Good Season or not

[PhilF]

Whats the best time you have had on the water?

Ours was In Spain, anchored on a perfectly still day, having donutted, swam and basked without a care in the world.

Uk 's been OK but have been a nomad in the marina this season and too unsettled,

PhilF

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[Althorne]

Mine was in August on Milltech's 47' Watson ex-lifeboat 'Baltic Air'.
Mid morning, flat calm sea at the bottom end of Thames Estuary heading to Dover, beautiful sunshine, on the foredeck sat in deckchairs with auto pilot on soaking up the slight warmth from a slightly misty sky - complete and utter silence except for a miniscule humfrom the engine.
Will keep me going till march 2005.
Thanks John. Hope we can do it again

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[Roy]

Great season - probably because I got the boat I had always wanted in March and it's been more enjoyable because of that. Lots of sunny days, bombing about in tender with grandkids, watching the ospreys and wild goats and looking for wallabies!? Sunbathing on the boat and swilling beers with friends - sometimes 5 boats all rafted up making for great social events. Anchoring off the golf course watching the Open Golf Championship. Moments of mild terror when learning to berth her in high wind, and one occasion where I fouled the water stand pipe on departure and set off with the gubbins stuck to back of boat!! Honest. Also horror when having tridata and VHF repeater fitted to F/B and the engineer had all the boats innards hanging out everywhere, and then getting the davits fitted - more white powder floating around than at a Stones concert!! What else?? Getting a speeding ticket when son was skipper - escaped a £500 fine luckily. Mastering technique of walking boat sideways using legs, wheel and bow thingy - brilliant fun!! Central heating..ahhhhh bliss! Hey, that will do for now. Roy

<hr width=100% size=1>What does this mean then?

 

[tcm]

yeah, not bad, seems like about fifteen seasons


Good bits:
1. New Years Day on Peter Island in the BVI, and then diving in the afternoon seeing a big turtle
2. Fixing the copper on the hull in March - mad excusrion with talbot and Coliholic, mainly the final bit when the boat looked golden in the evening sunshine.
3. Offshore Cannes/St tropez, with Learner sobering up and wondering why he was on board
4 Discovering new-to-us med ports Toulon, Alicante, Gibraltar, Cartagena.
5. Racing jimi and zefender in the solent.
6. Discovering burgundyben had chucked diesel over the cool dude at lisbon and setting off into sunset and gentle atlantic rollers.
7. Driving thru 2 nights up Portugal coast and thru Biscay
8. Crosschannel partying in flat calm at 27 knots
9. Taking 2 weeks just visiting Deauville and St Vaast, beach, rockpools.
10. Westcountry - anchoring in Dartmouth, Plymouth, Salcombe
11. Long evenings with friends in St Peter port, and a mental 30-knot boat trip with Depsol around Herm.

Probly lots of other bits too

Bad bits
1. Endlessly arguing with a dodgy shipping company who agreed to turn up in April, but then delayed a month.
2. Wild weather and rain off Cartagena, and again near Gibraltar
3. Electrical failures in sotogrande, and buying new batteries in UK doesn't seem to have done much good.
4. Alarms going off in various places at various times, mostly for no reason.
5. Engine blowing up when just out of warranty
6. Copper not working at all.





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[duncan]

General -
Good bits were early in the year and July/August were crap
Specifics -
Mercury bash weekend was great start
Swanage Fireworks (at least 8 forum boats including Baltic Air!)
Scuttlebutt weekend in Weymouth was a hooot.....
Weekend in Newtown Creek with Col Geoffs Happy et al last month was, I suspect, the great finish.

On the bad side 2 aborted channel crossings and the wasps ruined the Banks Arms for us this year too - kids/wasps don't mix to deliver tranquility!

Back to fishing for the next 5 months, a couple of months R&R then off we go again!

<hr width=100% size=1>madesco madidum ..../forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Wiggo]

Getting laid off from work on the Thursday, and going straight to the boat. Took the father-in-law along, fuelled up and lunched in Yarmouth and ended up rafted up in Newtown Creek for the night. Getting quietly sozzled with the guy from the cat next to us, then waking up with brilliant sunshine, flat calm, and the father-in-law having just landed a small bass on the swim platform.

Went over to East Head for lunch, met up with Hagrid, and went up to Mercury for the night. Met up with Nick and Joanne, and went out up Southampton Water to watch the Queens leave together.

As we were heading back home on the Sunday night, the look on my father-in-law's face made me realise just how lucky we are to be able to go boating.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/graham.wignall/boats/eulimene600x800.jpg>The old and the new</A>

 

[PhilF]

cor, I forgot Cowes week, helming the Moody 60 to IOW and then there was that Fishing trip................and the day I picked up my new Boat

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[Andrew_Fanner]

4 fathom channel so flat that whisky glasses could be left unattended (barring the attention they require) on the dash.

Fretting about a night passage down the Thames and then finding it to be a piece of cake, seeing dawn through Tower Bridge and the whole thing being a rosy pink.

Children shouting "Faster"

<hr width=100% size=1>Two beers please, my friend is paying.

 

[DavidJ]

Took the whole of May out to bring boat from Rome to Barcelona around the Italian and French rivieras. No crowds, flat seas, sunshine, cheap off season friendly marinas. absolutly fantastic.
The downside was the 100 mile Gulf of Lion which should have been a f2-3 and ended up a f6-7 for 2 hours right in the middle (I'll go around next time!)
The other down was over £1000 of fuel used however not much cost on top of that for an amazing experience.


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[Capt_Marlinspike]

The best this year was arriving in Dartmouth under a full moon at 4am.
What a dramatic entrance it is at night. Cliffs rising both sides and the castle dominating the entrance. One of those things you only experience from a boat.

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[studgies]

Hmm, Mercury meet was a laugh
Day Skipper course was a great success and the week off after it at easter messing about in the quiet Solent in great weather was bliss!
Several calm balmy nights at Newtown Creek drinking wine and feeling very lucky!

Last trip out started well, went out with friends and bounced half way to Newtown till we all started to hurt so turned back and had a great night on the Hamble....till Jim fell off the forward berth while making it up and did his best to smash his shoulder!! (honest he was only a little drunk!) Next morning Jim was in agony so we made our way very gingerly back to the Itchen, noting how difficult engaging and disengaging gear on the stbd engine was. Had to take Jim to A&E to make sure he was ok, which he was then back to investigate the gear issue.........bad end to season, leg full of water and rebuild required!

Over all, great 1st full season in the South and we WILL fix the leg and we will be back for more so watch out!!


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[Dave_Snelson]

Season started well and went down hill with bad weather and high winds. Still got out on the boat. There was one good and memorable day where we motored to Abersoch via Pwllheli and stayed all day. Took food wine and beer a-plenty. We also caught the water taxi to South Caernarfon Yacht Club and met up with friends. The sun shone all day and the sea was nice and calm. Magic.

Currently one engine down with a knackered raw water pump and the spares are on back order with Volvo. No sooner get it fixed, I'll be craning out

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[itsonlymoney]

Not more probs Dave ?
Tell me how is the canopy after a bit of use.
Ian

<hr width=100% size=1>Play the best game you can with the cards you've been dealt ! ! !

 

[milltech]

I know you're getting old Roy, but August?

<hr width=100% size=1>John
http://www.on-line-marine.com

 

[Althorne]

It's the bloody memory again John. When was it? And don't say last year 'cause I know it wasn't - I think. Trouble is enjoyed it so much it seems like only yesterday.
Boo-hoo./forums/images/icons/frown.gif

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[milltech]

I don't know either, but Thames Estuary, May? Failed attempt at France may have been August.


<hr width=100% size=1>John
http://www.on-line-marine.com

 

[powerskipper]

well' has been a good season so far, met lots of nice people and had some great days on the water driving different types of boats. Long may it continue.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/>http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/</A>
Julie

 

[Solitaire]

"Season" What's that? Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring, they are the only ones I know and I boat in all of em!

<hr width=100% size=1>Boating is <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.powerboattraininguk.co.uk>Serious Fun</A>

 

[EME]

Magical Season

I've had a great time. Strangely the season appears to be finishing down in Med France as well. This is really weird given that the wether today is about 30 degrees C, the sea is flat calm and sea temperature is allegedly 26 degrees.

However there were VERY few boats out today ... shame. Last weekend which was a scorcher was 'deserted' too.

The highlight of my year has of course been the fact that I have yet again avoided buying a boat but managed to get some wonderful sea-days in. Thanks guys/ladies/folks/little ones for putting up with me!! .... ( and to the miserable rental companies who rip me off, one day I'll wreck their boats)

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[Geoffs]

Not quit as good as last year, but have had some great trips, starting with the Mercury bash and finishing up with a highlight, downing bacon and eggs in Col's cockpit one sunny Sunday morn., in Newtown Creek, superbly cooked by Mrs Col.

Also had a couple of good trips right up to Beaulieu and down to Weymouth with Roman Baths (Tony & Anne).

Then there was Swanage fireworks, and trips to Lulworth, BBQ's, etc., etc., but never got to the Bankes's once.

Looking foreward to the gathering at Wareham now, and maybe Poole in December, if we do that again - got more lights this year!



<hr width=100% size=1>Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'