ex-Gladys
Well-Known Member
I\'m baaacckk...
Not been here for a while, as until last week I was coming home and turning straight round to go out, work on the boat for 3-4 hours, come home , go to bed and be up for 0500 next day - all to get the headlining fifnished. Well last Saturday week, it was finally completed; Sunday was spent cleaning all the cack from that exercise out, and Monday I loaded all the gear back on (in the pouring rain).
Not wanting to tempt fate there were a couple of jobs I hadn't done such as collect the sails so I took last Friday off, and did all that... in the pouring rain again! WIth two very truncated seasons (due to the accident she had on the mooring) it was good to be on her "relatively" early in the season, and I decided that the final deck wash down could wait because We Were Going Sailing. The rain meant it would be a single handed trip, so I got up early, and down to the hard for the first launch out.
I'd "passage planned" a trip to the Roach in my head (and on the GPS) but was very happy to take it as it came. The lovely weather diodn't put me off and for the first time in nearly two years we were off with a clean bottom!
Well Gkadys didn't disappoint. Despite the rain ( not even the chicken shed could keep me dry) we were off.
A pretty brisk broad reach down river had us charging through the Spitway in double quick time. Hardening up, it looked like we'd lay the Roach OK, and we stormed up the Crouch in fine stuyle, touching 9 knots over the ground. Got a bit hard nosed and could have done with a reef, but I'd tangled the reefing lines up, so it was hold on and press on.
We managed to avoid the wreck near the mouth of the Roach, and a way in I decided tgo drop the sails, motor up to Paglesham to see what was what. Ii spoke to a friend from the RSA who was planning to spend the night in Yokesfleet, so I decided to do the same. a bimble around to find the deepest part, and the anchor was over the sharp end, we were swinging nicely. 28.7 miles in 4 hours.... A doze and some food later, and the RSA types made their appearance, and a very convivial eveneing was had aboard.
I planned to leave on Sunday by 0800, as there wasn't really much water in the Yokesfleet - at leas tthe last hour of the ebb we were in mud) and coffee and bacon sarnies did the mornign trick before I use dthe SL windlass for the first time in anger.
It was a much quieter sail back, although there was an ohmigawd moment when we ploughed the ground about a boat length north of ROn Pipe (who said there was 3 m of watrer there????) and it also was a bit skinny through the spitway, which we motored because the wind was on the nose. Bearing away a bit, the sail back up the Blackwater was OK, but the wind was taking off, so the last mile to the Nass was done under engine...
Now, do I delay washing the decks again this weekend.... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I think I might
Not been here for a while, as until last week I was coming home and turning straight round to go out, work on the boat for 3-4 hours, come home , go to bed and be up for 0500 next day - all to get the headlining fifnished. Well last Saturday week, it was finally completed; Sunday was spent cleaning all the cack from that exercise out, and Monday I loaded all the gear back on (in the pouring rain).
Not wanting to tempt fate there were a couple of jobs I hadn't done such as collect the sails so I took last Friday off, and did all that... in the pouring rain again! WIth two very truncated seasons (due to the accident she had on the mooring) it was good to be on her "relatively" early in the season, and I decided that the final deck wash down could wait because We Were Going Sailing. The rain meant it would be a single handed trip, so I got up early, and down to the hard for the first launch out.
I'd "passage planned" a trip to the Roach in my head (and on the GPS) but was very happy to take it as it came. The lovely weather diodn't put me off and for the first time in nearly two years we were off with a clean bottom!
Well Gkadys didn't disappoint. Despite the rain ( not even the chicken shed could keep me dry) we were off.
A pretty brisk broad reach down river had us charging through the Spitway in double quick time. Hardening up, it looked like we'd lay the Roach OK, and we stormed up the Crouch in fine stuyle, touching 9 knots over the ground. Got a bit hard nosed and could have done with a reef, but I'd tangled the reefing lines up, so it was hold on and press on.
We managed to avoid the wreck near the mouth of the Roach, and a way in I decided tgo drop the sails, motor up to Paglesham to see what was what. Ii spoke to a friend from the RSA who was planning to spend the night in Yokesfleet, so I decided to do the same. a bimble around to find the deepest part, and the anchor was over the sharp end, we were swinging nicely. 28.7 miles in 4 hours.... A doze and some food later, and the RSA types made their appearance, and a very convivial eveneing was had aboard.
I planned to leave on Sunday by 0800, as there wasn't really much water in the Yokesfleet - at leas tthe last hour of the ebb we were in mud) and coffee and bacon sarnies did the mornign trick before I use dthe SL windlass for the first time in anger.
It was a much quieter sail back, although there was an ohmigawd moment when we ploughed the ground about a boat length north of ROn Pipe (who said there was 3 m of watrer there????) and it also was a bit skinny through the spitway, which we motored because the wind was on the nose. Bearing away a bit, the sail back up the Blackwater was OK, but the wind was taking off, so the last mile to the Nass was done under engine...
Now, do I delay washing the decks again this weekend.... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I think I might
