Been four weeks since I last managed to get out on Sparrow - the weather, the tides, being busy elsewhere, the list is enormous, but the weather and the tides were the main culprits. I wouldn't say that so far it's been a good summer here in the UK - the current Mrs Steve the Wargamer blames the jet stream. Given it's been four weeks though I was gagging to get out, and despite a 17:14 HT I was determined to make it happen - especially as the weather was pretty good - nice and sunny..
When I'd been sat at home waiting for the appointed hour it had seemed to me that the wind was very light, if not absent.. but when I got to the boat about half past two, she was floating (thanks to the Spring tides), and the breeze had clearly filled in.. not quite enough to make me think it might be politic to reef, but I do remember thinking about it...
Dropped the mooring about 14:45, motored gently to the pool by the bridge (between 0.1 and 0.6mtrs under the keel) raised the main, and then bore away in a nice westerly for Northney and the end of the ditch.. rolled out some genoa just past Northney, bearing away for the Beacon all the time, and remarking at the increasing wind strengths as I progressed.. rocketed up to Marker on a beam reach, having to play the mainsheet in the increasingly powerful gusts (despite full adverse tide I was seeing 3.5 knots SOG).
Past Marker and with the wind still increasing, the decision was taken that enough really was enough, so I tacked and headed for home. With the full weight of the incoming tide under me, full sail, and a beam reach I hit 6.8 knots (SOG) as I came up to the Beacon - got to be a record of some kind or another on Sparrow!
With the wind a fairly constant F4 dead on the nose by this point, motor came on at Sweare Deep and I was packed away by the time we got on the mooring.. short, sweet... and exhausting! 😏
Emptied the outboard fuel tank (and into the car) - time I refreshed the fuel.. I've put 7 litres in so far this year, and I guess there was about 2.5 litres I removed, so it's not exactly a thirsty engine..
She's beginning to show a growth of weed - four weeks not being used in the middle of summer is going to do that - this year though, somewhat interestingly, for the first time I have a barnacle infestation on the port side... looks like I'm going to need to get the scraper to her for a mid season scrub/scrape...
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| Not mine, but you get the gist... 😀 |
Log:
Distance: 5.1 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F4 gusting F5; WxN
Sail Plan: Full main/90% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 6.5 / 3.2
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