Clyde Scuttlebutt meet up. April

I have just left Largs at 19:00, lively evening. I heard "Hummingbird" blethering to someone at the Largs pier on the VHF. The wind had dropped a bit and swing into the NW. I am home now - paint balling with the kids tomorrow!
 
It did die down to flat calm and the sun even came out for a bit. Blowing a hooley this morn and the forecast was bad for tomorrow so decisions were taken to abandon plans for today. Rothesay was considered but with the wind to go south tomorrow and possibilities of a force 8 i decided to get south sharpish. I would say it was between 25-30 knots on the way back but as it was from WNW it wasn't too bad a sail.
 
We left Cumbrae earlyish because we had to get home to meet up with people.

We sailed to Kip under reefed genoa only and made good progress. Put engine on for 10 minutes or so to gain some sea room when the wind dropped a bit whilst we we were still south of the Wemyss Bay ferry terminal. Back in our berth by 11.15.

Ash
 
I eventually decided to leave CWC on Saturday for Holy Loch and prepped Ladybird for what I expected to be a 'bit of a blow'; two reefs in the main and everything movable locked away. Then I had the little problem of getting her off the pontoon as she was pinned on by wind and tide. Tried springing the bow off with the engine in astern; no joy. Ditto forward, with same result. Eventually with the help of a good Samaritan, a long boathook and backwinding a corner of the jib I got away.
I had a cracking sail as far as that wind hole I always seem to find off Kip, where someone shut the door and the wind dropped to zilch. I then had to thread my way through a few dozen racing boats, some tacking to the windward mark, others running under spinnaker the other way. My apologies if I got in anybody's way, but you were taking up the entire width of the Clyde!
Shook the reefs out as soon as I was clear of the racers and, as you would expect, the wind picked up and I had a blast into the Holy Loch with toerail under.
Sunday dawned wet and miserable (no change there) and saw Ladybird on a ~6kt a broad reach all the way back to Rhu.
Friday night was a great night though.
 
Thanks to Pete and Paul for the hospitality.
I know I said I hadn't had much experience foul weather sailing, I think I get the idea now can we have some warm sunny weather for the next do?
It was a good quiz thanks for that.
 
Sorry I missed the company. I was working too late on Friday to get to the CWSC anyway but had hoped I could have made Portavadie on the Saturday.
Got to the mooring and noted Negresco was absent. By the time I got back from the pub Tom and Isobel were back with tales of being pinned to the pontoon.
It brought back memories of last year!
Saturday monring brought wall-to-wall rain and some hefty gusts, enough for me to abandon plans to venture out. After fixing the auto bilge pump I decided to call it a day and spend the weekend more productively at home by stripping the steering rack on the Scimitar.
If anyone is around for the Kyles festival, first 7/8 June... see you there.
 
As usual it made a nice evening for a short time at the cwsc, infact long enough to get a few pics that would convince anyone that it was really summer!
Enjoyed the the company and the night, not so the short time spent between picking up my mooring and going ashore on sat:eek:
A few pics of the gathering, (before Escapade joined us)
C_W

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Big thanks to AntarctiPilot for lending us his boat.
Big thanks to Spyro for the best quiz so far.
Big thanks to Aquaplane and Lady Stormrider for looking after me so well.
Looking forward to the next one.
 
Big thanks to AntarctiPilot for lending us his boat.
Big thanks to Spyro for the best quiz so far.
Big thanks to Aquaplane and Lady Stormrider for looking after me so well.
Looking forward to the next one.

Need to bump the thread on the sept meet up to keep it in focus.
Look forward to it.
C_W
 
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