Slept well despite the rising wind. Woke up briefly in the early hours to find she was bouncing around quite a lot! After a quick visit to the heads, I dropped off to sleep again pretty quickly. Warm enough on board with the fan heater running on the thermostat to stop things getting too chilly.
Woke up about six-ish. The usual breakfast was followed by a frosties bar and more coffee. Although I'd brought the means for bacon butties etc. couldn't really face anything more solid as yesterdays "under the weather" has turned into a definite case of a dodgy stomach.
Stirred myself about nine to remove the sprayhood as the stitching around one of the windows has pulled out along the top edge. Shouldn't be too much trouble to repair and there's some frayed edges that would benefit from some remedial work as well. Popped the battery in charge - pleased to discover that it only started charging at 4A indicating the battery was still fairly well charged. The bilge pump switch hasn't stuck again so that's a plus.
Loading the sprayhood into the car, I decided to get off the boat for a couple of hours and do some exploring by car in the hope that my upset stomach might settle down. It wasn't working so I popped into a chemists where the pharmacist doled out some magic pills which seemed to do the trick.
Back to the boat, I wandered down to the end of the pontoon to have a look at the state of the water now the tide had turned. I was hoping that once the ebb started running it might flatten the waves a bit compared to the wind over tide earlier in the day but there wasn't much sign of improvement.
Bit of a head scratcher this - conditions were definitely not conducive to rowing back up the river in the little 7' dink. In fact, I'd have been a bloody fool to try it. Whilst I could stay on board until tomorrow, the forecast is no better and it'd be an uncomfortable night to say the least.
Fortunately, Toby stuck his head out of his cabin to say "hello" as I walked back down the pontoon and by the time I'd said "I don't much fancy rowing the tender in this ..." he immediately said to leave Brigantia on the pontoon and he'll put her back on the buoy when things settle down. He's a top bloke, is Toby!
Back on board, I staggered about between the laptop and the engine well measuring up. I reckon the new outboard will fit but only just. We'll probably have to modify or replace the mounting and might have to mod the hole at the bottom of the well which is rather tight. If it has to be done, it has to be done - we need that new engine. If I'd been having some doubts about replacing it they vanished when petrol started pissing out of the carb yesterday. Enough is enough.
That job done, I packed up my kit, shut up shop and staggered back to the car to head home early in the afternoon. I'd have liked to have achieved more but there's only so much you can do in a force 8/9 gale!
Wednesday 7 December 2011
Tuesday 6 December 2011
Windy Winter Trip - Day 1
I've got the week off work and Jane is off tonight and tomorrow so I'm off to Fambridge for a quick visit to the boat. After picking up the workers from the big warehouse, I head off along the A14 mid-morning after the rush hour died down.
Arriving at Fambridge about lunchtime, I launch the tender and row down to our mooring. Along the way, it dawns on me, and I really don't know why I didn't cotton on sooner, that the handy folding oars that came with the tender are far too short for serious rowing. I'll add a set of longer oars to the shopping list when I get home.
After sorting out the fenders and mooring lines, I start the engine only for the carb float to stick once again. It hasn't done this lately and I thought I'd sorted it once and for all. The fix is usually to strip the carb down but I realised with dismay that all the tools were in the boot of the car. Firtled around and found something long and something heavy. Placed the long thing on the carb and whacked it a few times with the heavy thing (don't ask what the things were, you might be eating with them if you have a meal with us!) and hey presto, that got the bloody thing working again.
Slightly miffed by all the space on the inside of the pontoon being taken up with one big boat in the middle of each gap between the piles. Didn't fancy trying to move a boat up myself on the ebb tide with nobody about to help so nothing for it but to lie on the outside of the pontoon in the rougher water.
By the time I'd tied up, sorted things out and got the shore power on to run the fan heater I was feeling a bit under the weather so I climbed into my beeping slag for a nap. Three hours later, I work up and made myself tinned chilli-con-carne and boil in the bag rice. Later, I wandered up to the pub for a couple of pints before hitting the sack for the night.
Arriving at Fambridge about lunchtime, I launch the tender and row down to our mooring. Along the way, it dawns on me, and I really don't know why I didn't cotton on sooner, that the handy folding oars that came with the tender are far too short for serious rowing. I'll add a set of longer oars to the shopping list when I get home.
After sorting out the fenders and mooring lines, I start the engine only for the carb float to stick once again. It hasn't done this lately and I thought I'd sorted it once and for all. The fix is usually to strip the carb down but I realised with dismay that all the tools were in the boot of the car. Firtled around and found something long and something heavy. Placed the long thing on the carb and whacked it a few times with the heavy thing (don't ask what the things were, you might be eating with them if you have a meal with us!) and hey presto, that got the bloody thing working again.
Slightly miffed by all the space on the inside of the pontoon being taken up with one big boat in the middle of each gap between the piles. Didn't fancy trying to move a boat up myself on the ebb tide with nobody about to help so nothing for it but to lie on the outside of the pontoon in the rougher water.
By the time I'd tied up, sorted things out and got the shore power on to run the fan heater I was feeling a bit under the weather so I climbed into my beeping slag for a nap. Three hours later, I work up and made myself tinned chilli-con-carne and boil in the bag rice. Later, I wandered up to the pub for a couple of pints before hitting the sack for the night.
Sunday 6 November 2011
That's settled then ...
... until the next time!
Following on from last weekends' boat viewings and yesterdays engine discussions, Jane and I spent a good couple of hours over breakfast (of the coffee and cigarette kind - we really must give up the coffee ... oops, I mean cigarettes) discussing exactly what we both want boat wise over the short, medium and long haul.
We've kind've had this discussion several times already but I still had the feeling my dear lady wife wasn't being totally frank about what she wants. There's a tendency for me to talk (and talk and talk) her into doing what I want to do and for once I'm desperately keen to avoid that situation.
The first big question lurking in my mind was whether Brigantia is just too small and cramped for Jane to enjoy being on board. One or two veiled comments had hinted that this might in fact be the case. Clearly it would be madness to start spending serious money bringing our current boat up to scratch if there is a pressing need for something larger.
I'd figured that we could, just about, scrape together enough money to buy a somewhat larger boat such as a Westerly Centaur ....
At 26 feet a Centaur would only be 3'6" longer than Brigantia and still less than 8m, the minimum charge for our moorings, so our annual costs would be much the same. Full standing headroom, a much more usable heads and a cabin you could actually socialise in would be major benefits that Jane would appreciate.
From my point of view, they're good, tough little sailing boats with an inboard diesel and few vices. In fact, you could say that a Centaur would be akin, for us, to Brigantia on steroids! All the same advantages plus a whole lot of extra good points.
So why, you might well ask, did we not buy a Centaur in the first place? The simple answer is we couldn't afford to buy one for cash, not be a very long chalk, and 12 months ago Jane would not have entertained the possibility of borrowing money to finance a boat purchase.
We still can't afford to buy one for cash but we could, although it would put a strain on our finances, borrow the difference between what Brigantia would fetch and what we'd have to pay for a reasonable example of a Centaur.
But, and it is a big but, a Centaur would only be a modest improvement. A bit better below decks than Brigantia, simply due to her extra size, but we'd still inevitably have to spend a fair bit of money bringing the boat up to the state we'd like it to be in and we still wouldn't have the boat we ultimately want.
After some debate we put this one to bed once and, I hope, for all. Jane is happy, or so she categorically assures me, to make the most of Brigantia for the next three seasons by which time we should be in a much stronger position financially (we'll have bought the car outright, fully recovered from the outlay on Brigantia and, perhaps, even managed to save up some pennies towards a new boat).
It does leave me pondering a puzzle - how much cash can we scrape together to spend over this coming winter. If, as is now definitely the case, the plan is to keep Brigantia for three years and then trade up it makes the most sense to spend money on the big jobs sooner rather than later so that we get maximum benefit from the improvements. At the very least, that means the new engine, standing and running rigging needs to be done this winter and I would really like to replace the sails as well. Not sure we're going to be able to afford that but more of that in another post.
Having settled that, we wandered on into a discussion about what we would really like ultimately. I've no doubt we'll be returning to this theme again and again over the next three years (you have been warned!) but whilst it could be viewed as idle speculation I find such discussions invaluable for evolving our thoughts and for piecing together what we both really want.
Now right away we hit a snag! What I dream of is something like this ...
She's a cracker isn't she?
30' LoD, designed by Ed Burnett and Nigel Irens and up for sale for a mere £130,000 (Sandeman Yacht Company)
However, the simple truth is that, even if we could afford her, below decks she offers little more in way of accommodation than the aforementioned Centaur. In fact, she actually has fewer berths and no double berth at all!
She certainly isn't going to provide the sort of living space for lounging, entertaining and so on that I'm coming to understand Jane is looking for.
Jane, on the other hand, definitely leans towards the modern look ...
It's not hard to see why the layout of a Moody 333 would appeal to my good lady. What's not to like? Well, if I'm being honest ...
... this is not what I'd call pretty. Not ugly, I'll grant you but it doesn't tickle my fancy.
However, I'm forced to concede that practical considerations must take precedence over mere aesthetics.
Much will depend upon both our future plans and our finances. The hope is that we can find a way to cut back our work commitments or even all but retire before we're 60 i.e. within the next decade. It's a tall order and it's not easy to see how we'll be able to manage it but I'm a great believer in putting myself in the way of opportunities and who knows what may happen?
If one of us can land a job near the coast that will keep the wolf from the door and if our youngest and his girlfriend reach the point, as we all expect them to sooner or later, of wanting to set up home together, we would seriously consider renting our house to the kids and moving on board the boat. So "next boat" has got to be something we could genuinely see ourselves living on board full time.
In all honesty, the gaff cutter I dream of just isn't going to fit the bill. It's not just a question of money - there just isn't ever going to be enough internal volume in a traditional hull form of around 33' length on deck to fit the sort of accommodation in that we'd want and need if we were living on board full time. We'd have to be looking upwards of 40' and that comes with a whole raft of issues.
Not only does the initial outlay rise dramatically, even for older and tired boats, but the running and maintenance costs go up significantly with every metre of extra boat length. And then there's the problem of two people, neither in the first flush of youth nor particularly fit for that matter, handling a boat of that size.
Now there will be howls of outrage in some quarters I'm sure at this. I'm not for one moment saying that you, or we, couldn't live on board a 30' gaffer. Of course we could, I'm merely suggesting that we wouldn't want to. I'm pretty well certain that Jane certainly wouldn't and to be honest I'm not sure I would either.
I reckon we could budget on £30k. Ideally, £25k, perhaps as much as £35k and that price range should put us in the market for any one of a number of older, but still perfectly viable, designs.
I rather fancy the Westerly Corsair ketch ...
... which looks, to my eye, rather more attractive than the Moodys of a similar size although a Corsair may be beyond our budget. However, the slightly smaller and older Westerly 33 Discus ...
... is, whilst slightly smaller, basically the same in all key respects. Clarke and Carter have two on offer as I write, both lying in Burnham Yacht Harbour, and priced right at the extremes of our probable price range. The one pictured above is for sale at top dollar having had a lot of money spent on it, the other example is a bargain basement price and needs updating and improving. You pays your money etc.!
You might be wondering why I'm leaning towards ketch rig. Well, it has all sorts of practical advantages but, when you get right down to it, it's really a case of if I can't have three sails with two at the front, I'll have three sails by having one at the back!
Following on from last weekends' boat viewings and yesterdays engine discussions, Jane and I spent a good couple of hours over breakfast (of the coffee and cigarette kind - we really must give up the coffee ... oops, I mean cigarettes) discussing exactly what we both want boat wise over the short, medium and long haul.
We've kind've had this discussion several times already but I still had the feeling my dear lady wife wasn't being totally frank about what she wants. There's a tendency for me to talk (and talk and talk) her into doing what I want to do and for once I'm desperately keen to avoid that situation.
The first big question lurking in my mind was whether Brigantia is just too small and cramped for Jane to enjoy being on board. One or two veiled comments had hinted that this might in fact be the case. Clearly it would be madness to start spending serious money bringing our current boat up to scratch if there is a pressing need for something larger.
I'd figured that we could, just about, scrape together enough money to buy a somewhat larger boat such as a Westerly Centaur ....
 |
| Westerly Centaur - A Layout |
From my point of view, they're good, tough little sailing boats with an inboard diesel and few vices. In fact, you could say that a Centaur would be akin, for us, to Brigantia on steroids! All the same advantages plus a whole lot of extra good points.
So why, you might well ask, did we not buy a Centaur in the first place? The simple answer is we couldn't afford to buy one for cash, not be a very long chalk, and 12 months ago Jane would not have entertained the possibility of borrowing money to finance a boat purchase.
We still can't afford to buy one for cash but we could, although it would put a strain on our finances, borrow the difference between what Brigantia would fetch and what we'd have to pay for a reasonable example of a Centaur.
But, and it is a big but, a Centaur would only be a modest improvement. A bit better below decks than Brigantia, simply due to her extra size, but we'd still inevitably have to spend a fair bit of money bringing the boat up to the state we'd like it to be in and we still wouldn't have the boat we ultimately want.
After some debate we put this one to bed once and, I hope, for all. Jane is happy, or so she categorically assures me, to make the most of Brigantia for the next three seasons by which time we should be in a much stronger position financially (we'll have bought the car outright, fully recovered from the outlay on Brigantia and, perhaps, even managed to save up some pennies towards a new boat).
It does leave me pondering a puzzle - how much cash can we scrape together to spend over this coming winter. If, as is now definitely the case, the plan is to keep Brigantia for three years and then trade up it makes the most sense to spend money on the big jobs sooner rather than later so that we get maximum benefit from the improvements. At the very least, that means the new engine, standing and running rigging needs to be done this winter and I would really like to replace the sails as well. Not sure we're going to be able to afford that but more of that in another post.
Having settled that, we wandered on into a discussion about what we would really like ultimately. I've no doubt we'll be returning to this theme again and again over the next three years (you have been warned!) but whilst it could be viewed as idle speculation I find such discussions invaluable for evolving our thoughts and for piecing together what we both really want.
Now right away we hit a snag! What I dream of is something like this ...
30' LoD, designed by Ed Burnett and Nigel Irens and up for sale for a mere £130,000 (Sandeman Yacht Company)
However, the simple truth is that, even if we could afford her, below decks she offers little more in way of accommodation than the aforementioned Centaur. In fact, she actually has fewer berths and no double berth at all!
She certainly isn't going to provide the sort of living space for lounging, entertaining and so on that I'm coming to understand Jane is looking for.
Jane, on the other hand, definitely leans towards the modern look ...
It's not hard to see why the layout of a Moody 333 would appeal to my good lady. What's not to like? Well, if I'm being honest ...
... this is not what I'd call pretty. Not ugly, I'll grant you but it doesn't tickle my fancy.
However, I'm forced to concede that practical considerations must take precedence over mere aesthetics.
Much will depend upon both our future plans and our finances. The hope is that we can find a way to cut back our work commitments or even all but retire before we're 60 i.e. within the next decade. It's a tall order and it's not easy to see how we'll be able to manage it but I'm a great believer in putting myself in the way of opportunities and who knows what may happen?
If one of us can land a job near the coast that will keep the wolf from the door and if our youngest and his girlfriend reach the point, as we all expect them to sooner or later, of wanting to set up home together, we would seriously consider renting our house to the kids and moving on board the boat. So "next boat" has got to be something we could genuinely see ourselves living on board full time.
In all honesty, the gaff cutter I dream of just isn't going to fit the bill. It's not just a question of money - there just isn't ever going to be enough internal volume in a traditional hull form of around 33' length on deck to fit the sort of accommodation in that we'd want and need if we were living on board full time. We'd have to be looking upwards of 40' and that comes with a whole raft of issues.
Not only does the initial outlay rise dramatically, even for older and tired boats, but the running and maintenance costs go up significantly with every metre of extra boat length. And then there's the problem of two people, neither in the first flush of youth nor particularly fit for that matter, handling a boat of that size.
Now there will be howls of outrage in some quarters I'm sure at this. I'm not for one moment saying that you, or we, couldn't live on board a 30' gaffer. Of course we could, I'm merely suggesting that we wouldn't want to. I'm pretty well certain that Jane certainly wouldn't and to be honest I'm not sure I would either.
I reckon we could budget on £30k. Ideally, £25k, perhaps as much as £35k and that price range should put us in the market for any one of a number of older, but still perfectly viable, designs.
I rather fancy the Westerly Corsair ketch ...
... which looks, to my eye, rather more attractive than the Moodys of a similar size although a Corsair may be beyond our budget. However, the slightly smaller and older Westerly 33 Discus ...
... is, whilst slightly smaller, basically the same in all key respects. Clarke and Carter have two on offer as I write, both lying in Burnham Yacht Harbour, and priced right at the extremes of our probable price range. The one pictured above is for sale at top dollar having had a lot of money spent on it, the other example is a bargain basement price and needs updating and improving. You pays your money etc.!
You might be wondering why I'm leaning towards ketch rig. Well, it has all sorts of practical advantages but, when you get right down to it, it's really a case of if I can't have three sails with two at the front, I'll have three sails by having one at the back!
Saturday 5 November 2011
Engine musings
I completely forgot to mention, in my last post, our visit last Saturday to Seamark Nunn near Felixstowe to look at the possibility of replacing our elderly, thirsty, unpleasant and above all unreliable 2-stroke outboard.
There's no way that any of the current two cylinder 8hp 4-strokes will fit in the well and, in any case, they cost in excess of £2k which is more than is worth spending. So I'd already investigated the options on single cylinder engines and reckoned that the best bet would be a Suzuki 6hp unit.
Honda only go up to 5hp in the singles and have a bit of a poor reputation these days, surprising because in years gone by I'd have sworn by Honda engines. All the other possibilities come with very low output charging, usually as an option, whereas the optional charging on the Suzuki is the best of the bunch at 6A.
Martin, Seamark's very helpful outboard chap, promised to try and get me a line drawing of the engine so I can check it will actually fit! The quote including the charging option is about £1250 which is on budget.
Now the logic of replacing the engine may not be immediately obvious however I think it makes sense provided we do it right away. The 2-stroke has averaged, over this year, a consumption of about 3 litres an hour and burns fuel particularly quickly when motoring into a chop or against a foul tide and at a frightening rate when doing both at the same time! Based on a reasonable anticipation of probably 50% more time available to spend on board next year and taking into account the amount of time on board but not going anywhere due to weather this year, it's a fair bet that we'll be motoring twice as much next year if not more.
Halving our fuel consumption, not an unreasonable assumption, will save us getting on for half the cost of the engine over 3 to 4 years which, coincidentally, is how long (being realistic) I reckon we'll be keeping Brigantia. At the end of that time, the engine will still have 2 or 3 years of warranty left and will be worth well over half of what it cost new. In theory, the engine will actually cost us nothing at all!
Financial considerations aside, the much improved fuel consumption will greatly increase our range under power without having to carry more fuel - (if Rik and I had, for example, tried to motor back from the Walton Backwaters to the Crouch, a situation we could easily find ourselves in if there's no wind and we have to get the boat back to base, we'd have run out of fuel somewhere around the Spitway even though we had 30 litres on board when we set out.
Another key consideration is that a new engine equals a reliable engine. OK, Brigantia is a sailing boat but you can't sail into or out of marinas and most of the time I wouldn't want to attempt to sail onto or off the pontoon at Fambridge for that matter! We simply have to have an engine we can trust.
Finally, there's no escaping the fact that the 2-stroke is an antisocial animal. It's extremely noisy and somewhat smelly.
Nope, if we're going to keep Brigantia for a while (and that's pretty much a given unless we win the lottery) we're going to indulge ourselves in a shiny new outboard ... provided it'll go down the hole of course!
There's no way that any of the current two cylinder 8hp 4-strokes will fit in the well and, in any case, they cost in excess of £2k which is more than is worth spending. So I'd already investigated the options on single cylinder engines and reckoned that the best bet would be a Suzuki 6hp unit.
Honda only go up to 5hp in the singles and have a bit of a poor reputation these days, surprising because in years gone by I'd have sworn by Honda engines. All the other possibilities come with very low output charging, usually as an option, whereas the optional charging on the Suzuki is the best of the bunch at 6A.
Martin, Seamark's very helpful outboard chap, promised to try and get me a line drawing of the engine so I can check it will actually fit! The quote including the charging option is about £1250 which is on budget.
Now the logic of replacing the engine may not be immediately obvious however I think it makes sense provided we do it right away. The 2-stroke has averaged, over this year, a consumption of about 3 litres an hour and burns fuel particularly quickly when motoring into a chop or against a foul tide and at a frightening rate when doing both at the same time! Based on a reasonable anticipation of probably 50% more time available to spend on board next year and taking into account the amount of time on board but not going anywhere due to weather this year, it's a fair bet that we'll be motoring twice as much next year if not more.
Halving our fuel consumption, not an unreasonable assumption, will save us getting on for half the cost of the engine over 3 to 4 years which, coincidentally, is how long (being realistic) I reckon we'll be keeping Brigantia. At the end of that time, the engine will still have 2 or 3 years of warranty left and will be worth well over half of what it cost new. In theory, the engine will actually cost us nothing at all!
Financial considerations aside, the much improved fuel consumption will greatly increase our range under power without having to carry more fuel - (if Rik and I had, for example, tried to motor back from the Walton Backwaters to the Crouch, a situation we could easily find ourselves in if there's no wind and we have to get the boat back to base, we'd have run out of fuel somewhere around the Spitway even though we had 30 litres on board when we set out.
Another key consideration is that a new engine equals a reliable engine. OK, Brigantia is a sailing boat but you can't sail into or out of marinas and most of the time I wouldn't want to attempt to sail onto or off the pontoon at Fambridge for that matter! We simply have to have an engine we can trust.
Finally, there's no escaping the fact that the 2-stroke is an antisocial animal. It's extremely noisy and somewhat smelly.
Nope, if we're going to keep Brigantia for a while (and that's pretty much a given unless we win the lottery) we're going to indulge ourselves in a shiny new outboard ... provided it'll go down the hole of course!
Tuesday 1 November 2011
Good food, good beer, not a lot of boating!
We set off for Suffolk early on Saturday morning
The boat jumble was a crock - I could swear the advert said Saturday but it turned out it was on Sunday! Oh well, we'd probably just have spent money on junk we didn't really need and it wasn't the main purpose of the exercise anyway.
Around the corner we went to Suffolk Yacht Harbour at Levington for a surprisingly enjoyable few hours looking at bigger boats that we either can't afford right now or probably can't afford ever! This was prompted by a debate as to whether we should spend quite a lot of money on Brigantia bringing her up to the standard of repair and maintenance we'd like or whether we should sell her this winter and buy something bigger and/or better.
Not surprisingly, anything we could afford was extremely tatty and anything we might have wanted was far too expensive! The conclusions we came to are that we've got somewhat differing ideas of what our next boat might be - I want something very traditional and not too big, Jane wants something big and comfy :eek: - and we can't afford anything sufficiently better than Brigantia for several years so we'll stick with what we've got and do her up.
Then it was off down to Fambridge for the night. Arriving at the moorings, we were somewhat surprised to find the pontoon very nearly full, as busy as we've seen it all year. There was, however, a Brigantia sized hole on the inside of the pontoon so we jumped onto the ferry down to our mooring, fired up the engine and set up the lines to come in port side to.
As luck would have it, just as we cast off a boat came upstream and headed for the very gap we planned to moor in. Oh well, we toddled up the outside of the pontoon to see if there was space there only to be hailed from Full Circle, a fellow YBW forumite, who suggested we come alongside. Nice one, but I suddenly realised I'd rigged the bow line down the port side and with a very strong ebb tide running I needed it to starboard. Not wanting to ask Jane to do anything strenuous given her current health problems (she's off work with back pains which are under investigation) I turned downstream to make steering easy for her and sorted out the lines before turning back upstream.
With hindsight, and as Jim on Full Circle later commented, I'd have been better off stemming the tide as we ended up several hundred years downstream of the pontoon and had to forge our way back up against one of the biggest tides of the year! Oh well, it all worked out in the end although once again the engine died at idle but fortunately not before we'd got lines across.
We then joined Jim and Lynn aboard Full Circle for drinks and an excellent curry Lynn knocked up in the galley followed by more drinks before repairing to the pub for beers ... or in my case one and a half beers before I hit the wall and had to give up!
Back on board, we were pleased we'd brought the fan heater down. Although we'd have survived without any heating, it made life aboard a lot more pleasant. Not the best nights sleep we've had aboard as it was very windy and thus choppy on the river. We were both up and down during the night and a bit jaded next morning.
A lazy start to Sunday with breakfast from tins, a bit of a sort out and then I dropped Brigantia back on her buoy and caught the ferry back to the pontoon for the last time this season - we're on our own from now on so there'll be a lot more tender rowing to be done!
After saying our goodbyes to the Full Circles, it was off to Burnham Yacht Harbour to visit the crew aboard Laurin, more "virtual" friends from the world of YBW who are now definitely real friends. I'd offered to have a look at the electrics on the boat for them and they'd offered us lunch in return.
Arriving at BYS, we found Laurin and met up with Karen, Pat, AJ and Esme. Jane went all broody :rolleyes: whilst I got on with the business at hand. Most impressive electrical switch panel I've ever seen on a boat but I spotted a problem straight away with the main positive feed wire to the panel being loose in its screw terminal. A quick twiddle of the screwdriver sorted that out for the time being but it's something I think needs improving. No great problems generally, just some tidying up and sorting out needed.
That done, for now, it was off to the Swallowtail Bar for lunch. There was me expecting a sarnie and a pint and what we got was a full two course (we passed on starters!) Sunday dinner carvery! Even Jane got stuck in. More good food and good company. Esme, as babies often do, had fun pulling my beard - dunno why babies find beards so fascinating!
By now it was mid-afternoon and much as she was enjoying herself I could see that Jane was tiring so we bade our hosts farewell and set off back on the road to home.
Even though we only moved a couple of hundred yards and did little more than sleep aboard, it was a most enjoyable weekend. I was particularly pleased that Jane enjoyed the break as she's been going stir crazy stuck at home with nothing to do! It was also encouraging that she enjoyed the company on both days as she doesn't always find it easy to mix with new friends.
I'm investigating getting the necessary insurance, particularly professional indemnity cover, so I can take on odd bits of work on boat electrics. Not that I'm planning on making a go of it full time but it seems a shame to pass up the chance to make a bit on the side to put towards the costs of running Brigantia
The boat jumble was a crock - I could swear the advert said Saturday but it turned out it was on Sunday! Oh well, we'd probably just have spent money on junk we didn't really need and it wasn't the main purpose of the exercise anyway.
Around the corner we went to Suffolk Yacht Harbour at Levington for a surprisingly enjoyable few hours looking at bigger boats that we either can't afford right now or probably can't afford ever! This was prompted by a debate as to whether we should spend quite a lot of money on Brigantia bringing her up to the standard of repair and maintenance we'd like or whether we should sell her this winter and buy something bigger and/or better.
Not surprisingly, anything we could afford was extremely tatty and anything we might have wanted was far too expensive! The conclusions we came to are that we've got somewhat differing ideas of what our next boat might be - I want something very traditional and not too big, Jane wants something big and comfy :eek: - and we can't afford anything sufficiently better than Brigantia for several years so we'll stick with what we've got and do her up.
Then it was off down to Fambridge for the night. Arriving at the moorings, we were somewhat surprised to find the pontoon very nearly full, as busy as we've seen it all year. There was, however, a Brigantia sized hole on the inside of the pontoon so we jumped onto the ferry down to our mooring, fired up the engine and set up the lines to come in port side to.
As luck would have it, just as we cast off a boat came upstream and headed for the very gap we planned to moor in. Oh well, we toddled up the outside of the pontoon to see if there was space there only to be hailed from Full Circle, a fellow YBW forumite, who suggested we come alongside. Nice one, but I suddenly realised I'd rigged the bow line down the port side and with a very strong ebb tide running I needed it to starboard. Not wanting to ask Jane to do anything strenuous given her current health problems (she's off work with back pains which are under investigation) I turned downstream to make steering easy for her and sorted out the lines before turning back upstream.
With hindsight, and as Jim on Full Circle later commented, I'd have been better off stemming the tide as we ended up several hundred years downstream of the pontoon and had to forge our way back up against one of the biggest tides of the year! Oh well, it all worked out in the end although once again the engine died at idle but fortunately not before we'd got lines across.
We then joined Jim and Lynn aboard Full Circle for drinks and an excellent curry Lynn knocked up in the galley followed by more drinks before repairing to the pub for beers ... or in my case one and a half beers before I hit the wall and had to give up!
Back on board, we were pleased we'd brought the fan heater down. Although we'd have survived without any heating, it made life aboard a lot more pleasant. Not the best nights sleep we've had aboard as it was very windy and thus choppy on the river. We were both up and down during the night and a bit jaded next morning.
A lazy start to Sunday with breakfast from tins, a bit of a sort out and then I dropped Brigantia back on her buoy and caught the ferry back to the pontoon for the last time this season - we're on our own from now on so there'll be a lot more tender rowing to be done!
After saying our goodbyes to the Full Circles, it was off to Burnham Yacht Harbour to visit the crew aboard Laurin, more "virtual" friends from the world of YBW who are now definitely real friends. I'd offered to have a look at the electrics on the boat for them and they'd offered us lunch in return.
Arriving at BYS, we found Laurin and met up with Karen, Pat, AJ and Esme. Jane went all broody :rolleyes: whilst I got on with the business at hand. Most impressive electrical switch panel I've ever seen on a boat but I spotted a problem straight away with the main positive feed wire to the panel being loose in its screw terminal. A quick twiddle of the screwdriver sorted that out for the time being but it's something I think needs improving. No great problems generally, just some tidying up and sorting out needed.
That done, for now, it was off to the Swallowtail Bar for lunch. There was me expecting a sarnie and a pint and what we got was a full two course (we passed on starters!) Sunday dinner carvery! Even Jane got stuck in. More good food and good company. Esme, as babies often do, had fun pulling my beard - dunno why babies find beards so fascinating!
By now it was mid-afternoon and much as she was enjoying herself I could see that Jane was tiring so we bade our hosts farewell and set off back on the road to home.
Even though we only moved a couple of hundred yards and did little more than sleep aboard, it was a most enjoyable weekend. I was particularly pleased that Jane enjoyed the break as she's been going stir crazy stuck at home with nothing to do! It was also encouraging that she enjoyed the company on both days as she doesn't always find it easy to mix with new friends.
I'm investigating getting the necessary insurance, particularly professional indemnity cover, so I can take on odd bits of work on boat electrics. Not that I'm planning on making a go of it full time but it seems a shame to pass up the chance to make a bit on the side to put towards the costs of running Brigantia
Thursday 27 October 2011
Lets go shopping ...
Jane is feeling a little better so we're off to Ipswich on Saturday morning to see what might be worth picking up at the Suffolk Boat Jumble and then we'll head on to Seamark Nunn to have a look at a new engine for Brigantia.
If time permits, we might pop down to the second hand boat show at Levington as it's just down the road from Seamark Nunn. Not that we're in the market for a new boat but it's fun to dream!
Then we'll head down to Fambridge for the night before toddling down to Burnham Yacht Harbour on Sunday morning as I've offered to have a look at the electrics on a fellow YBW forumites boat. After a spot of lunch it'll be time to head back home.
If time permits, we might pop down to the second hand boat show at Levington as it's just down the road from Seamark Nunn. Not that we're in the market for a new boat but it's fun to dream!
Then we'll head down to Fambridge for the night before toddling down to Burnham Yacht Harbour on Sunday morning as I've offered to have a look at the electrics on a fellow YBW forumites boat. After a spot of lunch it'll be time to head back home.
Thursday 20 October 2011
That's torn it
... literally
Jane has done a muscle in her lower back and is well and truly crocked at the moment
We had planned to head up to Brightlingsea for the East Coast Forum Laying Down Supper this weekend but that's off for definite
We're now reconsidering the decision to keep Brigantia afloat for the winter - it's unlikely Jane will be fit enough to travel for two or three months at least so if we're not going to be able to use the boat she'd be better off out of the water. Only thing putting me off, to be honest, is the cost of the lift out and lift in - about £340 which would cover quite a lot of maintenance jobs
On the other hand, on the bank, it will be a lot easier to tackle some of the jobs that need doing. There's the log impeller to fit, the new engine to purchase and install and I reckon we'll be able to afford to replace all the standing rigging over this winter which means dropping the mast.
Other jobs on the cards are sanding and varnishing all the woodwork, repairing the damaged starboard rubbing strake and applying a fresh coat of antifoul.
Whilst the mast is down to replace the standing rigging it would make sense to fit a new anchor light and we might as well go the whole hog and fit a combined anchor and tricolour light. Plus we can use the opportunity to re-route the VHF cable down the mast instead of down the backstay
I'd like to replace all the running rigging as well but the budget probably won't stand it. We'll certainly do the masthead blocks but the rest will probably have to wait until there's more pennies available
Looks like the sailing season is over for this year and the maintenance season is just starting!
Jane has done a muscle in her lower back and is well and truly crocked at the moment
We had planned to head up to Brightlingsea for the East Coast Forum Laying Down Supper this weekend but that's off for definite
We're now reconsidering the decision to keep Brigantia afloat for the winter - it's unlikely Jane will be fit enough to travel for two or three months at least so if we're not going to be able to use the boat she'd be better off out of the water. Only thing putting me off, to be honest, is the cost of the lift out and lift in - about £340 which would cover quite a lot of maintenance jobs
On the other hand, on the bank, it will be a lot easier to tackle some of the jobs that need doing. There's the log impeller to fit, the new engine to purchase and install and I reckon we'll be able to afford to replace all the standing rigging over this winter which means dropping the mast.
Other jobs on the cards are sanding and varnishing all the woodwork, repairing the damaged starboard rubbing strake and applying a fresh coat of antifoul.
Whilst the mast is down to replace the standing rigging it would make sense to fit a new anchor light and we might as well go the whole hog and fit a combined anchor and tricolour light. Plus we can use the opportunity to re-route the VHF cable down the mast instead of down the backstay
I'd like to replace all the running rigging as well but the budget probably won't stand it. We'll certainly do the masthead blocks but the rest will probably have to wait until there's more pennies available
Looks like the sailing season is over for this year and the maintenance season is just starting!
Monday 3 October 2011
Bosuns Weekend - Conclusions
The weather was gloriously hot for the beginning of October but once again there just wasn't the wind for any decent sailing. Everybody is saying this has been a poor year wind wise so at least its not just us.
The main purpose of the weekend, apart from finally giving Glen a trip out on Brigantia, was to explore the possibilities of the River Roach which we had yet to explore beyond the anchorage in the Branksfleet.
Pagelsham is the only place we could realistically look at going ashore - that wasn't part of our plans for this weekend anyway - but I'm not convinced it would be worth the hassle. Pagelsham Pool looks to be too shallow for comfort and anchoring in the main channel of the river thereabouts isn't my idea of perfection. There are mixed opinions on picking up a mooring or laying alongside the drying pontoon with some sources suggesting it's OK to do so, for a charge, whilst others have had issues with the operator of the moorings.
There was a small yacht alongside the pontoon as we came back downriver and this is a possibility I'd wantr to look into. It would be a good option for us. Otherwise, the anchorage in the Yokesfleet looks like a nice spot to spend the night aboard provided there's space in the deeper parts - where we were anchored for the afternoon would be all but dried out at low water. There's also some flat areas of mud we might be able to take the ground on out of harms way but I'd like to explore the creeks in the dinghy before doing so.
On balance, I think I much prefer getting out to sea and making a coastal passage to faffing about up shoaling creeks! A twin keeler isn't perhaps the ideal vehicle for creek crawling, a centre boarder would be a better bet.
Overall, a pleasant and enjoyable weekend and well worth the effort.
Trip Log.
We covered 22.3NM on Saturday in 7hrs 40mins at an average speed over the ground of 2.9Kts. Our max SOG was 6Kts. We were motoring for 5hrs 41mins with just a couple of hours sailing. We used approx. 10 litres of petroil - the roughly 2 litres an hour being the result of motoring at a gentle pace in flat water (compared to the 4+ litres an hour we burnt last trip out when bashing our way through a steep chop at nearly full throttle).
On Sunday, we covered 10.53NM in 2:52 with an average SOG of 3.7Kts and a max SOG of 5.8Kts (set during a brief period motor-sailing with the genoa up).
The main purpose of the weekend, apart from finally giving Glen a trip out on Brigantia, was to explore the possibilities of the River Roach which we had yet to explore beyond the anchorage in the Branksfleet.
Pagelsham is the only place we could realistically look at going ashore - that wasn't part of our plans for this weekend anyway - but I'm not convinced it would be worth the hassle. Pagelsham Pool looks to be too shallow for comfort and anchoring in the main channel of the river thereabouts isn't my idea of perfection. There are mixed opinions on picking up a mooring or laying alongside the drying pontoon with some sources suggesting it's OK to do so, for a charge, whilst others have had issues with the operator of the moorings.
There was a small yacht alongside the pontoon as we came back downriver and this is a possibility I'd wantr to look into. It would be a good option for us. Otherwise, the anchorage in the Yokesfleet looks like a nice spot to spend the night aboard provided there's space in the deeper parts - where we were anchored for the afternoon would be all but dried out at low water. There's also some flat areas of mud we might be able to take the ground on out of harms way but I'd like to explore the creeks in the dinghy before doing so.
On balance, I think I much prefer getting out to sea and making a coastal passage to faffing about up shoaling creeks! A twin keeler isn't perhaps the ideal vehicle for creek crawling, a centre boarder would be a better bet.
Overall, a pleasant and enjoyable weekend and well worth the effort.
Trip Log.
We covered 22.3NM on Saturday in 7hrs 40mins at an average speed over the ground of 2.9Kts. Our max SOG was 6Kts. We were motoring for 5hrs 41mins with just a couple of hours sailing. We used approx. 10 litres of petroil - the roughly 2 litres an hour being the result of motoring at a gentle pace in flat water (compared to the 4+ litres an hour we burnt last trip out when bashing our way through a steep chop at nearly full throttle).
On Sunday, we covered 10.53NM in 2:52 with an average SOG of 3.7Kts and a max SOG of 5.8Kts (set during a brief period motor-sailing with the genoa up).
Sunday 2 October 2011
Bosuns Weekend - Day 3
The alarm went off at twenty past four and I rolled a cig and stuck my head out of the fore hatch for a smoke and a looksee. No problems as we swung to the turning tide, I just enjoyed the view both above and below. Not only was there a spectacular starscape to gaze at, but some sort of bioluminescence in the water around us was simply stunning to see.
A nebulous blue background was dotted with winking flashes of bright blue and every now and again an expanding circle of light or an arrow shape would scoot across the surface. I watched in fascination for several minutes until the night chill started to take effect at which point I retired down below, set the anchor drag alarm on the GPS just in case and got my head back down for some more zzz's.
After the late night, we slept in until nearly half nine! After fetching in the anchor light and topping up the main tank with 10 litres of fuel from the jerry can, I decided to hoist the main in the still air and sunshine to dry it off and then put a proper harbour stow on it. The chances of any sailing today looked slim.
Under way at ten past ten on the engine, we pootled back down the Roach on the last of the ebb, accompanied by a seal in Devils Reach before turning back up the Crouch to head back to the moorings.
For a brief period we got an extra knot of speed motor sailing with the genoa up but as the river turned to bring the wind into our teeth for the last leg we rolled it up again and steamed gently up to our buoy.
Now I know you should really pick up a mooring heading up tide but as we came closer and closer I figured there was no reason why I shouldn't nip forward and snag it with the boathook without further ado. I caught it first go, held on tight, got enough slack to drop the eye over the samson post and we swung gently around without any drama. Maybe it isn't textbook but it worked!
Engine off at 12:50 and that was that. Glen tidied up below decks whilst I swabbed down on deck, remembering to put my wellies on first this time, then we packed up our kit before calling for the ferry. We were on the road heading home by 14:50 and another trip was over.
A nebulous blue background was dotted with winking flashes of bright blue and every now and again an expanding circle of light or an arrow shape would scoot across the surface. I watched in fascination for several minutes until the night chill started to take effect at which point I retired down below, set the anchor drag alarm on the GPS just in case and got my head back down for some more zzz's.
After the late night, we slept in until nearly half nine! After fetching in the anchor light and topping up the main tank with 10 litres of fuel from the jerry can, I decided to hoist the main in the still air and sunshine to dry it off and then put a proper harbour stow on it. The chances of any sailing today looked slim.
For a brief period we got an extra knot of speed motor sailing with the genoa up but as the river turned to bring the wind into our teeth for the last leg we rolled it up again and steamed gently up to our buoy.
Engine off at 12:50 and that was that. Glen tidied up below decks whilst I swabbed down on deck, remembering to put my wellies on first this time, then we packed up our kit before calling for the ferry. We were on the road heading home by 14:50 and another trip was over.
Saturday 1 October 2011
Bosuns Weekend - Day 2
I was up just before half past six in the morning to find that there wasn't a breath of breeze and barely a hundred yards of visibility due to a heavy mist. No sign of the forecast F1 to F2 from the South East!
Low water wasn't until about 10-o-clock so we topped up the stove burners with meths and Glen cooked bacon and egg buttys for breakfast.
By just shy of 8-o-clock, visibility was improving as the sun got into its stride and we fired up the outboard and set off downriver making 3.5 to 4 knots at about half throttle to conserve fuel.
As we approached the moorings at Burnham there was a wall of mist ahead of us and at 9:23 I decided not to risk it and turned back upriver. Looking at the GPS track later I found that we were within yards of the Fairway No.15 buoy and I never even saw it! We dropped the hook in Cliff Reach to wait for things to improve - within 20 minutes we could see all the way downriver and so it was up with the anchor and off again.
A bit of a breeze was starting to come in and as we turned into the Roach it was up with the sails and off with the engine. Fifty minutes later, as we approached Pagelsham, the breeze died and it was back to motoring again.
We pressed on upstream of Pagelsham but the river starts to shoal rapidly and with little to see or do we turned back downstream to explore up the Yokesfleet. We tried sailing again with what breeze there was but it just wasn't enough to fill the sails so we dropped the hook off Shelford creek at 2:00pm for lunch and a snooze. It being too shallow to stay there the night, and with a bit of breeze to play with, we sailed off the anchor at 16:45 and headed back down the Roach under sail.
Putting about in the top end of the Branksfleet, we tried to stem the tide under sail but the dying breeze wasn't giving us enough drive so it was back to engine power to motor back upriver to find an anchorage for the night. I was keen to explore the possibilities of Pagelsham Pool as a quiet anchorage off the main river channel but found less than three metres even in the entrance at more than half tide so we anchored in the main river just downstream of the entrance to the pool.
Dinner on board was beans and things from a tin with a slice of bread followed by a raid on the beer stocks. Having found that yet another can of Tanglefoot had leaked, fortunately only into the bin bag I'd wrapped around the cans after the last whiffy bilge excercise, the Bosun decided it was unwise to put any of 'em back in store and, apart from the couple of cans I managed to snaffle, proceeded to demolish the lot!
It was well gone midnight by the time we finished chatting and boozing by which time I was on to the decaf coffee and rum. Occasional forays sticking my head out of the hatch for a smoke were made special by the fantastic night sky. There's so much more to see when it's properly dark and there's no street lighting washing out the dimmer stars. I set the alarm for the approximate time of high water and we hit the sack for the night.
Low water wasn't until about 10-o-clock so we topped up the stove burners with meths and Glen cooked bacon and egg buttys for breakfast.
By just shy of 8-o-clock, visibility was improving as the sun got into its stride and we fired up the outboard and set off downriver making 3.5 to 4 knots at about half throttle to conserve fuel.
A bit of a breeze was starting to come in and as we turned into the Roach it was up with the sails and off with the engine. Fifty minutes later, as we approached Pagelsham, the breeze died and it was back to motoring again.
Putting about in the top end of the Branksfleet, we tried to stem the tide under sail but the dying breeze wasn't giving us enough drive so it was back to engine power to motor back upriver to find an anchorage for the night. I was keen to explore the possibilities of Pagelsham Pool as a quiet anchorage off the main river channel but found less than three metres even in the entrance at more than half tide so we anchored in the main river just downstream of the entrance to the pool.
It was well gone midnight by the time we finished chatting and boozing by which time I was on to the decaf coffee and rum. Occasional forays sticking my head out of the hatch for a smoke were made special by the fantastic night sky. There's so much more to see when it's properly dark and there's no street lighting washing out the dimmer stars. I set the alarm for the approximate time of high water and we hit the sack for the night.
Friday 30 September 2011
Bosuns Weekend - Day 1
The Bosun, a.k.a. my brother Glen, picked me up after finishing work at lunchtime and we hightailed it down to Essex via Tescos in Braintree for supplies and coffee.
Arriving in Fambridge about 4-ish, I hauled the tender off the dock and down the pontoon, pulling the foredeck screws out of the hull in the process. Drat, add another job to the maintenance list.
The ebb was running strongly and it took me three goes to get hold of Brigantias stern during the process of which I dropped an oar and had to frantically paddle downstream after it with the other one and nearly capsized the dinghy trying to get a grab hold on the boat from too far off! Dignified it was not!
On board at last, I fired up the untrusty outboard, sorted out fenders and lines and motored gently up the inside of the pontoon to ferry glide into a space just big enough for us between all the big boys toys. Helpful people grabbed lines (although maybe it's churlish to wish that people would listen when you hand them a line and say "drop it over that cleat and hand the end back to me" rather than just pull the bow in leaving the stern to swing round - I'd got a long line rigged from the bow to the cockpit for a flippin' reason!)
After transferring our kit from car to boat, we had a coffee then loaded up the fuel tank and jerry can for a trip to Asda for petrol. With that back on board, it was off to the pub for grub and beer before retiring at a reasonably sensible hour.
Arriving in Fambridge about 4-ish, I hauled the tender off the dock and down the pontoon, pulling the foredeck screws out of the hull in the process. Drat, add another job to the maintenance list.
The ebb was running strongly and it took me three goes to get hold of Brigantias stern during the process of which I dropped an oar and had to frantically paddle downstream after it with the other one and nearly capsized the dinghy trying to get a grab hold on the boat from too far off! Dignified it was not!
On board at last, I fired up the untrusty outboard, sorted out fenders and lines and motored gently up the inside of the pontoon to ferry glide into a space just big enough for us between all the big boys toys. Helpful people grabbed lines (although maybe it's churlish to wish that people would listen when you hand them a line and say "drop it over that cleat and hand the end back to me" rather than just pull the bow in leaving the stern to swing round - I'd got a long line rigged from the bow to the cockpit for a flippin' reason!)
After transferring our kit from car to boat, we had a coffee then loaded up the fuel tank and jerry can for a trip to Asda for petrol. With that back on board, it was off to the pub for grub and beer before retiring at a reasonably sensible hour.
Thursday 29 September 2011
Something for the weekend sir?
Off to the boat tomorrow afternoon with the Bosun as crew. A chance to make the most of this Indian summer we're currently enjoying.
Forecast is F2 Southerlys on Saturday going round into the West and dropping to F1 by Sunday afternoon. Great! It's the story of 2011 - too much wind last time out, not enough this time and, on Sunday at any rate, what there is is coming from the worst possible direction!
Plan is a gentle weekend exploring further up the Roach than we've been so far. F2 from the South should serve nicely for the outbound trip on Saturday, spending Saturday night on the hook somewhere up the Roach. Odds are we'll end up motoring or motor sailing back up the Crouch on Sunday so we'd better top up the fuel tanks before departing! We have to be back on the mooring by mid-afternoon come what may as I've got to be home by 7:00pm
Forecast is F2 Southerlys on Saturday going round into the West and dropping to F1 by Sunday afternoon. Great! It's the story of 2011 - too much wind last time out, not enough this time and, on Sunday at any rate, what there is is coming from the worst possible direction!
Plan is a gentle weekend exploring further up the Roach than we've been so far. F2 from the South should serve nicely for the outbound trip on Saturday, spending Saturday night on the hook somewhere up the Roach. Odds are we'll end up motoring or motor sailing back up the Crouch on Sunday so we'd better top up the fuel tanks before departing! We have to be back on the mooring by mid-afternoon come what may as I've got to be home by 7:00pm
Wednesday 28 September 2011
More pics
Just added some additional pics taken by Rik to the Autumn Cruise photo album
Shock horror, there's even a couple of me! It's a wonder his camera lens is still in one piece
Shock horror, there's even a couple of me! It's a wonder his camera lens is still in one piece
Friday 23 September 2011
Photo album updated
I've just spent a happy hour or two sorting out the mess on the photo album pages at SV Brigantia Photo Album
There's still a few pics missing which are on my Crapberry if I can ever manage to find a way to extract them onto the PC and upload them!
Autumn Cruise - facts and figures
Playing with the new GPS and found the trip computer page ...
In the two and a bit days we were under way we covered 86.37NM in 26 hrs 3 minutes at an average speed (over the ground) of 3.3Kts.
Max speed was a whopping 8.6kts (again, over the ground) which is pretty impressive for a wee little boat with a max hull speed of 5.9kts! Even with a fair tide we must have been sailing well at least for a brief moment :)
Checking back in the deck log, we were motoring or motor sailing (more motor than sail though to be honest) for 6 hours and 23 minutes so we were sailing for 19 hours and 37 minutes. That's a ratio of getting on for 3 to 1 which I'm not too unhappy with especially given the circumstances under which we found ourselves resorting to the smelly noise machine.
Looking at the track log, I'm annoyed to discover that whilst the active log time stamps the saved points, when you save a track into the GPS memory it only stores the position. Memo to self - download the active log each day to the laptop in future!
Never the less, it makes for some interesting analysis. Apart from two areas we pretty much nailed the nav to my satisfaction - there's a major squiggle coming back into the Crouch when we shook out the reef in the main due to several minutes mucking about when the sail refused to hoist fully but otherwise our tracks were pretty much straight lines. I especially like the almost ruler straight track all the way from Medusa to the Wallet Spitway!
However, there is, it has to be admitted, the failed attempt to sail across the Spitway! This is the second time I've utterly failed to make any appreciable headway to windward when reefed and fighting a wind over tide chop. The first time we even had an appreciable fair tide, this time it was cross-tide.
Although we seemed to be tacking through around 100 to 105 degrees, looking at the track our effective tacking angle was actually about 160 degrees! Now Brigantia may be a little old twin keeler but no WAY does she make THAT much leeway! I'm left pondering several imponderables ...
Were we actually tacking through 100 to 105 degrees? I wasn't paying particularly close attention to the compass at the time and now I wonder whether, with the reefed down genoa, our tacking angle was a good deal worse than I thought it was. Without a foam filled luff it would seem unlikely that she'd tack through as tight an angle reefed as she will with full sail but the genoa seemed to be setting OK.
Just how much leeway does she make? My impression, and I'm naturally good at judging angles and relative motions, is that in (relatively) flat water under full sail in a decent breeze she doesn't make excessive leeway. In fact, although I'm a little reluctant to claim it, I can't say as I really notice her making any appreciable leeway at all (and I certainly notice PDQ when we're being set off course by the tide). Certainly, looking at our outbound track, where we put in two tacks as we worked our way up the coast past Clacton, she clearly can sail well to windward in the right circumstances.
Could we have carried the full genoa? Would it have made a significant difference? Perhaps I'm overly cautious but I'm reluctant to put the rig under severe strain. A lot of the running rigging is well worn and starting to show signs of wear and tear (although the genoa sheets look pretty new), the sheet winches are ancient and definitely need replacing and I have no idea when the standing rigging was last replaced. The shrouds and stays look OK but what horrors are lurking where they can't be seen? Especially inside the roller reefing spar, for all I know the forestay may be hanging on by a thread!
Finally, I suspect that to a significant extent the critical problem is that with a small, relatively light and relatively shoal draft hull we're just getting smashed backwards by the power of the waves when trying to fight our way to windward in the face of a short steep choppy sea. In fact, it would be hard to come up with a situation less suited to a boat like Brigantia! She just doesn't have the grip on the water or the power to cope with such conditions. We might well be able to improve matters but I suspect in such circumstances we'll frequently be reaching for the engine starter cord!
In the two and a bit days we were under way we covered 86.37NM in 26 hrs 3 minutes at an average speed (over the ground) of 3.3Kts.
Max speed was a whopping 8.6kts (again, over the ground) which is pretty impressive for a wee little boat with a max hull speed of 5.9kts! Even with a fair tide we must have been sailing well at least for a brief moment :)
Checking back in the deck log, we were motoring or motor sailing (more motor than sail though to be honest) for 6 hours and 23 minutes so we were sailing for 19 hours and 37 minutes. That's a ratio of getting on for 3 to 1 which I'm not too unhappy with especially given the circumstances under which we found ourselves resorting to the smelly noise machine.
Looking at the track log, I'm annoyed to discover that whilst the active log time stamps the saved points, when you save a track into the GPS memory it only stores the position. Memo to self - download the active log each day to the laptop in future!
Never the less, it makes for some interesting analysis. Apart from two areas we pretty much nailed the nav to my satisfaction - there's a major squiggle coming back into the Crouch when we shook out the reef in the main due to several minutes mucking about when the sail refused to hoist fully but otherwise our tracks were pretty much straight lines. I especially like the almost ruler straight track all the way from Medusa to the Wallet Spitway!
However, there is, it has to be admitted, the failed attempt to sail across the Spitway! This is the second time I've utterly failed to make any appreciable headway to windward when reefed and fighting a wind over tide chop. The first time we even had an appreciable fair tide, this time it was cross-tide.
Although we seemed to be tacking through around 100 to 105 degrees, looking at the track our effective tacking angle was actually about 160 degrees! Now Brigantia may be a little old twin keeler but no WAY does she make THAT much leeway! I'm left pondering several imponderables ...
Were we actually tacking through 100 to 105 degrees? I wasn't paying particularly close attention to the compass at the time and now I wonder whether, with the reefed down genoa, our tacking angle was a good deal worse than I thought it was. Without a foam filled luff it would seem unlikely that she'd tack through as tight an angle reefed as she will with full sail but the genoa seemed to be setting OK.
Just how much leeway does she make? My impression, and I'm naturally good at judging angles and relative motions, is that in (relatively) flat water under full sail in a decent breeze she doesn't make excessive leeway. In fact, although I'm a little reluctant to claim it, I can't say as I really notice her making any appreciable leeway at all (and I certainly notice PDQ when we're being set off course by the tide). Certainly, looking at our outbound track, where we put in two tacks as we worked our way up the coast past Clacton, she clearly can sail well to windward in the right circumstances.
Could we have carried the full genoa? Would it have made a significant difference? Perhaps I'm overly cautious but I'm reluctant to put the rig under severe strain. A lot of the running rigging is well worn and starting to show signs of wear and tear (although the genoa sheets look pretty new), the sheet winches are ancient and definitely need replacing and I have no idea when the standing rigging was last replaced. The shrouds and stays look OK but what horrors are lurking where they can't be seen? Especially inside the roller reefing spar, for all I know the forestay may be hanging on by a thread!
Finally, I suspect that to a significant extent the critical problem is that with a small, relatively light and relatively shoal draft hull we're just getting smashed backwards by the power of the waves when trying to fight our way to windward in the face of a short steep choppy sea. In fact, it would be hard to come up with a situation less suited to a boat like Brigantia! She just doesn't have the grip on the water or the power to cope with such conditions. We might well be able to improve matters but I suspect in such circumstances we'll frequently be reaching for the engine starter cord!
Sunday 18 September 2011
Autumn Cruise - conclusions
All in all it was a good week.
It would have been nice to get in more sailing but we made good use of the time spent weatherbound and we've now got a fully fitted out bridge deck, the batterys moved, shelves in the cupboard above the nav table and the starboard quarter berth reinforced so it doesn't sag when you sit on it any more!
We've also got a working float switch on the bilge pump, the bilges have been cleaned out thoroughly and much space created in the cockpit lockers (no doubt that will fill up PDQ though).
Flogging the tide and chop out of the Crouch up the Whitaker on Thursday morning wasn't a barrel of laughs but once across the Spitway we had a good sail up to Stone Point. Not perfect but not bad. Given that we nearly bailed out and turned back at the Wallet Spitway buoy given how long it had taken to get there it was satisfying to drop the hook at our originally planned destination just as the light faded into darkness. A close run thing though as I wouldn't have fancied getting in there for the first time in darkness.
Having to promptly come back the next day was a nuisance but, after another fairly unpleasant thrash under power to get out to Medusa, we had a stonking sail back down the Wallet, into the Crouch and up to Fambridge. Without a doubt, the best sailing so far and furthermore the first time my passage plan has worked to near perfection. The only flaw was a pilotage error in holding on all the way down to the Wallet Spitway buoy which meant we were being carried onto the Buxey by the combined effects of tide, leeway and wave action. I'll know better next time and cut across much sooner.
On the down side, the engine simply has to go. It drank an entire 23 litres of petroil in not much over 6 hours of running, that's not far short of 4 litres an hour. What's more, I'm not convinced it's delivering as much power as it was earlier in the year and it still has a habit of cutting out when its hot and its throttled back.
To make matters worse, whilst I can tolerate the noise and smell, Rik finds it all but unbearable. All three owners are in agreement - it's time for a new engine as soon as we can raise the cash and find a suitable unit. My strong inclination is to go the whole nine yards and fit a brand new single cylinder 6hp unit. I estimate we;ll recover around half the cost in fuel savings over 3 to 4 years which coincidentally is how long I anticipate we'll keep Brigantia. At the end of that time, the engine will be worth at least half of what it cost new so we should break even on costs (although there will be servicing costs with a new engine if we want to keep the warranty valid of course).
Ah well, it's only money!
It would have been nice to get in more sailing but we made good use of the time spent weatherbound and we've now got a fully fitted out bridge deck, the batterys moved, shelves in the cupboard above the nav table and the starboard quarter berth reinforced so it doesn't sag when you sit on it any more!
We've also got a working float switch on the bilge pump, the bilges have been cleaned out thoroughly and much space created in the cockpit lockers (no doubt that will fill up PDQ though).
Flogging the tide and chop out of the Crouch up the Whitaker on Thursday morning wasn't a barrel of laughs but once across the Spitway we had a good sail up to Stone Point. Not perfect but not bad. Given that we nearly bailed out and turned back at the Wallet Spitway buoy given how long it had taken to get there it was satisfying to drop the hook at our originally planned destination just as the light faded into darkness. A close run thing though as I wouldn't have fancied getting in there for the first time in darkness.
Having to promptly come back the next day was a nuisance but, after another fairly unpleasant thrash under power to get out to Medusa, we had a stonking sail back down the Wallet, into the Crouch and up to Fambridge. Without a doubt, the best sailing so far and furthermore the first time my passage plan has worked to near perfection. The only flaw was a pilotage error in holding on all the way down to the Wallet Spitway buoy which meant we were being carried onto the Buxey by the combined effects of tide, leeway and wave action. I'll know better next time and cut across much sooner.
On the down side, the engine simply has to go. It drank an entire 23 litres of petroil in not much over 6 hours of running, that's not far short of 4 litres an hour. What's more, I'm not convinced it's delivering as much power as it was earlier in the year and it still has a habit of cutting out when its hot and its throttled back.
To make matters worse, whilst I can tolerate the noise and smell, Rik finds it all but unbearable. All three owners are in agreement - it's time for a new engine as soon as we can raise the cash and find a suitable unit. My strong inclination is to go the whole nine yards and fit a brand new single cylinder 6hp unit. I estimate we;ll recover around half the cost in fuel savings over 3 to 4 years which coincidentally is how long I anticipate we'll keep Brigantia. At the end of that time, the engine will be worth at least half of what it cost new so we should break even on costs (although there will be servicing costs with a new engine if we want to keep the warranty valid of course).
Ah well, it's only money!
Autumn Cruise - Days 8 & 9
Not much to say about Saturday. Very breezy from the South West, definitely made the right decision to head back from the Walton Backwaters on Friday! Lazy day lounging around doing nothing much before heading pub-wards for beer and food and some not bad live music.
Today, I spent much of the morning sorting out the wiring to the mast in a vain effort to get the steaming and anchor lights working. The anchor light is definitely dead and I need a new 3 pin waterproof connector to get the steaming light working again.
This afternoon we offloaded kit, tidied and cleaned the boat (memo to self, change out of deck shoes into wellies before swabbing the decks!) and put her back on her buoy before catching a ferry ride back to the pontoon and heading home about 16:00.
Today, I spent much of the morning sorting out the wiring to the mast in a vain effort to get the steaming and anchor lights working. The anchor light is definitely dead and I need a new 3 pin waterproof connector to get the steaming light working again.
This afternoon we offloaded kit, tidied and cleaned the boat (memo to self, change out of deck shoes into wellies before swabbing the decks!) and put her back on her buoy before catching a ferry ride back to the pontoon and heading home about 16:00.
Friday 16 September 2011
Autumn Cruise - Day 7
02:30 Anchor watch "on deck" (Bru). Very breezy from SE, quite uncomfortable on board.
02:50 Lying OK after the tide turned but beam on to channel due to strong wind. Back to bed!
Plan this morning is for Rik to have a lie in whilst the skipper gets her under way. I can then have a watch below later on (good plan in theory!). Hit the deck at 06:00, under way at 06:40 on the engine.
Very choppy out of the backwaters and into the Medusa channel. By 08:00 the watch below had given up and become the watch on deck! Hoisted the main and motor sailed which helped to steady the motion a bit but still very rock and roll. Passed Stone Bank at 08:07 making 3.5 knots.
At 08:41 abeam Medusa buoy we turned South and five minutes later we were under sail with the engine off making 5 to 6 knots with one reef in the main and about 2/3 of the genoa out! On the wind we fetched the Wallet Spitway buoy without a tack and made to cut across the Spitway.
My inexperience as a navigator and local pilot caught us out here - everybody behind us (and yes, for once, we were not being overtaken by all and sundry!) cut across much sooner as soon as they were clear of the Gunfleet windfarm and now we found out why as the tide swept us down towards the Buxey Sands and we could hardly make any progress beating across the Spitway.
Nothing else for it, on with the noise machine, in with the genoa and 20 minutes of motoring got us back where we should be at the Swin Spitway buoy which we rounded at 11:30.
Now it was off with the engine and out with the full genoa blasting up the Whitaker at up to 6 knots still with a fair tide.By 13:05 we were passed the Inner Crouch and luffed up to shake out the reef in the main. Struggled to get the bullets to run up the luff groove but after a couple of minutes faffing about we got her all the way up and were back on course.
After a brief look at the Brankfleet we decided, for once, that it didn't look too comfortable so pressed on up the Crouch with the wind from the East. Considered dropping the hook at Cliff Reach but it was such nice sailing, for once, we carried on going until we picked up our own mooring buoy at 15:20.
After a couple of hours rest, we decided to move up onto the pontoon for the night as the water in the moorings was getting a bit choppy. Discovered that the main tank was all but dry and transfered the contents of the jerry can into it before motoring the 100 yards or so up to the pontoon at 17:40.
Spent the evening on board, hit our bunks by not much after 9:00pm
02:50 Lying OK after the tide turned but beam on to channel due to strong wind. Back to bed!
Very choppy out of the backwaters and into the Medusa channel. By 08:00 the watch below had given up and become the watch on deck! Hoisted the main and motor sailed which helped to steady the motion a bit but still very rock and roll. Passed Stone Bank at 08:07 making 3.5 knots.
At 08:41 abeam Medusa buoy we turned South and five minutes later we were under sail with the engine off making 5 to 6 knots with one reef in the main and about 2/3 of the genoa out! On the wind we fetched the Wallet Spitway buoy without a tack and made to cut across the Spitway.
My inexperience as a navigator and local pilot caught us out here - everybody behind us (and yes, for once, we were not being overtaken by all and sundry!) cut across much sooner as soon as they were clear of the Gunfleet windfarm and now we found out why as the tide swept us down towards the Buxey Sands and we could hardly make any progress beating across the Spitway.Nothing else for it, on with the noise machine, in with the genoa and 20 minutes of motoring got us back where we should be at the Swin Spitway buoy which we rounded at 11:30.
Now it was off with the engine and out with the full genoa blasting up the Whitaker at up to 6 knots still with a fair tide.By 13:05 we were passed the Inner Crouch and luffed up to shake out the reef in the main. Struggled to get the bullets to run up the luff groove but after a couple of minutes faffing about we got her all the way up and were back on course.
After a brief look at the Brankfleet we decided, for once, that it didn't look too comfortable so pressed on up the Crouch with the wind from the East. Considered dropping the hook at Cliff Reach but it was such nice sailing, for once, we carried on going until we picked up our own mooring buoy at 15:20.After a couple of hours rest, we decided to move up onto the pontoon for the night as the water in the moorings was getting a bit choppy. Discovered that the main tank was all but dry and transfered the contents of the jerry can into it before motoring the 100 yards or so up to the pontoon at 17:40.
Spent the evening on board, hit our bunks by not much after 9:00pm
Thursday 15 September 2011
Autumn Cruise - Day 6
Plan was to get under way at first light however I misjudged how much before sunrise first light would be and we were maybe half an hour later away than we could have been.
Under way at 06:30 under sail with a very light breeze from the West. By 07:30 the wind had dropped even further and swung round to come from about East North East leaving us creeping along at 1 to 1.6 knots towards the Inner Crouch buoy which we reached at 07:56.
It took another half an hour to reach the Crouch buoy then the same again to get to Outer Crouch No.3. An hour after that, with the tide having turned against us, it was engine on, furl the genoa and get going motor sailing (in truth, mostly motor and not a lot of sailing) at 10:00
By 10:44 we only reached Outer Crouch No.2 making just 1.6 knots at nearly full throttle against a very strong tide. Progress not helped by the steep chop we were having to bash through, conditions that Brigantia isn't overly fond of at the best of times.
We took a short cut over the top end of the Buxey sands to cut off the corner and by 12:50 we were, at last, under sail up the Wallet making 2 knots over the ground.
By 14:00 we were off Clacton close hauled making 4.4 knots. Two tacks towards the Gunfleet saw us past Frinton and making 6.2 knots with the help of the tide and a stiffening breeze.
A check on the chart and the tide tables suggested we would have enough water to cut across the corner and head straight for Walton No.2 buoy and this we did albeit with a bit of a diversion when it got too shallow for comfort and we cut North to find some deeper water.
At 19:30 in the approached to the Backwaters we fired up the engine and motored in to Stone point where we anchored at 19:50 in the very last dying minutes of daylight. The last mile or so we used the nav lights for the first time ever!
Under way at 06:30 under sail with a very light breeze from the West. By 07:30 the wind had dropped even further and swung round to come from about East North East leaving us creeping along at 1 to 1.6 knots towards the Inner Crouch buoy which we reached at 07:56.
It took another half an hour to reach the Crouch buoy then the same again to get to Outer Crouch No.3. An hour after that, with the tide having turned against us, it was engine on, furl the genoa and get going motor sailing (in truth, mostly motor and not a lot of sailing) at 10:00
By 10:44 we only reached Outer Crouch No.2 making just 1.6 knots at nearly full throttle against a very strong tide. Progress not helped by the steep chop we were having to bash through, conditions that Brigantia isn't overly fond of at the best of times.
We took a short cut over the top end of the Buxey sands to cut off the corner and by 12:50 we were, at last, under sail up the Wallet making 2 knots over the ground.
By 14:00 we were off Clacton close hauled making 4.4 knots. Two tacks towards the Gunfleet saw us past Frinton and making 6.2 knots with the help of the tide and a stiffening breeze.
A check on the chart and the tide tables suggested we would have enough water to cut across the corner and head straight for Walton No.2 buoy and this we did albeit with a bit of a diversion when it got too shallow for comfort and we cut North to find some deeper water.
After a tidy up and a meal, we checked the forecast - it doesn't look good for Saturday with Westerlys up to F7 so unfortunately it looks like an early start in the morning and back the way we came again without any chance to explore the Walton Backwaters.
Wednesday 14 September 2011
Autumn Cruise - Day 5
This morning passed quickly enough sorting out ready to go sailing. All the stuff we'd been using for working on the boat needed to be offloaded back into the cars, below decks tidied up and the lockers sorted out ready for sea.
Let go from the pontoon at 14:00 under motor, 20 minutes later we were making 3 knots over the ground on main alone with the engine off and the stiff breeze right up our stern.
Two hours later, we fired up the engine and motor sailed the last mile or so into the Brankfleet. We were hailed by an anchored Trident 24 as we approached the anchorage but couldn't hear a word over the blasted outboard! No idea what the skipper of the yacht wanted to communicate - he may have wanted us to go away or he may be someone I've been in touch with via the web when we were seriously contemplating buying a Trident!
Engine off and lying to anchor at 16:47.
Hoisted the anchor light at 19:30 and let out more scope at 21:40 after the tide had turned before hitting the bunks for an early night in preparation for a long day tomorrow
Let go from the pontoon at 14:00 under motor, 20 minutes later we were making 3 knots over the ground on main alone with the engine off and the stiff breeze right up our stern.
Engine off and lying to anchor at 16:47.
Hoisted the anchor light at 19:30 and let out more scope at 21:40 after the tide had turned before hitting the bunks for an early night in preparation for a long day tomorrow
Autumn Cruise - Day 5/6 Passage Plan
Forecast is for F4-5 gusting 6 from the West decreasing to F2-3 gusting 4 from the West or North West by this evening.
Outlook for tomorrow is F3/4 Westerlys veering North then East later in the day.
HW today is 14:40BST
Plan is to head downriver on the tide this afternoon and anchor for the night in the Brankfleet with a view to departing at first light tomorrow morning to make passage to Walton Backwaters via the Whitaker Channel, Swin Spitway and Wallet.
Outlook for tomorrow is F3/4 Westerlys veering North then East later in the day.
HW today is 14:40BST
Plan is to head downriver on the tide this afternoon and anchor for the night in the Brankfleet with a view to departing at first light tomorrow morning to make passage to Walton Backwaters via the Whitaker Channel, Swin Spitway and Wallet.
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Autumn Cruise - Day 4, part 1
Awoke late this morning at about 08:00.
Lovely morning, sun shining, blue skys and much calmer on the water. Very tempting to let go the lines and go sailing but we've things to do and the forecast out at sea is still a bit iffy yet.
We need to finish off the electrics - the depth sounder and GPS power feeds need reconnecting and we need to check that things like the nav lights still work and what have you. If time permits we might get around to using some of the spare plywood to improve storage around the nav table too.
I need a shower and some cigarette papers - silly girl in the Co-Op on Sunday put a single packet in the bag not the box of five I asked for and there's nothing worse than having baccy and no papers.
Tomorrow though looks like a definite go, we'll make plans today. We'll have to be aware that conditions by the weekend will not be ideal for coming back upriver - a stiff Westerly is the worst possible wind for getting back in. Best plan will be to time our return to nip across the Rays'n thus avoiding the long beat down the Whitaker that defeated Jane and I in similar conditions earlier in the year.
More to follow later in the day ....
Lovely morning, sun shining, blue skys and much calmer on the water. Very tempting to let go the lines and go sailing but we've things to do and the forecast out at sea is still a bit iffy yet.
We need to finish off the electrics - the depth sounder and GPS power feeds need reconnecting and we need to check that things like the nav lights still work and what have you. If time permits we might get around to using some of the spare plywood to improve storage around the nav table too.
I need a shower and some cigarette papers - silly girl in the Co-Op on Sunday put a single packet in the bag not the box of five I asked for and there's nothing worse than having baccy and no papers.
Tomorrow though looks like a definite go, we'll make plans today. We'll have to be aware that conditions by the weekend will not be ideal for coming back upriver - a stiff Westerly is the worst possible wind for getting back in. Best plan will be to time our return to nip across the Rays'n thus avoiding the long beat down the Whitaker that defeated Jane and I in similar conditions earlier in the year.
More to follow later in the day ....
Monday 12 September 2011
Autumn Cruise - Day 3, part 2
Very windy today!
After a leisurely start, we cracked on with fitting out the bridge deck and moving the batterys. By lunchtime, conditions on board were becoming untenable though! Must have been F8 or even F9 in the strongest gusts, the river was rough as hell and even on the inside of the pontoon we were getting bounced around like anything.
After adding an additional spring on the bow (to stop her swinging round into Nordestrevans bowsprit if the bow line broke), we abandoned ship and headed up to the pub for lunch and a pint.
By mid-afternoon things had calmed down a bit and we were back at work re-configuring and re-routing the wiring to the main battery which is now in its new home. We finished hooking the electrics back up in the nick of time just as the sun was setting. The new bilge pump switch has been installed and tested so we shouldn't have the problem of the cockpit well filling up with water again.
The No.1 battery is now fully charged having been on charge since yesterday afternoon. Although the indicator on top was still green, it took an initial charge of over 10A and the best part of 24 hours to drop to the minimum 2A charge. We could do with a better, more intelligent, charger but the one wot we've got will do and hasn't cost me anything.
You won't be surprised to hear that the day ended with a trip back to the pub for grub and beer!
After a leisurely start, we cracked on with fitting out the bridge deck and moving the batterys. By lunchtime, conditions on board were becoming untenable though! Must have been F8 or even F9 in the strongest gusts, the river was rough as hell and even on the inside of the pontoon we were getting bounced around like anything.
After adding an additional spring on the bow (to stop her swinging round into Nordestrevans bowsprit if the bow line broke), we abandoned ship and headed up to the pub for lunch and a pint.
By mid-afternoon things had calmed down a bit and we were back at work re-configuring and re-routing the wiring to the main battery which is now in its new home. We finished hooking the electrics back up in the nick of time just as the sun was setting. The new bilge pump switch has been installed and tested so we shouldn't have the problem of the cockpit well filling up with water again.
The No.1 battery is now fully charged having been on charge since yesterday afternoon. Although the indicator on top was still green, it took an initial charge of over 10A and the best part of 24 hours to drop to the minimum 2A charge. We could do with a better, more intelligent, charger but the one wot we've got will do and hasn't cost me anything.
You won't be surprised to hear that the day ended with a trip back to the pub for grub and beer!
Autumn Cruise - Day 3, part 1
We were both woken up about 03:00 this morning by the very strong gusts of wind blowing through the moorings. Comfortable enough on board, tied on the inside of the pontoon, but very noisy outside.
Rik seemed to get back to sleep whereas I dozed, read, drank coffee, smoked and dozed some more until we both decided to wake up properly about 07:00.
Conditions now as I write are pretty poor. The breeze is gusting strongly, the river is choppy and rain showers blow through from time to time. Pretty much as forecast really and we definitely won't be going anywhere today. At present, tomorrow looks marginal but things should improve as we go into Wednesday.
Looks like it's going to be a day of working on the electrics and what have you. What fun!
Rik seemed to get back to sleep whereas I dozed, read, drank coffee, smoked and dozed some more until we both decided to wake up properly about 07:00.
Conditions now as I write are pretty poor. The breeze is gusting strongly, the river is choppy and rain showers blow through from time to time. Pretty much as forecast really and we definitely won't be going anywhere today. At present, tomorrow looks marginal but things should improve as we go into Wednesday.
Looks like it's going to be a day of working on the electrics and what have you. What fun!
Sunday 11 September 2011
Autumn Cruise - Day 2
The title is all wrong really, it should probably be "Autumn Go Nowhere"!
Both Rik and I woke briefly in the early hours of the morning to note that the wind had risen from the stiff breeze of the evening before to a very strong gusty breeze indeed. After a bit more kip, we were both wide awake by 06:00. A lazy start to the day with teas and coffees, bacon butties and so on after which I managed to finally watch the second half of yesterdays match on ITV Player. Better still, when I fired up my 3 mobile broadband, it downloaded an update for the dongle firmware to correct connection problems which seems to have worked a treat as it didn't drop out once.
Relieved by Englands recovery, although less than impressed by their performance, I dozed off again for an hour or two whilst Rik amused himself wiring up the new radio. Upon returning to the land of the awake, got stung for two nights on the pontoon at the full rate which cost me £20. The new ferryman, Patrick, isn't cutting us any slack but I gather the management are cracking down on the matter of charges for use of the pontoon so fair enough. It's a bonus if we do get let off but even at full cost we still get most of the benefits of a marina mooring for about half of the cost!
Conditions on the river were pretty much as forecast. A stiff breeze with strong gusts and rain squalls passing through. If we'd felt the pressing need to do so, I dare say we could have sailed in the conditions but it wouldn't have been particularly fun and with an old boat with a rig of uncertain age and condition I'd be worried the whole time about what one of those sudden gusts might do.
As the day wore on, Rik set to on completing his fit out of the bridge deck space whilst I toddled off to Burnham to spend some money at the chandlery on a battery switch, some wire, choc blocks, varnish and a new waterproof connector for the engine charge lead. After popping into the Co-op for milk and baccy, I arrived back to find Rik well on the way to completing the job which, I have to say, he's done far better than I suspect I would have done. Whilst he continued his plywood shaping exploits, I got on with fitting the new engine electrics connector ready for moving the main battery which we should get sorted on the morrow.
With the evening setting in, we tidied up below decks and in the cockpit and then headed back up to the pub again for grub and two pints this time! Last of the big spenders! A cup of char and another fairly early night.
Both Rik and I woke briefly in the early hours of the morning to note that the wind had risen from the stiff breeze of the evening before to a very strong gusty breeze indeed. After a bit more kip, we were both wide awake by 06:00. A lazy start to the day with teas and coffees, bacon butties and so on after which I managed to finally watch the second half of yesterdays match on ITV Player. Better still, when I fired up my 3 mobile broadband, it downloaded an update for the dongle firmware to correct connection problems which seems to have worked a treat as it didn't drop out once.
Relieved by Englands recovery, although less than impressed by their performance, I dozed off again for an hour or two whilst Rik amused himself wiring up the new radio. Upon returning to the land of the awake, got stung for two nights on the pontoon at the full rate which cost me £20. The new ferryman, Patrick, isn't cutting us any slack but I gather the management are cracking down on the matter of charges for use of the pontoon so fair enough. It's a bonus if we do get let off but even at full cost we still get most of the benefits of a marina mooring for about half of the cost!
Conditions on the river were pretty much as forecast. A stiff breeze with strong gusts and rain squalls passing through. If we'd felt the pressing need to do so, I dare say we could have sailed in the conditions but it wouldn't have been particularly fun and with an old boat with a rig of uncertain age and condition I'd be worried the whole time about what one of those sudden gusts might do.
As the day wore on, Rik set to on completing his fit out of the bridge deck space whilst I toddled off to Burnham to spend some money at the chandlery on a battery switch, some wire, choc blocks, varnish and a new waterproof connector for the engine charge lead. After popping into the Co-op for milk and baccy, I arrived back to find Rik well on the way to completing the job which, I have to say, he's done far better than I suspect I would have done. Whilst he continued his plywood shaping exploits, I got on with fitting the new engine electrics connector ready for moving the main battery which we should get sorted on the morrow.
With the evening setting in, we tidied up below decks and in the cockpit and then headed back up to the pub again for grub and two pints this time! Last of the big spenders! A cup of char and another fairly early night.
Saturday 10 September 2011
Autumn Cruise - Day 1
After picking up the workers and dropping them off at home, I loaded up the last few odds and ends of gear into the car and set off on the journey to the boat about 7:00am. Two hours and two cups of Wild Bean coffee, not to mention a bacon and cheese roll, later I arrived at the moorings.
Conditions were as forecast, quite warm, dry and breezy. A reconnoiter wander down onto the pontoon led to a quick ferry ride down to Brigantia as the ferryman was ready and waiting for passengers. As I expected, she was somewhat down by the stern due to the cockpit well being full of water. Fired up the bilge pump and that was sorted in a matter of minutes whilst I hand sponged the water in the port cockpit locker out (for some strange reason, the starboard locker has a limber hole to drain it into the well but the port locker doesn't).
That brought the stern back up where it should be but she still had a bit of a list to port that needs investigating.
The smoke machine fired up on the third pull and settled down nicely to tickover. I set up the mooring lines ready to go alongside, cast off and motored gently up the inside of the pontoon. Executing a neat drift turn on the tide followed by an inch perfect ferry glide into the space between two other yachts, I flicked the long bow line over a bollard and then stepped ashore to complete mooring up. Of course, it goes without saying that NOBODY was watching!
Desperately hoping to catch the end of the England v. Argentina rugby match, I fired up the little laptop and my new USB digital TV stick only to find that I couldn't get even a hint of a signal. Oh well. Next step is to try an omnidirectional aerial hoisted up to the spreaders. Haven't got one to hand so that will have to wait!
Next task was to clean the weed off the stern and boarding ladder - the latter having folded itself down into the water and acquired a veritable garden. Having done that I started carting my kit down from the car to the boat and getting squared away.
By the time I'd sorted my gear out and got the kettle on and so on, it was heading into the afternoon and lo and behold, as I went up to the car for the last few bits and bobs, Rik arrived.
Rik spent the afternoon fitting the "new" radio/CD player whilst I amused myself trying to watch the match on ITV Player. The free wi-fi wasn't fast enough, the picture kept pausing, and watching it on my new mobile broadband dongle thingy (a gift from my mate Tony) was an exercise in frustration as it kept dropping the connection every few minutes meaning I'd have to refresh the page and watch all the adverts again before I could pick up where I left off. My frustration levels increased even further when I realised that only the first half of the match was available on-line! I was left hanging in suspense with England trailing 9-3.
We spent a happy half hour getting somewhat damp putting up the cockpit tent and then changed into shore rig as the pub beckoned and off we went for a pie and a pint. It really was only one pint too as by the time I'd eaten and quaffed the first one, I was all but falling asleep having had very little kip over the previous 36 hours. Back we went to the boat and I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. I vaguely remember Rik popping up on deck to frap the halyards which had come loose but I don't remember him coming back down below again!
Conditions were as forecast, quite warm, dry and breezy. A reconnoiter wander down onto the pontoon led to a quick ferry ride down to Brigantia as the ferryman was ready and waiting for passengers. As I expected, she was somewhat down by the stern due to the cockpit well being full of water. Fired up the bilge pump and that was sorted in a matter of minutes whilst I hand sponged the water in the port cockpit locker out (for some strange reason, the starboard locker has a limber hole to drain it into the well but the port locker doesn't).
That brought the stern back up where it should be but she still had a bit of a list to port that needs investigating.
The smoke machine fired up on the third pull and settled down nicely to tickover. I set up the mooring lines ready to go alongside, cast off and motored gently up the inside of the pontoon. Executing a neat drift turn on the tide followed by an inch perfect ferry glide into the space between two other yachts, I flicked the long bow line over a bollard and then stepped ashore to complete mooring up. Of course, it goes without saying that NOBODY was watching!
Desperately hoping to catch the end of the England v. Argentina rugby match, I fired up the little laptop and my new USB digital TV stick only to find that I couldn't get even a hint of a signal. Oh well. Next step is to try an omnidirectional aerial hoisted up to the spreaders. Haven't got one to hand so that will have to wait!
Next task was to clean the weed off the stern and boarding ladder - the latter having folded itself down into the water and acquired a veritable garden. Having done that I started carting my kit down from the car to the boat and getting squared away.
By the time I'd sorted my gear out and got the kettle on and so on, it was heading into the afternoon and lo and behold, as I went up to the car for the last few bits and bobs, Rik arrived.
Rik spent the afternoon fitting the "new" radio/CD player whilst I amused myself trying to watch the match on ITV Player. The free wi-fi wasn't fast enough, the picture kept pausing, and watching it on my new mobile broadband dongle thingy (a gift from my mate Tony) was an exercise in frustration as it kept dropping the connection every few minutes meaning I'd have to refresh the page and watch all the adverts again before I could pick up where I left off. My frustration levels increased even further when I realised that only the first half of the match was available on-line! I was left hanging in suspense with England trailing 9-3.
We spent a happy half hour getting somewhat damp putting up the cockpit tent and then changed into shore rig as the pub beckoned and off we went for a pie and a pint. It really was only one pint too as by the time I'd eaten and quaffed the first one, I was all but falling asleep having had very little kip over the previous 36 hours. Back we went to the boat and I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. I vaguely remember Rik popping up on deck to frap the halyards which had come loose but I don't remember him coming back down below again!
Wednesday 7 September 2011
Bl**dy weather
Well I've got all me new toys (yippee) but the weather forecast is looking increasingly 'orrible
Saturday looks OK but currently Sunday through Monday is wall to wall gusty conditions with gusts up to F8! Unless that improves dramatically we won't be going anyway until mid-week at the earliest.
There are some maintenance jobs to be getting on with assuming it stays dry at least but there's only so much we'll be able to do within the available finances
Ho hum!
Saturday looks OK but currently Sunday through Monday is wall to wall gusty conditions with gusts up to F8! Unless that improves dramatically we won't be going anyway until mid-week at the earliest.
There are some maintenance jobs to be getting on with assuming it stays dry at least but there's only so much we'll be able to do within the available finances
Ho hum!
Saturday 3 September 2011
Today I shall mostly be annoyed ...
One beneficial consequence of the long layoff from sailing has been the state of the boat finances! We haven't been spending money so it's been accumulating nicely in the bank.
So I've spent it!
The major purchase is a new GPS. It seems churlish to look a gift horse in the mouth but it has to be said that the ancient Magellan GPS300 Glen donated to the boat is woefully slow, awkward to use, cannot be interfaced to the laptop to download/upload route and track info and to cap it all has ludicrously small text which cannot be read from more than a foot away. Never the less, I'm not ungrateful as it has sufficed for the trips so far and will be useful as an emergency backup.
There was much scratching of the bonce and debate with the dear lady wife over what to purchase though. I was very tempted by the latest Garmin GPS78s with its 3-axis compass, built in barometer, Garmin Bluechart capability (making it a hand held chart plotter rather than just a GPS) and custom chart facility.
However, by the time you add the cost of the mounting bracket, power and data leads and even the cheapest chart pack, it would cost just about as much as one of the smaller chart plotters such as the Standard Horizon 180i that I fancy in the long term. And that, dear reader, was rather more than I wanted to spend at the moment anyway.
So I've settled for a shiney new Garmin GPS72H which appears to be by far and away the most popular model of basic GPS from all the comments and reviews I've read on the subject.
But that's not all, there was still money in the bank and it's no good in there I always say! OK, I always say that as an excuse for spending it but money in the bank is boring and new toys is fun :-)
I've ordered two double hook safety lines so that we can clip on in the cockpit and on the foredeck. Being double hookers, you can clip on to a new attachment point before unclipping from the old one which is a good thing obviously. I haven't yet worked out what to do about jackstays so for now I guess we'll have to do the thing everybody says you must not do and clip on to the guardwires when moving forward from the cockpit to the foredeck in rough conditions or when alone on deck.
It may not be ideal practice but the pulpit and pushpit rails are as securely mounted as anything could be on Brigantia so a fall overboard might pull out a stanchion base but the faller will still be attached to the boat. It's not as if we're intending to be out in a howling gale anyway. I'm actually more concerned about being able to clip on if I'm single handed or we're sailing watch on watch so that a slip or trip doesn't have fatal consequences.
The next essential item on the list is a new float switch for the cockpit well bilge pump. Brigantia doesn't have bilges as I visualise bilges, she has a series of seperate compartments, for want of a better word, which are not connected to each other. So there's no way of pumping out the bilges throughout the boat and the accumulated water under the cabin floors from condensation, rain getting in through the hatch, etc. has to be sponged out of each area seperately. However, there is a large well under the cockpit floor which accumulates rainwater and a previous owner has fitted an automatic bilge pump to stop it flooding completely. Unfortunately, the float switch is knackered and needs replacing.
I suspect with all the rain we've had in recent weeks she'll be somewhat down by the stern by now but I don't think there's any need to panic - if the well fills completely the excess water will then start draining down the cockpit drains stopping the situation getting any worse. I hope!
I couldn't help it though, I had to buy another toy! For the sake of a mere £25, I ordered a basic little hand held wind speed indicator. More than once I've wanted to know just how strong the breeze actually was and felt the lack of the means of measuring wind strength. A full on mast mounted wind system is way out of our reach financially but I'm hoping this little widget will at least tell us whether it's really the forecast F3/4 or actually (as we have suspected more than once) nearer F5/6!
Another item on the wish list I can now cross off is a rechargeable handheld spotlight. Glen actually gave us one of these but it's a big beast. It's very good but it takes up space and eats battery juice! So I've ordered a smaller LED based one that should be easier to stow and less of a drain on our limited electrickery resources.
To finish off the boat related side of the order, I've ordered a new copy of the Thames Estuary Tidal Stream Atlas NP249. We had a copy and it's gone AWOL. I've searched everywhere it could be with no joy so no doubt it'll turn up the moment the new copy arrives. I've also ordered a copy of Reeds Skippers Handbook which I hope will satisfy my desire to have a ready reference for info such as Colregs, sound signals etc.
Oh and in the same vein I ordered a copy of The East Coast Pilot from Amazon the other day to add to the information available to the navigator when planning trips beyond the immediate confines of the river.
That little lot fairly comprehensively flattened the boat bank account. Job done :-)
But that's not the end of the story! Oh no!
As summer moves into autumn, if we're going to make the most of the opportunities to use Brigantia this year, we need better personal kit. Although the wind has been unkind this year (always too much or too little or from totally the wrong direction) we've had very little rain over the summer and so far we've been OK with plimsolls on our feet, normal clothing and cheap plastic waterproofs courtesy of Tescos.
So I decided it was time to gear up before Rik and I head out a week today and ordered myself some new clobber.
Boots and gloves were easy - Gill Shorty cruising boots and Gill Grip sailing gloves. Oilies, on the other hand, were another matter. Jeez they're expensive! One pair of Musto or Gill trousers and a matching jacket would cost more than my entire wardrobe set me back - I confess that I'm not exactly a model of sartorial elegance but even so. I opted to purchase a cheap own brand Windward coastal sailing suit from Force 4 for a fraction of the cost. Time will tell whether it's any good but at about £75 compared to several hundred quid it's got to be worth a go.
I could do with picking up some thermals as a base layer, some decent socks and a couple of fleeces. That lot, however, can come from the clothing department at Asda or Tescos!
And why, you may well ask, am I annoyed today? The order was scheduled to arrive yesterday and didn't :-(
I even stayed up when I got in from work and dozed on the couch so that I'd here the driver knock on the door - to no avail as the knock never came. I'll be surprised if it arrives this morning so I expect it'll be Monday now which means I wasted the extra fiver on express delivery. Again. I shall be asking for a credit on that, you may be sure.
So I've spent it!
The major purchase is a new GPS. It seems churlish to look a gift horse in the mouth but it has to be said that the ancient Magellan GPS300 Glen donated to the boat is woefully slow, awkward to use, cannot be interfaced to the laptop to download/upload route and track info and to cap it all has ludicrously small text which cannot be read from more than a foot away. Never the less, I'm not ungrateful as it has sufficed for the trips so far and will be useful as an emergency backup.
There was much scratching of the bonce and debate with the dear lady wife over what to purchase though. I was very tempted by the latest Garmin GPS78s with its 3-axis compass, built in barometer, Garmin Bluechart capability (making it a hand held chart plotter rather than just a GPS) and custom chart facility.
However, by the time you add the cost of the mounting bracket, power and data leads and even the cheapest chart pack, it would cost just about as much as one of the smaller chart plotters such as the Standard Horizon 180i that I fancy in the long term. And that, dear reader, was rather more than I wanted to spend at the moment anyway.
So I've settled for a shiney new Garmin GPS72H which appears to be by far and away the most popular model of basic GPS from all the comments and reviews I've read on the subject.
But that's not all, there was still money in the bank and it's no good in there I always say! OK, I always say that as an excuse for spending it but money in the bank is boring and new toys is fun :-)
I've ordered two double hook safety lines so that we can clip on in the cockpit and on the foredeck. Being double hookers, you can clip on to a new attachment point before unclipping from the old one which is a good thing obviously. I haven't yet worked out what to do about jackstays so for now I guess we'll have to do the thing everybody says you must not do and clip on to the guardwires when moving forward from the cockpit to the foredeck in rough conditions or when alone on deck.
It may not be ideal practice but the pulpit and pushpit rails are as securely mounted as anything could be on Brigantia so a fall overboard might pull out a stanchion base but the faller will still be attached to the boat. It's not as if we're intending to be out in a howling gale anyway. I'm actually more concerned about being able to clip on if I'm single handed or we're sailing watch on watch so that a slip or trip doesn't have fatal consequences.
The next essential item on the list is a new float switch for the cockpit well bilge pump. Brigantia doesn't have bilges as I visualise bilges, she has a series of seperate compartments, for want of a better word, which are not connected to each other. So there's no way of pumping out the bilges throughout the boat and the accumulated water under the cabin floors from condensation, rain getting in through the hatch, etc. has to be sponged out of each area seperately. However, there is a large well under the cockpit floor which accumulates rainwater and a previous owner has fitted an automatic bilge pump to stop it flooding completely. Unfortunately, the float switch is knackered and needs replacing.
I suspect with all the rain we've had in recent weeks she'll be somewhat down by the stern by now but I don't think there's any need to panic - if the well fills completely the excess water will then start draining down the cockpit drains stopping the situation getting any worse. I hope!
I couldn't help it though, I had to buy another toy! For the sake of a mere £25, I ordered a basic little hand held wind speed indicator. More than once I've wanted to know just how strong the breeze actually was and felt the lack of the means of measuring wind strength. A full on mast mounted wind system is way out of our reach financially but I'm hoping this little widget will at least tell us whether it's really the forecast F3/4 or actually (as we have suspected more than once) nearer F5/6!
Another item on the wish list I can now cross off is a rechargeable handheld spotlight. Glen actually gave us one of these but it's a big beast. It's very good but it takes up space and eats battery juice! So I've ordered a smaller LED based one that should be easier to stow and less of a drain on our limited electrickery resources.
To finish off the boat related side of the order, I've ordered a new copy of the Thames Estuary Tidal Stream Atlas NP249. We had a copy and it's gone AWOL. I've searched everywhere it could be with no joy so no doubt it'll turn up the moment the new copy arrives. I've also ordered a copy of Reeds Skippers Handbook which I hope will satisfy my desire to have a ready reference for info such as Colregs, sound signals etc.
Oh and in the same vein I ordered a copy of The East Coast Pilot from Amazon the other day to add to the information available to the navigator when planning trips beyond the immediate confines of the river.
That little lot fairly comprehensively flattened the boat bank account. Job done :-)
But that's not the end of the story! Oh no!
As summer moves into autumn, if we're going to make the most of the opportunities to use Brigantia this year, we need better personal kit. Although the wind has been unkind this year (always too much or too little or from totally the wrong direction) we've had very little rain over the summer and so far we've been OK with plimsolls on our feet, normal clothing and cheap plastic waterproofs courtesy of Tescos.
So I decided it was time to gear up before Rik and I head out a week today and ordered myself some new clobber.
Boots and gloves were easy - Gill Shorty cruising boots and Gill Grip sailing gloves. Oilies, on the other hand, were another matter. Jeez they're expensive! One pair of Musto or Gill trousers and a matching jacket would cost more than my entire wardrobe set me back - I confess that I'm not exactly a model of sartorial elegance but even so. I opted to purchase a cheap own brand Windward coastal sailing suit from Force 4 for a fraction of the cost. Time will tell whether it's any good but at about £75 compared to several hundred quid it's got to be worth a go.
I could do with picking up some thermals as a base layer, some decent socks and a couple of fleeces. That lot, however, can come from the clothing department at Asda or Tescos!
And why, you may well ask, am I annoyed today? The order was scheduled to arrive yesterday and didn't :-(
I even stayed up when I got in from work and dozed on the couch so that I'd here the driver knock on the door - to no avail as the knock never came. I'll be surprised if it arrives this morning so I expect it'll be Monday now which means I wasted the extra fiver on express delivery. Again. I shall be asking for a credit on that, you may be sure.
Saturday 20 August 2011
To spend or not to spend, that is the question
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the temptation and frustration of window shopping
Or to blow the cash on a spending spree and worry not about the consequences
Well, the self evident fact is that since I'm at home posting this garbage, I didn't go down to the boat this weekend. Apart from having lots to do at home, I started adding up the cost/benefit of a short weekend trip at this stage of the year and can't help wondering whether its worth it.
With the shifts Jane is working this month, I can't travel down until Saturday morning and I've got to be back by early Sunday evening. Effectively I get a day to spend on maintenance tasks or a toddle up and down the river. What with travel costs, taxis to get Jane to and from Work Saturday night / Sunday morning, and so on the whole excercise will cost getting on for £100 and it'll maybe save half a day of sorting out at the start of our week long trip in a few weeks time.
Now £100 would go a long way towards buying a new GPS. The ancient Magellan Glen passed on to us does the job after a fashion but it's woefully slow, can't be connected to the PC to upload and download data and has a very limited number of waypoints and routes. Not only that, the text and symbols are ludicrously small making it all but impossible to read when steering the boat.
So, methinks, rather than blow a whole weekend and getting on for a ton on a relatively unproductive trip to the boat p'raps I'll spend the dosh, plus a bit, on a Garmin GPS72H instead. Good plan, in theory, but then I gets to thinking it'd be handy to have better charting than the basic base map and maybe the built in 3 axis compass would be very handy and ... well OK, so maybe what I'd really like is a Garmin GPSMAP 78s!
All right, I know, it's twice the price but hey ho. Oh, but, well ... it's nearly as expensive as a Standard Horizon CP180i chart plotter! There's only 25 quid difference, a mere drop in the ocean. And the CP180i is firmly on my long term shopping list too.
But then, if I buy the plotter, I really want the better UK charting for it and that's another £130 on top. So I started off planning to spend £141.59 and now I'm looking at £439.90 fer crissakes!
I think not!
Or to blow the cash on a spending spree and worry not about the consequences
Well, the self evident fact is that since I'm at home posting this garbage, I didn't go down to the boat this weekend. Apart from having lots to do at home, I started adding up the cost/benefit of a short weekend trip at this stage of the year and can't help wondering whether its worth it.
With the shifts Jane is working this month, I can't travel down until Saturday morning and I've got to be back by early Sunday evening. Effectively I get a day to spend on maintenance tasks or a toddle up and down the river. What with travel costs, taxis to get Jane to and from Work Saturday night / Sunday morning, and so on the whole excercise will cost getting on for £100 and it'll maybe save half a day of sorting out at the start of our week long trip in a few weeks time.
Now £100 would go a long way towards buying a new GPS. The ancient Magellan Glen passed on to us does the job after a fashion but it's woefully slow, can't be connected to the PC to upload and download data and has a very limited number of waypoints and routes. Not only that, the text and symbols are ludicrously small making it all but impossible to read when steering the boat.
So, methinks, rather than blow a whole weekend and getting on for a ton on a relatively unproductive trip to the boat p'raps I'll spend the dosh, plus a bit, on a Garmin GPS72H instead. Good plan, in theory, but then I gets to thinking it'd be handy to have better charting than the basic base map and maybe the built in 3 axis compass would be very handy and ... well OK, so maybe what I'd really like is a Garmin GPSMAP 78s!
All right, I know, it's twice the price but hey ho. Oh, but, well ... it's nearly as expensive as a Standard Horizon CP180i chart plotter! There's only 25 quid difference, a mere drop in the ocean. And the CP180i is firmly on my long term shopping list too.
But then, if I buy the plotter, I really want the better UK charting for it and that's another £130 on top. So I started off planning to spend £141.59 and now I'm looking at £439.90 fer crissakes!
I think not!
Thursday 11 August 2011
I must go down to the seas again ...
and I can't! At least not until the weekend after next at least.
We spent the last fortnight, or at least a goodly chunk of it, on a leisure centre sports field in sunny Burton-upon-Trent where I had the dubious pleasure of being the Technical Manager of the entertainment venues at the IWA Waterways Festival (we're also the suppliers of all the PA and lighting equipment to the show).
There's a lot of work involved what with four flown lighting bars, set construction, and a 4.7kw PA system to install and commission in two days ... well it would have taken two days if someone hadn't half inched the ladders for most of the first afternoon of the build which cost us several hours of build time.
Then three days of running the show and it time to take it all down again! That took another full day and then it was time to head for home after packing away our accommodation (an elderly folding camper)
I had planned to head down to Brigantia for the rest of the week after getting home but my left ankle, which I can't recall injuring, was swollen and quite painful which took several days to settle down so that put paid to that.
This coming weekend my brother is moving house and wants help. It'd be churlish to say no, of course, but it's another weekend lost! Worse still, my mate Tony is stuck in Felixstowe for the weekend and it would have been a perfect opportunity for him to get down to the boat for a couple of days.
I'm planning on going down to Fambridge the weekend after the coming one unless something else comes up to get in the way! It's that or the following weekend, the one after that a friend wants me to play at her 40th birthday party and then we're into the week Rik and I have planned for a decent sail, weather permitting.
It's very frustrating this, having a boat at last and then never seeming to have the time to get down and use her. Oh well, there's no IWA festival next year so I'll have a lot more spare time I hope.
Sunday 10 July 2011
It's in the blood ...
The reader who has perused my article "Seawater in my veins" will recall that my family has a long tradition of seafaring and shipbuilding stretching back many generations and that my generation is the first in at least 300 years to have no connection with the sea.
It seems, though, that once that salt water is in the blood it doesn't go away because youngest son has just applied to become an Engineering Cadet in the Merchant Navy! Initially, he was considering joining the RN but when he followed up on my suggestion that a career in the Merchant service might be more appropriate he had no druthers about switching codes, as it were.
Turns out it was a good move - there is a long waiting list for applications to join the RN apparently, about three years we've heard on the grape vine, and he hasn't the qualifications to join as an Officer so would have to go in as a rating. I wasn't convinced that life in a ratings mess would suit him anyway.
In contrast, he already has the necessary grades to join the OND/HND cadet program as either a trainee engineering or deck officer in the Merchant Navy and if his application is unsuccessful this year then by next year, assuming he successfully completes his current studies, he'll have the necessary UCAS points to go for the Foundation Degree option.
Either route offers what looks like a good long term career path. Even after applying a large dose of salt to the blurb from the cadet management companies it seems there is a growing demand for trained sea officers both in home waters and abroad.
I can't wait to see the look on his grandfathers face when he finds out his grandson is planning to follow in his footsteps (he quit the sea as a 2nd Engineer when I was born)
It seems, though, that once that salt water is in the blood it doesn't go away because youngest son has just applied to become an Engineering Cadet in the Merchant Navy! Initially, he was considering joining the RN but when he followed up on my suggestion that a career in the Merchant service might be more appropriate he had no druthers about switching codes, as it were.
Turns out it was a good move - there is a long waiting list for applications to join the RN apparently, about three years we've heard on the grape vine, and he hasn't the qualifications to join as an Officer so would have to go in as a rating. I wasn't convinced that life in a ratings mess would suit him anyway.
In contrast, he already has the necessary grades to join the OND/HND cadet program as either a trainee engineering or deck officer in the Merchant Navy and if his application is unsuccessful this year then by next year, assuming he successfully completes his current studies, he'll have the necessary UCAS points to go for the Foundation Degree option.
Either route offers what looks like a good long term career path. Even after applying a large dose of salt to the blurb from the cadet management companies it seems there is a growing demand for trained sea officers both in home waters and abroad.
I can't wait to see the look on his grandfathers face when he finds out his grandson is planning to follow in his footsteps (he quit the sea as a 2nd Engineer when I was born)
Tuesday 5 July 2011
July Long Weekend - Conclusions
It's frustrating, we just don't seem to be able to get a decent sail under our belts at the moment. Something, be it weather, gear failure, time constraints or whatever, always seems to get in the way.
With hindsight, I'm not sure dropping the hook to wait out the tide on Saturday morning was the best plan. We should have either left Fambridge at first light to catch the tide further down the Whitaker or slogged it out with the foul tide making the best progress we could - by the time we got going again we'd lost momentum and the better part of the day.
That aside, I made a mistake going up the North side of the Whitaker. I should have either kept as close to the Foulness sands as possible or perhaps better still nipped across the Rays'n where we'd have been in the lee of the Buxey with the whole width of the Blackwater to leeward. A lesson noted for the future.
Another lesson worth noting is that if at all possible we'd be best served by avoiding wind over tide in the Whitaker. The conditions were nowhere near as lumpy as the last time out in the channel but it wasn't comfortable for either of us - it was grin and bear it conditions rather than yippee stuff - and Brigantia, being fairly lightweight, doesn't go her best in a steep chop.
My other big mistake was not ensuring we had maxed out the fuel reserves before departure. Maybe its a bit paranoid but I'm not happy unless we've got sufficient petrol on board to make it back from wherever we're going within the time available to us.
On the positive side, Jane seemed more at home on the boat this trip and even rose to the challenge of steering under power with a smile on her face. There were some very positive comments forthcoming about possible future plans, both short and long term and even some sensible suggestions about the engine problems (the sort of thing Jane would usually be totally disinterested in).
What little sailing we managed to get in on the Saturday demonstrated once again that she's no slouch. Although we were undoubtedly the slowest boat out there we were not comparing like with like and whilst we were being overtaken by bigger, newer boats they weren't going past us as if we were standing still. I'm convinced there's even more performance to be extracted if only I can get some suitable conditions to experiment with rig tuning and sail trim.
My attention must now, perforce, turn to the IWA Waterways Festival. I've got to sort out the camping arrangements for my team, get all the kit organised and on site and so on and it's only 3 weeks until we're on site - eek! So it's going to be about five weeks before I can turn my attention back to Brigantia and sailing. Far too long but needs must.
With hindsight, I'm not sure dropping the hook to wait out the tide on Saturday morning was the best plan. We should have either left Fambridge at first light to catch the tide further down the Whitaker or slogged it out with the foul tide making the best progress we could - by the time we got going again we'd lost momentum and the better part of the day.
That aside, I made a mistake going up the North side of the Whitaker. I should have either kept as close to the Foulness sands as possible or perhaps better still nipped across the Rays'n where we'd have been in the lee of the Buxey with the whole width of the Blackwater to leeward. A lesson noted for the future.
Another lesson worth noting is that if at all possible we'd be best served by avoiding wind over tide in the Whitaker. The conditions were nowhere near as lumpy as the last time out in the channel but it wasn't comfortable for either of us - it was grin and bear it conditions rather than yippee stuff - and Brigantia, being fairly lightweight, doesn't go her best in a steep chop.
My other big mistake was not ensuring we had maxed out the fuel reserves before departure. Maybe its a bit paranoid but I'm not happy unless we've got sufficient petrol on board to make it back from wherever we're going within the time available to us.
On the positive side, Jane seemed more at home on the boat this trip and even rose to the challenge of steering under power with a smile on her face. There were some very positive comments forthcoming about possible future plans, both short and long term and even some sensible suggestions about the engine problems (the sort of thing Jane would usually be totally disinterested in).
What little sailing we managed to get in on the Saturday demonstrated once again that she's no slouch. Although we were undoubtedly the slowest boat out there we were not comparing like with like and whilst we were being overtaken by bigger, newer boats they weren't going past us as if we were standing still. I'm convinced there's even more performance to be extracted if only I can get some suitable conditions to experiment with rig tuning and sail trim.
My attention must now, perforce, turn to the IWA Waterways Festival. I've got to sort out the camping arrangements for my team, get all the kit organised and on site and so on and it's only 3 weeks until we're on site - eek! So it's going to be about five weeks before I can turn my attention back to Brigantia and sailing. Far too long but needs must.
Photo catchup
Now I've retrieved the camera off the boat, I've added some photos of the maintenance weekend to the photo album. They're at 2011 June Maintenance Weekend
Monday 4 July 2011
July Long Weekend - Monday
Another lie in! It was gone seven before I awoke to another bright day. After breakfast it was time to get serious with the engine. The problem must,I reckoned, be fuel related so it was time to strip down the carb and have a look.
Off with the covers again, I started stripping down the attachments to remove the carb. Once off, it was a case of carefully removing the float bowl and then the jet and needle valve turn, cleaning them and putting them back exactly as before.
I found a very small fine thread like obstruction in the jet and similar bits in the bottom of the float bowl along with tiny flakes of what looked like blue paint. The same dirt was present in the fuel filter
With everything thoroughly cleaned and reassembled, I fired her up and ran her at various throttle settings for half an hour or so. She seemed to be idling much better than she ever has before and she didn't cut out once.
We won't know whether this is the end of the problem for certain until we've been out on a long run at medium to high throttle settings but I'm hopeful!
By now it was late morning and coming back from the loo Jane noticed somebody had stolen our space on the tender dock. You'd think the oar bag tied to the rail would be sufficient hint but no. The dock is chock full of tenders with more people wanting to store a dinghy there than there is space so I suppose it's not surprising. Nothing for it, we'll just have to leave the thing afloat tied to the pontoon and bale it out every time we want to use it.
I found a very small fine thread like obstruction in the jet and similar bits in the bottom of the float bowl along with tiny flakes of what looked like blue paint. The same dirt was present in the fuel filter
With everything thoroughly cleaned and reassembled, I fired her up and ran her at various throttle settings for half an hour or so. She seemed to be idling much better than she ever has before and she didn't cut out once.
We won't know whether this is the end of the problem for certain until we've been out on a long run at medium to high throttle settings but I'm hopeful!
By now it was late morning and coming back from the loo Jane noticed somebody had stolen our space on the tender dock. You'd think the oar bag tied to the rail would be sufficient hint but no. The dock is chock full of tenders with more people wanting to store a dinghy there than there is space so I suppose it's not surprising. Nothing for it, we'll just have to leave the thing afloat tied to the pontoon and bale it out every time we want to use it.
That settled the program for the afternoon anyway. I've been meaning to add some cleats for mooring lines and to hang fenders off to the tender so we popped back to the chandlers to spend some more money and I spent the afternoon screwing hardware to the gunnels and failing to put an eye splice in a length of 6mm 3 strand. I need to practice splicing so for now a bowline will suffice.
As the afternoon headed into the early evening, we started off loading kit into the car. On the first run with the trolley I fell into conversation with Toby, who runs the swinging moorings. I casually mentioned the tender storage issue in passing, not expecting or anticipating any specific response, and Toby jumped up saying he was going to be having a clear out on the dock on the morrow as some tenders on there haven't been used in years. Pointing to the nearest spot to the ramp onto the dock from the shore pier he said "What about there, I'll shift that and you can have that spot". Perfect for us as we usually row up and down the inside of the pontoon anyway so it's the nearest space to where we launch and recover the dinghy - result!
It seemed a bit churlish to me before but now I'm definitely going to put a name board on our space on the dock. With that sorted, we finished off-loading and motored back down to our buoy where Jane made a first time pick up. Nice one, she's really starting to get the hang of things now. We rowed back to the pontoon and stowed the tender in her new home before leaving at just about bang on half past eight. The drive home took a shade over two hours, justifying the late departure to miss the traffic and so ended this trip to the boat.
Sunday 3 July 2011
July Long Weekend - Sunday
It's a late start, by my standards and it's 08:00 before I get the kettle on, roll breakfast and stagger on deck to bring in the anchor light and shorten the anchor rode to a more sensible 15m now that the tide is well on its way out.
The forecast is promising and I'm not waiting for a fair tide this morning. However, the fuel situation is a nagging worry in the back of my mind. We'd like to head up to the Walton Backwaters, somewhere I've always wanted to go, but we've got to be back at Fambridge tomorrow night or very early on Tuesday without fail and I'm not convinced we have enough petrol to motor all the way back if the wind fails or is dead in our teeth.
So we decide to pop up to Essex Marina where the sign says petrol is available and top up the tank and spare can before heading out. No point messing about with the sails, so it's on with the engine, up anchor and underway at 08:40.
Approaching the marina we met the Marie Louisa outbound downriver. I can't find any information on her but since she's still carrying all the relevant wording on her sides and cabin I assume she's still the Sheerness range safety vessel even though she seemed to have a charter party on board!
Baltic Wharf was devoid of shipping when we came downriver yesterday, I'd seen one ship head upriver whilst we were sorting out after anchoring in the Bankfleet last night but when the other had snuck in I've no idea!
Given the trouble yesterday morning with the engine, I throttled back in mid-river to see what she was going to to today. Sure enough, she started to hunt and die.
After several restarts and further attempts to get her to run at low revs as we drifted gently up the middle of the river, we had a crew conference and decided to head back up to home base to try and sort things out. The embarrassment potential of an engine that can't be relied upon for maneouvering is too high.#
On the next restart, it was full speed ahead upriver.
Jane took the helm for a while under power and with the spray hood down so she can actually see ahead she did fine. At one point, on nearly full throttle, we were making 7.1kts over the ground albeit with a fair bit of tidal assistance!
Approaching the moorings, I once again throttled down early and sure enough the engine died. There was a gentle South Westerly breeze so I quickly unfurled about half the genoa and ghosted up towards the pontoon aiming to sneak onto the inside under sail. I reckon it would have been do-able but the wind died at just the wrong moment leaving us out of control and heading for the boat tied to the end of the pontoon.
Luckily, the tide was not running strongly and I had just enough steerage way to aim the bow at the end of the pontoon. As we bounced off it, doing no damage fortunately, Jane stepped off and got the bow line round a cleat.
I quickly got some fenders out on our Port side as the tide carried us around the end of the pontoon to lie against Ian the ferryman's boat. Phew, calamity averted by some quick thinking, fast work by Jane and a big slice of luck.
The boat ahead was just about to depart so when they headed off we walked Brigantia forward and secured alongside at 11:35, pleased to get back without anything serious to worry about.
After a bit of a breather, it was off with the engine cover and check the plugs. No problems there, that's got to be the best looking set of plugs I've ever pulled from a 2-stroke engine. She's definitely not fouling. We popped down to Burnham by car to check out Marinestore at BYH. Bought Jane a hat for her birthday and bought Brigantia a flag staff and 3/4 yard sewn ensign. I got nuffin! Next port of call was Asda in South Woodham to fill up the fuel cans - just squeezed 20 litres into the tank and jerry can meaning we had about 12 or 13 litres left after this mornings run upriver.
Back on board, I decided that it would be anti-social working on the engine when so many people were enjoying the Sunday afternoon sunshine so I pottered around doing odd jobs here and there whilst Jane tidied up below decks (a job that seemed, for reasons I don't understand, to involve a lot of sitting down with a magazine in hand). Later, we headed for the showers before a meal and a drink in the Ferry Boat to celebrate Janes birthday. For the next six weeks I'm officially her toy-boy until I catch up again!
Neither of us was in the mood for a late night so it was still just about light when we walked back to the boat and hit the sleeping bags for an early night.
The forecast is promising and I'm not waiting for a fair tide this morning. However, the fuel situation is a nagging worry in the back of my mind. We'd like to head up to the Walton Backwaters, somewhere I've always wanted to go, but we've got to be back at Fambridge tomorrow night or very early on Tuesday without fail and I'm not convinced we have enough petrol to motor all the way back if the wind fails or is dead in our teeth.
So we decide to pop up to Essex Marina where the sign says petrol is available and top up the tank and spare can before heading out. No point messing about with the sails, so it's on with the engine, up anchor and underway at 08:40.
Baltic Wharf was devoid of shipping when we came downriver yesterday, I'd seen one ship head upriver whilst we were sorting out after anchoring in the Bankfleet last night but when the other had snuck in I've no idea!
Given the trouble yesterday morning with the engine, I throttled back in mid-river to see what she was going to to today. Sure enough, she started to hunt and die.
After several restarts and further attempts to get her to run at low revs as we drifted gently up the middle of the river, we had a crew conference and decided to head back up to home base to try and sort things out. The embarrassment potential of an engine that can't be relied upon for maneouvering is too high.#
On the next restart, it was full speed ahead upriver.
Approaching the moorings, I once again throttled down early and sure enough the engine died. There was a gentle South Westerly breeze so I quickly unfurled about half the genoa and ghosted up towards the pontoon aiming to sneak onto the inside under sail. I reckon it would have been do-able but the wind died at just the wrong moment leaving us out of control and heading for the boat tied to the end of the pontoon.
Luckily, the tide was not running strongly and I had just enough steerage way to aim the bow at the end of the pontoon. As we bounced off it, doing no damage fortunately, Jane stepped off and got the bow line round a cleat.
I quickly got some fenders out on our Port side as the tide carried us around the end of the pontoon to lie against Ian the ferryman's boat. Phew, calamity averted by some quick thinking, fast work by Jane and a big slice of luck.
The boat ahead was just about to depart so when they headed off we walked Brigantia forward and secured alongside at 11:35, pleased to get back without anything serious to worry about.
Back on board, I decided that it would be anti-social working on the engine when so many people were enjoying the Sunday afternoon sunshine so I pottered around doing odd jobs here and there whilst Jane tidied up below decks (a job that seemed, for reasons I don't understand, to involve a lot of sitting down with a magazine in hand). Later, we headed for the showers before a meal and a drink in the Ferry Boat to celebrate Janes birthday. For the next six weeks I'm officially her toy-boy until I catch up again!
Neither of us was in the mood for a late night so it was still just about light when we walked back to the boat and hit the sleeping bags for an early night.
Saturday 2 July 2011
July Long Weekend - Saturday
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| Dawn at Fambridge Yacht Station |
There's barely a breath of wind though and the tides are not ideal. We get away sharpish just before six to catch the last of the ebb downriver and anchor in the Brankfleet at quarter to eight to wait out the flood tide.
The outboard reverts to its tricks again coming in to anchor, cutting out as soon as its throttled back. The thought occurs to both of us that it seems to happen when the main tank is less than full so we top it up from the reserve jerry can.
I'm annoyed with myself as I've overlooked the fact that we didn't top off the tanks after our last trip so we now have a not quite brimming main tank and no reserve. Oh well, it's still enough for 9 or 10 hours motoring.
By gone Eleven I reckon the flood should have eased enough to make progress so it's on with the engine, up anchor and away back into the Crouch heading out to sea. An hour later, the engine is off and we're sailing making 2 knots over the ground in a half decent South Easterly breeze.
Although we're making progress, especially once the tide turns, it's slow going and as the breeze picks up and the ebb gets into it's stride the old wind over tide thing kicks in and the chop builds. We can't quite fetch our course close hauled on the Starboard tack and have to tack back across the channel once in a while losing precious ground every time. Jane is tired, I'm tired, it's not much fun and by 15:00 I've had enough and put about to run back into the Crouch.
After hoisting the ball and stowing the sails, we enjoy a delicious Fray Bentos Steak and Kidney pudding with tinned new potatoes and peas. Top nosh! Later once the tide has turned, I let out another 15m of anchor rode - it's a high tide in the early hours and I don't want to drag the anchor and crash into the half a dozen yachts close upstream of us - and light the hurricane lamp and hoist it.
I wake briefly when the alarm goes off just before high water at 02:10, look out of the window and decide everything looks fine and go back to sleep. Might not be a proper anchor watch but what the hell, it's been a tiring time at work recently and I'm catching up on some much needed zzz's.
Friday 1 July 2011
July Long Weekend - Friday
Neither of us have to be back at work until Tuesday night so Jane and I are off for a long weekend on board. Slept a bit later than I intended so we didn't get away from home until nearly 4:00pm which would put us on the Huntingdon - Cambridge A14 bottleneck at peak time for a 15 mile traffic jam. Hmmm! Decided to take the old pre-A14 route to the East and pick up the B645 at Rushden, the old A45 as was. It worked since despite two stops for coffee the journey took a tads over two and a half hours which is way better than previous Friday afternoon trips.
Dug the tender out of the tender dock, hells bells it's a nuisance maneuvering it between the other tenders stood on it's end to where there's enough space to lay it down, and I rowed down to bring Brigantia up to the pontoon while Jane waited to catch a line. Sort out the kit, a bite to eat and Jane retired whilst I went for a couple of pints at the Ferry Boat which went down well as did the chat with some of the other boat owners - I'm starting to get to know people which is great. One day I might even manage to remember some names!
Forecast is decent for the morrow although the tides could be better. Plan is to head downriver first thing and see what the day brings us - we'd like to get out and put some miles under the keels but we're not making any firm decisions in advance.
Dug the tender out of the tender dock, hells bells it's a nuisance maneuvering it between the other tenders stood on it's end to where there's enough space to lay it down, and I rowed down to bring Brigantia up to the pontoon while Jane waited to catch a line. Sort out the kit, a bite to eat and Jane retired whilst I went for a couple of pints at the Ferry Boat which went down well as did the chat with some of the other boat owners - I'm starting to get to know people which is great. One day I might even manage to remember some names!
Forecast is decent for the morrow although the tides could be better. Plan is to head downriver first thing and see what the day brings us - we'd like to get out and put some miles under the keels but we're not making any firm decisions in advance.