Impressed, well I think I am....

[david_e]

...as I was putting the inflatable away and generally tyding up the boat after a great weeks holiday at Pwllheli, when one of the marina staff came down to help a visitor berth up as it was blowing quite hard. Said boat, a rather well used Pandora, was being sailed single handed. I went to help as well although he coped OK on his own and had a chat with him, thinking he might be one of the local Pandora fleet from Abersoch a few miles away. No, he had come up from somewhere near Bristol! His solar panel was not working so had no electrics, didn't bother with autohelm but gained sleep by setting a fair sail trim, fixing the rudder with a couple of bungee cords and then set a wind up kitchen clock to wake him up after 30 minutes. No mod cons everthing basic, very pleasant guy, who now has his 10 year daughter taking compass bearings for him when she goes along. Where to next I asked? Well Ireland somewhere he said, not too bothered as long as he was back for the 13th July, his wedding anniversary!! Great stuff and a great spirit, quite different from the day before when an old friend visited in his newish First 47.7, brimming with all the latest gear and sails, still he has invited me to sail the boat to Cork week so can't wait for that.

 

[poter]

Re: Impressed, so was I....

David,
got another one for you.....
I was on an overnight mooring in Dartmouth 2 weeks ago and a rather beaten up 30' moody rafted alongside. I was very suprised to see 1 elderly gentleman (well a lot older than I am, and I'm no spring chick) at the helm with two elderly crew. We helped them to moor alongside and got chatting. They had just come in from Weymouth and were making for Portsmouth, we had a few beers and I asked them what their final destination was ' Oh the skip' replied quite nonchalantly
'Italy and then maybe the Far East'
I have to explain that on closer inspection the yacht was extremely well fitted out with all the add on’s for blue water cruising but only basic electronics. The skip turned out to be in his 80's and his crew in there 70's

It just goes to show that you can do it if you want to.

Good luck to them and I am sure they will make it.

poter.

 

[escape]

Re:me too

No doubt there will be a few descenters....C'ant keep a proper watch etc...but for me this is what sailing is about.Freedom.
I'm fortunate to have a new well kitted boat and an exellent co skipper ( wife) but we started on a Jaguar 25 with reluctant out board and trailing log.
When we bought a Dinghy Decca in about 1985 we thought we had really made it into the techno age.
Incidentally our old Jag is in Pwllheli still with the chap who bought it from us in 1987.We met him at anchor in Llanbedrog a couple of weeks back.Still happy but thinking of trading up to a 29 footer. He'd replaced the outboard bye the way..twice.
Hope ownership goes well
regards

 

[rogerroger]

Re: Impressed, so was I....

Weymouth to Portsmouth ... VIA Dartmouth??

I'd have to question their nav skills if sailing to the Far East!

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[jimi]

Re: Impressed, so was I....

Probably just a touch of senile dementia ...

 

[sailbadthesinner]

I drove a friend over to Peelyweely looking for boats ( its what we call it ,sorry) on Tuesday of the Jubillee. Gorgous weather crisp breeze bright sun. overheard someone saying they weren't going out cos they heard it was rough. Was it? are there some rough spots out by the headland maybe if coming from Anglesey? didn't get a right good look but it looked fine to me, certainly not rough.

If it Cooks Flys or Floats, Rent it.

 

[rogerroger]

Re: Impressed, so was I....

or that overwhelming desire to round Portland Bill (twice) that we all have!!

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Impressed, so was I....

Portsmouth Plymouth. Big ports, both start with a p and end with an h, both got lots of grey ships, both on the English Channel. Easy to confuse.

 

[vyv_cox]

Bardsey Sound and its surroundings can be as rough as just about anywhere around the UK, except perhaps the Pentland Firth. Once through there and a mile or so further on, past Aberdaron Bay, there is almost no tide and the only roughness is wind driven. However, in a good south-westerly the fetch is quite considerable, I guess the first land in that direction must be northern Spain, so waves can build up. Hell's Mouth, two bays around from Abersoch, is an excellent surf beach with swells in the right direction. In a north westerly it's a nice smooth ride in the shelter of the Lleyn Peninsula.

 

[poter]

OOPS My fault Plymouth...

My senile dementure??? or was it the Laphroige??



poter

 

[Guest]

Re: Impressed, so was I....

Don't think anyone in Guzz or Pompey would be very impressed with that one, Ken

 

[Gunfleet]

Re: Impressed, so was I....

This obsession with going everywhere by the direct route is what lets the side down in cruising. If they'd wanted to go by a direct route they'd have taken a bus, Roger. ;-)

 

[rogerroger]

Re: Impressed, so was I....

I find getting the boat on the bus a real pain though - the drivers make such a fuss about it these days! ;-))



Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk