Ferrys, trains and automobiles... redux..

..the end of the week and it was time for me to pop over to the island to help Rodders and his missus crew AmiLy back to the mainland..

Train, Fast Cat ferry from Portsmouth (of which I'm becoming a fan 😏)..

..sun deck is a glorious place to be on a hot day!

...and then soon enough in Ryde..

...how many bearings have been taken using Ryde church spire over the years I wonder..

...it was one one of the hottest weeks in the UK on record - and I'm not sure I'd have wanted to spend it on a boat given the heat we saw (high 30'sC) - but when I saw them, they said it had been a cracking week - visiting various places on the island and basically keeping cool and hydrated, much like the rest of us..

After a hot walk to the Lifeboat for some lunch, it was back to East Cowes in a growing breeze..

By the time we'd dropped the mooring and got into the Solent minds were already made up - no sailing today - F5 gusting F6 (I was seeing 39 knots on the wind instruments, despite apparent wind/tide!) and Easterly - bang on the nose - so we motored and let the engine take the strain.. what a glorious day though, sunny. warm in the breeze but cooler than without it..  fantastic

...back!

Log:

Distance: 12.86* (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)

Wind (Speed; Direction):  F5 gusting F6 ; ExS
Sail Plan: None - motored
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.6 / 4.1

Planes ..err.. Ferrys, trains and automobiles...

Hurrah - time to take the ladies to Cowes for lunch - which is basically just an excuse for Smithy and I to get out on AmiLy for the day to help deliver Rodders and his lady to their holiday spot of a week in Shepherds Wharf in west-Cowes..

We enjoy this one (we did it for the first time last year) as it involves almost every type of transport system known to man (other than helicopter) to get back afterwards (as the boat stays in Cowes)..

Either way - met at my gaff at 08:30 before all 6 of us piled into Rod's trusty Landrover Disco (I got the boot seat again!) for the transfer to the boat..

Glorious weather and a surprisingly 'vibrant' breeze blowing when we got there, and from the east..

Filled up with water, got the sail covers off, singled up the lines, and we dropped the moorings 09:20 before heading into the harbour - did a U turn off the dockyard to head into wind in order to get the main up, and then rode the outgoing tide to the inner swashway..

I think that's the ex-HMS Montrose (left) and Westminster (right) - they're in the dockyard waiting on news of their likely demise..

The ex-HMS Westminster - a Duke-class Type 23 Frigate (as was Montrose)

..and then had a long uneventful run to Cowes - ended up taking the genoa in as the main was covering it, popped the auto pilot on, had a chat, ate some biscuits, drank some tea, sweltered in the heat..  fantastic..

Lunch was at the Island Sailing Club where, sitting on their balcony under a large umbrella and drinking beer, was quite possibly the best solution to the day...

Lunch over, it was time to bid Rod and his missus farewell (though I'll be coming over on Thursday to help bring the boat back) before we caught the chain ferry (mode of transport #3 of the day), and then walked up to the shops in east Cowes to get the bus (#4) to Ryde, where we then walked to the end of the pier to get the fast cat (#5) back to Portsmouth to get the train (#6) home. Suffice to say that the bus/ferry/train took as long as the sail and I know which one I preferred!

More reading on Montrose/Westminster here [clicky] if interested

Log:

Distance:  40.27 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)

• Sail : 14.06
• Bus :  8.9
• Ferry : 5.2
• Train : 11,4

Wind (Speed; Direction):  F3 gusting F4 ; ExN going SE
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 7.3 / 3.5

Completed job list '25/'26 lay up..

By way of record keeping, and to remind me in the future - here's the completed job list from the winter layover...  all in all I would say it was a busy one with some major jobs done.. 

Next winter will be quieter and I think probably the major job will be the companionway hatches..  I'll do the cockpit hatches (again!😏) at the same time..  

I just need a better quality ply this time round though, as the last lot was utter sh*te!

Completed list...

1. Standing rigging - this was last done in July 2013,  so 12 years of light use (including one year when the mast never went up thanks to COVID), but for reference the following is the order, ...
   
   
   
   
   
   • 2 cap shrouds, and 2 pairs of lower shrouds, in 4mm 1/19 stainless steel wire with 5/16th rigging screws (Swage stud to Fork) and new swage eyes.
   • backstay in 4mm 1/19 stainless steel wire using a triangular plate with new bottle screw and new eyes and forks
   • forestay in 5mm 1/19 stainless steel wire with swaged eye at the top and the lower end.





2. At the same time I also replaced the roller furler which came with the boat when I bought it all those years ago, and originally came from (I think) a much bigger Beneteau or Jeanneau - it was old, a massive beast, and had been cut down to fit Sparrow so remained heavy to operate all the years I had it..
   
   The new one is a Furlex 50S, and is the very opposite of that and is utterly fantastic..  so light to roll in and out, almost does it itself..  an absolute joy.
   
   In order to get my genoa to fit however, I did have to get the luff bead replace with a smaller diameter bead
   
   
   
   
   

   

   New and old side by side...

   
   
   Huge thanks to Luke and Andrew at Holman Rigging [clicky] for a very classy set of wires, their service, and the suggestion for the  the furler - second, no third, time I've been to them for rigging on my boats and once again they didn't disappoint..  recommended..


3. Boom/sail cover replaced - last one I bought it in 2019, so it lasted 7 odd years albeit we had a year of Covid where it didn't get a lot of UV. Compared with the previous ones, from the same source/supplier, I would say this one is not of as good quality - the material seems flimsier - but time will tell..
   

4. New windex - fitted, and still there.. it's quite a chunky beast and my impression is it can be a little slow showing direction when the wind is light, but hey, it's still there.. 😏

   

   "Aramox Marine Weather Vane Wind Direction Indicator 304 Stainless Steel"

Regular/annual items:

1. Installed the temporary winter cockpit locker lids and brought the proper ones home to keep out of the winter weather; they're looking ok


2. Rub down and coat of paint (as needed) - 


• Locker lids - locker lids were filled and sanded, and had two coats (of paint) 


• Wash boards - lower was repaired and painted June '25 but needed more work this winter - both were sanded and filled and two coats applied, in addition the upper has had some UPVC reinforcement along the lower edge


• Tiller pilot support - two coats


• Tiller pilot clip rest  - two coats


• Cockpit hatch cover - done June '25


• Forward hatch cover - done June '25


• Rear hatch cover - done June '25


• Tender - an additional keel plate reinforcement was attached, and the bottom painted
  
  
  


3. Rub down and coat of wood preservative or varnish (as needed) - the purchase of a new orbital sander this spring helped enormously with this one..


• cockpit board - rubbed down and two coats of preservative


• outboard pad - rubbed down and two coats of preservative


• rubbing strakes - rubbed down and patch repairs June '25 - rubbed down again and two coats of preservative this winter


• hand rails - are largely OK, one spot-sanded and coated with varnish


• tiller - rubbed down and two coats of varnish


4. Antifoul - one coat Tiger Extra applied 
   
   
   


5. Serviced the outboard  - no major issues - thanks Bursledon Outboards [clicky]!


6. Serviced and inflation tested the Life Jackets - going to need some new ones at some time - they're perfectly good but looking tatty.. 😏


7. Pick up chain - nothing needed this year - brought the top tackle home for the winter as usual though


8. Pre-launch wash and Oxalic, I also went round the waterline with a detail sander and removed as much as I could of the ingrained green staining she's picked up over the years - she looks a ton better