£352 to get her lifted out for the weekend :-o
I hate spending money on passing intangibles, that's serious toy buying dosh down the drain!
Oh well, on the up side it pretty much guarantees that we can get the work done rather than risk yet another cancellation due to horrible weather
She comes out a week next Thursday round at the marina (I didn't bother to ask why she couldn't come out at the moorings - it doesn't make a great deal of difference) and goes back in on the Monday - I want to be around when she's relaunched as we hope to get the new skin fitting for the log impeller sorted out and that will need watching for leaks when she goes back in
Friday 27 April 2012
Thursday 26 April 2012
Freakin' bl**dy weather :(
Well, this weekend we're supposed to be drying out on the hard and scrubbing the bottom, setting up the rig and sorting out the mast electrics
And it ain't gonna happen
High winds, severe gales even, forecast all weekend in the Thames area
It just isn't worth wasting the time and money driving down there only to get next to nothing done (again)
There's only one solution. It's a bit drastic and it's going to cost me a packet but tomorrow I shall phone the yard and arrange to have her craned out sometime in the next fortnight. We've got a long weekend planned in two weeks time and with her on the bank the weather will then largely be irrelevant
With me, Jane and hopefully Rik all there for three or four days we should hopefully be able to finish all the jobs on the pre-season to do list that we haven't been able to tackle to date
Never again will she stay in the water over the winter, it just isn't worth it (I have a cunning plan - by next winter I think we'll break the bank and buy a trailer for her. It'll effectively pay for itself within a few years on saved crane out costs plus allow us to bring her home for a major refit etc. But more of that another day)
And it ain't gonna happen
High winds, severe gales even, forecast all weekend in the Thames area
It just isn't worth wasting the time and money driving down there only to get next to nothing done (again)
There's only one solution. It's a bit drastic and it's going to cost me a packet but tomorrow I shall phone the yard and arrange to have her craned out sometime in the next fortnight. We've got a long weekend planned in two weeks time and with her on the bank the weather will then largely be irrelevant
With me, Jane and hopefully Rik all there for three or four days we should hopefully be able to finish all the jobs on the pre-season to do list that we haven't been able to tackle to date
Never again will she stay in the water over the winter, it just isn't worth it (I have a cunning plan - by next winter I think we'll break the bank and buy a trailer for her. It'll effectively pay for itself within a few years on saved crane out costs plus allow us to bring her home for a major refit etc. But more of that another day)
Wednesday 18 April 2012
Flogging a dead horse
Well, 8 horses in fact. And not actually dead as such, just a bit poorly. Ok, maybe I'm stretching this metaphor a bit far.
I have, in fact, sold the old tired outboard to a chap off the YBW forums for a knock down price of £50. Would have been nice to get a bit more for it but fifty squids in the bank trumps having a rusty lump of decaying metal cluttering up the shed :-)
Its already paid for, he's collecting it in the next couple of days. That's one less item on the to do list.
Monday 16 April 2012
ECF weekend photos
I've uploaded a handful of photos grabbed with my phone over the weekend to the Brigantia photo album at https://picasaweb.google.com/114454771010068046353/ECFWeekendApr2012#
Sunday 15 April 2012
Fitting Up Supper
The purpose of the trip to Shotley was to attend the East Coast Forum Fitting Up Supper
But before that, I had a whole day to idle away in Shotley which looked like being a bit of a tedious excercise. However, by the time breakfast (courtesy of Sheila on Sabre once again) had been dealt with, a visit to Phoenix of Hamble (a yacht I would covet if it wasn't for the acres of varnishing that needs doing!) had been made and a wander round the HMS Ganges musuem had been completed the day was well advanced and it was time for a wash and brush up before heading up to the pub
The evening was very enjoyable with great company, good food and good beer. Retired at a sensible hour to Habebty for the night courtesy of Pete with whom I had a pleasant chat before hitting the sack.
Sunday morning came along in the usual way of things and once again breakfast was supplied by Sabre, cooked by Rog this time. Just wish it was feasible to return all this wonderful hospitality on Brigantia but it isn't really practical!
Got under way and locked out of Shotley marina about noon just as planned. A brisk 16 to 20 knot breeze made things quite lively even with two reefs in the main, which Rog had cunningly put in before we left the marina. Heading from Harwich towards Walton pier, the wind was ruthlessly from astern and it was a bit rolly polly until we could bear away and get the wind over the quarter.
From then on until we got into the outer reaches of the Blackwater it was champagne sailing ... albeit without the champagne and with a bloody chilly breeze! The wind came round more and more until, as we headed across the Colne bar (taking a short cut made possible by the neap tide) we were on a close reach and nicely in the groove.
We were hit by a couple of squalls gusting well over 20 knots which had us well heeled and cracking along at over 8 knots although the face full of hailstones was something I could have done without ... not to mention the rather blue colour of my finger tips!
Arriving back in Bradwell and with Sabre back in her berth, a final coffee warmed me up a bit before I said my goodbyes to my wonderful hosts and hit the road back towards home with the car heater on full blast!
But before that, I had a whole day to idle away in Shotley which looked like being a bit of a tedious excercise. However, by the time breakfast (courtesy of Sheila on Sabre once again) had been dealt with, a visit to Phoenix of Hamble (a yacht I would covet if it wasn't for the acres of varnishing that needs doing!) had been made and a wander round the HMS Ganges musuem had been completed the day was well advanced and it was time for a wash and brush up before heading up to the pub
The evening was very enjoyable with great company, good food and good beer. Retired at a sensible hour to Habebty for the night courtesy of Pete with whom I had a pleasant chat before hitting the sack.
Sunday morning came along in the usual way of things and once again breakfast was supplied by Sabre, cooked by Rog this time. Just wish it was feasible to return all this wonderful hospitality on Brigantia but it isn't really practical!
Got under way and locked out of Shotley marina about noon just as planned. A brisk 16 to 20 knot breeze made things quite lively even with two reefs in the main, which Rog had cunningly put in before we left the marina. Heading from Harwich towards Walton pier, the wind was ruthlessly from astern and it was a bit rolly polly until we could bear away and get the wind over the quarter.
From then on until we got into the outer reaches of the Blackwater it was champagne sailing ... albeit without the champagne and with a bloody chilly breeze! The wind came round more and more until, as we headed across the Colne bar (taking a short cut made possible by the neap tide) we were on a close reach and nicely in the groove.
We were hit by a couple of squalls gusting well over 20 knots which had us well heeled and cracking along at over 8 knots although the face full of hailstones was something I could have done without ... not to mention the rather blue colour of my finger tips!
Arriving back in Bradwell and with Sabre back in her berth, a final coffee warmed me up a bit before I said my goodbyes to my wonderful hosts and hit the road back towards home with the car heater on full blast!
Saturday 14 April 2012
My first time
Sailing at night!
Brigantia still being several sessions short of being ready for the season, I grabbed at the opportunity to crew on a Moody 31 "Sabre" from Bradwell to Shotley this afternoon
Leaving Bradwell shy of five, we motored through the evening gloom with the wind heading us until we got North of Walton pier when we finally got just enough wind angle to shut off the engine and proceed on sail alone
Along the way, and despite the gas bottle running out at the worst possible moment, Sheila served up a welcome repast of garlic bread followed by home made smoked fish pie. It was delicious. It was just what the doctor ordered. It didn't hang around long!
Approaching Harwich in the dark was an interesting exercise to say the least but with more than a little judicious prompting from skipper Rog I felt reasonably confident on the helm. The navigation marks were nowhere near as hard to make out as I'd anticipated and we made steady progress along the edge of the shipping lane until the wind dropped and it was time to start the engine again
Roger called up Shotley Marina on the VHF and arranged our locking in and berth and then, to my relief if I'm being honest, took over on the helm for the final approach.
After locking up into the Marina and making fast, we partook of the hospitality of Steve and Heather on Mystique with red wine and nibbles being much to my liking :-)
Finally retired somewhat after midnight in the aft cabin of Sabre after a really good day
Brigantia still being several sessions short of being ready for the season, I grabbed at the opportunity to crew on a Moody 31 "Sabre" from Bradwell to Shotley this afternoon
Leaving Bradwell shy of five, we motored through the evening gloom with the wind heading us until we got North of Walton pier when we finally got just enough wind angle to shut off the engine and proceed on sail alone
Along the way, and despite the gas bottle running out at the worst possible moment, Sheila served up a welcome repast of garlic bread followed by home made smoked fish pie. It was delicious. It was just what the doctor ordered. It didn't hang around long!
Approaching Harwich in the dark was an interesting exercise to say the least but with more than a little judicious prompting from skipper Rog I felt reasonably confident on the helm. The navigation marks were nowhere near as hard to make out as I'd anticipated and we made steady progress along the edge of the shipping lane until the wind dropped and it was time to start the engine again
Roger called up Shotley Marina on the VHF and arranged our locking in and berth and then, to my relief if I'm being honest, took over on the helm for the final approach.
After locking up into the Marina and making fast, we partook of the hospitality of Steve and Heather on Mystique with red wine and nibbles being much to my liking :-)
Finally retired somewhat after midnight in the aft cabin of Sabre after a really good day