Going... going...

Sorely tempted to go sailing, but yesterday afternoon was devoted to getting the boat ready for a mast drop - possibly this weekend - but the way the forecast is shaping up probably another time...

First job was to get the jib genoa off, and as I'd bought the A frame with me, deploy that as well - all done...

A frame sits outside the roller furling/forestay so that the furler can be lowered safely to the deck as the mast is lowered... the A frame legs are secured to the chain plates - I have them on the centre ones (the uppers) at the moment, but on the day I'll shift them to the forward lowers as it pushes the frame forward about half a foot...

The new halyard diverter I fitted last year worked a treat - it was obvious where the halyard had sat in the eye strap, but unlike last year no physical damage to the rope - chuffed with that...

Next job was the mainsail - all done and contents wrapped within sail cover - this year I took the decision to take it all ashore as last year it filled the cabin so much it was difficult to move around below...  all done, even in my tender, though there was a couple of feet of overhang......

With the boom gone next job was the mast crutch - this year I decided on a change - last year the legs sat in the cockpit but this had the double effect of being a pain in the ar*e to physically get round when I needed to deploy the outboard (and the new one is bigger), but it was also unstable as the legs were only the width of the cockpit floor apart...  can't sit them on top of the cockpit lockers as then I can't open them, and then I noticed that the coamings extend beyond the back of the cockpit - ideal spot as the coaming will anchor the end of the legs...

Just waiting for a mast....

...and that was largely it, once I'd loaded the Suzuki outboard into the tender....  beer o'clock time, and I thought well deserved!

Bar room crawl...

Last sail of the season time...  next weekend the mast comes down, and the weekend after that she comes out on the Sunday....

Weather was bright, sunny, warm and most unlike nearly October - shorts and tshirts weather - if this is global warming, bring it on say I....

Anyway - 14:30 high tide, and a big one at 4.6mtrs, wind was light with occasional gusts - which kind of summed up the whole afternoon really - not quite enough wind, from the right direction, to counteract the large dollops of water being pushed around by the moon....

Started off south easterly, went round south east easterly as I passed Northney and stayed that way all the way down to the harbour entrance against a stiff tide - plans for a run up Prinstead were shelved and I decided to go for a run into the Solent one last time...

By the time high tide got to us (just as I got HISC) the wind started to drop until by the time I got to the Bar Beacon is was pretty much lifeless.

Pleasant afternoon ensued watching a 29er [clicky] regatta in Hayling Bay (that seemed to end just as I turned for home) and I made my way back to the harbour - against the tide again, and in light of the fact I was being pushed westward by tide, without enough wind to get me into the harbour, the engine went on and I pushed for home...

So not with a bang but a whimper - but it was good to get out, and I was on my boat, and it was sunny, and the water was warm....  and February won't be much like that!

Log:

Distance: 12.25 miles (cumulative total in the 2014 mileage tab at the top of the page)
Wind: Started SE went SEE, F3 dropping to a F2
Sail Plan: Full main and reefed/full genoa - engine for return journey....
Speed: GPS track says max speed was 5 knots (which was under motor) - average speed 2.5 knots

Southampton Boat Show - 2014

I do like the Boatshow - I think it's the buzz - and I like the fact that it changes very little year to year - and the people - and the pint of Guinness at the Guinness bar - the smell of new boats - and that vague whiff of money, affluence and Cinzano Bianco.... this year was no different, this year though, I attended solo - kids have as much antipathy to the show as they do to sailing, ditto current Mrs Steve the Wargamer, and bro-in-law/sis was on parent sitting duties.... which means I get to spend more time checking out the stalls.... 

Good show again this year I thought - the crowds were big even for the penultimate day, and although the weather was grey and murky/hazy (see above) it was at least warm, and it didn't rain....

I gave up going on big yachts a few years ago - they're all pretty much all the same really when you get below - the differences are primarily in square footage when you get to the prices of these boats - the quality of fit out is the same, you just get more or less of it...  having said that I did see one beauty this year and she takes my best boat of the show prize - not that I'd ever want one though!

Made by Solaris, an Italian yard, [clicky] this is their 48 footer, and what attracted my attention was the hull colour - such a nice change from the universal white.... she looked fantastic...  the gel had a fine layer of glitter in it which sounds hideous but looked brilliant and at a distance a metallic effect...  very nice.... yours for half a million if you want it...

Elsewhere - Clipper [clicky] were there - this is the bunch my bro-in-law works for - she looked.....   "hard worked"...    Not surprising really as she's only just come back from racing round the world...

I was also keen to see the Practical Boat Owner project boat - I'm a subscriber so have been reading the ongoing project with interest and wanted to see the boat in the flesh...  not surprisingly (given the amount of money spent, and also the time invested) she looked absolutely fantastic..

I was talking to Ben (one of the journalists on the magazine) and he mentioned that they were thinking about doing the whole thing again with a new old boat - but this time doing it on a budget - which I think is an excellent idea...  hugely relevant to my boating, and even more useful I think than this project, purely because I couldn't afford some of the the products they used (in quantity!)...  I hope they do it - it will be a brilliant read..

At the end of our chat he turned round and asked me if I sail in Chichester Harbour, turns out he had read my blog (and recognised the boat name from my t-shirt)... gob smacked, but if you're reading this, Ben, nice to meet you...

...and that was largely it - though I did enjoy this beauty...  despite her appearance she's newer than she looks, and was built in Denmark in 1920, but was restored from a derelict in 1988 and since then has appeared in numerous films (Columbus, Frenchman's Creek etc)...   more details here [clicky]

I was also much taken with the Royal Marine Assault craft - more info on that on my wargame blog...

All in all a brilliant day...  got some idea's for the genoa sheet camcleat replacement project....

Swallow boats..

Crabber - like this one..

Smaller Crabber

A chat with the guy on the Barton stand was very informative - he showed me a cam cleat of sufficient size to handle the sheets (a la the Crabber above) but which is also on a swivel base, negating the need for the feeder block.... similar to this....

Finished off with a beer at the Platform Tavern [clicky], and all was definitely right with the world..!