Made it at last... my first trip back to "home port" since the delivery trip in Sparrow at the beginning of last season...not the first time I've tried to get there [clicky] either..
So... another one of those crafty days off that do seem to generate such good sailing days, a full tank of petrol and a half a can in reserve, and I decided to repeat the experiment of last time and motor down past Marker to give me a run at the bottom of the harbour - doubly so as winds were very light at this time of tide, they didn't really start to kick up until high tide...
Motored down to Verner, switched off the engine (oh, blessed relief) and I then had a lovely reach over the Pilsey Sands from just north of the entrance to Mill Rythe towards East Head, where I then turned down the Chichester Channel towards Itchenor and Bosham
Always a little worrying going across the Sands as I have no depth gauge on "Sparrow" but with a rising tide, a Spring, and 4.7m of water, and only a 0.8m draft I should be OK over practically all of it but I still usually only cut the corner...
At the Fairway Buoy I had to make a decision, as the run down to Bosham had been with tide, and very little wind (the tide was cancelling out the wind if anything) and the run into Bosham would be down wind - bugger it I thought, and went for it anyway...
Turned left, past Cobnor Activities Centre which was errrr... "active" (loads of kids in Wayfarers, on rafts and in Lasers and the like and having a cracking time), and the Church appeared before me at just about high tide... as I drifted down I put the engine on idle - it's be a long slow beat back if it didn't start I thought....
Turned just after the picture, and headed back to the Chichester Channel...
Engine off again as I got into the Chichester channel and then an exhilarating beat back to the harbour entrance in a strengthening SW'ly I saw 5.5 and 6 knots on the GPS, simply superb.... but the cam cleats were slipping again - I need a solution to that* ; the turn north saw a lovely 3.5 knot run up the harbour before finally switching the engine on again for the last time as I went past Northney...
A Brilliant day out - simply superb and enjoyed every minute...
* I had some 8mm line on the boat so swapped over the 10mm heavy genoa sheets for this lighter stuff - it's quite soft and squidgy so I may buy something newer (I'm thinking matt braid on braid) but for now it's an experiment.. time will tell...
Log:
Distance: 16.97 miles (cumulative total in the 2014 mileage tab at the top of the page)
Wind: Force 1 ending up a top end 3.. and between dead South and south West; going more SW by end of the afternoon.
Sail Plan: Full main/genoa - engine for manoeuvring and to get down beyond Marker at the beginning of the day...
Speed: GPS track says max speed was 5.4 knots (but I saw a 6 under sail off the Prinsted Channel on the way back) - average speed 3.2
So... another one of those crafty days off that do seem to generate such good sailing days, a full tank of petrol and a half a can in reserve, and I decided to repeat the experiment of last time and motor down past Marker to give me a run at the bottom of the harbour - doubly so as winds were very light at this time of tide, they didn't really start to kick up until high tide...
Motored down to Verner, switched off the engine (oh, blessed relief) and I then had a lovely reach over the Pilsey Sands from just north of the entrance to Mill Rythe towards East Head, where I then turned down the Chichester Channel towards Itchenor and Bosham
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| Piccie courtesy of VisitMyHarbour.com - Pilsey Sands is the are of mud to the rght of the main channel bordering the edge of Thorney |
Always a little worrying going across the Sands as I have no depth gauge on "Sparrow" but with a rising tide, a Spring, and 4.7m of water, and only a 0.8m draft I should be OK over practically all of it but I still usually only cut the corner...
At the Fairway Buoy I had to make a decision, as the run down to Bosham had been with tide, and very little wind (the tide was cancelling out the wind if anything) and the run into Bosham would be down wind - bugger it I thought, and went for it anyway...
Turned left, past Cobnor Activities Centre which was errrr... "active" (loads of kids in Wayfarers, on rafts and in Lasers and the like and having a cracking time), and the Church appeared before me at just about high tide... as I drifted down I put the engine on idle - it's be a long slow beat back if it didn't start I thought....
Turned just after the picture, and headed back to the Chichester Channel...
Engine off again as I got into the Chichester channel and then an exhilarating beat back to the harbour entrance in a strengthening SW'ly I saw 5.5 and 6 knots on the GPS, simply superb.... but the cam cleats were slipping again - I need a solution to that* ; the turn north saw a lovely 3.5 knot run up the harbour before finally switching the engine on again for the last time as I went past Northney...
A Brilliant day out - simply superb and enjoyed every minute...
* I had some 8mm line on the boat so swapped over the 10mm heavy genoa sheets for this lighter stuff - it's quite soft and squidgy so I may buy something newer (I'm thinking matt braid on braid) but for now it's an experiment.. time will tell...
Log:
Distance: 16.97 miles (cumulative total in the 2014 mileage tab at the top of the page)
Wind: Force 1 ending up a top end 3.. and between dead South and south West; going more SW by end of the afternoon.
Sail Plan: Full main/genoa - engine for manoeuvring and to get down beyond Marker at the beginning of the day...
Speed: GPS track says max speed was 5.4 knots (but I saw a 6 under sail off the Prinsted Channel on the way back) - average speed 3.2
Nice trip Steve and great ave speed. Sounds like Sparrow is nicely set up.
ReplyDeleteI have similar issues with the Genoa sheets on Ciao Bella, they can get hooked on the mast cleats and in light winds the clew can get caught on the shrouds.
We need to organise another weekend meet up some where :)
Hi Steve, since whipping my genoa sheets on, a few weeks ago, they have not snagged on the shrouds. It was a simple fix that took about 5 mins to do :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil - yes spotted that and had it in mind to try...
ReplyDelete