half way through the year - have you sailed enough?

[dylanwinter]

It is half way through the year

have you sailed enough yet?

I am having a lovely summer

but the more I sail the more I want to sail

it is becoming a serious addiction

heading back to Oban on Sunday for another round

not sure yet if Jill is coming with me of if she will be devoting a week or two to Wimbledon

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Glad you are having a great summer.

Do you keep a log ?

If so, how many miles have you done this year ?

 

[SiteSurfer]

I must admit to sailing less than I anticipated when i bought the boat, which I understand is fairly normal.

On all but one occasion this year the weather has conspired to reduce my week long cruise to 2 days, so the allocated 4 weeks of sailing has actually translated to a week - not nearly as much as I want/need for experience purposes. I envy your time Dylan.

 

[dylanwinter]

Glad you are having a great summer.

Do you keep a log ?

If so, how many miles have you done this year ?

we don't keep a proper log I do not trust the paddle wheel jobbie and the GPS is not running all the time so anything I say is a guess

550 from falmouth to crinan

but I sailed all winter around the Fal area and have been doing a fair bit around the Mull area

I would guess about 1500

but when Jill and the dog are with me five to ten mile days are far from uuncommon

 

[RupertW]

So far we have sailed much more than normal by this time of year due to a gap between contracts so out to Greece 5 times since the beginning of February for a few days each time and sailed the last 3 times. Also got the little old boat on the South Coast back in seaworthy condition and took it out for a sail for the first time in 6 years just before I got a new contract.
So a cruise around the Sporades and even better another around the very beautiful but deserted bays around Halkadiki.

And two more trips out booked totalling 4 weeks before we put the boat up on the hard in September. For us that's a lot of sailing in a working year.

 

[Kelpie]

Despite SWMBO and I having no work commitment for this year, which will never happen again (well until we retire in many decades time) the boat has left the mooring once only, and that was under motor to do some maintenance.
It's incredibly frustrating.

 

[John 32i]

As Dylan says 'the more you sail the more you want to sail' ... we have spent 10 nights aboard, sailed 8 straight days and plenty of other day sails plus just eating, drinking and pottering on board....it's never enough but hey hopefully we still have more to come; potentially 3 more months...maybe...???

 

[Allergy]

Dylan!
Must you torment us with these boaty & scenic snaps. Grrrr!
I haven't been sailing at all this year.

 

[steve yates]

a week singlehanded in May, from Cumbria to iom, and down to port st Mary.
Back to work then another week from iom over to Ireland and up, got a mate for the last two days, a day up to rathlin from glenarm and another day over to islay. Work again then another week, with same mate, islay to gigha, via the Ardmore islands and skerries, gigha to loch na Ceille, there to Jura, then through sound of islay and over to colonsay, then a bumpy ride north to easdaleharbour, and a great finale north from there past Oban into loch linnhe to moor at shuna, port appin.
Back in work now and really can't be arsed. Want to be back on the boat sailing and exploring, but need to wait till 3rd July, then have 2 weeks, and be singlehanded again. ( quite a good thing on a boat that size )

 

[dylanwinter]

Dylan!
Must you torment us with these boaty & scenic snaps. Grrrr!
I haven't been sailing at all this year.

I think the pictures look all the better for it when there is some movement in the frame

I think watching a sunset while sailing is much more interesting than when observed from the shore

I also think that the fifteen seconds of film with the classic wooden boat leaning to the wind but staying in perfect balance is better than any number of stills

It is a fabulous place to sail and an amazing place for a cameraman to spend time

However, there are times when the weather goes tits up for a week or so and then you understand the price of that beauty

currently at home near Oxford where it is a good seven degrees warmer than Oban

I am going back on Sunday - and plan to spend a week dodging showers

but the skies will continue to be amazing

 

[jamie N]

5 or 6 nights aboard, and sailing about 4 or 5 times a week; generally down to Chanonry Point to annoy some Dolphins.
This morning, after staying the night in Cromarty, I was motoring back to Fortrose, nursing a tiny wee hangover with a cup of coffee, when a Dolphin decided to splash me, straight into my coffee mug! Ba5tard thing!! When you need a coffee, you NEED it bad.

 

[FairweatherDave]

I have sailed nowhere near enough but I'm really happy the way the half-term weather panned out and we got the whole family aboard (six of us) for four nights. A great blast to Beaulieu in a force 5 northerly and a motor right up as far as you can go. Then a night in a marina at Cowes (getting over berthing phobia) via Yarmouth and finally East Head and the best swimming. Now looking forward to getting to Poole later in the summer and collecting my daughter off some pontoon when she starts her first proper job there. Corr, escaping the Solent and sussing sea horses!

 

[xyachtdave]

I've drawn the short straw at our yacht club and organise cruising events.

What I've learned over the past couple of years is that 'lets go sailing' weather means widely different things to different people!

If I can't get F3-4 wind from the beam and bright sunshine organised the numbers are down. Not forgetting of course a tide time that allows for a leisurely breakfast and departure at 10.30 am.

The last bank holiday and 1/2 term week is a great example of how difficult it is to get 'good' weather to match your holidays, a F6 Northerly in the Thames Estuary isn't bikini weather like the adverts in the back of YM.

 

[Achillesheel]

I retired on 31st March, boat went into the water on 3rd April, and I've used it twice since.

"Don't know how I had time to go to work"

 

[sailorman]

I've drawn the short straw at our yacht club and organise cruising events.

What I've learned over the past couple of years is that 'lets go sailing' weather means widely different things to different people!

If I can't get F3-4 wind from the beam and bright sunshine organised the numbers are down. Not forgetting of course a tide time that allows for a leisurely breakfast and departure at 10.30 am.

The last bank holiday and 1/2 term week is a great example of how difficult it is to get 'good' weather to match your holidays, a F6 Northerly in the Thames Estuary isn't bikini weather like the adverts in the back of YM.

FMYC manage a record 7 yachts to the Oostende voor Anker this year

 

[Storyline]

The answer to the question is a definite NO !

Our sailing has changed significantly now we are based in Scotland. We were in our early 30's when we bought our bilge keeled Westerly 31 and for 10 years we were based in Liverpool and sailed every weekend from Apr to Oct - just could never get enough ! Each summer we would hack it up from Liverpool to Gigha (30hrs) and have 10 days in Gods own country. Then we would leave the boat and come back a month later for another cruise and then sail home.

After 10 years we got fed up of the sail down the Mersey to get anywhere so relocated to North Wales but kept up the annual Scottish summer. After 5 years of Wales we decided a 6 hour drive to Scotland was the way forward so moved the boat north. Now we just get 6 weeks a year on board as that is all the holidays my co-skipper can get I really, really miss having the boat a 5 minute drive away - just to spend time messing around and doing jobs on board. (game plan in place to remedy this )

This is our 28th summer on the west coast and I reckon in that time we have spent about 2.5 years on board exploring but we are still only scratching the surface - there are so many places still to explore ! I still get excited before each cruise (like I am now ) Just can never get enough.

 

[flaming]

Given that if I'd sailed every day this year, I'd probably describe the amount of sailing as "not enough" and that I have actually sailed 6 days so far. Plus due to family holidays and weddings I'm not sailing until the last weekend in July...

I'd have to say no, I'm not at all impressed with the way this season is shaping up.
August has a lot riding on it!

 

[xyachtdave]

FMYC manage a record 7 yachts to the Oostende voor Anker this year

You went a few days earlier though I thought?

I have a day job still Roger!

 

[SeaUrchin9]

Haven't sailed at all this seaon - booo! Bought a new boat sep 15 and took her out for th winter where I bought her; visting her in the bright light of spring with a more pragmatic eye, I realised she needed a lot more doing than previous owner suggested. She is a loving work in progress but I aim to get her round the coast to the south east by the end of the season. Got to sail her once this year!

Seeing as June has been so ghastly I'm hoping for a late summer surge - is there such a thing as a sun dance??

 

[dylanwinter]

Haven't sailed at all this seaon - booo! Bought a new boat sep 15 and took her out for th winter where I bought her; visting her in the bright light of spring with a more pragmatic eye, I realised she needed a lot more doing than previous owner suggested. She is a loving work in progress but I aim to get her round the coast to the south east by the end of the season. Got to sail her once this year!

Seeing as June has been so ghastly I'm hoping for a late summer surge - is there such a thing as a sun dance??

sail now fix later