Fed up and feel like a moan.

[eastcoastbernie]

OK, so I have a lovely 26 ft yacht which I have lavished loads of tlc and cash on. It is conveniently located on a marina berth at Suffolk Yacht Harbour.

I am reasonably competent having done lots of sailing and done all the courses. I cook up a decent fry up for breakfast and keep a well-stocked food and drinks locker.

I'm in pretty good condition considering age and mileage, and am reckoned by most to be good company.

So why the **** does my boat spend weekend after weekend in the marina when I want to go sailing as often as I can?

There must be heaps of people out there who would like to go sailing, so where are they? I don't have a regular crew and I don't want to sail single handed.

Sure, there are loads of people who SAY they want to come sailing. Then when we check diaries, they are going to a wedding, putting up a fence, feeding the cat, leaving the country.

Is it my deodorant?

Bernie

 

[wingdiver]

Hi

Just a suggestion or two -

Post a piccie or two of your pride and joy cos we all love to see other people's boats.

Try adding some more gen to your profile so people know who/what they are dealing with. (It helps if you are an attractive wench - post a piccie of yourself instead of the boat in that case!!!!!) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Have you thought of putting 'Crew Wanted' cards up in the other yacht clubs in the area. It might mean having the odd beer though. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

There are sure to be folks who want to give it a go but maybe don't have a boat at present/can't use their own boat for some reason/need miles under their belts etc.

Have a search of this part of the forum as I'm sure there was someone on here a couple of weeks ago asking about going out on other people's boats.

Good luck /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

D

 

[Sixpence]

Don't know if it helps people to get a mental image of a person but I can personally recommend Bernie as a travel companion having spent many hours with her at my side travelling from Cambridgeshire to Kiel (Germany) in the close confines of my vans front seat. She is a lovely lady and I just wish I could sort out my diary to allow time to go sailing with her /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Bernie , any chance you could make it to one of the meetings that have been pre-planned , like the one for this weekend perhaps ? . It does help if people meet first

 

[eastcoastbernie]

Better tell me what is planned for this weekend!

Bernie

PS. Thanks for the glowing recommendation!

More PS. How do I get a pic on my profile?

B x

 

[eastcoastbernie]

Chicken and Egg.

I could sail to Bradwell if I had a crew!

Bernie

 

[CliveG]

Bernie

I quite enjoy some single handed sailing if my crew for the weekend let me down.

I will admit that getting out and back into a marina berth is a bit more of a challange that I have with a swinging mooring.

It is very satifying when you can hold your own in a tacking match against a 40'er with a family crew aboard. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Sixpence]

It's probably easier for you to send me some photo's and I'll post them for you unless you want to go through the process of reducing the pics to thumbnail , uploading to a seperate site then posting links from that site to here. If you send to admin@sailroom.co.uk and I'll upload them to here or PM your login and I'll sort out your pic on there if you like

 

[FullCircle]

A bit of an odd reply, but here goes.
I made few friends when I was in a marina, as I didnt have anklebiters to spread the news that we were there. However, I did make loads of friends when I went racing, both on my own boat on occasion, and to crew on others. I had a laugh, lost a bundle on go faster bits, learned masses about sailing and crew accumulation. I ended up with 18 names in my book to ring around to make Wednesday evenings and Sundays happen.
Now, I know you are in SYH and there is a very decent fleet out of there. You dont need to be Conan the Barbarian to join in, and you will meets lots of like minded peeps.
Believe it or not, most racing crew really like the opportunity of sailing other boats, usually in preparation of being able to afford something similar at some vague time in the future. Also your boat will provide opportunities for them to enjoy facility and relax rather than stripped out round the cans.
Those people know other people who may 'want to get into sailing' and need bringing on.
I entered my Evo 25 in Ramsgate Week 1991, and it was crewed entirely from rag tag and bobtail people at work and the odd friend. We came firmly last, but were the party boat of choice.
Some of the people round here were on that week, and we still swap boats to go out with each other.

Next I found that by moving to a genuine DIY yard that people spent more time nattering and drinking tea than working, but all seemed really keen on going out on each otheres boats, particularly those who havent #quite# made it into the water this season. Rice & Cole in Burnham is a splendid example. We hoovered up all the reprobates and even had them at the wedding.....

I also think that telling the forum where you are going of a weekend or cadging lifts or crew on other boats is probably the largest multiplier on this place.
I have met dozens of forumites now, and have only met one, ahem, that I wouldnt go out of my way to see again, but that is bound to happen.
Even if you posted that you would like to attend a particular forum event but need crew, I am sure there will be some volunteer or two.

Filling your boat with finest comestibles and trailing a fresh bread smell off the stern also works, especially with a stocked wine locker. No, only kidding. Maybe not.

 

[FullCircle]

<<<Chicken and Egg.

I could sail to Bradwell if I had a crew!>>>

You could ask that nice Mr Morgana if he could spare T25. After all you are coming from nearly the same place, and will return similarly, and he doesn't actually need all those layabouts on his boat.

 

[Koeketiene]

Eastcoastbernie's a woman? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

That changes everything /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Honestly, understand how she must feel.
Lucky enough to have a captive crew (one of the "love, honour and obey" variety and two I made myself)

 

[moondancer]

I'm surprised. I thought most people like the idea of a weekend at Bernie's?

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I'll second everything Jim has said...

Getting a crew together and getting along to one of the gatherings would make a huge difference.. get to know a few people, and the crewing list grows rapidly....

I understand your lack of enthusiasm for single handing completely.... I've done it a good few times, but frankly, I like company, and prefer to sail with a crew...

I'm really surprised that you struggle with a crew.... have you tried east coast stalwarts like SusuRozy and Dougie of the 3 bottles?

 

[Sixpence]

Good thinking Niel , Bernie , Susy lives just down the road from you and would be on your way to the boat , I'll see if I can find her and send her here

 

[eastcoastbernie]

Just looked at wind and tide for next weekend. May be able to get a crew but not till mid morning on Saturday, but am working on it.

On the plus side, if I don't get to Bradwell, at least it looks as though I might get a sail.

Re the suggestion that I join in with racing... I used to race dinghies (505s) so I've done my share of round the cans. These days I am more interested in sailing from A to B, but I wouldn't mind putting in a guest appearance on someone else's racing yacht if anyone is offering!

 

[Sixpence]

Gentlemen , allow me to introduce the lovely Bernie

 

[eastcoastbernie]

Eeeeeek! That's terrifying at that scale! I thought it was going to be a little pic at the side like other people have. I will have to go around with dark glasses and a full beard from now on!

Do you think I'd suit a pipe?

B x

 

[eastcoastbernie]

Thanks for the advice. T25 has posted a pic of me. I posted a pic of my boat leaving Ostend many months ago. I guess if I had the time I could go look for it and post it again.

Haven't put little notices up in yacht clubs yet. Always thought that looked kind of desperate and lonely heartish so have never quite been able to bring myself to do that. Anyway, feeling a lot happier now. Sun is shining and I have managed to shanghai a crew for some part of the weekend at least. Yippeee!

And what is meant by 'if she's a woman, that changes everything'? For better or worse? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Sixpence]

I can remove the link so the larger pic vanishes but to turn it into the little pic at the side I would need your login details , unless you want me to reduce it to that size for you to try and do it yourself ? and Susyrozywotshername has hopefully been in touch now , she tells me she's been trying to hook up for some time now . Possibly see you at the weekend ?
Oh , and being a lady is always a good way of getting crew /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[eastcoastbernie]

Could you try reducing it so I can put in on my profile. I presume it goes in the 'avatar' bit?

I did have the wherewithall to reduce pics and such like but I've changed computers and operating systems and allsorts since then and things that were once relatively straightforward now take hours to do because of loading up new software, copying things over from old computer to new one and all that jazz.

Yes Suzy and I have been trying to get something sorted for a while but still not managed to meet up for various reasons.

Bernie

 

[Sixpence]

Try this one

if it's still not the right size let me know and I'll shrink you even more . Do you want me to remove the larger pic ?