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. :(