Snowhill.. or bust...

Just over 3 hours on the water on a crafty Friday afternoon off.. a little over 4 weeks to lift out so I'm enjoying it while I can, but at this stage of the game I have to say it's been an outstanding season - possibly one of the best I've had, certainly the best while in Sparrow's ownership..  I could come out tomorrow content, but a few more trips would be nice... 

So...  on the boat by 1300, HT at 14:30, neaps, and a breezy gusty old day..  and an unusual wind direction post storms Ali [clicky]and Bronagh [clicky] which had put paid to sailing last weekend.. we don't get very many easterly'd of any kind but this was a NE'ly..  so a little on the cool side..  still in shorts but the jacket stayed on for the whole trip..!

Hurley  22  - "Sea Rose" - grown up "Sparrow"....

Reefs had been left in after the last trip so preparation was suitably quick - with this wind direction there was no point in putting any of the rags up until well past Northney, so engine on and off down the cut..  Well done to the Conservancy (the guys who look after the harbour) for replacing the missing navigation marks, by the way..

So main up past Northney as that's the point I can bear off a little and get some wind assist..  motor sailed to Sweare Deep and then rolled out some genoa (five or 6 rolls in) and bore off for a fairly brisk run down harbour - 3 knots against tide, with foul bottom, and on a run.. not too be sniffed at...

...the only thing you hear is the light clatter of the sensor wand on the front...

At NW Pilsey I bore off for East Head, I'd had an idea for a trip to Snowhill.. usually I'd do that at Verner, but on a tide about to start falling, and a Neap, I didn't want to chance the sands..

Lovely trip down to the Head, the beach was looking beautiful in the late afternoon sun..  only a few boats anchored off the beach today but the wind was heading me (it swung about a fair bit today - easily 10 or so degrees either side of NExE, and sometimes it was handy and sometimes - as now - it was not)...couple of tacks against the tide, but time was running out, so with Snowhill tantalisingly close it was tack and bear off for the top of the harbour on a beat against tide..

Happily one long tack saw me almost to Marker - three or four further tacks and I'd made my north'ing and bore off for the cut..  rolled the genoa away but for the first time this season sailed all the way home only dropping the main when I got to the bridge..

Brilliant day out...  and smashed last years mileage record in the process...  in fact, it must have been a good year as in 10 years of boat ownership this year is already the fourth best for mileage, and the best for Sparrow.. and still four weeks to go...

Jobs added to the winter maintenance..  some patching and repairing of the sail cover...  all those storms, and 6 years of UV damage are beginning to make their presence felt, and it's paper thin in places..

Log:

Distance: 11.21 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F4 gusting F5, going F4; NExE but 10 degrees either side of that at random intervals..
Sail Plan: Reefed main, 75% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots):  4.4 / 3.0