beginning of the year... decant old into a spare fuel container, replaced with fresh.. last time I went out it had taken 3 or 4 goes to get the engine going, this time she fired first time.. I think it's worth doing with the cr*p they add to fuel these days
So, motor sailed to the end of the cut, carried on motor sailing to the far side of the Emsworth channel, winds SE'ly so that gives the best angle to the bottom of the harbour, turned off the engine, and then drifted about for two or three hours...
Don't get me wrong, it was lovely to be out there, the sun shone, everyone was smiling, but everyone would have been happier with the forecasted wind..
..just back from a week in Kefalonia (lovely.. 40'... wall to wall sunshine... Greek salad and feta cheese... what's not to like*??) and with the last sail being that evening drift I was gagging to get back on the boat.. pausing only to throw the holiday laundry in the washing machine I headed down to the boat for what I hoped was a decent session on the water.
1'ish high tide, forecast was growing wind, 2 gusting 3, but unfortunately what we got was a lot less...
First job was to change the fuel in the outboard tank... based on advice from various sources, but mostly my (excellent) outboard mechanic, I try not to leave it for longer than a month or two, and the stuff in the tank was what I had first bought at the beginning of the year... decant old into a spare fuel container, replaced with fresh.. last time I went out it had taken 3 or 4 goes to get the engine going, this time she fired first time.. I think it's worth doing with the cr*p they add to fuel these days
So, motor sailed to the end of the cut, carried on motor sailing to the far side of the Emsworth channel, winds SE'ly so that gives the best angle to the bottom of the harbour, turned off the engine, and then drifted about for two or three hours...
Don't get me wrong, it was lovely to be out there, the sun shone, everyone was smiling, but everyone would have been happier with the forecasted wind..
'nuffs enuff, headed back to the mooring a couple of hours after HT, just as the wind started to build.. typical.. was still a good afternoon though...
*decent beer might not go amiss.. Greek lager is refreshing, but not tasty... 🍺
 |
| "Solitaire" .. belongs to fellow club member/friend, David.. gives a perfect insight on the conditions on the day |
Distance: 5.93 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind: Low end F2 gusting very occasionally top end F2; SSW going WSW
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa (few rolls in for easier tacking)
Speed: 3.8 / 1.8
I waqs out on Sinday as well Steve. The Sun was so hot without the wind, plenty of sun cream got slapped on that day! I found the same, later in the afternoon the wind picked up, but in my case it was on the nose as I headed South back down the harbour, so it did me no favours at all. But it was still a nice day to drift and watch the world go by. Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteSuperb day... bit different this weekend! :o)
ReplyDelete