LizzyD
New member
Before I start this thread proper, did anyone go to Bristol this weekend? I wouldn't sail because I was frightened of the weather. I don't suppose "Derek the Weatherman" fears for his job. (Sorry English readers and assumedly TV viewers. He's a Welsh weather presenter on BBC Wales.) I couldn't have been wrongerer. We went by road and had a brilliant day. The weather was stunning and Bev and I decided that we would definitely go there next year for the regatta. I was gutted that I didn't have the bottle to go as I'm sure that we missed out on a cracking time. There were loads of stalls, food outlets, live bands, things to see and people to watch.
Anyway, to this thread! What a result! It all started a couple of weeks ago when two colleagues came into the office to see me. My mates Dave and Ray co-own a Westerly Centaur at Cardiff Yacht Club and as luck would have it, we all work together in the same department. They announced "We're going sailing...and you're coming too!" The plan - Night sail to Ilfracombe this coming weekend; Arrive at dawn for breakfast; A few beers; Early night Saturday, so we're ready to leave and anchor off for the last of the ebb; Catch the flood back home on Sunday morning; Pint in the club before going home for work Monday. Sound good? I though so too.
We gave this trip more thought and realised that this coming weekend is quite an impressive spring tide. Lizzy is a long keeled boat, but the idea of leaving the boat at anchor in a 10m tidal rise and fall in my view means that there won't be much shore leave. I daren't go ashore and leave the boat unattended. Getting on the Ilfracombe visitors mooring seems the safest option. But in order to get the boat ready, I needed to get my office work done first, as I had the dreaded quarterly returns to do for the good old Welsh Assembly Government which is as much fun as having six inch haemorrhoids.
We got up this morning to go to work at 05:00, which is the middle of the night to me! I took Bev to work down by the heliport in Cardiff. There was loads of prostitutes down there even that early in the morning! I couldn't believe it. You could almost hear the v.d. I've never seen that before in all the years I've lived here. Anyway, keeping my eyes firmly forward as I didn't want a split lip, I dropped Bev off, got into work, and got a massive amount of work done. The result? A day off this Thursday and Friday. (Thinks: "Geddin'" - As Camilla Parker Bowles might say through gritted teeth on the polo terraces.)
The anchor business at Ilfracombe has been nagging me all day, and I know Lizzy used to have beaching legs. I needed ideas, so I quickly logged onto to this forum hoping that the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service IT police didn't catch me surfing the net during work hours and report me to the Chief. I searched the forum for any threads on beaching legs. I found loads! It's given me a new confidence to get out there and get some replacements and I learned quite a bit about their use too.
I rang a marine timber merchant in Bristol and asked if they would make me some. An affirmative reply saw me arrange to go there this week to collect them. Also, my torn genoa is ready for collection from Severn Sails (thanks to all forumites who made the recommendation), so the boat will now be "match fit" for the weekend. There's no stopping us now!
I've never used boat legs before and I've no doubt that my bum cheeks will give them a lengthy round of applause if they hold as the tide goes out. I'll be ten centimeters dilated by low water and will probably hide in Ilfracombe Yacht Club until the water starts to flood. I remember when I had my first boat, the idea of crossing the Bristol Channel was terrifying. Now? I do it all of the time and rarely visit anywhere else in Wales as we seem to be hooked on Bristol and Portishead. I imagine that the same will be true of the yacht legs.
So for this trip, the crew will only be me and Bev this time. Kaiser will be staying safe with the dog-sitter for this trip. I've never done a night sail before either, so it's more of a test rather than a leisurely sail. At least the weather's good so by the weekend the sea should be smooth to slight - I hope.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted with details of the trip complete with piccys next weekend.
Take care all,
Lizzy D.
Anyway, to this thread! What a result! It all started a couple of weeks ago when two colleagues came into the office to see me. My mates Dave and Ray co-own a Westerly Centaur at Cardiff Yacht Club and as luck would have it, we all work together in the same department. They announced "We're going sailing...and you're coming too!" The plan - Night sail to Ilfracombe this coming weekend; Arrive at dawn for breakfast; A few beers; Early night Saturday, so we're ready to leave and anchor off for the last of the ebb; Catch the flood back home on Sunday morning; Pint in the club before going home for work Monday. Sound good? I though so too.
We gave this trip more thought and realised that this coming weekend is quite an impressive spring tide. Lizzy is a long keeled boat, but the idea of leaving the boat at anchor in a 10m tidal rise and fall in my view means that there won't be much shore leave. I daren't go ashore and leave the boat unattended. Getting on the Ilfracombe visitors mooring seems the safest option. But in order to get the boat ready, I needed to get my office work done first, as I had the dreaded quarterly returns to do for the good old Welsh Assembly Government which is as much fun as having six inch haemorrhoids.
We got up this morning to go to work at 05:00, which is the middle of the night to me! I took Bev to work down by the heliport in Cardiff. There was loads of prostitutes down there even that early in the morning! I couldn't believe it. You could almost hear the v.d. I've never seen that before in all the years I've lived here. Anyway, keeping my eyes firmly forward as I didn't want a split lip, I dropped Bev off, got into work, and got a massive amount of work done. The result? A day off this Thursday and Friday. (Thinks: "Geddin'" - As Camilla Parker Bowles might say through gritted teeth on the polo terraces.)
The anchor business at Ilfracombe has been nagging me all day, and I know Lizzy used to have beaching legs. I needed ideas, so I quickly logged onto to this forum hoping that the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service IT police didn't catch me surfing the net during work hours and report me to the Chief. I searched the forum for any threads on beaching legs. I found loads! It's given me a new confidence to get out there and get some replacements and I learned quite a bit about their use too.
I rang a marine timber merchant in Bristol and asked if they would make me some. An affirmative reply saw me arrange to go there this week to collect them. Also, my torn genoa is ready for collection from Severn Sails (thanks to all forumites who made the recommendation), so the boat will now be "match fit" for the weekend. There's no stopping us now!
I've never used boat legs before and I've no doubt that my bum cheeks will give them a lengthy round of applause if they hold as the tide goes out. I'll be ten centimeters dilated by low water and will probably hide in Ilfracombe Yacht Club until the water starts to flood. I remember when I had my first boat, the idea of crossing the Bristol Channel was terrifying. Now? I do it all of the time and rarely visit anywhere else in Wales as we seem to be hooked on Bristol and Portishead. I imagine that the same will be true of the yacht legs.
So for this trip, the crew will only be me and Bev this time. Kaiser will be staying safe with the dog-sitter for this trip. I've never done a night sail before either, so it's more of a test rather than a leisurely sail. At least the weather's good so by the weekend the sea should be smooth to slight - I hope.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted with details of the trip complete with piccys next weekend.
Take care all,
Lizzy D.