First sail, first jobs...

Lunch spot...

With the lock down beginning to ease in the UK, and permission given to go to our boats and socialise with one non-family member providing social distancing is practised, it was more than enough excuse for Rodders and I to take to the water in his boat Ami-Ly on  a warm and sunny bank holiday Monday..  

First sail since last September, 9 months since I handled a boat under sail, it's been a long time but I'm happy to report that I hadn't forgotten... most of it... 

Saturday and Sunday the UK had been locked into a massive low and we were seeing winds of F6 gusting F7 on the Saturday, moderating on Sunday, but by the time we went out on Monday a massive high had displaced it, and the sky was cobalt blue, the sun was out, and the wind was down to a F1 or 2 gusting 3 (very) occasionally...

A very nice and gentle day on the water, all the sails were up, it wasn't quite windy enough most of the time, but when it did blow up, the boat was moving nicely..   spotted Alex Thomson and Hugo Boss coming out of the harbour

After you..  no, I insist, after you...

Stunning looking boat...   stupidly powerful looking, and an appearance that wouldn't be out of place in the SBS..

So a slow pootle over to Seaview, lasso'd one of the mooring buoys in front of the sailing club for lunch (too early for the pick up buoys to have been attached) and a slow lunch with beer, followed by a snooze in the sun, and then a slow perambulation back to home ....  utterly fantastic...

Glorious day..  Solent at it's finest with the sun glinting on the water.. 

Meanwhile - other work has started...  Sparrow's launch date is the 22nd June and I am working towards that with a 75% certainty that it will happen... Why only 75%? Well I'm still not sure whether there will be a second spike/event/recurrence, so I have 3 weeks to decide whether to splash that antifoul on, and will decide then whether to proceed or not...

The companionway way seat has been taken to the boat, and is a success... I may just shift the GPS fitting to the side of the box to make some room as where it is I sometimes kick it if I'm going into the cabin quickly, but otherwise, as a perching point for when I'm motoring or sailing under pilot it is a whole load more comfortable than the upright that was there before!  

New companionway seat - must be about v3 of this cockpit tidy!

The cockpit locker lid port side has had a coat of paint, unfortunately on the starboard side water has managed to get in (b*stard!) on one quarter so the paint/epoxy has lifted..  I've scraped back to sound, and left it to dry out before I decide what to do (either epoxy and paint, or just paint..)... 

The washboards have also had a coat of paint, and I think that this is probably their last year, they'll need replacing over the next winter layup, in fact I may even do it now while it's warm, I'm ashore, and I have access to power...  another coat required...

Lastly, I have disassembled the camcleat block I put together in 2016 for leading the topping lift and main halyard back to the cockpit...  took it home, sanded it down and gave it a coat of preservative before putting it all back together and remounting on the boat...  (Alden you'll be pleased to know the screws now all match... )..  that one's done...

Log:

Distance: 14.37 miles (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F1 or 2, occasionally F3; Predominantly SE'ly going South as the sea breeze kicked in..
Sail Plan: Full main and jib
Speed (Max/average in knots): 6 / 2.1