TangaraToo
RIP
I'd decided to visit Burnham YH over the weekend. Based in West Mersea the plan was sail there Saturday, overnight in the marina and back on Sunday.
Forecast for Saturday was not great with winds of up to 20kts but she's a tough old girl and takes that in her stride. Sunday was little wind forecast so a chance to check if all the hours spent cramped up in the engine bay had paid off.
Chatting to a local about the weather (as I pumped up the inflatable) I learnt he operated a commercial boat taking folks out for sea fishing trips and that he had cancelled his clients that day due to the weather, "gonna be a bit rough and rolly out there today, blowing well with wind over tide. Too much for the old boys that had booked". Now this really should have rung alarm bells but I was busy pumping etc.
On board the boat I prepped her for the trip then phoned BYH to book a berth. Lovely peeps at BYH assigned me a berth and said to call them when inbound and they would send someone down to take a line as I was single handed and the old girl is not good in marinas. Also said they where pleased I was coming as they had wondered if they would get any visitors given the weather. Yep, that went straight over my head as well. The 'take the hint' radar was definitely on the blink.
As soon as I had enough water to get over the bar at Besom I cast off, motored out in to the black water and raised the sails. As I was on my own I got sensible (yeah right) and put a reef in the main.
Strange I though, not a single boat out today (radar still on the blink it would seem).
Wind on my starboard quarter and we were off (me and the boat that is) heading for the Wallet Spitway. Well the wind kept picking up and the waves got bigger but the old girl kept plodding along.
At this point I had little clue about the actual wind strength as the vanes had decided to stop working.
Then she started to accelerate down the waves. Hmm thinks I, she's never done that before, but it's fun so we keep going. And the wind picks up and the sea gets rougher and boat starts to roll like a stuck pig and finally the 'take the hint' radar started working again. By then though turning back or carrying on both seemed about even so on we went.
Given the wind direction and sea state I decided to push on well past the spitway to allow a single close hauled leg rather than tacking to BYH as I knew it was going to be a little wild and didn't fancy tacking singled handed unless I had to. Finally a good decision
. Turned for BYH, hauled in the sails and yep, it was wild. Hmm, never done that before I thinks to myself as she buried her bow in the on coming waves and the spay was reaching half way up the main but on she plodded. What a great little boat. Finally reached BYH eight hours after departing WM.
Delta 45 was my intended berth. Saw a nice big D on the pile, figured the higher numbers would be on the starboard side so down that side I went. Nope, I didn't see the big C at all, no sir. Half way down I realised my error. Hmm, not a lot of space here, need to do a 180 and did I mention she is designed to make you look an idiot in marinas. So I start the 180. Astern does little apart from kicking to port for the first 45 seconds. Backwards and forwards executing the 100 point turn (well it felt like it) watched by all the meercats whose heads had popped up as I started the show.
Finally heading back out of C I heard the words "nicely done". Good job he didn't know my heart rate but I'll take the compliment. Once heading down D the guys have arrived to take the lines and I relax.
Big mistake, the old girl still feels like showing me who is in charge. As I turn for the birth she starts to respond then resolutely refuses to bring her bow round. Putting on way is not an option (remember that lack of astern?), so I go for the next berth down. Hero to zero in one minute flat but who cares. She's on the berth and secure.
Chatting to the HM I commented that I hadn't seen a single boat on my travels until half way up the Crouch. Not surprising he says given the 30knt wind. That would explain a lot!
Sunday
Getting back to WM in time for enough water over the bar necessitated a 5am departure. Mill pond conditions and not a sole about to witness the perfect departure from the berth. Motor and genoa down the crouch then having had enough of the noise, raised the main, switch off the engine and pootled along with the tide. Warm, sunny, ahead of schedule and the motor is behaving perfectly. All is right with the world. Back at mersea I floated around for an hour or two dressed in nothing but shorts topping up the tan. So so different from the day before.
And there you have it. My fun weekend. Wild at one end and totally relaxing at the other.
No vid from Saturday as not letting go of the tiller long enough. Trevor the TP couldn't handle it but a couple from sunday.
Doesn't that motor sound sweet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhmoHAgvojE
Peace and quiet floating along with the tide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B27ceVKcRC8
Forecast for Saturday was not great with winds of up to 20kts but she's a tough old girl and takes that in her stride. Sunday was little wind forecast so a chance to check if all the hours spent cramped up in the engine bay had paid off.
Chatting to a local about the weather (as I pumped up the inflatable) I learnt he operated a commercial boat taking folks out for sea fishing trips and that he had cancelled his clients that day due to the weather, "gonna be a bit rough and rolly out there today, blowing well with wind over tide. Too much for the old boys that had booked". Now this really should have rung alarm bells but I was busy pumping etc.
On board the boat I prepped her for the trip then phoned BYH to book a berth. Lovely peeps at BYH assigned me a berth and said to call them when inbound and they would send someone down to take a line as I was single handed and the old girl is not good in marinas. Also said they where pleased I was coming as they had wondered if they would get any visitors given the weather. Yep, that went straight over my head as well. The 'take the hint' radar was definitely on the blink.
As soon as I had enough water to get over the bar at Besom I cast off, motored out in to the black water and raised the sails. As I was on my own I got sensible (yeah right) and put a reef in the main.
Strange I though, not a single boat out today (radar still on the blink it would seem).
Wind on my starboard quarter and we were off (me and the boat that is) heading for the Wallet Spitway. Well the wind kept picking up and the waves got bigger but the old girl kept plodding along.
At this point I had little clue about the actual wind strength as the vanes had decided to stop working.
Then she started to accelerate down the waves. Hmm thinks I, she's never done that before, but it's fun so we keep going. And the wind picks up and the sea gets rougher and boat starts to roll like a stuck pig and finally the 'take the hint' radar started working again. By then though turning back or carrying on both seemed about even so on we went.
Given the wind direction and sea state I decided to push on well past the spitway to allow a single close hauled leg rather than tacking to BYH as I knew it was going to be a little wild and didn't fancy tacking singled handed unless I had to. Finally a good decision
. Turned for BYH, hauled in the sails and yep, it was wild. Hmm, never done that before I thinks to myself as she buried her bow in the on coming waves and the spay was reaching half way up the main but on she plodded. What a great little boat. Finally reached BYH eight hours after departing WM. Delta 45 was my intended berth. Saw a nice big D on the pile, figured the higher numbers would be on the starboard side so down that side I went. Nope, I didn't see the big C at all, no sir. Half way down I realised my error. Hmm, not a lot of space here, need to do a 180 and did I mention she is designed to make you look an idiot in marinas. So I start the 180. Astern does little apart from kicking to port for the first 45 seconds. Backwards and forwards executing the 100 point turn (well it felt like it) watched by all the meercats whose heads had popped up as I started the show.
Finally heading back out of C I heard the words "nicely done". Good job he didn't know my heart rate but I'll take the compliment. Once heading down D the guys have arrived to take the lines and I relax.
Big mistake, the old girl still feels like showing me who is in charge. As I turn for the birth she starts to respond then resolutely refuses to bring her bow round. Putting on way is not an option (remember that lack of astern?), so I go for the next berth down. Hero to zero in one minute flat but who cares. She's on the berth and secure.
Chatting to the HM I commented that I hadn't seen a single boat on my travels until half way up the Crouch. Not surprising he says given the 30knt wind. That would explain a lot!
Sunday
Getting back to WM in time for enough water over the bar necessitated a 5am departure. Mill pond conditions and not a sole about to witness the perfect departure from the berth. Motor and genoa down the crouch then having had enough of the noise, raised the main, switch off the engine and pootled along with the tide. Warm, sunny, ahead of schedule and the motor is behaving perfectly. All is right with the world. Back at mersea I floated around for an hour or two dressed in nothing but shorts topping up the tan. So so different from the day before.
And there you have it. My fun weekend. Wild at one end and totally relaxing at the other.
No vid from Saturday as not letting go of the tiller long enough. Trevor the TP couldn't handle it but a couple from sunday.
Doesn't that motor sound sweet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhmoHAgvojE
Peace and quiet floating along with the tide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B27ceVKcRC8
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