Independence | Upadates & Cruising

[jrudge]

Dear oh dear - the boards forum gives a detailed blog of happenings and runs to 60 odd pages.

The weather looks pretty bad. Thank goodness all that is giving problems is the auto helm and generator.

All over in a few hours when they reach port. The remaining crew seem pretty unwell


QUOTE

Sorry for no updates. Had my hands full. Proper rough seas earlier, still somewhat of a nuisance now but improved to about yesterday’s level. 5 crew onboard, 1 completely out of it, 2 more were sick earlier but have recovered and now operational again. Auto pilot packed up hours ago so manual helming. Generator not delivering 240v either so no dongle AIS or backup electronics. No chuffin kettle - if I was brave enough

Have been making poor progress due to having to back off. Now up to SOG 9knt+ on the limit for current conditions.

Could not film earlier too rough

When I get home I will sleep for a week - oops - work stops that one

Griff

 

[wellf100]

looks like they are charging along at 14knts now. Nearly there. Sounds like Robin has had a rough time....just posted this on the other forum...

I’ve been posting the Forums Facebook Groupas it’s easier from my phone. However here is the post from this morning and an update video for you all here too?

“Yesterday during the height of the rough seas I experienced something I have never had before: An anxiety attack.

I went from being rational and fine and on the helm to no use whatsoever and found myself unable to focus. I ended up alone in my cabin feeling pretty helpless. It was not so much a fear, more something that I had no control over and the feeling, sound and motion in such seas I’d never been in before that kept on and on and worse my reaction to this was to almost shut down.

As time went on I began to feel better and was able once off the coast of Folkestone to regain some normality and assist as we came into Dover.

It’s a hard thing to admit and now deal with when you experience such and have little control over it. The thing was it breads itself. So then you fear another episode which causes you to turn into a spiral of worry and guilt - as if you are letting the side down (and then you get pressure on your shoulders not to) - not from other people but your own self.

The fact the seas were to be as bad as yesterday to begin and as we had another experienced crew member joining the boat at Dover, I took the decision after talking to all involved to either leave the boat and wait for calmer weather which I would do or should the crew feel able and happy to go on I would be happy to trust them in the care of the boat but I would not be joining them on this leg.

It was decided that they would continue by sea and I would get a train from Dover to London and then London to Great Yarmouth. I feel very emotional writing this because I have never known a man as confident and kind and who has the ability to lead a team and reassure everyone as Charlie Griffin praise too to Howard Griffin who has been planning our routes and adjusting courses to keep the boat and crew in the best position for the state of sea. Everyone else has been through their own ups and downs too being new to such conditions as I was and I think all being equal it was a good call to come in at Dover last night and not push on.

The latest news from the ship is the lose of Auto Helm which gives people something to do than just stand and look out of the windows hour after hour. There is about a 12ft swell on their Starboard bow.

I’m happy to be on the train and not the boat. I also hope in being open about this to the Group people will appreciate this hard decision that I took even if may seem rather an odd one. I guess times like this you find your strengths and sometimes weaknessss too.”

 

[SP2]

Reached the harbour of Great Yarmouth. Congratulations to the crew - conditions sounded awful.

 

[petem]

It's reading posts like this that makes me glad (following the advice I received here) that I stuck my boat on a truck 'door to door'. After all, it's supposed to be 'pleasure boating' not an endurance test.

Still, I bet that first pint once they've tied up will taste fantastic!

Pete

 

[wellf100]

Epic trip. Well done Robin and the team.

 

[jrudge]

It's reading posts like this that makes me glad (following the advice I received here) that I stuck my boat on a truck 'door to door'. After all, it's supposed to be 'pleasure boating' not an endurance test.

Still, I bet that first pint once they've tied up will taste fantastic!

Pete

Pete

It was the same thing exactly - new to you boat and not a great time of year ...

Given the conditions it seems on the face of it the boat has done rather well! The auto helm pump i assume gave up as it was old and working hard and the gen could be anything.

Glad all safe and sound.

The though of a 12 foot swell... no thanks.

I had probably a bigger swell than this once coming back from northern Spain ( Biscay) but it was very long - hundreds of metres ) so we just gently went up and down - but it was very odd to look out the back and see a wall of water behind you.

The pics on the other forums looked pretty bad and given the boat seemed to vanish from time to time I am sure that 12 foot is indeed realistic.

I assume Robin is buying the first round !

 

[Portofino]

It’s usually the people that crack 1st before a well built sea boat in heavey weather .

Well done ALL inc Robin -

 

[MrB]

Sounds like the two Navy guys were on the ball, got the boat home in trying conditions and didn't bat an eyelid. Respect! That was in no way a dig at Robin, i know how it feels and knowing your limits is admirable. Job done. Looking forward to the next blog editions. Well done all involved. :encouragement:

 

[jrudge]

So we seem to be the outcast group for Robin now :-(

He has posted this on the Norfolk Forum in case anyone wins the sweep stake.

"All safe and sound - finally - at my new home berth. Just had a moment to stop sorting the boat out and dealing with various things to get a chance to update all.

The total fuel used has been 2.909 litres which cost £2,835.87. "

I suspect a good percentage of that was down to the sea state

 

[MrB]

So we seem to be the outcast group for Robin now :-(

I guess this forum has served it's purpose with regards to buying a boat. The epic journey has now ended and the boat will live on a river. No idea why he wanted to upgrade all the nav gear just to sail up and down a river if it ever moves again? Oh, and after watching the video of the boat everyone on here who said she needed stabs were right.

 

[bluetooth]

He'll be back. He only docked earlier this evening when I checked his AIS. Besides he tends to post sometime later with his video footage. He has a fair bit to process ! And his reflections on the voyage will be interesting given his honesty to date.

 

[Nigelpickin]

I guess this forum has served it's purpose with regards to buying a boat. The epic journey has now ended and the boat will live on a river. No idea why he wanted to upgrade all the nav gear just to sail up and down a river if it ever moves again? Oh, and after watching the video of the boat everyone on here who said she needed stabs were right.

I’m sure he’ll be back here soon, I hope that the boat gets some use but it’s a fine home on the river for sure, if not.
Re the stabilisers, I would have waited for a 535 to come on the market with them rather than buy without but the OP is not a great listener! fair play to him tho’ - I imagine he’ll be telling us that the trip was better done in the rough weather rather than waiting a couple of days for the wind to drop and that the auto pilot breaking was all part of the learning curve; but whatever it makes for interesting reading and a great thread although I can’t help but think the title should be ‘how not to buy a boat’

 

[longjohnsilver]

Why the rush to move her? Seems a bit crazy to me to do a sea trial in a F7 outside of Plymouth breakwater and then to move her in similar conditions. Ok, no real harm done, but it could have been very different. And confidence may take some time to return.

 

[BruceK]

Great reading, sure. Grudging respect for his resolute stubbornness, sure. Disregarding advice and doing it his way, sure. Bailing when ignored advice gainsaying his hubris comes back to bite him on his bum and leaving his mates to carry the ball while he plays the sympathy card. Not so much. No foul in knowing your limits, but too much the story of Icarus imo. Not that I was any better starting out all being fair, possibly worse. I suppose its always a steep learning curve.

 

[MrB]

If anything is to come out of this it sounds like that guy Griff who helmed the boat and the other Navy guy who navigated had a great time lol. Watching them come into the river that boat looked like a right handful.

 

[markc]

Interesting read on the Norfolk Broads forum. The journey was quite epic and also not necessary in such poor conditions IMHO. Even the river stretch has seemingly been the most eventful Norfolk story for many years.... "he's coming round the bend in the river, no wait AIS says he's slowed to 3 knots... AIS hasn't updated for 14 seconds...I can't stand the excitement.... pass a sponge"

 

[MrB]

Interesting read on the Norfolk Broads forum. The journey was quite epic and also not necessary in such poor conditions IMHO. Even the river stretch has seemingly been the most eventful Norfolk story for many years.... "he's coming round the bend in the river, no wait AIS says he's slowed to 3 knots... AIS hasn't updated for 14 seconds...I can't stand the excitement.... pass a sponge"

I also found it quite "Gushing" lol :encouragement:

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Interesting read on the Norfolk Broads forum. The journey was quite epic and also not necessary in such poor conditions IMHO. Even the river stretch has seemingly been the most eventful Norfolk story for many years.... "he's coming round the bend in the river, no wait AIS says he's slowed to 3 knots... AIS hasn't updated for 14 seconds...I can't stand the excitement.... pass a sponge"

Excelllent

 

[benjenbav]

If anything is to come out of this it sounds like that guy Griff who helmed the boat and the other Navy guy who navigated had a great time lol. Watching them come into the river that boat looked like a right handful.

I doubt whether the RN runs a poll amongst crew as to whether it is a nice enough day to take the grey boats out for a wee sail. So, it was probably second nature to them to carry on regardless. Speculation up the thread as to whether one of them was a submariner: some of the pix off the E coast made me think that one of those would have been useful to have around. Anyway, I'm glad they've all emerged more or less in one piece.

 

[Piers]

Re the stabilisers, I would have waited for a 535 to come on the market with them rather than buy without but the OP is not a great listener!

We looked at a Trader 535 before settling on the Fleming. To us, the main negative was the roll and the next to useless Naid (?) stabs. They seemed to make hardly any difference at all, and the slightest swell created a significant roll. Most uncomfy.

On a photo-shoot in the Solent ages ago, the Trader we were filming rolled so much it literally threw the flybridge helmsman off the seat to the other side of the bridge. No real damage to the skipper, but 'what if?'