longjohnsilver
Well-known member
Met up with Haydn and Tuts on Sunday. All my family insisted on coming along once they heard that Haydns boat was more comfortable than ours, faster than ours, newer than ours, bigger than ours, has more engines than ours.......................
Suspect Tomo also heard the same rumours, he was about an hour early, whereas we were fashionably late, but then we did have further to drive, not just over a little bridge and through a small town and follow signs for Mountbatten and as if by magic Plymouth Yacht Haven appears.
Haydn, not having seen his boat for months decided it needed a wash, so out came the power washer whilst we sat and drank coffee, wondering how he was going to extricate his craft from its berth, shoehorned in with a Searay just a few feet behind. Owner of searay assured us he was only there cos his pontoon had broken free a few days earlier, Haydn said it wasn't unusual, the whole marina had gone walkabout a year or so back!
After Haydn decided boat was clean enuf to be seen at sea started the engines and we proceeded to cast off, or at least we tried to cast off, think he must have pinched his mooring ropes from Devonport Dockyard, I've seen smaller holding a destroyer to the dockside!! And there must have been almost a dozen of the sodding things going in all directions, a real cats cradle! Seems Haydn is a bit paranoid having had 3 sets of warps break last winter, no wonder his piccie appears on the front of the Marlow rope catalogue!
Then we were free, no ropes, only Haydn at the controls holding the boat just off the pontoon waiting for us to clamber on board, and then we were off. Should really whisper this, but he can handle his boat, fairly stiff breeze caused absolutely no problems.
Quick burst out into the Sound, boat about 7 knots short of top speed, me feeling guilty that I hadn't brought the diving gear to give hull and props a quick scrub off, anyway Haydn didn't seem too concerned. Must admit the P35 hull did handle the waves well, was impressed, no1 brat even more impressed, so much so I suspect I've now lost my faithful (joke!) crew member. Must remember tomorrow to pick up plank from grounded freighter so have the means to make the not so little bugger walk said plank.
Anyway destination was decided on, the Spaniard up the Tamar for lunch, as usual at this time of year not another boat in sight, only a handsome police launch just by Drakes Island. Because of the tides H was a little concerned at having enuf water at the pub, but fears were unfounded. He does however has this worrying habit of using the mooring buoys for navigation purposes, this explains the orangre and yellow scrapes down the sides of Meekathara, well not really, he must have cleaned them all off with power washer.
Excellent lunch, H even got changed to go in pub, he must think Cornish spit and sawdust places are all posh! Now having seen Tuts in action with these monster ropes I was filled with admiration, she could lassoo a cleat from 20 meters or more!!
Uneventful trip back, Tomo showed us all the local sites of interest, well actually the local site of interest which come to think of it was the pub we'd just left.
H proved that smart manouevres leaving pontoon were no flook (mental note, must get a boat with 2 engines) and lots more coffee later we left H and Tuts to a night of near gales and driving rain. Glad to get home, but a v enjoyable day, thanks to H and Tuts from all the family, think no1 brat now wishes to be adopted and live up North!!
H and Tuts must have enjoyed it as well, had a phone call earlier today asking if I could make it down there again tomorrow for a quick blast across the bay to Fowey, one of my all time favourite places, took all of a nano second to say yes!! Forecast is for a bit of rain, but nothing horrendous, best of all winds turning Northerly so should be pretty flat.
My quandry now is should I pick up my dive gear on the way down and clean those props...............................................
Suspect Tomo also heard the same rumours, he was about an hour early, whereas we were fashionably late, but then we did have further to drive, not just over a little bridge and through a small town and follow signs for Mountbatten and as if by magic Plymouth Yacht Haven appears.
Haydn, not having seen his boat for months decided it needed a wash, so out came the power washer whilst we sat and drank coffee, wondering how he was going to extricate his craft from its berth, shoehorned in with a Searay just a few feet behind. Owner of searay assured us he was only there cos his pontoon had broken free a few days earlier, Haydn said it wasn't unusual, the whole marina had gone walkabout a year or so back!
After Haydn decided boat was clean enuf to be seen at sea started the engines and we proceeded to cast off, or at least we tried to cast off, think he must have pinched his mooring ropes from Devonport Dockyard, I've seen smaller holding a destroyer to the dockside!! And there must have been almost a dozen of the sodding things going in all directions, a real cats cradle! Seems Haydn is a bit paranoid having had 3 sets of warps break last winter, no wonder his piccie appears on the front of the Marlow rope catalogue!
Then we were free, no ropes, only Haydn at the controls holding the boat just off the pontoon waiting for us to clamber on board, and then we were off. Should really whisper this, but he can handle his boat, fairly stiff breeze caused absolutely no problems.
Quick burst out into the Sound, boat about 7 knots short of top speed, me feeling guilty that I hadn't brought the diving gear to give hull and props a quick scrub off, anyway Haydn didn't seem too concerned. Must admit the P35 hull did handle the waves well, was impressed, no1 brat even more impressed, so much so I suspect I've now lost my faithful (joke!) crew member. Must remember tomorrow to pick up plank from grounded freighter so have the means to make the not so little bugger walk said plank.
Anyway destination was decided on, the Spaniard up the Tamar for lunch, as usual at this time of year not another boat in sight, only a handsome police launch just by Drakes Island. Because of the tides H was a little concerned at having enuf water at the pub, but fears were unfounded. He does however has this worrying habit of using the mooring buoys for navigation purposes, this explains the orangre and yellow scrapes down the sides of Meekathara, well not really, he must have cleaned them all off with power washer.
Excellent lunch, H even got changed to go in pub, he must think Cornish spit and sawdust places are all posh! Now having seen Tuts in action with these monster ropes I was filled with admiration, she could lassoo a cleat from 20 meters or more!!
Uneventful trip back, Tomo showed us all the local sites of interest, well actually the local site of interest which come to think of it was the pub we'd just left.
H proved that smart manouevres leaving pontoon were no flook (mental note, must get a boat with 2 engines) and lots more coffee later we left H and Tuts to a night of near gales and driving rain. Glad to get home, but a v enjoyable day, thanks to H and Tuts from all the family, think no1 brat now wishes to be adopted and live up North!!
H and Tuts must have enjoyed it as well, had a phone call earlier today asking if I could make it down there again tomorrow for a quick blast across the bay to Fowey, one of my all time favourite places, took all of a nano second to say yes!! Forecast is for a bit of rain, but nothing horrendous, best of all winds turning Northerly so should be pretty flat.
My quandry now is should I pick up my dive gear on the way down and clean those props...............................................
