drewstwos
Well-Known Member
BRITZA behaved beautifully. Kawasaki..well. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I will draw a curtain over the SIBS doings, because there is a tale of Derring Do I must relate.
Suffice it to say that SWMBO and I had arranged months ago to meet Kawasaki and Enid for the Preview Day of SIBS, then to drive back to his place in Llanfairpg…(I’m not going to spell that out in full yet) so that we could have a couple of days playing around the Menai Straits.
Britza was recovering from a really bad case of fractured prop tube, and was just being released from intensive care.
However, on the appointed day the weather was crap, after the glorious time at SIBS too, so we had to wait until the next day, Monday for things to calm down a bit.
On board. K, his brother John and me. (Swmbos to be collected later if all went well)
Then the big trailer with Britza on slid, dare I say gracefully down a steep shingle beach and into the water. Yes we had to go down that,,t hough they did clear the obstacles away,
Here we stopped with half the hull in the water to see if the stern gland was watertight. It was. But there was a very nasty leak around the rudder stock. One of the gang rowed out to us
, and vanished down into the bowels and after some time the leak was stopped.
The engine had been fired up to check the gears etc, but at last we were freed from the trailer,,, yes, we had been still firmly roped to the trailer,, just in case we had to be dragged out again…and at last we were free to go slowly away to check it all out.
A few minor glitches such as a bit of vibration that cured itself, and then open the throttle and off we went.
I was in a learning curve as my own boat is now undergoing a heart transplant. Changing the old Perkins 50 hp for 160 hp worth of ‘Get up and Go’ I needed to learn about the correct use of Trin Tabs, you don’t need them at the 6 kt gallop I had been used to.
Then I was put at the helm and off we went to the Swellies.
Now that was very interesting. Given terse instructions like Aim for that white rock on the bank there, and keep those two vertical white bits in line…. Of course the sun was blazing from dead ahead, which made it rather difficult to see the aforementioned marks.
But I made it in grand style… well grand for me. And then back again in the opposite direction, This time I could at least see the marks. All tremendous fun. The tide was falling fast and that current really GOES.. a bit worse than the Calf Sound on the full spring tide. Gosh you do really need POWER to cope with it.
On making it back, K took over and steered us nonchalently round the back of the Swellies island,, with the houses on it. Easy when you know where all the nasty bits are. Then it started raining, so I got some pics, almost a study in light and shade, and a full width rainbow.
We motored serenly down the straits to the Caernarfon end, went in to have a close look at the castle, and back to pic up the ladies. Those little buoys are difficult at teh best od times.
They were waiting at the appointed place
so K slides us in to the pontoon and they step aboard. Oh dear,,, wind pining us on,,,and the bowthruster decided it was NOTgoing to help us. Bit of tooing and froing but we got away in the end.
The castle
entrance to THEIR marina
More fun and games, until it was time to go into the marina as the tide was falling fast.
[image] http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/d...488.jpg[/image]
It was tight, well to me it was, after a lot more room in Port St Mary. So as someone had pinched his slot we had to look for a free space. Further and further in we went, and to my mind no way to turn round, far too narrow.
Eventually we saw a space, but on trying to get into it the wind gently pushed us past it and deposited us sideways between two other boats with about 3 feet to spare at either end. Made fast, and as it was raining again we fled to the car. He he!! Not my problem getting her out again, ‘specially if the bow thruster don’t work.
We had been out for 4.5 hours and had done about 50 miles in all, so for me at least it was a wonderful experience to DO THE SWELLIES twice….(Eat yer heart out SV) and I was hoping to get an Emblazoned Certificate of Merit,,, on vellum of course. But no such luck. However SWMBO did get her passport stamped with the full eerm!!!
Llanfairpwyllgwyngychgollgerychllandrobwychllantysilliohgogogoch (Ok K you spell it)
Official visitors thingie.
And so to end the day K staggers up the gangway
Have fun boating while you can, winter will soon be upon us.
Drew..
I will draw a curtain over the SIBS doings, because there is a tale of Derring Do I must relate.
Suffice it to say that SWMBO and I had arranged months ago to meet Kawasaki and Enid for the Preview Day of SIBS, then to drive back to his place in Llanfairpg…(I’m not going to spell that out in full yet) so that we could have a couple of days playing around the Menai Straits.
Britza was recovering from a really bad case of fractured prop tube, and was just being released from intensive care.
However, on the appointed day the weather was crap, after the glorious time at SIBS too, so we had to wait until the next day, Monday for things to calm down a bit.
On board. K, his brother John and me. (Swmbos to be collected later if all went well)
Then the big trailer with Britza on slid, dare I say gracefully down a steep shingle beach and into the water. Yes we had to go down that,,t hough they did clear the obstacles away,
Here we stopped with half the hull in the water to see if the stern gland was watertight. It was. But there was a very nasty leak around the rudder stock. One of the gang rowed out to us
, and vanished down into the bowels and after some time the leak was stopped.
The engine had been fired up to check the gears etc, but at last we were freed from the trailer,,, yes, we had been still firmly roped to the trailer,, just in case we had to be dragged out again…and at last we were free to go slowly away to check it all out.
A few minor glitches such as a bit of vibration that cured itself, and then open the throttle and off we went.
I was in a learning curve as my own boat is now undergoing a heart transplant. Changing the old Perkins 50 hp for 160 hp worth of ‘Get up and Go’ I needed to learn about the correct use of Trin Tabs, you don’t need them at the 6 kt gallop I had been used to.
Then I was put at the helm and off we went to the Swellies.
Now that was very interesting. Given terse instructions like Aim for that white rock on the bank there, and keep those two vertical white bits in line…. Of course the sun was blazing from dead ahead, which made it rather difficult to see the aforementioned marks.
But I made it in grand style… well grand for me. And then back again in the opposite direction, This time I could at least see the marks. All tremendous fun. The tide was falling fast and that current really GOES.. a bit worse than the Calf Sound on the full spring tide. Gosh you do really need POWER to cope with it.
On making it back, K took over and steered us nonchalently round the back of the Swellies island,, with the houses on it. Easy when you know where all the nasty bits are. Then it started raining, so I got some pics, almost a study in light and shade, and a full width rainbow.
We motored serenly down the straits to the Caernarfon end, went in to have a close look at the castle, and back to pic up the ladies. Those little buoys are difficult at teh best od times.
They were waiting at the appointed place
so K slides us in to the pontoon and they step aboard. Oh dear,,, wind pining us on,,,and the bowthruster decided it was NOTgoing to help us. Bit of tooing and froing but we got away in the end.
The castle
entrance to THEIR marina
More fun and games, until it was time to go into the marina as the tide was falling fast.
[image] http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/d...488.jpg[/image]
It was tight, well to me it was, after a lot more room in Port St Mary. So as someone had pinched his slot we had to look for a free space. Further and further in we went, and to my mind no way to turn round, far too narrow.
Eventually we saw a space, but on trying to get into it the wind gently pushed us past it and deposited us sideways between two other boats with about 3 feet to spare at either end. Made fast, and as it was raining again we fled to the car. He he!! Not my problem getting her out again, ‘specially if the bow thruster don’t work.
We had been out for 4.5 hours and had done about 50 miles in all, so for me at least it was a wonderful experience to DO THE SWELLIES twice….(Eat yer heart out SV) and I was hoping to get an Emblazoned Certificate of Merit,,, on vellum of course. But no such luck. However SWMBO did get her passport stamped with the full eerm!!!
Llanfairpwyllgwyngychgollgerychllandrobwychllantysilliohgogogoch (Ok K you spell it)
Official visitors thingie.
And so to end the day K staggers up the gangway
Have fun boating while you can, winter will soon be upon us.
Drew..
