Last sail of the year.

Route- EDSC - Wareham - EDSC and home.

Saturday 22nd Oct. This was to be the last chance to get out on Jelly this year. She has to be off the mooring before Nov 1st and I always like to give myself time for a second attempt in case things don’t go as planned.

We were having a new kitchen door fitted on Saturday so I could just disappear. As soon as the door fitter was finished I threw my bag in the car and made my way to the club.

Late start.. I was onboard by 3pm and the tide was flowing out quickly. I want to get off the mooring ASAP and put the sails in deeper water, so I threw my stuff in the cabin; fitted the engine; slipped the mooring and motored away…. Only to slither to a stop after about two foot.

I stopped the engine and decided to tidy the cabin and put the kettle on. While sat out with my cuppa a fella with a wind surfer walked past, he’d hit a sand bank which had knocked him off to land with some force. It seems that since the channel had been dredged last year a sandbank had started to appear. This probably explains the two or three occasions this year where I have not been able to get back to my mooring as the tide falls.

Where shall I go.. As the tide started to rise again I raised the sails with a single reef in the main. As the keels lifted the boat slid forward through the sand before breaking free and off into the harbour. Whilst sat in the cabin I decided to go to Wareham for the night, I was underway by 5:30pm so reckoned on being at Wareham by 9pm…. By which time it would be very dark.

The boat was beautifully balanced, I was able to set a course, then walk to the bow just for the view without upsetting the direction; I’ve never been able to do that before!

I had to beat up the harbour as the wind was blowing from the North. By the time I’d got to Hamworthy there was a distinct lack of light and I was having to thread my way through the myriad of moored yachts. I made my last tack near Rockley park and followed the well lite channel markers up towards the river Frome.

By now the Early wind which had dropped to a breeze had now gone to bed so I started the engine and aimed for the last lit channel markers. Once into the river the channel is marked by stakes, Red on the left and Green on the right,,, Fabulous except that at night I can’t tell them apart. To preserve my night vision I didn’t have any lights on. Unfortunately this meant that I also couldn’t see the Chart. As the river meandered I didn’t see the turn and gentle stopped on the mud in the entrance of a blind alley… I put the lantern on to check the chart and saw the error so put her in reverse and with a little prayer and a few extra revs she freed herself from the mud and I took the correct route up the river.. The African Queen never had this problem!

The Quay Inn

Wareham night life.. I tied up against the quay at Wareham by 9pm, put my glad rags on and headed for the chippy. Chilli Burger and Chip… Haut Cuisine it wasn’t but it definitely filled a gap. I spent the rest of the Evening in the Quay (Pub not water) where a charity Casino was been held. I didn’t win anything but the under 14’s Rugby team might get a pair of socks.

Cormorant

Sunday 23rd Oct: Another beautiful morning, the sun shinning through the mist; with not a breath of wind.  I motored away from Wareham at around 7:30am. Even at this early hour there was plenty of activity around ridge wharf, several boats were being readied for lifting out. I passed two long term moored up Fantasie 19’s. One is Barley 11 but I don’t know anything the other one.

Tidying up

Autumn Cobwebs

Lifting out at Ridge Wharf

Unknown Fantasie 19

Barley 11

The transition from river to harbour starts with reed beds, then wide open shallows before turning the corner to the busy moorings, marinas and other harbour activity.

Roman standard? ... or maybe the Comrmorant I displaced earlier.

Leaving the river Frome

The harbour was very busy, cruiser and dinghy races being held from Hamworthy to Parkstone. I took the less busy route and managed to brew up while under way.

It was time to turn my thoughts to getting the boat out of the water. I would have to get back to the club, drive home; pick up the trailer and push bike; drive back to Baiter park; push bike back to the club; row out to the boat and sail over to Baiter Park… All before the water disappeared.

Too late.. I anchored near the slip way and rowed ashore. I set the trailer up as quick as I could and pushed it down the slip way. I had painted lines on the docking arms to indicate when the trailer was deep enough. They were just covered with the trailer right at the end of the slip. I row back to the boat and motored towards the trailer, the lines where just being lapped by the water as I got there but the boat would not float onto it. I jumped off and tried to get a tiny bit more depth by pushing the trailer further in but the wheels dropped of the end of the slipway. I’d missed the tide so I dropped the anchor again; manhandled the trailer back onto the slipway and went back to the boat. With the tide going out I knew that I had plenty of time to brew up, heat up some beans a de-rig the boat long before the water came back.

She's on.. It was 8pm and pitch black by the time the boat was on the trailer. This was the first time I’d used this trailer at Baiter and hadn’t realised quite how heavy it was and how far down the slipway it would have to be. It’s much heavier and the deck is much higher than my old trailer. I didn’t have enough rope to reach the car to allow me to drag it back up the slipway so I would have to pull it up myself.

She’s in.. My first attempt let on of the wheels drop off the side of the slipway. There was no way I could pull it back onto the ramp and I felt there was a danger losing the trailer until the next low tide, about 2am! I looped a warp through an eye on the trailer and cleated it through the jib fairlead. This did the trick and helped lift the trailer as the tide came in, allowing me to pull it back onto the ramp. I was still about 10 metres short of getting a rope around the tow hitch. I had to draw on all my will to pull the boat and trailer up the ramp.

She’s out.. Eventually I got the rope around the tow bar and dragged her out and onto the car park. I was absolutely shattered and so glad that I’d de-rig while waiting for the tide. I was home with the boat on the garden by 9:30.

It had been a very long day and I was tuckered out. Despite this I had had a great weekend and cannot wait for April when it can all start again.

Sun set over Poole harbour

Arctic Tern migrates West!

It's a long way from Rye to Weymouth... Even on a trailer!

Planning- Some time ago I received an Email through the website from Dean who had just bought 'Arctic Tern' on Ebay and was looking for advice on how to move it from Rye back to his mooring in Weymouth. As a thoroughly helpful sort of a chap I said that he could use my trailer and even went as far as to offer my help for the day.

We decided that the date that best fitted with us was Oct 16th; however that wasn't the best timing for the tides. I like to have two tides available in case we don't get the boat on the first one, unfortunately the first tide that Saturday was about 7am; which would have meant leaving home at 1am and we would be working in the water in the dark... Not happening. The next high tide was late in the afternoon, it was apparent that it was going to be a whole weekends work and not just the one day.

I sent Dean a list of things he would need to bring (Waders, ropes, engine, fuel change of clothes etc) and told him to be at my house by 8:30.

Saturday- Dean turned up bang on time with all the items required so we had a cuppa before heading East.

We arrived at Rye about Noon, the tide was fully out so we went for an exploratory walk around the slipway and then down to where the boat was moored. I was a little surprised to find 'Arctic Tern' lying on her side in the mud. She was on a Trot mooring right on the channel edge and had tipped as the tide went out. I'm not sure how often this had happened but it didn't look ideal. We slopped out through the mud for a better look and she didn't appear to have taken on any water and importantly looked like she would right herself when the tide came back in. It did give us a chance to examine below the water line and besides a bit of weed she looked pretty good. A previous owner has welded angle iron feet to the bottom of the bile plates. I can only assume that this was to try and stop the bilge plates sinking into the mud. I may have been counter productive as if the higher bilge plate had been able to sink then the boat might not have tipped over?

We had time to kill so I suggested a Cuppa in the cafe near the slipway.. The tea looked lonely so I had a pasty as well.

Time to set the trailer up and the problems began. The clamps for the docking poles refused to work so we went on a mission to find some WD40.. I'd brought all the spanner that I'd need but forgot the magic spray, You should never leave home without it! At this point the tide was turning so Dean headed off to the boat to supervise the tide as it came in. I suggested that he kept his weight on the upper keel as the water came back and jumped aboard before his feet got wet.

After about an hour of gentle persuasion the trailer clamps were behaving them selves. With every thing set up I positioned the trailer on the slipway. I always try to keep the car away from the slope, by using long towing rope, as I don't want to run the risk of it being dragged into the water once the weight of the boat is on the trailer. Also as the RNLI use this slipway I left my car keys in the ignition before wondering off to see what was going on with Dean.

As you can see from the photo sequence there was a fair time to wait before we could get her afloat. Once afloat I asked Dean to get the engine running before casting off. He pulled and pulled, choke on, choke off. Eventually I jumped on to have a go, still no joy. I then pressed the stop button to see if it was stuck in and it didn't push... however it did pull and I realised it needed a lanyard. There wasn't one to be found.. We wrapped a bit of string around it and motored of to the slipway.

It was a good job I had left the keys in the car as the RNLI had needed to go out and tow back an engine less fishing boat. Better for them to drive my car than drag it with their substantial tractor.

After a bit more maneuvering we had the boat on the trailer. It took several attempts to get the rig up the slipway as every time we moved her she slipped back on the trailer. I wanted it balanced as I wouldn't be able to move her once her weight was fully on the trailer.

It was a good feeling to have her out, all that was needed now was derigging a strapping down before finding some well deserved food before our long drive home.


Sunday- I was in no rush to get out of bed, it had been a long day yesterday but today would be much easier. As I prepared for the journey one of my long suffering neighbour came out to say hello.. "Have you bought another boat"? I allayed his fears saying that it was going that morning only to let him know that Jelly Bean was coming home next weekend. "Oh, I thought it was a different colour".

I arranged to meet Dean by the ferry terminal in Weymouth as it has a large car park making it easy to manouver the trailer. Dean had had a great stroke of luck, he'd paid for a swinging mooring but the harbour master had put him on a finger berth right by the slipway. This was great. We wouldn't need to go out in a wobbly tender at all and we could do most of the setting up once in the water ;D.

My usually launch strategy in Poole is to kick the trailer and boat down the slipway and go look for the trailer once the boat is afloat. This would not work in Weymouth as there is a sill at the end of the slip and if the trailer went over that I would struggle to get it back. I tied my tow rope to the trailer hitch and looped it around the tow hitch to help control the decent. Unfortunately I had under estimated the weight of the rig and the slope of the slip so when the trailer was released from the car there was little we could do to stop it rolling 'Thunderbirds style' out into the harbour. Fortunately it stopped before going over the sill and I was able to tie it off on a ring to stop it going any further. I had to lasoe the trailer snubber with a spare rope and tie that to the car to drag it back up again. Obviously needs some more thought before I attempt a similar launch!

Arctic Tern is now safely on her winter mooring, Dean has a list of Things to buy, Jobs to do and Skills to acquire before heading out into the blue yonder but I know he's looking forward to all three. As for me, I've got to do this all over again next weekend as it it time for Jelly Bean to come home for the winter. :(

Evening sail

As the season draws to a close I find myself trying to fit in as much time on board as possible, conscious that it maybe sometime before I can get out again. I have taken to keeping a change of clothes in the car so that I can go straight to the boat after work.

Last night was one such night and looked like a perfect evening, blue skies, sun shinning and a good breeze. I put a single reef in, slipped the mooring and set of at a pace across the harbour. I'd decided to tow the dinghy as I wasn't going to be out long, it hardly touched the water; almost being flown like a kite. The wind was from the ESE so I decided to go round Brownsea as it would be the only place I'd be able to find enough shelter to get the kettle on.

I love this anchorage, it's quiet and sheltered, it seems a million miles from the hubbub of the main harbour. Once my thermal mug was filled with tea I paddled ashore and had a stroll around the north end of the island; no red squirrels today, oh well, never mind.

With the light fading and the tide ebbing I decided to make my way back around the south end of the island.

I had to stick rigidly to the markers on the way back as the tide was slipping away. Putting in several tacks to get me down to the harbour mouth. On the way down I saw this magnificent Heron fishing on the waters edge. When he flew it was like a prehistoric scene... maybe the squirrels were hiding from a Velociraptor?

Further down the channel I noticed a group of people climbing the soft and crumbling cliffs of Brownsea. I found this a little bizarre as there are steps just a few hundred yards from where they were climbing. At first I thought they were kids but it was a family group. They had an inflatable on the beach and were wearing life jackets. They had obviously come from a large wooden yacht that was moored in the channel. On closer inspection this yacht had actually grounded.... Just west of an East Cardinal! I could now see why they hadn't found the steps on the island.

Even with plenty of wind and Jelly Bean surging through the water I could not overcome the tidal flow near the harbour entrance. I started the engine and with it going flat out and the wind in the sails I was probably making about 1 knot towards home.

I didn't quite beat the tide back so had to sit it out for a hour or so before getting back to my mooring. Not a problem as it gave me chance to brew up and do a few of the little jobs that were building up. Although I have an electric lamp in the cabin I tend to use a hurricane lamp if I don't need too much light as is conserves battery power and also keeps the cabin warm.

EDSC Yarmouth Cruise

Last weekend I joined the EDSC cruise to Yarmouth. This was the last organised trip of the year so I was keen to go along. I stayed on the boat on Friday night, rowing out at 1am with the moon illuminating the harbour and very calm water. I set the alarm for 5:30 but kept hitting the snooze button, eventually getting up at about 6:30, emerging bleary eyed with a cup of coffee to see Geoff rowing out to Jintan.

There was a good selection of boats going over but as always Jelly Bean was the slowest. I was out through the harbour entrance by 8am, it was a bit aof a struggle against the tide, making 2 knots on full power, once away from the channel there were no more problems and Jelly Bean fair flew on a beam reach all the way to Yarmouth. The wind was a solid, steady F4 from the North and with the tide I made Hurst Castle by 12 noon which is my best time by far. All helped by not having to Tack, steady wind and calm sea state.

The speed over ground peaked at just over 7Knts but was generally around 5Knts. I was looking forward to downloading the track from the GPS but unfortunately I had filled the memory earlier in the year and hadn't noticed... Guess I've had a good years sailing!

I dropped the sails outside the harbour and motored in, there is a harbour mooring officer motoring around all the time to assist with finding space. I had a little mishap during mooring which I am going to gloss over but I did come clean and the owner of the much bigger, much shinnier boat just laughed it off, as always, it's the manouvering in confined spaces which is much harder than bouncing about in the open sea.

I was third boat out but in some places they were five deep. I clamboured across my neighbours onto the pontoon and made for the harbour office. Unfortunately the pontoon wasn't attached to terra firma so I clamboured back over my neighbours and pumped up my dinghy. Fees paid, I took the short strole into town. I needed some BBQ bits and I thought I'd also have a well deserved pint in the Kings Head.. this sailing lark is hard work.

Back on board I prepared a lunch of smoked ham, bacon & tomato tortellini in a pleasant Mediterranean sauce; very filling; it induced an hours sleep.

We had a BBQ planned on the beach at 4pm, quite early but at this time of year light and temperature go hand in hand. I have to say I was still full from lunch so only had two sausages in a roll which was more than enough. This was probably one of the coldest BBQ's I'd ever been to. We had two sets of club members who were arriving later. We kept the BBQ going for them but I was wishing I'd brought my heavy jacket with me.

With every one feed we retreated to the Bugle Inn for a pint or two before paddling back to our respective craft. There was an impromtu night cap on 'Lapwing'.. Five people on a Corribee is Cosy :~)

We had a good lie in on Sunday as the tidal gate would not be in our favour until about 12 noon. It was a bit blowier than yesterday and I determined to have a reef in from the off. I fried my remaining two sausages with some onion in Coke (Didn't have any butter, lard or oil and the sausages refused to give up enough fat to stop them sticking to the pan). Tasted suprisingly OK, I was fully prepared to throw them away but I think I may have discovered a new culinery trend.

I tidied the boat, deflated and stowed the tender and motored out of the harbour. I pick up one of the large bouys outside the harbour to give me a fighting chance of getting the sails up with out getting blown ashore. I put one reef in the main a went for a test sail in the solent on different points of sail to make sure I was happy with the set up before heading out of the solent. It was balanced beautifully and I was even able to go into the cabin without lashing the tiller and without her chosing a course of her own.

There was a large motor yacht in the solent which I was reliably informed was Roman Abramovich's Le Grande Bleu. It's one of the biggest Luxury Yachts in the world at 370Feet. Just a toy he has given it to one of his friends.

Heading out through the Needles channel was quite exhilerating, plenty of speed, and a bit bouncy but never scarey. On the way through I saw 'Mistress' A 24 foot wooden boat built by one of the Club members in a car park two years ago as a project while he recovered from Heart surgery.... Some people are just too talented. He regularly races in the evening series and is very competitive. It also has a lifting keel so floats in a puddle. For me the only down side is that it is made of wood, I prefer the much less labour intensive plastic hulls.

The trip back was as fast as the way over although it was much gustier (if that is a real word) especially as I approached Hengistbury head. One of the great pieces of navigational equipment that has come my way, quite by chance, was the Apple iPhone which my company has kindly provided. I have Windguru loaded on with all my favourite locations saved as favourites. Great for checking tides, weather and facebook; It also comes in handy for work!

I was heading back in towards Bournemouth when I spotted two of the club boats close to the shore. The Commodore in Jamie Bump and Geoff in Jintan. I tucked in behind them and followed them into the harbour. This was the first time I'd started the engine since leaving Yarmouth which is always the sign of a good sail.

A great way to finish off the season, Ill' try and get out again before I drag her out but time is running out.