is it cheating...

[nathanlee]

to sail around Britain on the autopilot


The weather man was wrong, I'm getting SE so there's a bit of sea. Was supposed to be SW last night, but they've changed their mind this morning. Veering N later (great!).

It's chucking it down, and I was getting bored, so I've put the AP on and come below to hide. 6.8 miles south of Coquet Island, and on the internet. Joy!

Ooh, it's clearing up a little bit. I can actually make out a coastline now.

 

[nathanlee]

Actually, I only started this thread for a bit of a natter, but I've noticed a useful observation.

If I look where we're going from the cockpit, the autopilot seems to have sod all control of the boat as the waves it, but down below, if I ignore that, we're actually following the gps route perfectly over half mile track marks. Well I never.

 

[benjenbav]

That'd be because it's working!!!

 

[bobgoode]

Not cheating at all. Found that to be a long boring bit of coast with not much to see.

 

[Pye_End]

cheat

to sail around Britain on the autopilot

Yes. Go back and do that bit again.

The south east does seem to have an easier time from the weather than most of the rest of the UK, so going 'up north' does seem to allow you to fresh water rinse your sails and waterproofs more often - assuming you go outside of course.

My autohelm is one of those where the head is mounted on the bulkhead, and the ram on the tiller, so it is quite possible to do trip from the comfort of the cabin. Useful particularly when its cold.

So how far do you think you will get before winter sets on, or are you intending to keep plugging round even when the snow is on the ground, and the freezing winds bite through you as you clear the Scottish mountains?

 

[nathanlee]

So how far do you think you will get before winter sets on, or are you intending to keep plugging round even when the snow is on the ground, and the freezing winds bite through you as you clear the Scottish mountains?

Well, in all honesty, I'm going to have to get to Preston so I can get a job and pay back some of the monsterous debt I'm now in. If I didn't have that worry, I'd probably stay on the boat in Scotland over winter and get my climbing gear posted up. Ice axes at the ready!

 

[sarabande]

have you not heard of the dreaded magnetic anomaly round Coquet Isalnd ? Complete reversal of all magnetism, permanently affecting boat compasses.

It's not unknown for boats sailing northward to end up in the South of France by mistake. We will send you some sun cream.























No, s*d it. Keep going northwards and enjoy it.

 

[aslabend]

Not cheating at all, just make the most of it while you have one..... the crafty little sods have a habit of packing up just when you want them.