Denizens of Fleetwood

Neddie_Seagoon

Neddie_Seagoon

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Joined
2 Apr 2006
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www.yotblog.com
Ah well, got up to Ameera today for a short solo outing (sorry Doug - but had chores on the way, so it took me three hours to get there!), calm sea, gentle breeze, drifting along with just the main up (well, I wasn't going anywhere) when this brute comes flying up my port side, I think he was motorsailing without a cone /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
claymore.jpg


Claymore cruising in company.

Mind, I wasn't motorsailing - I wasn't sailing at all /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

ameera-autopilot.jpg


Ameera looking after herself.

There were others out and about too, a smaller yacht enjoying the sun.
small-boat.jpg


And a big cat - there are a couple of big cats in Fleetwood - wonder what the weather's like on Mojomo?
big-cat.jpg


So a glorious day /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Back in Fleetwood, Jonny_H showed me over Newtsville - a seriously nice boat.

Got back home and SWMBO tells me I am sunburned - in Fleetwood at the start of May?
 
Third picture down, Leisure 17 called Pharon. Belonged to my Mum and Dad may moons ago. They used to spend weeks aboard her when they 1st retired.

Great boat for no money at all.

Mark
 
I, too, was out at Fleetwood yesterday on the midday tide. Just managed to reach the last green channel buoy and back in over two hours. Claymore and company passed me on my way back. They were on a weekend sail across Morecambe Bay to Piel Island and then Glasson. It sounded more like a booze up than sailing. UInfortunately I couldn't make it.
 
Was great to meet you Steve - thanks for your 'magic touch' with the GPS display /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I watched everyone head out on Saturday in lovely weather whilst I went about a mulittude of chores, back on the boat today finishing off some jobs and don't envy those who went away for the weekend - rain and 30 - 35 knots in the marina basin!

Would be good to meet up with other 'Fleetwooders' in the future - we're the red and white Colvic Countess in the main channel on the office side of the fairway near the lock gates.

Jonny
 
Good to meet you too, I wish all electronic problems were so obliging!

I went out on the right day then - Bank Holiday weather /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
claymore.jpg


Claymore cruising in company.

I can see the wee man's head poking up - but who's the other fella sitting on the poop?

Donald
 
Re: So, did Claymore make it back?

An amazing thing happened on Saturday.
There we were plodding down the channel on our way over to Piel. Beautiful sunny warm day and God in his heaven. The strong wind warning came over the VHF and as one, 99% of the boats out spun around on their various assortment of keels and legged it back into the marina.

Naturally - having committed to going over to Piel we did so. Lovely sail out beyond Danger Patch and then the wind died entirely and so we motored across to halfway shoal and made very slow progress up the channel covering the ground at around 2kts.

We went ashore and were joined by the men from Musarkie and Lord Paget as well as Kaline and a few others. There, libations were taken of the Claymore Punch - a heady brew of Strawberries, sparkly white and rum chased by Canape Philadelphia avec confiture d'apricot and other tasty morsels and settled down to the Mother of all Barbeques. Generous quantities of Bodds and Caffreys were in evidence as were wines of all hues
Target golf was enjoyed although we baulked at rounders.

Around 22:00 hrs we headed back to the boat, leaving the revellers to their pleasures by the campfire.

Around 01:00 hrs the wind came in and gave us a bit of a bashing - just enough southerly in it to get around and rock and roll us. A fitful nights sleep then, and waking in the morning to 27knots of breeze and rain in the air. Catastrophe struck Pagets lady as his dinghy decided to make its bid for freedom and some very neat and accomplished boat handling was demonstrated - as well as determined plod across the mudbanks to retrieve the errant inflatable.
Catastrophe then decided to grace Claymore with a visit and the mainsheet tackle exploded - pictures to follow - then the rudder chose to jam which caused a couple of hectic minutes as I released the pressure on the hydraulics to get it working again. This was successful and eventually we set sail - around 10:15hrs.
Once more we plugged the flooding tide and with no mainsail to provide an extra knot we soon began to fall behind Musarkie and Paget's Lady - Kaline had left sometime earlier. The calculations for arriving at Glasson within the 1hr window were done and it began to look quite marginal as we rolled our way slowly across from Halfway Shoal towards Danger patch and then on to the Wyre Channel buoys. The lack of a steadying sail made this a really unpleasant crossing and by the time we'd made it over to Lune Deep I think we'd all had enough and so turned up the channel and returned to Fleetwood Dock.
Cleaned up, fed and watered once more, Dear Heart and I drove around to Glasson. The sister of Dear Heart lives in Glasson and so this provided them with an excellent opportunity to meet whilst I went out and met up with the rest who had enjoyed a brisk sail up the Lune and into the top basin at Glasson for showers and eventually a quieter night. We met in the Dalton Arms where again libations were taken and then we eased up to Glasson Sailing Club where we were given free beer and pies into the wee small hours of Monday. Women were also freely on offer and we all filled in application forms for membership of this delightfully free spirited club.
I spoke with Stuart of Musarkie last evening and they'd had a boisterous sail back to Fleetwood on Monday afternoon.
All in all a decent weekend and just a shame that the weather forecast (which proved accurate for once) had probably reduced the number of boats we may have had.
 
Re: Green Algae in Morecambe Bay??

Just had a quick look on Google Earth to see where you'd been. The entire bay is covered in what looks like green algae. Unless, of course, the piccie was taken on St Patrick's day! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: So, It was the man himself!!

So, there I was doing my yearly plod back to my summer berth in Holyhead from Glasson and just around Fleetwood Channel........... and over the radio came Claymore Claymore this is ???? well I thought should I ask if it was the man himself, after all I was flying the blue mouse on the fore deck.

Naww bugger that I thought! I've a long trip and I'm trying to beat the wind warning !

Fantastic weather until about 19.00hrs and opposite the Queens Channel at Liverpool. Then the wind started to blow. It went from F0-1 to about F4 in less than an hour. We knew it was on it's way but thought we could suffer it for a couple of hours.......

What a mistake, we arrived in Holyhead at 03.30 on Sunday morning bruised and well battered, getting past the Skerries whilst flooding with those winds in the dark is not an experience that I want to ever try again.

We had damage to the table, cupboard and the anchor haws top came adrift, the water flooded the anchor well and entered the front cabin via the access door. We had cans and jar of olives had decided to deposit it's contents all over the floor, which meant that the gin wouldn't be the same when we did get into Port.

As I write this the covers and all the clothes that were in the drawers are being washed to remove the salt. The table is about to be repaired and new catches for the cupboard have been ordered.

Some how I get the feeling that Neptune has a bag on with me at the moment. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

In short I think I should have made contact with the above legend and others and saved the trip for another day.

I was trying to do Ireland this week but with the forecast given for the rest of the week and the fact that I need to dry everything out now, I've come home to sulk!

Glad you all enjoyed the trip to Piel I did intend to go for the night but decided to try and run the gauntlet to Holyhead instead............... with hind sight I think I may have made the wrong decision.

/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Re: So, did Claymore make it back?

[ QUOTE ]
99% of the boats out spun around on their various assortment of keels and legged it back into the marina

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you sure that wasn't just around high tide, the signal to start running back to get in before the dock gates close?

I had no idea the winds got so bad, actually didn't hear the strong wind warning, but as I was only out for a couple of hours I would,'t have paid much attention. When Jonny reported 30 - 35 in the marina I was gobsmacked.

You must of course be delighted to have broken so much so early in the season, after all, what else is a shakedown cruise for /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Re: So, did Claymore make it back?

It was certainly horrid on Sunday - not the best day to finish mounting a wind generator - but couldn't face leaving it half finished (ended up with SWMBO perched precariously on the pushpit holding the Aerogen whilst I connected wires and bolted it onto it's stand whilst wedged between the radar arch and the backstay!)

Quite glad I stayed in the marina and got (some of) my jobs done!

Jonny
 
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