Bristol Channel winter Sailing

[graham]

Just spent a couple of days sailing in company with another forumite known here as Lockwood.Typical Bristol Channel cruising 2 days gave us the full range of wind and weather from light airs to near gale force calm seas to nasty steep breaking ones.

I surfed for an extended few minutes at 10.5 knots through the water before getting sensible and winding a bit more jib in .Craig had 12.5 in his GPS memory and timed at slack low water!

Few pints at Portishead then late morning departure in strong wind and rain followed by sun and light airs.

After using Storm Jib Working Jib and genoa all within 3 or 4 hours craig on Conchpearl hanking(excuse the pun)after a roller furling job.

On Vega the new fan heater and shore power lead are now my favourite bits of kit.

It was Nice to meet another forumite ,when it warms up a bit maybe we will try and get a few more Bristol Channel Forumites together for a mini cruise.Anyone interested let me know.

I cant see us rivalling the Cherbourg event though.i dont know if the marinas here could cxope with an invasion on that scale...

 

[lockwood]

Thankfully it stayed light and we weren't engulfed in darkness. Grahams bi-colour is aenough to confuse anyone!


BTW - got the pics, many thanks.

 

[graham]

I thought we werent going to mention the bicolour,simple mistake anyone could make I only put the lens in upside down(think about it) fortunately noticed it before using it in the dark! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Birdseye]

You've got my admiration for your braveness (foolhardiness?) in sailing in these temperatures.

When I first got a cruiser, I left my boat in the water in Chepstow one winter, used it only once in Nov, on boxing day with ice on the deck and then in April. Didnt seem worth the trouble so thereafter took it out of the water in October to launch again in April. Not rufty tufty, but not frozen solid either.

When (if) I ever find a boat to replace the one just sold, I'd be up for a gathering of the posters!

 

[kds]

Yes - count me in, sailing from Burnham. @Fraid the Winter leaves me cold - too many years in Africa.
Ken