That's all folks!

That's all the sailing for this year anyway.

It's that time of year again, cold, wet and either dark on the way out or on the way back in again. That, plus my health problems have forced the decision. No more until the weather picks up next year.
I'm supposed to be doing this for relaxation.....

I've been to the boat and taken the sail off, it needs a few repairs, and these are much easier at home than on the boat in winter!

Sometime in the next few weeks I'm going to try and stick the VHF antenna up the top of the mast, it's been OK on the pushpit but any extra height will improve the range.

Not sure what to do about the self-steering. Being wooden, it needs work on a regular basis to keep the weather out. I've not used it much at all this year. I'd like an electric autohelm, but the cash isn't available, so it'll probably get a bit of TLC as well.

I've tweaked the mounting for the wind generator, it's a little more solid now but I still need to clamp the main upright to the pushpit rail. I'm going to get some stainless steel bar and make a couple of custom "U" bolts for the job.
The galvanised "U" bolts I'm using on the support struts will be swapped for stainless in a couple of weeks.

I've taken the upholstery back home, plans are to re-cover it, maybe make some cushions for the cockpit. Also on the inside, the cabin walls are to be covered with some thin carpet, which should make things a bit more cosy.

So, no sailing, but plenty to do!

Most problems in one trip?

Nothing much has been going on lately, my health problems have taken over for a while. At least I managed a long trip this year during the summer and I'm only missing out on the winter sailing.
I dropped in on the boat, just to check things were OK, a couple of weeks ago. Nothing else has happened concerning sailing between that day and the Saltfleet BBQ.
I'd managed to get hold of some stainless steel tubing to use as struts for my wind generator which was still sitting in the shed. My son works in the building trade and told me they use 15mm stainless tube for gas installations, I ended up with two 3m lengths for free!
I cut and made the ends to fit, then the plan was to chuck the lot into the car, drive to Saltfleet and fit it.
Things have a tendency to change.....

I dropped in on my daughter on the way, my 4 year old Grandson, Gregory, heard where I was going and decided to join us!

The fitting went fairly easily, apart from dropping one length of tube into the water. The end was just sticking out and I managed to grab it by hanging over the stern.
The Rutland generator was bolted on the pole, the struts fitted and the rear locker lids just cleared them, only just!

Gregory then wanted to have a ride down the river. That's when things started to go wrong! (apart from dropping bits in the river!)

The tide was still rising, but Grandson was impatient, so I slipped the mooring ropes off a little early. The wind was blowing from the near bank and turned the boat through 90 degrees, but a bit of pushing and pulling got the nose round a bit further, not far enough, but further....

I tried pushing the nose into the opposite bank, hoping the engine would push the stern round. It did, but with the wind "helping" I ended up pinned against the opposite bank. The tide was still rising, so at least I wouldn't get stuck there!
Eventually, after a bit of "forward and reverse" on the engine we shot off the bank backwards - straight towards the club Commodore's boat. I stuck the engine in forward, nothing happened, I got a screaming engine and was still heading for the boat. I cut the engine as I thought it was stuck in reverse and fended off as best I could, the only damage being to my self-steering. That can be sorted easily over the winter.

So, engine restarted, gears seemed to work fine....

We headed off down the river, just to the slipway and back. I stopped for a chat with the Commodore just before the slip, the engine stopping and restarting fine.
As he got in his car and drove away I began to turn the boat to head back to the mooring, that's when I found I'd got no drive!
The engine was running fine, but I'd got no propulsion, forward or reverse.
The big oar was pulled out of the cabin and I paddled it to the visitor's mooring, another member grabbed my rope and helped pull me in.
It only took ten minutes to lift the engine out of the well, where it was soon clear that the shear pin had broken, that's what it's there for I suppose!
It must have been when I was trying to get off the mud a few minutes earlier. There are old mooring chains buried in the banks, amongst other debris....
The more worrying thing was to find that the plastic nut which holds the propeller on was loose, the cotter pin which should prevent it coming off was missing! Could easily have ended up losing the prop.

I had spare shear pin and cotters, so the repair took a couple of minutes.

Coming back onto the mooring Gregory seemed a bit worried I was going to hit the Commodore's boat again, as he was  telling me to stop well before we got to the mooring!

The "spares department" on the boat will also contain a prop and nut in future! 

Rolling at anchor

It's a problem I've suffered from more than once, I'd guess anyone using the anchor has had the same. At best it's uncomfortable, at worst it's throwing things off the worktops in the boat and making me feel sick!

In the venerable tome "Cruising under sail" an answer is described, the "Flopper stopper" as it's called in other places....
A triangular piece of wood, weighted to make it sink and at one corner to make it sink faster! Suspended from the end of a boom out abeam of the boat, the idea is that the weight allows it to dive as it's lowered, but it pulls tight as it's pulled back up with the rolling of the boat. The theory is that it dampens the roll...

I've often heard (from experienced sailors) about nights spent rolling uncomfortably at anchor, and have wondered why the flopper stopper has never been mentioned. Gone out of fashion? Been forgotten? Doesn't work?

I've decided to give it a try. I've knocked one together from some scrap plywood and brass I had lying in the shed.

I'll let you know if it makes a difference.

Just a pic.

Taken by Charles on the trip back from the Skegness YC BBQ.  I thought it merited it's own post.

Another BBQ!

This is a very different post to my last one, another BBQ, but no sailing. This is just a quickie to record the Saltfleet Haven Boat Club BBQ 2011.

As it's my club, I didn't need to sail, just turn up and eat!

I got a few pics of the visiting boats arriving, Alex came on "Runic" from the Skegness Yacht Club and "Will O Wisp" came from Fosdyke marina. "Floozy" was already there, having sailed from Wainfleet the previous day.

The moorings had never looked so busy, boats actually rafted up!

The night went well, the food and entertainment was plentiful, and some new friends made.

I'm already feeling like I want to sail again. Nothing too strenuous, but I really do enjoy being on the water.

Yuan Hang translation.

I got no response from my appeal here for a translation of "Yuan Hang", so I asked at the Chinese forum at   http://www.chinese-tools.com/forum

Their answer was "Sailing far away", pretty close to what I'd found myself. So there it is!

Just to brighten things up, this is a pic of me on the way upriver after the excitement of the return from the Skegness BQQ.

Skegness Yacht Club BBQ and giving up sailing....

I've left off writing up this trip for almost a week. I know I'm usually a bit slow updating the blog, but this time there's been a reason.
If I'd written it last Saturday evening, while at the BBQ, I'd have been writing a very different story.
And probably putting the boat up for sale.....

I've mentioned my health problems briefly, I suffer from Psoriatic Arthritis. Recently it's been getting worse. After the Tyne trip I was exhausted. This trip almost finished my sailing off altogether.

Feeling rough, it was 50/50 whether I made the BBQ trip, but it was just a short run down to Wainfleet Haven from Saltfleet, 20 - odd miles, in company with 2 boats from my club. The weather forecast was good. In theory it should have been a doddle. So I decided to go.
Three of us spent the night sleeping in the clubhouse, Billy and John would be going on Billy's boat. Tony and Charles would be arriving early and sailing Tony's Seawitch.
After an hour or two of banter, we settled down for the early start, 5am!
John was up early and wouldn't make a move without toast and marmalade. He managed by using the shelf from the oven to hold the bread over the gas ring! I did my best to help him eat....

Billy led the way out of the river, me in the middle, Tony bringing up the rear. A N/E 3/4 giving us an easy but rolly trip down to Ingoldmells where we'd drop anchor to wait for the tide to get into Wainfleet.
It was around 15 miles before the "lunch break" and after about an hour I was aching, badly. After another hour I was cursing every wave that bumped me against the cockpit sides... I really wasn't enjoying it. More than that, I wanted to get off the boat. I'd had enough.
By the time I was halfway to my break I was so tired I kept nodding off, literally dropping off to sleep for a second or two at a time before the bouncing boat woke me.
We all went our separate ways to the anchorage, then met up to drop the hooks. By this time I was so shattered that I just went below and slept.

I was woken by the sound of Billy's shouting, he'd been circling me and trying to rouse me for quite a while!
I called back for him to sail on, saying I'd catch up.

Then I had to get the anchor up. I made my way to the bow before I noticed how hard the tide was running. I tried pulling on the chain, but with what must have been 3 knots of current, I failed miserably to move the boat.
I went back to the cockpit and started the engine, leaving it running just above tickover in gear, then went back to the bow. Even with the help of the engine I had to pull in chain when the bow dropped off the waves, and try to hang on as it rose!
After a while the chain started coming aboard, slowly....
My arms hurt, my back hurt, my hands hurt, but up came the anchor, eventually.

Back in the cockpit I pulled up the sail and knocked off the engine, sat back gasping, and tried to catch my breath. I wanted to go home.

I noticed that we were now four boats, I later found out we'd been joined/passed by "Piper" from the Humber Yawl Club, also on their way to the BBQ.
As we neared the Wainfleet channel entrance I counted another three boats waiting.

When the time came we were led through the tortuous channel, snaking back and forth, boats further back in the queue sometimes being closer to the moorings than the lead boat!
Billy wasn't in the queue, his engine had refused to start, he'd be towed in after we'd cleared the way. Tony was ahead of me until his engine died! With so little room to manoeuvre in the channel I thought it best to leave him to be rescued by the club launch. Soon after I'd passed him his engine started.

That was when I'd started to feel smug, having the only Saltfleet boat without engine trouble (for once!). Karma then bit me in the ass and I ran aground.....
Being stuck in an almost direct line between two starboard markers, I assumed I was stuck on the starboard bank. I tried the engine as hard as I dared, nothing moved. I waited a while as the tide was still rising, then tried again - still nothing.
Tony then came towards me and tried to go to the port side of me, as he assumed that's where the channel was. He ran aground.

I once saw a poster hanging inside the McLaren F1 factory, it simply said "Assume nothing".
I stuck the engine in reverse and backed straight out into the channel. I'd been on the port side of it despite what the marks were telling me!

I chugged on up to the moorings, a few of the Skeggy club were on the bank and told me where to go. I went past the slipway and turned the boat round in the time-honoured local way - turn hard and head for the bank, the nose gently hits the bank and the stern swings round.
I had a bit of help tying up from the locals and sat down for a much-needed rest.

I'd been warned that the bank sloped steeply, and I'd be better off if I let the boat sit six feet or so  from the mooring. Ropes rearranged, I headed off to the clubhouse for food.
It must have been all of 200 metres, but felt like a mile. My legs and back hurt and I felt very tired. Not really in the party mood....
The BBQ was extremely well organised, lots of food, drink and seats. I settled for a seat.
I noticed Steve and his son Michael, who had lent me the engine in Bridlington, so had a chat and swapped notes on old engines! He insisted on buying me a beer, I didn't try too hard to stop him.

Not feeling like eating, I took my pint for a walk. The others from Saltfleet hadn't arrived yet, so I went a slow walk down to the moorings to see where they were. I found the boats, but nobody aboard, must have missed them somewhere. I carried on past the Wainfleet visitor centre ( It's a wildlife/birdwatching hotspot), stopping to rest every now and again, as I made my way back to the BBQ.

Back there I treated myself to a plate of food which I struggled to eat. I'd only had John's toast since waking, so knew I had to get it inside me!
A great night was had by most, I sat feeling miserable, contemplating sailing back to Saltfleet in the morning. It didn't appeal.
I did win a bottle of wine on the raffle, so the night wasn't a complete failure!

I headed back to the boat early, probably 10.30pm, to find another problem.
The tide had gone out leaving my boat leaning away from the mooring, too far away even for the short ladder I'd left on the mooring, expecting to need it. The gap must have been around ten feet.
I thought about sleeping on the grass, but in T-shirt and short trousers it might have been a bit chilly....
I'd noticed a pile of timber on the bank nearby and used three lengths of this to build a bridge to my boat.

Once onboard I found the angle it was at was so severe that I was worried I'd be the final straw which tipped it on it's side!
I slept on the cabin sole.

Waking early, the water was just lapping around the lowest parts of the hull. I got off the boat and took a few pics of the boat and the bridge before re-stacking the timber and waiting for the tide to pick the boat up.

I went a walk down to where the other two Saltfleet boats were and agreed a time we'd be leaving.
Billy offered to let John sail back with me as he knew I wasn't well, I felt a little better and said I'd be fine on my own.
Back onboard the now level boat I had a bite to eat before starting the engine.
I motored down to where Billy and Tony were now leaving, bringing up the rear. That was until Tony's engine failed again...
I hadn't got far past him when it started again.

We all made it through the channel without further trouble from engines or grounding, then pulled up sails and headed north. The plan was to sail all the way to Saltfleet before anchoring to wait for the tide to get in.
The wind was now  2-3 S/E, so pleasant, gentle sailing. The forecast was for it to rise to a 4 or 5 butt still from the S/E.

I still felt tired and sore, but some formation sailing brightened the day and lessened my resolve to sell the boat!

As the wind picked up we put a bit of distance between ourselves and made our way to Saltfleet, finally anchoring at around 12.30. High tide wouldn't be until around 7pm. The wind was now F5 and made it an uncomfortable wait ahead. I slept again, to be woken by being thrown across into the mast. Sticking my head out I could see the waves were now around six feet and the wind around an F6.
On the radio Billy and Tony were talking. Tony had lost his anchor and was now sailing around until we could get into the river. He also had no engine and would have to sail into the river, at least the wind was in the right direction, if a bit on the high side.

After another hour or so Billy said he'd go and check the channel for depth, he has the smallest of the three boats and a lift keel. It was more than a bit worrying to see him being thrown around in the channel. Coming back out he said we needed to leave it a while longer. By now I'd got my anchor up, I'd gone to the bow with a line with a large carabiner attached, I clipped this onto the anchor chain and went back to the cockpit. With the engine on I motored forward and pulled the anchor free, then used the line I'd put on to pull it back into the cockpit.

The plan was for Billy to lead the way in, followed by Tony with no engine, me at the back. This worked until Tony got turned around by an extra-large wave, by the time he'd sorted things out he was behind me.
On the radio he asked Billy if he'd got his keel down, reminding him that he had a draft of 2 feet 3 inches. I quietly pondered my draft, 2 feet 10inches!

Billy led us in, surfing on waves of at least 6 feet, just before I reached the bar I saw Tony behind me being turned sideways again, only briefly as he caught it and straightened it up. As I crossed the bar I touched the bottom, bum clenched, the next wave came and lifted me 6 feet before I touched down again. Another wave and I was in!
Ahead of me the channel turned right to run parallel with the beach, the waves were breaking over the bar. A large one hit Billy's boat, knocking it over at least 45 degrees, sending John across the cockpit. The boat soon popped back up and they carried on. The next big wave hit me, but with more freeboard and a heavier boat all I got was a wet top half.

Once in the river the water flattened out and we made our way up, knowing it wouldn't be too far, but far enough to be safe and comfortable.
I soon touched the bottom, closely followed by Tony, Billy simply pulled his keel up and headed for the moorings.
Tony lifted off before me and left me to wait for the tide. I soon joined the convoy.

Back at the moorings I edged around Tony's stern, there still wasn't enough water for him to get on his berth.
As I neared my mooring I was baffled to see Billy being pulled in by someone on the bank. It turned out that his engine had died just before he crossed the bar on the way in. He'd managed to get the jib rolled out quickly enough to save himself!

After tidying the boat and loading the car we all had a chat. It had been a good day - we'd managed to get away with it! Billy had measured the wind at F7 before we came in!

I explained how I'd felt and said I'd have to be a bit more fit before I'd be sailing again, still quietly thinking about selling the boat....

A week later I'm thinking that, on a nice day, I might enjoy a day on the boat.