Sublime to the ridiculous..

...but ain't that sailing?! 😏  Second time out in three days and the weather and wind looked like almost a carbon copy of Fridays awesome jaunt. Suffice to say expectations were high... idiot boy..

HT 14:27 and a bigger tide as they continue to get Spring'ish - an extra quarter of a metre of water sloshing around than had been the case on Friday. The wind was also clearly stronger, but I decided to go with the forecast and leave the reefs out. Either way on the boat by 11, fresh fuel added to the tank, covers off engine warmed up and we dropped the mooring just after half past.

Mainsail up in the pool by the bridge, and then bore away for the ditch and Northney/Sweare Deep, motor sailing as per Friday - much much windier though, and while I was motoring head to wind I took the opportunity to put some reefs in on the main.

Motor sailed through a lot of weekend traffic to Marker and then engine off and started tacking - but it just wasn't happening - tide was so strong it was pushing me back half of every metre made, and the wind direction was going more southerly/adverse with every minute. Ten tacks and 200 or 300 yards later I gave up, bore off and lit the afterburners for some fun back and forth in Sweare Deep before heading back to the moorings..

From the sublime to the ridiculous indeed, and a valuable lesson not to assume anything when you go sailing!

Notes:

• 3 litres fresh fuel added

Log:

Distance: 9.26 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): SSE going S; F3 going F4
Sail Plan: Full and reefed main/90% and 75% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.8 / 2.7

Go East young man..

The heatwave in the UK continues - low to mid 30's - and 'any fule no' the best place to be in temperatures like that are on a boat in a sea breeze...

Problem is of course that temperatures like that tend to be accompanied by a massive high which means low/fluky winds and so it was that yesterday (the day I went) was the first day that week where there'd be a forecast of a reasonable breeze, even if it was from a most bizarre direction..

Anyway - 13:06HT and a 4.2mtr tide (Spring'ish) and I was on the boat by 10, got ready while I waited for the water to fill in a bit (only 0.1mtrs on the depth instruments), warmed up the engine, and was off just before half past..

Raised the main in the the pool by the bridge, as where I was moored it was blowing a SW'ly which was a little strange given the forecast, motor sailed down the ditch, and then carried on as the wind moved round on to the nose as I turned for Sweare Deep..  rolled out some genoa but soon rolled it back as it was doing nothing.

Turned for Marker and at last there was some usable wind, so the genoa came out again, and I motor sailed for Marker as the wind was very slightly east of south which meant for some fairly nice long tacks that were only really doable with the motor assist and the apparent wind it created..

East Head ahead - short cut across the sands - never less than half a metre under the keel.. but it was a rising tide.. 😏

Steamed past Marker and as the harbour opens up there, and the racket was getting tiresome, turned the engine off and started tacking against a still fairly fierce incoming tide..

Guess where I switched the engine off and stopped motor sailing.. 😁

My plan was to cross the sands but the first two attempts I abandoned - water was a bit thin - third one was a charm though and crossed the sands aiming at East Head and my old mate 'Snowhill'. Half a metre under the keel all the way - just the occasional jump as we crossed an underwater lake or ditch, but the tide pushing us slightly to the east even over the sands..

Exited into the Itchenor Channel just west of the end of Thorney Island so as to miss the bank that runs west from the end of the island and shot across to the other side of the channel (it was damn busy..) easing sheets as I went and riding the incoming tide before turning out a new one for me - don't even have it in the GPS...  meet the splendidly named Rookwood ==>

Looking north - entrance to the Thorney Channel opposite

...before turning just after, hardening up, and then a single long tack back towards the sailing club on Hayling, cutting the corner of the Sands to head north, letting all the sheets out and goose winged all the way to the top of the harbour..  

The fishing rod was out (I caught nothing but weed all day, though I did almost catch a Hawk 20 that tacked close round my stern, line snapped unfortunately so it got away.. 😁)

Joy of a Friday when every other bugger is at work 😏

Gybed at Sweare Deep, rolled in the Genoa, fitted a new hook and lure to the rod, and then eventually dropped the main just before the ditch before motoring back to the mooring.

Fantastic days sailing - best this year so far I reckon..

Notes:

• fuel top up required
• tiller bolts loose and now tightened

Log:

Distance: 13.49 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): Both ends of a F3; SxE going SSW
Sail Plan: Full main and Genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.8 / 2.8

Opportunity is a Winner

An opportunistic sail grabbed from the end of a mahoosive heatwave..  but I'm jumping ahead of myself..

First off a bit more make do and mend with two coats of paint applied to the tops of all three of the locker lids - fore, companion way hatch and rear.. I'd hoped for the opportunity of a sail but there was no wind so the paint brush was applied instead.. oh.. and coffees drunk, and the chair and sun shade deployed.. oh, and the fishing rod came out.. all bases covered!

Vote of approval for the 2in1 by the way..  coffee's always a hassle on a small boat as the coffee in tins hardens within weeks the moment you open them, and the only milk option is UHT..  this stuff comes in sachets... both powdered in one..  and it tastes OK..

..but painting having been done, we then went into the aforesaid massive heatwave..  Britain's been seeing 30'C plus on a regular basis over the last week, but with the forecasts saying the weather was about to break, and with the tide times swiftly going east as the week progresses, a window of opportunity presented itself..

HT at 17:24, I managed to get on the boat by just after 14:00 - interesting to see I wasn't the only one with the same idea, as two or three tenders were on their way to various boats on the pool. Quick strip down of various covers while the engine was on warming up and I dropped the mooring just shy of  25 past..  a full three hours before HT so something of a record..

Forecasts were for a F4 all afternoon, and it looked like they were overestimating, but as it turned out they were spot on as the wind continued to build as I came out of the shelter of the bund and ditch, and passing Northney..

Yet again it was a 'funny' direction - west of the purportedly 'prevalent SW' - anyway - head to wind off Northney, main up, bore away and rolled out 90% of the foresail (thinking I'd be tacking a lot).

The a broad reach to Sweare, bore up - tightened everything in and down... and apart from a couple of small tacks to get a little west'ing made it to Mid Winner on almost a single tack..  amazing...  yet again I was expecting it to go around at any time as I approached Marker but this time we did it in just two tacks (rather than the usual 30)

Mid Winner

Fancied a beer, so gybed and headed for home on the last hour of flow.. 5.5's as we flew home...  couple that with the best mooring buoy pickup we've had this year and it was a brilliant, and totally unexpected, day on the water.. 

Log:

Distance: 9.02 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)

Wind (Speed; Direction): F4 going F3; WSW going SW
Sail Plan: Full main/90% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 5.0 / 3.0

Lunch on the verandah..

A reduced contingent of the Jolly Boys (Smithy was elsewhere occupied) convened at Rod's gaff at 0800 on Thursday for a much anticipated trip on the water..  the day before had been breezy to say the least (4's and 5's powered by the heatwave we're currently experiencing) but the day in question was light and almost non existent when we arrived at the pontoon (and true to form the day after was 4's and 5's as well..😏)..

Undaunted, and fortified with cups of coffee and pain au raisins, the Jolly Boys went for it and had a quite surprisingly good sail to Cowes..  wind was on the nose, F2'ish, but good enough for a long tack towards Cowes before turning on the motor for the last bit (we were hungry 😁)

Isle of Wight Festival this weekend so we anticipated problems getting a lunch time berth and had a back up plan to shoot up the Hamble and have something to eat there if it didn't all work out, and sure enough East Cowes advised they were full - even for a short stay..

As we went past the Island Sailing Club though, we noticed their pontoon (members only) was empty..  I wonder...  cheeky phone call later asking if we could moor there to have lunch and they advised we would be OK to do that! Fantastic..

One of the best views in the Solent I think from their verandah, and even better with one of their home cooked fish and chips in front of you! Lunch and two pints later, it was back to the boat for a snooze, before the return trip..

Which was largely a repeat of the morning since the wind had gone round 180'ish degrees and was back on the nose again! Top end F3 to start with though which saw Dave doing a cracking job on helm - four tacks saw us approaching Gilkicker, but with the wind dropping, it was time for the motor again..  

Fantastic days sailing on a super warm day..  

Log:

Distance: 27.06 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F2 occasional F3; E going W going SE
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 6.3 / 2.5

Spicy..

A slightly quicker trip out than I expected for this one..

Third day on the boat in as many days! After two days maintenance though I was way overdue some R'nR and as the forecast was showing considerably less breeze than we have had over the previous few days (and the day before it was blowing so hard it was actually blowing paint off the end of the brush!) I thought I'd go for it..

HT 15:29, but I was on the boat by one. Once onboard I took the reefs out I had put in for the previous trip as the wind was still showing fairly light and as per forecast, warmed up the donk as I was prepping the boat, and then dropped the mooring to raise the main in the pool head to wind/bridge, as yes, it was another one of those westerly's...

Tacked and headed off down wind on main only, down the ditch and occasionally gybing as the wind was twitchy, nice run, high 2's and 3's against a biggish tide..

By the time I got to Sweare Deep I was bearing up to wind and the genoa was out of the shadow of the main so I rolled out 90% of the genoa and we were tracking nicely towards Marker, but with the wind consistently getting stronger, and twitchier, and bugger me if 50 yards before Marker it didn't go round a bit more southerly. Three tacks and I was through and carried on towards the bottom of the harbour..

Should have known really as I could see some of the big boys being laid over at times, and by the time I was just shy of Verner it was gusting a solid F5 and I was well over canvassed. Tacked, eased sheets, and lit the afterburners for home..  last of the tide and a F5 on the quarter and not surprisingly she lit up..  solid stream of 6.3's and 6.5's, but it was uncomfortable so rolled away a chunk more of genoa and then she was good.

Rocketed into the Deep, I had breaking water on the bow from the wind blown chop, engine down and on and sails away as I went up the ditch in a consistent low end F5.

Short and sweet..

Log:

Distance: 7.14 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F4 gusting F5; WSW occasionally SW
Sail Plan: Full main / 90% then 75% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 3.1 / 6

Make do and mend...

Bit of maintenance bodge'ry been going on ..

First - as mentioned briefly in the last post I'd noticed that one of the switches on my switch panel wasn't lighting up when clicked on...  I have a simple 6 gang switch panel - for reference this is it - largely vanilla make as multiple manufacturers seem to market it, so I suspect it originates in China somewhere..

I had assumed it might be the respective fuse (each of them has their own fuse in that square holder to the side) but a check of the fuse showed it to be good, and even when I changed it for a new one the switch still wouldn't light up.  

Time to get the voltmeter out then - which showed the individual switch was good and doing what it should do in 'on' and 'off' modes (I compared it to a working one) so the obvious conclusion is that it is nothing more than a failed bulb/LED in the actual switch, which is a pain in the proverbials.

New switches are cheap though, and although it would be nice, the price of these panels seems to have rocketed in the passage of time since I bought the first one - what was twenty quid in 2016 is now thirty five nine years later - besides - I'm not changing the whole panel for one failed bulb in one switch! 😏

So down the chandlers and £2.50 later I had a new switch (in fact two, as I bought an extra as a spare)

Note - three connectors - gold is the common neutral (on this one) - middle is positive, and then negative for the device you are connecting

Looking at the back of it though, it's not a straight forward swap as the switches are actually soldered into a common negative "bus bar" integral to the panel - to get the switch out, heat had to be applied,  and then the contact gently separated - once you do that (and my gas soldering iron decided not to work on the day so I had to use a lighter 😕) the individual switches then are held in place by plastic clips. Push them in and the whole switch can be pushed out..

Note common bus bar in foreground - all the switches in the panel are connected/soldered to that - offending switch has been removed in this picture..

Offending switch removed..

..new one could then be orientated so that it's the same as the other switches (so that all of them are in "on" or "off" in the same direction ...  OCD? me? I think not.. 😏) and then you can wire it in. 

Now in an ideal world, where your gas powered soldering iron was working, that would be easy... but in this case an alternative solution had to be arrived at until I can get to mains power source for another soldering attempt. In my case a small spur cable from the main negative with a spade terminal for the new switch - shame it was red but I didn't have any black cable with me so it was "make do and mend"

...and then with positive attached it was time for a test - and the switch lit up.. job's a good 'un..  

New one a slightly different style but it works...

That done it was time to move on to other things...  you may have heard me mentioning that the washboards will need attention/replacement this coming winter as they are beginning to reach the end of their natural lives - by far the worst is the lower one..

The wet got in last winter and the top surface delaminated - I had dried it out as best I could, and then given it multiple coats of paint but it was clear it was getting worse so a stop gap solution was needed to get me to the end of the season without further deterioration...

I had toyed with multiple ideas - more paint, epoxy/filler, epoxy cloth, plastic wood - but in the end went with a simple solution..

Uggghh...

..a good rub down with sanding paper, and then UPVC stuck down with a thick (gap filling) adhesive - with the washboard in I drew a line down the edge of the beading it sits in, slapped the unguent on  (extra for the pitting area) and then stuck some plastic card I had on top, slid it round a little to ensure all edges were sealed, weighted it down and left it to dry..

..once done  the entire board got a couple of coats of paint..

...and I'm surprised how good it looks - time will tell...

Completed job list '24/'25 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 quiet one with (mainly) only the basics done..

Next winter will be different as the standing rigging needs doing, and I think I will also take the opportunity at the same time to replace the current genoa roller furling with a more up to date, and new, system..

Completed list...

1. Genoa needed a new sacrificial strip as the old one was 10+ years old and beginning to shred - got that back from Batt Sails who did a lovely job for about £12'ish a metre to remove old, and replace with new.


2. Boom/sail cover needed attention - I bought this in 2019, and compared with the previous one it is in far better condition than the other one was. The previous one lasted 6 years, this one is 6 years old this year, albeit we had a year of Covid where it didn't get a lot of UV - the material is OK'ish - just a little fragile on the fold lines, so I took the opportunity to reinforce the back of those with some sail repair tape, but the Velcro ties are shot so I am now having to secure with a length of line as well - new one next year I suspect

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 (or two) of paint (as needed) - 
• locker lids - have been rubbed down, grey epoxy primer'ed on the weaker/compromised surfaces, and two coats of paint applied to upper surfaces..
• Wash boards - gave them two coats at the end of last season but they have been rubbed down, grey epoxy primered on the weaker/compromised surfaces, two coats white applied, they'll need attention in the next week or so though as we have some paint cracks
• Tiller pilot support - done..
• Tiller pilot clip rest - done..
• Tender - minor scratches on the bottom as a result of general wear and tear repainted..
3. Rub down and coat of wood preservative or varnish (as needed).
• cockpit board 
• rubbing strakes - done at the start of the winter - they may now need a touch up..
• hand rails
4. Antifoul - done..  Cruising Performer again this year..  just one coat though as an experiment..
   
5. Service outboard - Bursledon Outboards did a good job - very pleased..
6. Serviced the Life Jackets
7. Pick up chain:
• shackle for swivel to mooring buoy replaced '24/'25
8. Pressure washed and pre- launch topsides wash done..

Pilsey dough man

With what feels like equinoctial gales and wind continuing to blow in the UK (and I know it isn't as we're at least 3 months past the equinox - but it almost feels like spring gales) we are once again into sniper mode .. picking our windows for the occasional sail when we can..

The Jolly Boys were due to go away last week for our first overnighter to Lymington but we cancelled in the end..  faced with a F5  gusting 6, with rain, and a westerly (so bang on the nose) the better option was definitely to go to the pub - so we did..  😏

The possibility then of a 'mere' F4, no rain (and we'd had torrential rain and thunderstorms the night before), maybe even some of the yellow stuff in the sky was grabbed with both hands..

HT 10:46 and I was on the boat at half past nine, first signs were good - the yellow thing was there - but it was also noticeably breezy, and yet again again a non-prevailing direction (NW'ly), and that north added a little cold to the equation.. 

Decision taken, and having fired up the metal donkey (with fresh fuel on the day) to warm up I wacked in some reefs on the main, and with the sail already up decided to sail off the mooring, as with the direction we had it would be on a dead run down the ditch..

I was spotted from afar... my thanks to Julian on Macavity for the photo 😊

I was pleased I'd put the reefs in - once we got out from behind the shelter of the bund, it was clearly a little breezier than I was expecting. Continued on the run until Sweare Deep where I gybed, and with enough clearance to now make the genoa work, rolled that out too..

Fast transit to the bottom of the harbour - I could get to like steaming past Marker like it's standing still - but although this wind direction is good for that, any destinations east of the transit line will inevitably mean a beat back to home - so what you win on one hand you lose on the other..

As it was, I made a fast passage to NW Pilsey where I then tacked, and headed for home on the last legs of the incoming neap - what a stonker of a beat is all I can say..

..driving a boat to windward with just the right amount of sail up
and a decent breeze..  is there anything better?

She went up wind like she was on rails, a constant series of 5's SOG, making my west'ings every time the wind shifted slightly in my favour in order to clear Marker fairly comfortably in the end.. 

Dodging the dinghy fleets, and with the wind building, and with me beginning to feel cold in the wind, the engine went down (and on) off Sweare Deep, and sails came down under auto pilot on the way back to the mooring in a growing breeze (bottom end 5 by the time I got back)

Short then, but very sweet..

Maintenance/snag list/notes:

• Refilled fuel tank - 4 ltrs
• Fuse gone in the masthead light switch

Log:

Distance: 8.03 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): Both ends of a F4 with occasional F5; NWxW
Sail Plan: Reefed main and 75% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.6 / 3.4

Beautiful boat..

Two weeks since I was last out on Sparrow for that beatific pan-harbour cruise in company with Simon and Martin on their boats, and since then it has been an almost constant series of wind, and or interspersed with the odd shower..  definitely time for a sail...

Late HT - 16:05 - and also a massive Spring, so once again there was a lot of water sloshing about when I finally managed to get to the boat at about 1300 (roadworks and associated traffic jams..  summer's here...😏) but having decided not to hang around, the engine was on and I was heading for the Rythe down the ditch about 20 past, waving to Jolly Boy Dave as I went past...

Sail cover and sail ties off  and halyards made ready as I went down the ditch (thank you you tiller pilot..  again..) and I turned and hoisted sails just off Northney and for the first time noticed what a weird direction it was coming from (in my defence the mooring is behind a bund which shelters the boat from the wind so sometimes it's not always obvious 😁) - westerly!

So the slightly weird sensation of a run down the Rythe to Sweare Deep, before bearing up for a beam/close reach all the way past Marker - and every minute I was expecting it to go more southerly..  and it didn't..

This beauty went past me like I was standing still, would love to know what she was..  looked like a wishbone, or spur insignia on the sail?

Strange old day wind'wise, as it was also alternating between a F2 and F4 but I guess it wasn't warm enough to generate a sea breeze so westerly it stayed all the way down the harbour until I tacked and turned for home just shy of the Fishery cardinal by HISC..  at which point someone put their foot on the accelerator..

With the tail end of the flow, and an increasing wind on the quarter, she was flying - and although the GPS missed it I was getting 6.1's and indeed a 6.3 (albeit SOG 😏) in fact it was getting quite feisty in the gusts..  hurtled past Jolly Boy Dave with just time for a wave..

Getting cloudy, and cold, and I decided enough was enough and it was time for the pub..  sails down in Sweare Deep and then a quick motor back to the mooring in what I think must have been a F5 by the time I got there..  great sail, even if it was short!

Notes: Outboard fuel tank drained - launch day was two months ago and I like to try and keep the fuel fresh - took home about 2 litres I think of the original 4 I put in and poured that in to the car. I'll fill up on the way to the boat next time..

Log:

Distance: 8.13 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction):  F2 occasionally F4; W
Sail Plan: Full main/90% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 5.7 (6.3!😏) / 3.0

A delivery and a Greek One..

Mucho mileage this week (..so far? 🤔)

First off a delivery, which also gave me the opportunity to break my catamaran virginity..

My ride for the day..  Macavity

The club had it's second lift in this week, and those boats that for one reason or another had not been ready to go in on the first one finally had their chance to splash..  mate Julian (who I need to be nice about as he reads this drivel) offered me a crewing opportunity for Wednesday as his normal volunteers were unavailable. Having had to miss out on last years invite due to a clash of delivery interests I bit his arm off..

Julian moors in Chichester (like I do) but because the mast is significantly bigger he doesn't drop it for lift out/in, so this delivery would require a circumnavigation rather than a quick trip under the bridge.

Either way - after a wet launch from the hoist at roughly half 12, we had a cracking day on the water and the only real disappointment was the lack of wind, and the direction - easterly's continue, so dead on the nose for the transit across Hayling Bay, and precious little for the 'drop' down Langstone, and 'lift' up Chichester harbours..  motor sailed all the way (just shy of 3 hours for the transit), but the boat is lovely, the fodder was excellent (sausage rolls from his local butcher - top notch!) and he gave me a beer as well - fair to say I'll bite his arm off again if I get the opportunity! 😁

Then on Thursday it was time for the (full quorum this time) Jolly Boys to head to the water for another fun packed day of escapades and jolly japes (well it would make a nice change 😁) on AmiLy..

What a difference a day makes, Wednesday/Macavity delivery, had been light winds and blistering - think it topped 25 or 26'C which for May is ludicrously delightful, but Thursday saw a temperature drop of 10 degrees, the wind shift to northerly with just a hint of East (and I think that was why it suddenly got cooler) but it also strengthened by a couple of notches. 

Midday HT again and I'd been hoping the easterly's would continue so that we could finally get to Bembridge for lunch, but it wasn't to be, and with the wind on the beam/quarter it was definitely optimal for Cowes, even with an adverse tide both ways we were clocking 4.5/5's and for brief spurts 6/6.5's.

Quick trip as the midday HT gives us some tidal challenges with a late'ish start (10:00) and an early'ish finish (17:00) required because of water depths on the berth, but even so, what a cracking sail - she was absolutely hoon'ing it coming back.. chuffing cold though after the day before. Lunch in the Lifeboat (again - we know it's boring keep going to the same place but the food is lovely especially the Greek One burger!)

Delivery Log:

Distance: 14.47 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F3 / East going SWxS
Sail Plan: Full main but mostly motor
Speed (Max/average in knots): 6.3 / 4.4

Jolly Boys Log:

Distance: 26.34 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F4 gusting 5 ; NExE going NExN
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa with/without motor
Speed (Max/average in knots): 6.8 / 3.3

East'ing...

What a stonking day on the water and as is usually the case when a sailing day exceeds expectations, so unexpected..

Arrived to the club to find it suspiciously light in the wind department when all the forecasts were screaming out F4 and I'd been wondering about reefs when I left home. Either way after a brief chat with fellow club member Martin (an Anderson 22 owner) who had the same ideas me, I was in the tender and then on board Sparrow by 0845'ish.

Plan was to get sails ready as I went as with the wind very firmly in the east it was clear that I'd have to motor to the end of the channel before any sailing could be done - despite that direction I still love an easterly in the harbour as that means the options for fast passages to the bottom of the harbour and back, and also a run down the channel back to the mooring should anything go wrong. 

So a gentle motor to Sweare Deep, sails up and out in what was only a gentle F2, but happily we are on Neaps so far less water sloshing round than last time - bore away, and then had a  lovely 4 knot reach down to HISC

...fool on the hill? I think not when I think of all the poor souls in the office on a day like today...

Turned and headed back to the top of the harbour at NW Pilsey as I still wasn't sure whether it would be one or more tacks to get back, but as it turned out, just the one to make a little east'ing..  glorious - and so good I then repeated it..

Great to be out on the water - joined by the aforesaid Martin, and also mate Simon on his boat Marcy - all of us agreed that the whole summer could carry on doing that as far as we were concerned, as it was more than adequate recompense for a winter of grovelling in the mud and the gravel to get our boats ready.. 😏

Log:

Distance: 10.6 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F3 (occasionally 2 and occasionally 4!) / NExE going E
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots):  5.1 / 3.1

Scorchio..!

With Jolly Boy Smiffy away the cats will play and so it was that the rump of the Jolly Boys decided on a mid week dash to Cowes in what has been the hottest week of the year so far in the UK..  mid twenties in April..  unheard of but hugely welcome..

The downside of this of course is that we're in a fairly chunky High so wind was never going to be in abundance (as I found on Monday), but also a brand new moon continues to provide a mahoosive tide (4.8mtrs yesterday), and the aforesaid tide times were not super helpful for the day we were proposing to go either..  

..however...  needs must and the Jolly Boys convened at Rods gaff at 9, and were on AmiLy by 10 - dead low water had been 3 hours before, and with the state of tide lots of mud was still visible, but as a fin keeler had gone just before us we took our time getting her ready and slipped about 20 past - with 0 mtrs under the keel we were away..

Main up as we went past the aircraft carrier (singular - "Prince of Wales" is off on duty) but it was pretty much just a case of showing willing as there was precious little breeze about. Enough water by now for the inner swashway as we exited the harbour but every time we dropped the engine revs the apparent wind also disappeared and left us rolling and in the end, with a fairly tight schedule and lunch beckoning we left the engine on and motored all the way..

Vickies gaff.. 😏

Lunch in the Lifeboat (again..  but we love the food and the moorings in East Cowes are very handy for it), and then a repeat motor home as although the wind had picked up, it was dead on the nose and against that same huge tide...

The sun shone, the Solent glittered, we may have seen our first dolphin (it may have been a seal), we were all burnt, salty round the edges, and what a cracking day..  

Log:

Distance: 23.74 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): SSE going SE ; F2 going F3
Sail Plan: Main/genoa (but mostly motor)
Speed (Max/average in knots): 7.8 / 3.9

Shakedown sail and first fish

Look at that little beauty..  juvenile bass, just a teenager but a bit of a fighter..  it went back to see it's brothers and sisters (but if the population of the harbour is anything to go by, to feed the seals probably! 😀)..  first fish on my new rod (the Frankenstein is no more) so doubly welcome..

..but I jump ahead of myself..  it was also another first, as in first sail of the year yesterday, and as is fairly usual, just a short one to make sure everything that should be working is working, stays/rigging is tight enough, sails hoist ok, genoa furls ok, etc etc..

Astonishingly beautiful day, but not a huge amount of wind to counter the quite astonishing amounts of water sloshing around on what must be the biggest tide since we launched..  looked like a couple of knots of adverse water as I headed east, and as you can see the tacks were flat in the main channel - just enough wind not to get swept sideways. Abandoned any hope of getting to Marker without a lot of engine noise so settled for sailing in Sweare Deep before heading back to the mooring - job done, mission accomplished..

Log:

Distance: 4.83 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): Both ends F2 ; SExE going SW
Sail Plan: Full main and 90% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 5.5 / 2.4

Busy busy busy... and a bad taste... 😒

Time to catch up after a week which comprised 4 days on the water..  not a bad one then..  😏

On Tuesday it was time for the first trip of the year on Jolly Boy Smithy's pride and joy, the GP14 "Hanoly"..  I like going out on her a lot, as one, I'm not the skipper, but two, I just think you are closest to pure sailing on a dinghy than probably any other vehicle except maybe windsurfing (others may disagree😁).. 

Either way it was a lovely trip - not too windy, but the sun shone, we had a flask of coffee, and we ticked off a couple of our season goals (a moving target we make up as we go along 😁) in this case a north to south transit of the "North West passage" (a small channel running between one of the islands and the sea wall on the edge of the marsh, but with prevailing winds being what they are round here, it's usually a south to north transit), and we also got to see the site of the old Oyster House..

..the Oyster House (picture following) is long gone, but the foundations are still visible..  more on it here [clicky] if you're interested..

No sooner were we back and rested from that though, than it was then Wednesday and time to put the mast up on Sparrow.

Now the mast raising on Sparrow is a Jolly Boy Event (tm 😁), and I like to think is appreciated by all parties, we know what were doing now [clicky], but I think most would agree the best bit is the beer, pork pies, kettle crisps and pickled eggs afterwards. It was a relatively trouble free lift to be honest..  no snags or hitches, and all went as per the checklist in that link, the only downer was that when we got it up it was noticed that were missing the forks from two of the bottle screws.. 😒

Now one missing I could accept may have been an accident, but those forks take a lot of screwing in and two missing is theft, pure and simple..  no idea when it happened, either in the yard, or on the mooring, whoever it was left the bottle screw body, just took the forks...  it was a boater did that, and that leaves a nasty taste.. 💩

Happily, and in the best spirit of what the Jolly Boys are all about, Dave had a spare bottle screw sitting in the spares box on his boat, and wonder of wonders it fitted (and that is not a foregone conclusion as I found later) so one was done, which just left the other to source a replacement for.. I had a couple of old one's in the garage I was hopeful would do that job but it turns out they were M8, and mine are 5/16th's (and the rigging is swaged stud so I couldn't just swap out the whole bottle screw)

...so near yet so far...

Bit the bullet in the end and bought a whole new bottle screw,. There are sources online where you can buy just the fork, but 

1. you need to be sure you have the the right thread*, which was difficult to tell on the fitting I was using as a template, and 
2. required a wait for delivery, and 
3. was still £15

...I didn't want to faff around, as sailing awaits..

* (apologies if this is teaching grandma to suck eggs, but the following was new to me, so there may be others who it will help) One end of the bottle screw is a left handed thread, and the other end is right handed, this allows you to turn the bottle screw to engage the threads on both end fittings at the same time to tension or de-tension the screw

..yee gods imperial measurement bottle screws are a price...  I guess because they are not as commonly used as the metric ones..  (next time the standing rigging is done - which is soon - I'll ask for metric bottle screws, and not with a swaged stud, as an eye fitting would have let me swap out the entire bottle screw, so far more flexible)... anyway - just need to swap out the new fitting, and she's done, but the sails are now on, and the new UV strip on the genoa looks cracking...

...so with the lift out of the way that only left time for the Jolly Boys to get away on one of their "one day dashes".. 

The forecast for Thursday had been monumentally good; wall to wall sunshine, with a SE'ly in the morning, going westerly in the afternoon, which would theoretically give a broad reach in both directions if we timed it right..  tides were also optimal - the 'conveyor belt' running to the west in the morning and then turning east in the afternoon.. perfect...  what we actually got was the sun and the tide, but precious little of the wind, or indeed the direction... so a lot of the day was spent on the motor, but we did get a little sailing in, but most of the time it involved pointing in a non-optimal direction just to get some wind in the sails...

Leaving Portsmouth in the morning..  glorious day..

Lunch stop off was in East Cowes (£15 for a lunchtime stay compared with £10 last time - summer rates are in.. 😏) and absolutely fantastic .. "The Lifeboat" is very much recommended by all of us - food, service, and beer choice excellent..

Snooze in the cockpit followed, before dropping the mooring and heading for home about half 3'ish as the tide was turning in our favour..

..and that was largely it - stopped off for a quick refuel in Gosport, but I was home by half 7, slightly burnt round the edges, and a little salty, and that is what it's all about..  brilliant day.

Log:

Distance: 24.77 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): AM: F2 PM: F3 ; AM: E PM: SWxW

Sail Plan: Full main and jib
Speed (Max/average in knots):  7.5 / 2.5