A quick round up

Not much to report,  I ventured back to Ciao Bella a week last Sunday.  It was a fairly windless day so ideal for sorting out a few jobs.  I wasn't the only one.. Tim and Dave where busy setting up Jelly Bean, Tim's Prelude, after their launch at Salterns.

A proud Dad (sorry 'Skipper') rows home.

First was the wonky mast.. I spent a bit of time tinkering with the standing rigging so that the mast was at least straight with no funny bends one way or the other. The shrouds all feel like they have similar tension, thats good enough for me.   The Sails then went on, I have decided not to run the jib halyard back to the cockpit this year.  With it being roller furling there is no need.  I have coiled the tail and hung it on a mast cleat.  No doubt it'll cause me some grief in the future which I haven't considered :).   Just by way of celebration this beasty gave me a fly past :), not sure what it is but sounded great.

Shivers down your spine.

The breeze picked up in the afternoon so I took her for a little shake down sail around the harbour.  The breeze soon became a wind, probably top end of a F4, which shone the spotlight on two things... first, I hadn't set up the reefing lines and second, the jib sheets where not fastened correctly at the clew, allowing the Genoa to keep slipping away.

A bit more breeze than I expected for the first sail.

I anchored in the lee of Brownsea, had a brew and put these right before heading back to the mooring. There was another quick visit to Ciao Bella midweek to fit some longer and lighter jib sheets.  All seems dry in the bilges and the solar panels are maintaining the battery at 100%.

Ciao Bella happy on her mooring with rigging adjusted and sails and covers on.

My next trip out was less successful, one of the club members had run over his mooring line and got the tender painter and pick up bouy caught on his keels.  I legged it down there and motored out in my wee tender, it was a little lumpy and uncomfortable.  By the time I'd got there the pianter had chaffed through on the keel and allowed the crew to secure the mooring.  I didn't loiter, just turned and headed back to the pier.  While transferring the outboard from tender to pier a wave knocked me of balance and the engine went for a swim!
I didn't look back just secured the tender and took my bad mood to the club house.  Low tide was at 7pm so I went back then and collected it.  It's a tough little engine, a Tohatsu 2hp 2 stroke.  I hung it on the water bin and gave it a swill down with fresh water, took the float chamber off and cleaned that out.  I took the plug out and gave it a good few pulls on the starter...  Plenty of water splurged out.
I was going to ditch the fuel from the tank but it looked to be uncontaminated, I had closed the tap and vent before taking it off the tender.  After liberally spraying everything with WD40 and refitting the plug and float chamber the engine sprung back to life.  It ran a little poor for a few minutes but soon cleared it's throat and was on song.  Catastrophe averted, I shall make sure it has a lanyard fitted from now on.