Eventful day

[paulm299]

I made sure I took Sandpiper out yesterday seeing as Swansea Marina lock closes today . No problems getting off my berth BUT on approach to the Tawe lock , The Outboard pivot lock came loose so ( big audience ) /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif could not steer on the helm , I almost had to do do a 360 to get alongside in the lock . Recovered well though . Cleared the Tawe steering with the outboard until I could get the sails up , Genoa furler jammed , Had to unroll the genoa from the pushpit . Repaired The out board problem .
Had a great afternoon sailing around the Bay , Someone called a Mayday , Must have been a Prank call as it was stood down half hour later . Could have done with a bit more wind but apart from that can't fault it .

 

[graham]

Sounds like fun /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Your lucky it didnt turn enough to gouge a lump out of your rudder blade.

We had an Alacrity ,great boats ,surprisingly fast and seaworthy.One thing we found out the hardway was that when you dry out the rudder can lift off its pintles and float away.You need to lift it aboard first or put a safety lanyard on it.

Imagine my shock on waking up after an hours kip one afternoon over the lowtide in Barry Harbour to see someone had "nicked" the rudder. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gifManaged to steer the boat with the outboard to get the rudder back from the corner of the harbour that it had floated into. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[chrishelen]

Theres allways a big audiance when something goes wrong,My first boat was a Kestrall 22 with a Seagull outboard on the back, i had just launched at our club on a busy Saturday morning, i gave the crowd of onlookers a show by turning my rudder so far it clipped the prop and broke the spring in the seagull prop and i was drifting out with the tide wondering why the engine was having no effect until someone came out and towed me back in, phew.

 

[paulm299]

Actually the prop did take a bit of the paint off . The previous owner lost the rudder in the same way as Graham .
Another Mayday call at the same time today , Another false alarm .

 

[damo]

A Mayday was heard up this way yesterday as well - sounds like someone p*ssing about. There was also an epirb 405 alert for a boat registered at Portishead, but no longer here. They figured it was a false alarm because they tracked it going down the M5!