Thursday, 26 December 2013
Boxing day sailing, or not. 26th December 2013
Sadly, although I had the opportunity to sail today, there was a distinct lack of wind. So, once around the reservoir on foot and home.
Here are some photographs to illustrate the calm conditions;
Footnote: The decision to abandon hope of sailing was justified by the weather record of the day - nothing recorded above 4 knots for most of the afternoon.
Here are some photographs to illustrate the calm conditions;
Footnote: The decision to abandon hope of sailing was justified by the weather record of the day - nothing recorded above 4 knots for most of the afternoon.
Monday, 23 December 2013
Winter sailing
Sad to say, that sailing in the second half of the year has been disappointing.
It is only recently that sailing at my home venue, Cheddar Reservoir, has resumed.
I had been cursing Bristol water for leaving the water level too low for easy launching - or in my case - impossible to launch solo. The muddy finger of the 'hard' was just too soft for my obvious beast of a boat!
Apparently, it was due to an bloom of algae, and the water was deliberatly lowered to try to kill it off.
Can't say I saw anything promulgated to that effect until the temperature dropped and the water level was starting to rise. But, there you go.
So, it has been very frustrating to not be able to get on the water.
The first week I was able to get out on the boat, late November; we had sun, we had water, we had wind. What we didn't have, was a full complement of duty personnel to man the safety boat.
It really isn't good enough for people to not to bother to turn up for duty, or even to let the OOD know.
Having turned up and prepped the boat, I hung around a bit, washed the boat down, and put it away again.
I composed, in my head, a stinging email to the Commodore several times before coming to the conclusion I'd be wasting my time.
The next week was more successful. Not so much wind, but enough to get going. The wind did subside to almost nothing, necessitating a bit of paddling at the end of the day, to get back in.
Next sailing is scheduled for Boxing day - fingers crossed.
It is only recently that sailing at my home venue, Cheddar Reservoir, has resumed.
I had been cursing Bristol water for leaving the water level too low for easy launching - or in my case - impossible to launch solo. The muddy finger of the 'hard' was just too soft for my obvious beast of a boat!
Apparently, it was due to an bloom of algae, and the water was deliberatly lowered to try to kill it off.
Can't say I saw anything promulgated to that effect until the temperature dropped and the water level was starting to rise. But, there you go.
So, it has been very frustrating to not be able to get on the water.
The first week I was able to get out on the boat, late November; we had sun, we had water, we had wind. What we didn't have, was a full complement of duty personnel to man the safety boat.
It really isn't good enough for people to not to bother to turn up for duty, or even to let the OOD know.
Having turned up and prepped the boat, I hung around a bit, washed the boat down, and put it away again.
I composed, in my head, a stinging email to the Commodore several times before coming to the conclusion I'd be wasting my time.
The next week was more successful. Not so much wind, but enough to get going. The wind did subside to almost nothing, necessitating a bit of paddling at the end of the day, to get back in.
Next sailing is scheduled for Boxing day - fingers crossed.
Sunday, 7 April 2013
A momentary lapse of Winter.... 6th April 2013
After, what seems like forever, I finally get to launch in the res'.
It seems a long time since I was last able to sail; work and weather putting paid to launching.
I was blown out, almost literally, over Easter. I had planned to sail on the Saturday and again on the Wednesday - the first weekday sail of the season.
However, just a little too much in the way of wind for me. Well, the gusts really. 18kts, gusting up to 30+. More excitement than I was looking for.
So, as the week progressed, it seemed more and more likely that Saturday would be a goer.
Not a lot of wind forecast and as the day dawned this was pretty much the case. Some rustling in the undergowth evident in the garden was encouraging.
So, I duly arrived at 10:40, scooped the ice out of the bilges and prepped the dinghy for launch.
I've done it quicker, but having not assembled it all for close to two months, it pays to be thorough.
I needed to equalise the air pressure in my mast floats - not the most exciting of tasks but can't be having collapsed floats up the mast.
Unusually, I was beaten into the water by a young lad in a Topper. And I was followed fairly closely by an RS Feva.
After an hour though, I had the water to myself - along with my two safety boat shadows.
Come 1pm, the junior sailing club hit the water in five RS Feva's.
I'm used to being fairly lonesome on the water, but there were nine of us on the water simultaneously mid-afternoon.
Wind conditions were on the soft side. A couple of times I was completely becalmed, but overall, there was enough to bet going. I was a little amused by a crew of three girls , in an RS 2000 dinghy, with a reefed main sail. Squealing at not very much. They made me feel righeously confident.
I did get to hike out and the top speed achieved was around 5.something kts.
The wind was interesting in its' direction. Several times I'd be happily cruising along, only for the wind to shift by 90 degrees or more; in the wrong direction. I was nearly caught out once. Sailing by the lee is for others to practice.
All in all, a good sail in good weather. Even came home with a rosy glow.
On the mundane side, I moved the dinghy and trailer along the line in the boatyard. My previous position was such that the mast was being interfered with by the branches of a tree.
Not now though. Just waiting for the phone call from the storage member to tell me to move.
Sod's law dictates that if a tree were now to topple in a freak wind, it will be the one now closer to the boat. C'est la vie.
Back to looking for the next weekends weather forecast.
It seems a long time since I was last able to sail; work and weather putting paid to launching.
I was blown out, almost literally, over Easter. I had planned to sail on the Saturday and again on the Wednesday - the first weekday sail of the season.
However, just a little too much in the way of wind for me. Well, the gusts really. 18kts, gusting up to 30+. More excitement than I was looking for.
So, as the week progressed, it seemed more and more likely that Saturday would be a goer.
Not a lot of wind forecast and as the day dawned this was pretty much the case. Some rustling in the undergowth evident in the garden was encouraging.
So, I duly arrived at 10:40, scooped the ice out of the bilges and prepped the dinghy for launch.
I've done it quicker, but having not assembled it all for close to two months, it pays to be thorough.
I needed to equalise the air pressure in my mast floats - not the most exciting of tasks but can't be having collapsed floats up the mast.
Unusually, I was beaten into the water by a young lad in a Topper. And I was followed fairly closely by an RS Feva.
After an hour though, I had the water to myself - along with my two safety boat shadows.
Come 1pm, the junior sailing club hit the water in five RS Feva's.
I'm used to being fairly lonesome on the water, but there were nine of us on the water simultaneously mid-afternoon.
Wind conditions were on the soft side. A couple of times I was completely becalmed, but overall, there was enough to bet going. I was a little amused by a crew of three girls , in an RS 2000 dinghy, with a reefed main sail. Squealing at not very much. They made me feel righeously confident.
I did get to hike out and the top speed achieved was around 5.something kts.
The wind was interesting in its' direction. Several times I'd be happily cruising along, only for the wind to shift by 90 degrees or more; in the wrong direction. I was nearly caught out once. Sailing by the lee is for others to practice.
All in all, a good sail in good weather. Even came home with a rosy glow.
On the mundane side, I moved the dinghy and trailer along the line in the boatyard. My previous position was such that the mast was being interfered with by the branches of a tree.
Not now though. Just waiting for the phone call from the storage member to tell me to move.
Sod's law dictates that if a tree were now to topple in a freak wind, it will be the one now closer to the boat. C'est la vie.
Back to looking for the next weekends weather forecast.
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Hello old friend!
So, after a combination of poor weather (to say the least), work and family calamities, we get to go back on the water this weekend.
Not a lot of water in the dinghy and a distinct lack of insects as well - which was nice.
Good grief, did I feel rusty. The gusty wind didn't help to inspire confidence but as I pretty much had the reservoir to myself, at least no one got to witness my hamfisted efforts to circulate the buoys.
I did at least stay dry.
No video's this time, due to my killing the memory card on my camera up a mountain in Italy.
Whoever would have thought that SD cards don't like -20C.
Slightly easier to recover the boat due to the water level being about three feet lower than previously; can get a bit of a run up the slipway. That would be the nicely slime free slipway.
Not a lot of water in the dinghy and a distinct lack of insects as well - which was nice.
Good grief, did I feel rusty. The gusty wind didn't help to inspire confidence but as I pretty much had the reservoir to myself, at least no one got to witness my hamfisted efforts to circulate the buoys.
I did at least stay dry.
No video's this time, due to my killing the memory card on my camera up a mountain in Italy.
Whoever would have thought that SD cards don't like -20C.
Slightly easier to recover the boat due to the water level being about three feet lower than previously; can get a bit of a run up the slipway. That would be the nicely slime free slipway.
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