Round Britain day 26

srm

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That's right !.
The Wicker Man and all that is live and well in those parts ........................
Really? Please explain more.
I lived for more than 20 years in Orkney after 14 years in Shetland. The only reference to Wicker Man I can remember was a hollywood type film on TV.

Perhaps you are getting confused with "Up Helly Aa", the Victorian revival of Norse mid winter celebrations in Shetland when a mocked up Viking galley is burnt after a torch light procession. The biggest one is in Lerwick on the last Tuesday of January. Human sacrifice was a step too far, even for Victorian society.
 
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Neeves

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In unknown locations and expecting no help:

I have two mooring lines attached to an amidships cleat. With both lines led outside and aft. I can then kiss the pontoon , step ashore and have both lines in hand to address whatever is needed. I will also have a line on the bow and stern cleat - but the 2 critical lines are the ones from the amid ships cleat as they are 'at the helm', and can control forward or aft motion and reduce blowing off (until the bow or stern line is secured)..

My amidships line is actually one I custom made with spliced eye in the middle and it serves also as a bridle for towing or a bridle for a stern or bow lines ashore

Jonathan
 

Neeves

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Doesn’t he have go round the corner past Cape Wrath before he might confront the Wickerman? Thought it was a Hebridean thing.

The Wicker Man was a 1970s 'horror' movie filmed, as a far as I know, and sponsored in the UK, starring Edward Woodward ?.. I don't think it was based on any historical background - but made a good film (if you liked that sort of narrative, I thought it well presented. It obviously had impact see the post :)

I see little connection between the film and Up Helly Aa, which at least had some historical background, and involved nothing more sinister than a complex and expensive funeral.

Jonathan
 

SaltIre

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View attachment 137232

Went outside to take a photo of how light it still is at 23.15.

Just been checking my depature time in the morning, a civilised 8.30 looks good.
index.php

Your ensign looks very nice under the harbour lights.:)
 

srm

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Single handed berthing.
I use a simpler version of that described by Neves. Short line from midship cleat secured to pontoon cleat or ladder to act as a spring leading aft. Engine slow ahead (or more power if needed) and wheel/tiller locked to steer away from wall. Boat lies against pier or pontoon and moorings can be set up at leisure.
This techniques is frequently used by fishing boats when landing their catch and small ferries while discharging/boarding passengers as the boat remains pressed securely against the pier / steps or whatever by engine and one short mooring rope.
 

boomerangben

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The Wicker Man was a 1970s 'horror' movie filmed, as a far as I know, and sponsored in the UK, starring Edward Woodward ?.. I don't think it was based on any historical background - but made a good film (if you liked that sort of narrative, I thought it well presented. It obviously had impact see the post :)

I see little connection between the film and Up Helly Aa, which at least had some historical background, and involved nothing more sinister than a complex and expensive funeral.



Jonathan
I agree there is no connection between the Wickerman and the northern isles, which is what I trying to suggest. The fictional wickerman was set in the Hebrides not the northern isles and as far as I know Up Helly Ah is a Shetland thing rather than an Orkney thing?
 

Daydream believer

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Single handed berthing.
I use a simpler version of that described by Neves. Short line from midship cleat secured to pontoon cleat or ladder to act as a spring leading aft. Engine slow ahead (or more power if needed) and wheel/tiller locked to steer away from wall. Boat lies against pier or pontoon and moorings can be set up at leisure.
This techniques is frequently used by fishing boats when landing their catch and small ferries while discharging/boarding passengers as the boat remains pressed securely against the pier / steps or whatever by engine and one short mooring rope.
Does not work for me. The stern pulls away from the pontoon & the bow digs in & the boat swings round at 45 deg to the pontoon . This makes getting off a risky business. There is certainly no "Leisure" involved until bow & stern are secure.
 

boomerangben

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Does not work for me. The stern pulls away from the pontoon & the bow digs in & the boat swings round at 45 deg to the pontoon . This makes getting off a risky business. There is certainly no "Leisure" involved until bow & stern are secure.
I guess this only works if the line of thrust generated by the prop wash on the angled rudder runs through the line between the mid ships cleat and the dockside cleat. I image it’s hopeless for boats with twin rudders and single props
 

srm

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Does not work for me. The stern pulls away from the pontoon & the bow digs in & the boat swings round at 45 deg to the pontoon . This makes getting off a risky business. There is certainly no "Leisure" involved until bow & stern are secure.
Very strange, as this manoeuvre is designed to push the stern in to the pontoon. To get the effect you describe on any of my boats I would have to steer to push the bow towards the pontoon as if springing the stern out. Setting the steering as if trying to turn the bow off the pontoon has worked for me on a variety of boats including a catamaran with centre line prop that I could angle. However, with strong winds blowing off the berth I have, at times, had to use full power to hold her there. Depending on the hull shape I found a large fender towards the stern helped keep the boat parallel to the berth. Perhaps, you could try a large fender towards the bow.
 

dunedin

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Single handed berthing.
I use a simpler version of that described by Neves. Short line from midship cleat secured to pontoon cleat or ladder to act as a spring leading aft. Engine slow ahead (or more power if needed) and wheel/tiller locked to steer away from wall. Boat lies against pier or pontoon and moorings can be set up at leisure.
This techniques is frequently used by fishing boats when landing their catch and small ferries while discharging/boarding passengers as the boat remains pressed securely against the pier / steps or whatever by engine and one short mooring rope.
That’s what I now use all the time for single handed berthing - with two refinements
(a) large bowline tied in the end, threaded with plastic tube to keep open and help loop on an end pontoon cleat
(a) other end on genoa winch (with loop dropped over winch handle to have ready to hand) - so as soon as looped on can spin up tight and hold via the winch
I try to avoid any jumping off onto the pontoon until the boat is secure and steady with the engine holding (at that point can relax and take as long as want - put the kettle on even!). With high sided boats and solo, too easy to try to leap ashore with a rope or two and then things can start to go wrong - not least because one time after a hurried stop you won’t have fully put into neutral, and the boat will slowly power backwards just out of reach with nobody on board. Seen that happen a few times
 

Neeves

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Apologies I'm only leg pulling .

ditto SRM .

Its a really old film - I think you were just proving you were still young, had a good memory - unlike me who was only awakened to the film by your post - otherwise the memory would have been left slumbering in some dark recess or other.

I thought it a good plot and well presented.

Jonathan

:)
 

srm

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and as far as I know Up Helly Ah is a Shetland thing rather than an Orkney thing?
Yes, very definitely a Shetland thing. (I have taken part in it).
Shetlanders hold a strong affection for their Norse past.
The oil terminal at Sullom Voe was officially opened by HM Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by the king of Norway. The following Friday the Shetland Times published a letter that started:
"When our rightful monarch, accompanied by the Queen of England . . . . . "
 

Concerto

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Well the day did not turn out according to plan. Who cares? Not me. After some breakfast, I checked the forums and then decided to do some more video editting on part 2 Humber to Eyemouth. After about an hour I heard the boat name being called, on the pontoon was someone who said he knows the the name from the ybw forum. I invited him onboard and he was very impressed. We chatted for about an hour and I felt he was lucky to have met me. He admitted he only has a Vega 27 moored in the marina and complained at how unpredictable it was to reverse. He went away with lots of tips and advice that should improve his enjoyment of his boat.

After sandwich lunch I went back to editting, but...............................I dozed off. Better to lie on my bunk than sleep upright with my lap top on my lap. Just over 3 hours later I woke up. I must have been tired as combined with last night that was over 8¼ hours sleep. I cannot remember how many months it has been since I slept that much in a day.

Once awake, I decided to read for a while before cooking some supper. Then back to video editting. Very nearly finished the first edit as I am sailing between Amble and Eyemouth. Eyemouth is the end of this video. Currently it will be about 12½ minutes, but will have some trimming to reduce it to about 10 minutes. So still a lot of time required, but not tonight.

The internet in the Orkneys and Shetland is not very fast, at one time today I could not get connected at all from my mobile as it was not even 3G! The marina wifi has a mind of its own and never appeared as available, but has a frequent habit of dropping out regularly. So it may be several weeks before I can load this video and may also have the next part near completion.

The time to leave in the morning should be similar as today as I expect a slower boat speed and it is 60 miles to sail. The first half is within the islands and the second part is in open water. The shipping forecast is predicting W backing S 3 to 5. Whereas Windy is showing SW 15 to 20 knots reducing as it backs to S 5 to 10 knots. The course is from Orkney is roughly NE, so will be reaching all day so may be able to set the spinnaker again. Let you know tomorrow how I get on.

IMG_4504 1000pix.jpg
Tonight at just after 22.00.

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Interestingly illuminated clouds that I think are Stratocumulus.
 

Concerto

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Perhaps I should mention my mooring method for singlehanding as so many of you are discussing your methods.

I normally use a warp that is 3 times the length of the boat, in my case 30 metres. It is marked in the centre and that mark is positioned about 18" in front of the midship cleat and each end is secured at the bow and stern. You now have 2 generous loops that are combined spring and breast ropes. For entering a finger pontoon I step onto the finger with the boat almost stopped in the water, tie the stern spring to brake and stop the forward motion and the stern breast rope. walk forward and tie the bow spring and breast rope, the boat is securely moored in under a minute. It does not matter if you reverse in to the berth, it still works. The same applies for alongside berthing, but if the wind might blow the bow out then I secure the bow breast and spring in that order followed by the stern breast and spring. Again secure in under a minute with little chance of movement even in strong winds. I started using this system over 40 years ago, it sounds a bit weird until you try it. I always keep a spare warp ready to use in the cockpit.

For French marina fingers with a loop I use a slightly different method. I have a small grappel anchor that I tie to a warp. The warp is led round the miship cleat and back to the genoa winch. The closed anchor is dropped through the loop and a jerk on the warp opens it. Then the distance to drive into the berth is controlled on the winch and if left in tick over holds the boat in place until all the lines are fitted.
 
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