Linuxlore » Sailing

Whoops we’re aground!

Paul Tansom — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 23:51:00 +0000

Well yesterday was intended to be a trip to the boat for a check of the engine and a quick run down harbour and back to check everything was ready fot coming ashore next weekend. Things didn’t go according to plan though!

The club has just purchased its own lifting gear and tractor to manage launch and lift out each year, and this year is going to be the first time it has been used. When we got down to the club we found that the tractor drivers were having a bit of practice with the new equipment and bringing a couple of boats ashore early (since the weather was reasonably good). On the way down the slip we were asked whether we would like to come ashore too. Well why not be a guinea pig?!

So Dad dropped me off on Happy Mouse (the computing reference is purely coincidence, she was named and registered before I got her) and headed across to his boat. I checked the engine and after Dad had done the same for Pimpernel he headed back and we dropped the mooring to head down and see what was happening (things were a little fluid in terms of whether we were actually coming ashore or not, and communication was vague). There appeared to be the odd person around on the slip and the lifting gear was sitting there so we decided to try the radio. Well we didn’t have one on board since Happy Mouse was clear of gear, so I pulled alongside Pimpernel on her mooring and Dad jumped ship.

OK, so we were going ashore. This meant I had to pick up Pimpernel’s mooring and secure to the second strop, jump ship and then we could drop the mooring on Pimpernel. All went smoothly (thankfully) and I was at the helm of a 26ft Kingfisher instead of a Kingfisher 20 Plus (we’re not biased towards Kingfishers at all!). We were at the top of a spring tide so wind was all I had to worry about and we were soon in the docking arms, although the strop did catch on the keels a few times, so we had to adjust a few times before we were secure.

Once in the compound there was a bit of adjustment to another boat before Pimpernel could be put in place, so Dad had time to rush home and get the chocks for under the keels, while I thumbed a lift out to Happy Mouse to lock up and rescue the tender. So that just leaves one to do next weekend – fingers crossed for nice weather again!

Ouch!

Paul Tansom — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 23:56:00 +0000

Last year while I was working on the sailing club work party to get the compound ready for the cruisers to lay-up ashore somebodies rudder managed to separate into two pieces as I was carrying it. Unfortunately the steel toe capped boots that I had been wearing had seriously leaky soles to them, and since it was raining and there were plenty of puddles around I had decided to swap them for my sailing boots in the interest of keeping my feet dry. Even more unfortunately my big toe was in the exact spot the heavy bit of the rudder had chosen to land.

Now, about a year on and the black area of my nail has just about gone, so in commemoration of the event I decided that it would be fitting to shut my thumb in the car door (OK, I didn’t decide, it just happened while I wasn’t concentrating!). Hopefully it won’t be another year before the black bit in my thumb goes. So long as I can tie up my shoe laces more easily pretty soon I will be happy – for now all I can say is ‘ouch’!

Basking seals in Langstone

Paul Tansom — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 22:51:00 +0000

It’s been a long while since I’ve managed to do any decent sailing, and a quick jaunt down harbour and back doesn’t constitute a major outing, but yesterdays did have its compensations. About half way down the channel between Tudor and Salterns I noticed the telltale signs of seals basking on the mudbank on the Farlington Marshes side of the channel. I did do a double take, because although I have seen seal heads in the water and heard of seals in the area I have only seen them in this manner up on the Isle of Mull and on the Moray Firth. The shape, though, is quite distinctive once you’ve tuned into it – much like the sight of dolphins swimming becomes something you pattern match automatically once you’ve done it a few times Anyway, these three looked like parents and a juvenile, and stayed there basking in their ‘banana bow’ position while we punched the tide past them and down past Sword Point. As we got further way they could easily have been mistaken for six large gulls since the tide covered the lower middle section of them leaving just the head and tail sticking out at each end.

So not only nice to be out on the water, but a pleasant surprise in the wildlife watching department too