Athene V30
Well-Known Member
Seeing as my free time is about to become curtailed by employment I took the opportunity for a quick trip away in the boat without having to use up annual leave entitlement!
Having been on a Prince2 Project Manager's course in Norwich my brain was a little fuzzy after a week in a classroom! On Fri 17th (27th wedding anniversary
) I went to the boat mid afternoon before meeting up with friends for a few pints in the evening! Wife had gone out with her friends so a perfect anniversary for all concerned!
We (Karouise and I) sailed from Brightlingsea early on Saturday morning to take tide north up the coast to meet up with a friend at Orford. We were making such good time in a light WSW wind giving a near perfect Wallet that I had to roll away the genoa to slow down to await enough water over the Ore Bar. Arriving at the bar one and a half hours after a LW of 1.2m I expected about half a metre below the keel. With the sea flat we made a gentle approach and found the least depth to seaward of the Oxley buoy. I was told to keep a transit of the buoy with the 'fluffy' tree - which ever one that is!!
Next day to make the best of daylight we slipped at sunrise but had to fight the flood to the entrance of the river leaving at HW.
It was calm and a bit misty but that quickly burnt off and with a NE breeze filling in we were soon sailing East to get round the top of the Gabbard wind farm and on towards Holland.
With the Sea Feather keeping a good course on the helm I was able to enjoy the sunshine even if it wasn't feeling very warm! An uneventful crossing followed of just over 100 miles in 20.5 hours but with 8.45 hours under engine arriving in Breskens at 0100.
Next morning Holland was grey and dull
but the club has hot showers. After a few jobs and a walk into the town we left Breskens just before 1400 to head down the coast to Belgium. With light airs we tried to sail but even with the tide progress was poor. I did consider calling in at Blankenberg but with a forecast of NW wind for the next couple of days I didn't fancy the entrance to get out again so continued to Ostend. With continuing light airs and steady rain I was pleased to see the new breakwaters. On the way down the coast I carefully checked all my warps to try and find something suitable for the stern line to the buoys in the RNSYC. On arrival I found no buoys!! A quick change in lines I rafted outside a local boat for the night.
I had planned a day off the next day (Tuesday) and went for a walk round and a look at the boats arriving for Ostend at Anchor, in more of less constant drizzle! The forecast for Wednesday was N to NW 5-6, easing gradually during the day. When I woke up the wind wasn’t howling too hard and a walk down to the beach looked ok so we slipped just after 9am. The entrance was ‘interesting’ with a short sea and waves that seemed vertical! I have to admit to one or two expletives but as usual Karouise just got on with it motor sailing with two reefs in the main. As soon as we were clear of the breakwaters a reefed genoa replaced the engine and the Sea Feather took over helming for a ‘close reach’ out to sea before heading about 250 down the coast. By early afternoon the wind started easing and by 1500 we were under power to make the tide to Calais.
The engine, usually totally reliable, seemed a bit smokey. At first I thought it was just crud in the fuel tank had been stirred up but maybe there was a bluish tinge to the exhaust. After almost 3 hours under power the exhaust was almost clear again and with the wind coming up the engine went off and we started sailing again but with a heading wind I decided to motor sail. On with the engine and on with the oil alarm! Off with the engine and dip the oil – nothing! Got boat sailing, and filled up oil the continue beating down the coast while start thinking about how to dodge round the ferries and get into Calais with no engine!!
Approaching Calais I give the port a call on VHF to advise of my predicament and am told to close the breakwater to 300 metres and call again. Lining up a departing and approaching ferry I aim to follow the inbound ship and am pleased to hear two other sailing boats call for permission to enter. Once off the breakwater, permission granted I follow the ferry sailing faster than I can go under power!! With a quick call to one of the other sailing boats – Roller Coaster (thanks Rob!) – I line up a ‘back up’ tow if I lose the wind and the engine that I have ready to turn on fails but I make the waiting buoys and later move into the marina without incident. Unfortunately it seems Calais lacks a marine engineer so unable to get a fix I consult a mechanic friend in UK and we come up with a back up and I purchase 10 litres of oil!
In Calais I met up with 5 other RNSA boats and a similar number of Little Ship Club boats
and a few days of socialising followed
before heading back in company with ‘Successor’ to Brightlingsea with a SW forecast on Monday. The wind held all the way to North Foreland before easing and becoming more SE. With a failing wind I started a routine of 30 minute oil dips and top up as necessary, but watching the wind all the time to make best use of sail power! Crossing the Sunk Sand adjacent to where the SW beacon was proved interesting. I had used this crossing without incident last year on a similar tide so was not anticipating an issue however the bank had grown east towards Barrow No6 PHM and we gently touched under sail.
The rest of the trip back to Brightlingsea was without incident and mostly under sail arriving on my berth about 0120.
The trip overall whilst generally cold was great! But then a bad day on the water is better than a good day in the office!!
Having been on a Prince2 Project Manager's course in Norwich my brain was a little fuzzy after a week in a classroom! On Fri 17th (27th wedding anniversary
) I went to the boat mid afternoon before meeting up with friends for a few pints in the evening! Wife had gone out with her friends so a perfect anniversary for all concerned!We (Karouise and I) sailed from Brightlingsea early on Saturday morning to take tide north up the coast to meet up with a friend at Orford. We were making such good time in a light WSW wind giving a near perfect Wallet that I had to roll away the genoa to slow down to await enough water over the Ore Bar. Arriving at the bar one and a half hours after a LW of 1.2m I expected about half a metre below the keel. With the sea flat we made a gentle approach and found the least depth to seaward of the Oxley buoy. I was told to keep a transit of the buoy with the 'fluffy' tree - which ever one that is!!
Next day to make the best of daylight we slipped at sunrise but had to fight the flood to the entrance of the river leaving at HW.
It was calm and a bit misty but that quickly burnt off and with a NE breeze filling in we were soon sailing East to get round the top of the Gabbard wind farm and on towards Holland.
Next morning Holland was grey and dull
I had planned a day off the next day (Tuesday) and went for a walk round and a look at the boats arriving for Ostend at Anchor, in more of less constant drizzle! The forecast for Wednesday was N to NW 5-6, easing gradually during the day. When I woke up the wind wasn’t howling too hard and a walk down to the beach looked ok so we slipped just after 9am. The entrance was ‘interesting’ with a short sea and waves that seemed vertical! I have to admit to one or two expletives but as usual Karouise just got on with it motor sailing with two reefs in the main. As soon as we were clear of the breakwaters a reefed genoa replaced the engine and the Sea Feather took over helming for a ‘close reach’ out to sea before heading about 250 down the coast. By early afternoon the wind started easing and by 1500 we were under power to make the tide to Calais.
The engine, usually totally reliable, seemed a bit smokey. At first I thought it was just crud in the fuel tank had been stirred up but maybe there was a bluish tinge to the exhaust. After almost 3 hours under power the exhaust was almost clear again and with the wind coming up the engine went off and we started sailing again but with a heading wind I decided to motor sail. On with the engine and on with the oil alarm! Off with the engine and dip the oil – nothing! Got boat sailing, and filled up oil the continue beating down the coast while start thinking about how to dodge round the ferries and get into Calais with no engine!!
Approaching Calais I give the port a call on VHF to advise of my predicament and am told to close the breakwater to 300 metres and call again. Lining up a departing and approaching ferry I aim to follow the inbound ship and am pleased to hear two other sailing boats call for permission to enter. Once off the breakwater, permission granted I follow the ferry sailing faster than I can go under power!! With a quick call to one of the other sailing boats – Roller Coaster (thanks Rob!) – I line up a ‘back up’ tow if I lose the wind and the engine that I have ready to turn on fails but I make the waiting buoys and later move into the marina without incident. Unfortunately it seems Calais lacks a marine engineer so unable to get a fix I consult a mechanic friend in UK and we come up with a back up and I purchase 10 litres of oil!
In Calais I met up with 5 other RNSA boats and a similar number of Little Ship Club boats
The rest of the trip back to Brightlingsea was without incident and mostly under sail arriving on my berth about 0120.
The trip overall whilst generally cold was great! But then a bad day on the water is better than a good day in the office!!
