Jomo
Well-Known Member
Limbo\'s ostend
Hello all,
a little on our Ostend trip, including some of the less impressive decisions of the skipper /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Limbo slipped Levington at 02.00 BST Friday and motored all the way to Ostend. Not much fun for the skipper, who was looking forward to a good sail, but the crew -mrs Jomo, pretty new to sailing & on her first foreign trip on a small boat, found it just to her liking. Having been warned about the fuel situation in Ostend, I emptied our spare ten ltr can into the tank just past Westhinder tower, and we arrived at Ostend with about 2/3 of a tank full.
We moored next to Beyond Reason, with our newly purchased 30m length of warp proving to be too short. A little help from Guapa, and a technique for tying bowlines quickly, shown me by my RYA coastal Skipper examiner all those years ago allowed enough extension to be added without too much drama. I origionally thought the line was short, but having read that Bernie used about 40 of her 50 meters, perhaps I hadn't ordered enough.
A very pleasant couple of days followed in Ostend, with much meeting of new friends. our particular thoughts and best wishes at the moment are with Centaurpipedreams imminent trip.
Sunday morning appeared with dire forecasts for Monday, so the majority of crews left for home. We decided to wait out the storm in Ostend, as we didn't have to be back 'till Thursday. Numerous forecasts all showed NE F5/6 for Tuesday, just perfect for a reach back to Harwich, so I didn't fill up the fuel tank. A bad decision.
02.15 tuesday we slipped Montgomery dock, and then promptly waited for the 30 minutes for the lights to turn Green. They were green when we slipped, but turned Red as we headed for the exit - Sods Law. Finally, 20mins after the Ramsgate ferry had docked I radioed port control who had forgotten to turn them back to green ! Exited Ostend at 03.00, having wasted 45 mins of precious fuel.
No dramas across the TSSs, but no wind. Prayed agin, no wind, checked the fuel, no wind, had a cup of T, no wind. About 4 miles short of Long sand Head the engine started to loose revs, and I shut her off, no wind! After about 15mins to check our drift, I was about to call up the coast guard to request assistance when there was a breath of the long hoped for wind. We got 1 knot through the water, 1.5, 2, stopped drifting on the tide, 3, 4 knots, at last, some luck, we could sail in !!!
Half an hour later, the fog comes in /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Still, we're making our course, we can sail in. Fog gets thicker. Went past S Cork bouy only just spotted her, and were .15 NMs away. Wind increasing.
Approached Harwich as the harbour was running on 1 way shipping traffic due to poor Vis, and we were beating in. checked with VTS, and sailed in. The plan was to sail on to one of the Mooring bouys, and fetch Diesel from SYH in the morning, but Mr Sod had 1 last visitation to make.
Having got past trinity docks, on the final beat upriver, saw a tug & tow behind, and had to tack out of her way, miss judged the river edge and grounded. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Mrs Jomo finally lost SOH! even worse when I told her I'd have to go over the side to make sure the anchor was set ready for re-float. On the plus side it was an hour before low so should'nt lean too much, and should'nt have to wait too long. On the down side, we could see SYH! Watched Guapa motor past in the murk about an hour after grounding, with some jealousy at the time, assuming they we be comfortably moored in 15 mins - how wrong can you be.
Floated off at 01.45, risked the last of our diesel and motored completely uneventfully into SYH, another cup of tea, and bed by 03.00, just before the thunderstorm.
Good Points:
1. boat well prpepared and gave no trouble at all
2. Good time in Ostend
3. Some Good new Friends
4. Practice at navigation in thick fog and rain under sail.
5. Practice at grounding and refloating techniques at night in fog - thank God for east coast mud
Bad points
1. The Skipper is an idiot, and should have ensured enough fuel for the full return journey if necessary, not risked the wind arriving in time!
2. I'd have picked much better sailing weather for Mrs Jomo's first crossing - but I suppose she's got to learn that there is bad as well as good in sailing
Apologies for the long winded, especially for a habitual lurker like me, post, I thought I'd confess all.
Surprisingly, the grin is back on Mrs Jomo's face, and she seems to be willing to come again!
Hello all,
a little on our Ostend trip, including some of the less impressive decisions of the skipper /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Limbo slipped Levington at 02.00 BST Friday and motored all the way to Ostend. Not much fun for the skipper, who was looking forward to a good sail, but the crew -mrs Jomo, pretty new to sailing & on her first foreign trip on a small boat, found it just to her liking. Having been warned about the fuel situation in Ostend, I emptied our spare ten ltr can into the tank just past Westhinder tower, and we arrived at Ostend with about 2/3 of a tank full.
We moored next to Beyond Reason, with our newly purchased 30m length of warp proving to be too short. A little help from Guapa, and a technique for tying bowlines quickly, shown me by my RYA coastal Skipper examiner all those years ago allowed enough extension to be added without too much drama. I origionally thought the line was short, but having read that Bernie used about 40 of her 50 meters, perhaps I hadn't ordered enough.
A very pleasant couple of days followed in Ostend, with much meeting of new friends. our particular thoughts and best wishes at the moment are with Centaurpipedreams imminent trip.
Sunday morning appeared with dire forecasts for Monday, so the majority of crews left for home. We decided to wait out the storm in Ostend, as we didn't have to be back 'till Thursday. Numerous forecasts all showed NE F5/6 for Tuesday, just perfect for a reach back to Harwich, so I didn't fill up the fuel tank. A bad decision.
02.15 tuesday we slipped Montgomery dock, and then promptly waited for the 30 minutes for the lights to turn Green. They were green when we slipped, but turned Red as we headed for the exit - Sods Law. Finally, 20mins after the Ramsgate ferry had docked I radioed port control who had forgotten to turn them back to green ! Exited Ostend at 03.00, having wasted 45 mins of precious fuel.
No dramas across the TSSs, but no wind. Prayed agin, no wind, checked the fuel, no wind, had a cup of T, no wind. About 4 miles short of Long sand Head the engine started to loose revs, and I shut her off, no wind! After about 15mins to check our drift, I was about to call up the coast guard to request assistance when there was a breath of the long hoped for wind. We got 1 knot through the water, 1.5, 2, stopped drifting on the tide, 3, 4 knots, at last, some luck, we could sail in !!!
Half an hour later, the fog comes in /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Still, we're making our course, we can sail in. Fog gets thicker. Went past S Cork bouy only just spotted her, and were .15 NMs away. Wind increasing.
Approached Harwich as the harbour was running on 1 way shipping traffic due to poor Vis, and we were beating in. checked with VTS, and sailed in. The plan was to sail on to one of the Mooring bouys, and fetch Diesel from SYH in the morning, but Mr Sod had 1 last visitation to make.
Having got past trinity docks, on the final beat upriver, saw a tug & tow behind, and had to tack out of her way, miss judged the river edge and grounded. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Mrs Jomo finally lost SOH! even worse when I told her I'd have to go over the side to make sure the anchor was set ready for re-float. On the plus side it was an hour before low so should'nt lean too much, and should'nt have to wait too long. On the down side, we could see SYH! Watched Guapa motor past in the murk about an hour after grounding, with some jealousy at the time, assuming they we be comfortably moored in 15 mins - how wrong can you be.
Floated off at 01.45, risked the last of our diesel and motored completely uneventfully into SYH, another cup of tea, and bed by 03.00, just before the thunderstorm.
Good Points:
1. boat well prpepared and gave no trouble at all
2. Good time in Ostend
3. Some Good new Friends
4. Practice at navigation in thick fog and rain under sail.
5. Practice at grounding and refloating techniques at night in fog - thank God for east coast mud
Bad points
1. The Skipper is an idiot, and should have ensured enough fuel for the full return journey if necessary, not risked the wind arriving in time!
2. I'd have picked much better sailing weather for Mrs Jomo's first crossing - but I suppose she's got to learn that there is bad as well as good in sailing
Apologies for the long winded, especially for a habitual lurker like me, post, I thought I'd confess all.
Surprisingly, the grin is back on Mrs Jomo's face, and she seems to be willing to come again!
