Brrrr... First winter sail.

Cold... less enjoyable than summer sailing :D

This weekend I took advantage of my year round mooring situation and took Ciao Bella for our first winter sail.   I took Friday off work and planned to leave Poole around 10:30.  I had a little outboard adjustment to do before setting off so I got down there nice and early.  On my previous potter, the outboard was struggling to go into reverse so I guessed the clamp had slipped on the gear rod.  An easy adjustment, which I had done in 10 minutes.

Looking back at Hengistbury head

After faffing about a bit, I set off at 10:40.   The breeze was enough for a reasonable sail but sadly was coming from the east with just a bit of south in it.  3 hours in and I was still short of Hengisbury Head.  Although maintaining a speed of 3 to 4 knots, I was having to tack so I fired up the outboard to assist.  At a little over tick over the speed was up to 5 knots and the ability to point into wind improved significantly.

The Isle of Wight from Christchurch bay

It dawned on me that the short winter days put pressure on me to press on to Yarmouth.  As 3pm approached and still 7NM from Yarmouth it was time to turn the wick up on the engine.  Visibility wasn't great, it was going to get dark quickly and I was cold.

Hurst Castle

I arrived at Yarmouth at Dusk, stood outside and dropped the sails before entering the harbour.  I had a quick check of the engine controls and 'Bugger'.. I would not go into reverse.  In fact worse than that.. I wouldn't even go into neutral and the lever felt like it was not connected.  So with permanent drive and having to cut the engine to slow the boat, I tentatively entered the harbour. One good thing about this time of year is the amount of space in the harbour. I was able to do a U turn to point back into wind, pick a nice big empty piece of pontoon, aim, kill the engine and drift along side.
After settling up at the office I went in search of supper and was duly obliged at the Bugle Coaching Inn.   A gurt big slab of steak pie and a couple of pints of Timothy Taylor was just what the doctor ordered.

A welcome pint by the fire.

I did have another reason for coming to the island, although just a flimsy excuse to go sailing,  I had bought a second hand VHF and had agreed to collect it here.  It's a cracking bit of kit.   Lowrance Link-2.  It's a water proof DSC hand held with built in GPS and powered by a Lithium Ion battery. 

New VHF

I turned in quite early for a decent nights sleep wrapped up in two sleeping bags, which seemed to keep the worst of the cold out.  

I was up and ready to leave by 0730.  One of the neighbouring had already sailed but I was happy to leave it until daylight.  I hadn't been able to fix the gear selector on the outboard, the clamp which holds the sector shaft together had broken.  I'd have to plan my arrival back at Poole well, but in the meantime I only needed to go forward.

Once out of the harbour I unfurl about two thirds of the genoa and that was enough to whip out of the Solent at over 7 knots.  Even in Christchurch bay Ciao Bella maintained 5 to 6 knots with just the genoa out.  Eventually the speed dropped to 4 knots so I decided to raise the main with a reef in it.  The speed was once again well over 5 knots.  I was making great time and had made it past Hengistbury head by the two hour mark.  The VHF had been fairly quite bar a pan pan for a Yellow Micro plus which had broken down in Langstone harbour.  Then came the Securite from the Coastguard announcing the imminent arrival of a Gale.  Bugger, I was still 2 hours from the harbour entrance and the wind was definitely building as were the waves.  I was having to concentrate hard to stop the rig gybing as the hull skewed on the passing waves.  Have to say, I was glad to turn the corner into the harbour. It was like I'd blinked and woken up in a different day.

The last hurdle to overcome was to make an elegant arrival on my new birth.  I'd been shunted up the marina to free up the deeper birth that I'd been on.  Sadly the new birth was right by the hotel bar and the wind was blowing straight into it.    My plan was to approach as slowly as possible while maintaining steerage and slip a bowline over a pontoon cleat from the winch.  It was a good plan but I didn't get close enough to hook the cleat.  Ciao came to a halt with a jolt but not enough to cause any damage.  She drifted slightly towards the neighbouring boat but a good shove and I got her back against the pontoon.  It wasn't really a bad landing considering being blown in and having no reverse.

So how do I like winter sailing? On the whole the trip felt more of a chore than enjoyment.  The days are too short and too cold for longer trips.  The lack of other vessels made for a pleasant change, both in Poole harbour and the Solent. I think I'll probably stick to short day sails as the opportunity arises.  

A decent pair of gloves and some warm sailing boots are now high on the wishlist.

Remembrance day

I was going to write a little maintenance post today, but as It is remembrance Sunday, I thought I'd share a little about a man who helped ensure that we are free to enjoy our hobby which gives us such a sense of freedom.

Roy as a young man

Hubert Roy Blowers joined the Royal Marines when he was sixteen and served aboard HMS Ajax.  On new years day 1943 at Bone in Algeria, he was manning an Oerlikon gun (20mm cannon) when a Stuka attacked.  It dropped an armour piercing bomb which went through the deck and and exploded two decks down, killing 20 crew members.  Had it been a conventional bomb, it would have been Roy's time.

Oerlikon Gun 

In 1943 he volunteered to join 'Combined operations' and spent a significant time training for operation Overlord.  Roy landed on Gold beach, near Aramanche, on the 6th June 1944 at 06:30, in his landing craft support. A powerful twin engined plywood boat with a crew of 7 and bristling with weapons.  This was rammed as far up the beach as possible,  it's intention to serve as a strong point on the beach and provide cover fire for the troops on the beach....  maybe Plywood was stronger in those days :O

Landing Craft support

Shortly after D-Day, Roy was selected to train on a new vehicle called a Lloyds carrier.  A small armour vehicle designed to follow the retreating Nazi tanks and mop up behind them.  He spent 10 months of intense fighting through France, Belgium, Holland, then across the Rhine into Germany.  He was in Wilhelmshaven when the war in Europe ended.

A loyd carrier

From here he was shipped out to Burma to clear the enemy from the many small islands.  When the Japanese eventually surrendered he made his way back to the uk and was demobbed.  

Roy was my Wifes Uncle and a more genuine, kind man it would be hard to find.  So on this day I shall remember Roy and the deeds that he and his generation did for our freedom.

Roy Blowers 16th July 1925 - 17th Nov 2017

Seven year itch

First things first... where have I been for the last two years.  The answer is right here but I haven't done much sailing.  Last year Ciao Bella remained on my front garden  while I tried to get my priorities sorted out.  I did get away for a week with my friend on his corribee, which was a bit of a chuckle.

Ciao Bella launched mid season

This year I was fortunate enough to get a heavily subsidised mooring through my work, so Ciao Bella now resides on a swinging mooring during the summer and gets a pontoon berth throughout the winter.  Hopefully I will get some great Autumn / winter sails in this year.  Despite this, she was dropped in late in the season, at the end of June and pressed into action the very next day.
Our annual summer cruise had been planned for a while, so I found myself heading East in the company of Lapwing.  We planned to go to Chichester again but fate dealt Lapwing a cruel hand.   Our first stop was In Cowes, We tied up to a visitor pontoon near East Cowes sailing club.  Not the greatest spot as we couldn't find a way out. We had to paddle across the river and and find somewhere to stash the coracles before throwing ourselves on the mercy of the Cowesite publicans.
The next day we set off East again, the wind was fairly none existent as we left the Medina. We drifted for a while then motored.  Eventually a breeze started to fill in and we managed to sail properly. After making good time it looked like we were going to be able to press on to Emsworth.  At Portsmouth harbour the wind, unforecast,  came in fast and furious.  I was hanging on to Ciao Bella and cleared Portsmouth harbour entrance. now in a less busy bit of water, I was able to heavy to and reef.  When I looked back Lapwing was dropping his sails right in the harbour entrance.  The wind had been to much and Lapwings Deck / Hull joint had failed, pulling the deck clean off along a good section of the starboard side.

Mast down at Haslar

We motored into Haslar marina a dropped the mast.  The cruise was effectively over but it didn't mean the fun was over. We took the ferry to Gunwharf Quay in the evening and grabbed some food, in search of something a little more interesting we stumbled into a pub right opposite the Warrior.. a quality night ensued.. Pheonix nights meet Benidorm springs to mind. Karioki night along with the full cast... There was even the obligatory hangbags at dawn scuffle.
The next day we motored back to Lymington, where another club member joined us, then back to Poole the day after.

Lapwing motoring back in company

The momentum slowed again after that and that was just about it for this year.  I only manged to get out for two or three short harbour sails but they were very enjoyable.

Rarely see Poole harbour so empty

Evening sails are much easier with a pontoon

There should be no excuses but having aquired another classic car which needed work and being short staffed at work during our busiest time, it just didn't come together  this year.

The offending car which has sucked away my sailing time

'Comme Ci Comme Ca' as she was seven years ago

Facebook reminded me this morning that I have now owned Ciao Bella for seven years.... Woohoo.
So it would have been rude not go down and say happy Anniversary.

Celebratory anniversary beer

It was F5 gusting F7 so just had a tidy up.. brewed up a cuppa and had some soup.... Who am I kidding.. it calmed down enough to get out for a quick blast around the harbour.
Although reefed, the wind did pick up again and discretion once again became the better part of valour and the motor went on and the sails came down.

So onto the future..  There is no seven year itch, apart from messing with fibreglass.  I have no intention of chopping Ciao Bella in for a more glamorous model. I have couple of projects in mind and also plan to continue sailing through the winter, so hopefully the blog should pick up again.