BrendanS
Well-known member
Salcombe - some days it\'s better to... (long post)
This one's for Haydn, who thinks we don't post enough boating adventures anymore. Thank you for the hospitality on MuckyFarter.
Pathfinder Powerboat Club arranged a meet in the West Country for the Bank Holiday week. I decided to cruise down in my 21’er from Lymington, and meet those that were trailering down and meet them at Salcombe, then return on the Sunday or Monday. A few of the larger boats were also cruising, but were going for the week, so were going to stop off at Weymouth overnight on Saturday, and I didn’t have the time to take a couple of days each way. Haydn and Longjohnsilver were possibly going to be there.
Sat:
Set off from Lymington, Tutts called on mobile to ask what sea was like - not sure, still in Solent. Topped up with petrol in Yarmouth and filled three 20l containers, then out through Needles channel, with a course set to head several miles outside of St Albans and Portland to avoid the races. Conditions weren’t really that bad, but I was headed straight into the wind, and a nasty short chop, which meant I couldn’t maintain anything much above 12knts, and was slamming very heavily. Going cross or downwind was comfortable, but wasn’t going to get me to Salcombe. Battled on across outside Poole Bay. Broke loose several screws on the base of the windscreen. Stopped and screwed them back in with plenty of PTFE tape round screws. Then hinge screws of cabin door also loosened. Then smashed nose on windscreen and wondered if broken.
After what seemed an age of getting battered and bruised, decided that getting to Salcombe in these conditions was going to be horrible, and I’d run out petrol well before then, as I need to be up at around 30 for best fuel economy. Called PPC organizer and said I wasn’t coming. Decided what to do, and headed over towards Weymouth, would see there if they had any berths, and if not could head back to Lymington as plenty of time. As I went on a big cloud system came over, and the sea flattened out. Picked up speed, and heading for Weymouth at a decent speed, suddenly heard nasty horrible noise from engine. Panicked. Look around. Hmm, Portland helicopter coming up astern low and fast. Got a wave as they went past. Probably checking what the hell a 21’ powerboat doing out there.
Anyway, as conditions now much better, stopped between St Albans and Portland Bill, hung over back and siphoned in 40l of petrol from cans. Full up. Popped into Lyne Bay to see what conditions were like. Roughish, but able to keep up 25 , visibility reasonable, showers. So went for it, and called organizer and told him change of plans and see him in Salcombe in 2.5 hoursish.
Fairly boring for a long time. Other than hanging onto windscreen which was getting looser with every slam. Then could see Start Point, and plotter said 25 to Salcombe. Oh good. There in an hour. Wrong. Waves, big waves. Slowed down, but still kept falling off top of them. Having to concentrate hard and use lots of throttle control. Looked away for an instance, missed a big one, and turned back to see gaping hole. Someone had lifted boat in a hoist and dropped it 6 foot onto concrete. Saw stars (literally). Windscreen hanging off big time, with glass out of surround and totally loose. Bits of cabin door hanging off, hinges off. Bimini cover supports shaken loose. Tried to rig running repairs in big rolling seas. Limped off toward Salcombe. Arrived at visitors pontoon in the bag sometime after 20:00. Haydn called on mobile for a chat. He was on boat in Plymourth. Coming next day.
Wondered about having beer before going to bed, but decided that food was priority, so summoned water taxi, grabbed fish and chips, had beer, went back in water taxi, went to bed.
Sun: Woke, called water taxi, went into Salcombe to Yacht Club to shower. Had huge breakfast in Captain Morgans, went to Chandlery and discussed windscreen repair options with Chandlers. Bought epoxy glue and other bits and pieces.
Back at boat, when PPC boats started turning up. Started working on screen. Idea was to epoxy holes in fiberglass where screws had once been, which now resembled gaping caverns. Wrap ptfe around screws so they could be got out again and embed lightly, then screw in hard once epoxy set. Problem was glass was out of frame.. several boat club members later, a can of WD40, and a rather clever tool used by car windscreen replacers, a ratchet strap or two, and we’d mostly got the glass AND the f***ing rubber surround back into the metal surrounds, and bolted back together.
In meantime MuckyFarter arrived. Note: Haydn’s reknowned driving skills are not quite so good when he’s got a digital camera stuck to his face
Never mind, we’d have patched up the rib if he had punctured it with his probs.
Haydn also had some nicely sized rawlplugs and bits in his tool kit, which made some of the repairs considerably easier. Then LJS turned up. Just at the moment that Harbour Master had a panic attack about raggie rally arriving, and promptly kicked us off the mooring on the pontoon where he’d previously put us. Not best pleased with having to move with epoxy setting, I headed to new berth, while Haydn had altercation with HM, and LJS decided the best way to get good at berthing was that practice makes perfect
Haydn couldn’t help LJS with lines or anything, as he had digicam glued to face again.
Finished repairs, and waited for epoxy to set (in meantime PPC set off to Dartmouth, for the day, where they were escorted with dolphins). Haydn and LJS turned up with dinghy, and took me back to MuckyFarter, where I was wined, dined and regaled with entertaining stories, while we sat in now cloudless sunshine.. Fascinated by the different angle that Tutts had on many of these stories. Despite protestations that I should be going back to find PPC, Tutts kindly fed me, while Haydn and LJS burrowed into stores to feed me booze. LJS and I discovered delights of Haydn’s new invention, based on the waterbed – Water Cushions!
Eventually ferried back to Iditarod. Met a few PPC peeps, had a few more beers, and went to bed relatively early as I felt just like I’d been given a good kicking with aches all over.
Monday
Set off about 9:30, and trawled around Salcombe Harbour returning various tools and bits and pieces. No sign of life from LJS or Haydn’s boat, so left Rawlplugs in dinghy, and headed for fueling barge.
Left Salcombe estuary just after 10, and headed for Needles. Flat, very boring, for 2 hours across Lyme Bay, all the way to Portland (though several miles off) Then much rougher all the way to Needles. Though still kept up a good speed, and on track to be back in Lymington before 14:00. Repairs to windscreen given a good testing.
Suddenly in big swell in Needles Channel, about half mile of the Needles Lighthouse, realized that steering had almost gone, which was a little disconcerting in those conditions. Quick look over back to make sure no rope around leg. Nope. Uhmm! Must be power steering pump. Ooh! Look no amps either. Quick look in engine bay confirmed that belt had gone. Callled SeaStart, and discussed option of whether to turn off engine and drift (couldn’t anchor in that depth) or to limp into Alum Bay at tick over - couldn’t check temp because gauge was not now reading, so concerned about overheating.
Went for Alum Bay option, quite worried, because for some reason, I nearly always drag there, and wanted to turn engine off quickish. SeaStart phoned, would be a while, as had to get spare rib, as leg had gone when he’d tried to engage gear. Set anchor drift alarm on plotter, and got tools out. Head down in engine bay anaged to figure out which way serpentine belt went round all the pulley (after much head scratching) and refitted it. Couldn’t get quite enough tension on it, but enough to get me home I reckoned. Then SeaStart turned up. Rolling badly for a few minutes, and difficult to get onboard from his Rib, so he gave me instructions on how to ratchet belt tight with inner screw (I never knew that!), and then it calmed down and jumped aboard with tools and did it properly.
Spent 10 minutes trying to extricate anchor, which came up after using pulling from several angles with fair bit of wellie from newly fixed engine, complete with half of total of grey clay in Alum Bay seabed. Why does it never set like that when I want it to?
Headed off to Lymington arriving 2 hours after my original 14:00 eta
Got home up a not too busy M3. Went to dump dirty clothes in washer. As I opened door, several gallons of water cascaded out. Hmm!
Fantastic weekend, and lots of good company, despite the problems
<hr width=100% size=1>Err, let me know if Depsol enters the forum, I'll go and hide
This one's for Haydn, who thinks we don't post enough boating adventures anymore. Thank you for the hospitality on MuckyFarter.
Pathfinder Powerboat Club arranged a meet in the West Country for the Bank Holiday week. I decided to cruise down in my 21’er from Lymington, and meet those that were trailering down and meet them at Salcombe, then return on the Sunday or Monday. A few of the larger boats were also cruising, but were going for the week, so were going to stop off at Weymouth overnight on Saturday, and I didn’t have the time to take a couple of days each way. Haydn and Longjohnsilver were possibly going to be there.
Sat:
Set off from Lymington, Tutts called on mobile to ask what sea was like - not sure, still in Solent. Topped up with petrol in Yarmouth and filled three 20l containers, then out through Needles channel, with a course set to head several miles outside of St Albans and Portland to avoid the races. Conditions weren’t really that bad, but I was headed straight into the wind, and a nasty short chop, which meant I couldn’t maintain anything much above 12knts, and was slamming very heavily. Going cross or downwind was comfortable, but wasn’t going to get me to Salcombe. Battled on across outside Poole Bay. Broke loose several screws on the base of the windscreen. Stopped and screwed them back in with plenty of PTFE tape round screws. Then hinge screws of cabin door also loosened. Then smashed nose on windscreen and wondered if broken.
After what seemed an age of getting battered and bruised, decided that getting to Salcombe in these conditions was going to be horrible, and I’d run out petrol well before then, as I need to be up at around 30 for best fuel economy. Called PPC organizer and said I wasn’t coming. Decided what to do, and headed over towards Weymouth, would see there if they had any berths, and if not could head back to Lymington as plenty of time. As I went on a big cloud system came over, and the sea flattened out. Picked up speed, and heading for Weymouth at a decent speed, suddenly heard nasty horrible noise from engine. Panicked. Look around. Hmm, Portland helicopter coming up astern low and fast. Got a wave as they went past. Probably checking what the hell a 21’ powerboat doing out there.
Anyway, as conditions now much better, stopped between St Albans and Portland Bill, hung over back and siphoned in 40l of petrol from cans. Full up. Popped into Lyne Bay to see what conditions were like. Roughish, but able to keep up 25 , visibility reasonable, showers. So went for it, and called organizer and told him change of plans and see him in Salcombe in 2.5 hoursish.
Fairly boring for a long time. Other than hanging onto windscreen which was getting looser with every slam. Then could see Start Point, and plotter said 25 to Salcombe. Oh good. There in an hour. Wrong. Waves, big waves. Slowed down, but still kept falling off top of them. Having to concentrate hard and use lots of throttle control. Looked away for an instance, missed a big one, and turned back to see gaping hole. Someone had lifted boat in a hoist and dropped it 6 foot onto concrete. Saw stars (literally). Windscreen hanging off big time, with glass out of surround and totally loose. Bits of cabin door hanging off, hinges off. Bimini cover supports shaken loose. Tried to rig running repairs in big rolling seas. Limped off toward Salcombe. Arrived at visitors pontoon in the bag sometime after 20:00. Haydn called on mobile for a chat. He was on boat in Plymourth. Coming next day.
Wondered about having beer before going to bed, but decided that food was priority, so summoned water taxi, grabbed fish and chips, had beer, went back in water taxi, went to bed.
Sun: Woke, called water taxi, went into Salcombe to Yacht Club to shower. Had huge breakfast in Captain Morgans, went to Chandlery and discussed windscreen repair options with Chandlers. Bought epoxy glue and other bits and pieces.
Back at boat, when PPC boats started turning up. Started working on screen. Idea was to epoxy holes in fiberglass where screws had once been, which now resembled gaping caverns. Wrap ptfe around screws so they could be got out again and embed lightly, then screw in hard once epoxy set. Problem was glass was out of frame.. several boat club members later, a can of WD40, and a rather clever tool used by car windscreen replacers, a ratchet strap or two, and we’d mostly got the glass AND the f***ing rubber surround back into the metal surrounds, and bolted back together.
In meantime MuckyFarter arrived. Note: Haydn’s reknowned driving skills are not quite so good when he’s got a digital camera stuck to his face
Never mind, we’d have patched up the rib if he had punctured it with his probs. Haydn also had some nicely sized rawlplugs and bits in his tool kit, which made some of the repairs considerably easier. Then LJS turned up. Just at the moment that Harbour Master had a panic attack about raggie rally arriving, and promptly kicked us off the mooring on the pontoon where he’d previously put us. Not best pleased with having to move with epoxy setting, I headed to new berth, while Haydn had altercation with HM, and LJS decided the best way to get good at berthing was that practice makes perfect
Haydn couldn’t help LJS with lines or anything, as he had digicam glued to face again.
Finished repairs, and waited for epoxy to set (in meantime PPC set off to Dartmouth, for the day, where they were escorted with dolphins). Haydn and LJS turned up with dinghy, and took me back to MuckyFarter, where I was wined, dined and regaled with entertaining stories, while we sat in now cloudless sunshine.. Fascinated by the different angle that Tutts had on many of these stories. Despite protestations that I should be going back to find PPC, Tutts kindly fed me, while Haydn and LJS burrowed into stores to feed me booze. LJS and I discovered delights of Haydn’s new invention, based on the waterbed – Water Cushions!
Eventually ferried back to Iditarod. Met a few PPC peeps, had a few more beers, and went to bed relatively early as I felt just like I’d been given a good kicking with aches all over.
Monday
Set off about 9:30, and trawled around Salcombe Harbour returning various tools and bits and pieces. No sign of life from LJS or Haydn’s boat, so left Rawlplugs in dinghy, and headed for fueling barge.
Left Salcombe estuary just after 10, and headed for Needles. Flat, very boring, for 2 hours across Lyme Bay, all the way to Portland (though several miles off) Then much rougher all the way to Needles. Though still kept up a good speed, and on track to be back in Lymington before 14:00. Repairs to windscreen given a good testing.
Suddenly in big swell in Needles Channel, about half mile of the Needles Lighthouse, realized that steering had almost gone, which was a little disconcerting in those conditions. Quick look over back to make sure no rope around leg. Nope. Uhmm! Must be power steering pump. Ooh! Look no amps either. Quick look in engine bay confirmed that belt had gone. Callled SeaStart, and discussed option of whether to turn off engine and drift (couldn’t anchor in that depth) or to limp into Alum Bay at tick over - couldn’t check temp because gauge was not now reading, so concerned about overheating.
Went for Alum Bay option, quite worried, because for some reason, I nearly always drag there, and wanted to turn engine off quickish. SeaStart phoned, would be a while, as had to get spare rib, as leg had gone when he’d tried to engage gear. Set anchor drift alarm on plotter, and got tools out. Head down in engine bay anaged to figure out which way serpentine belt went round all the pulley (after much head scratching) and refitted it. Couldn’t get quite enough tension on it, but enough to get me home I reckoned. Then SeaStart turned up. Rolling badly for a few minutes, and difficult to get onboard from his Rib, so he gave me instructions on how to ratchet belt tight with inner screw (I never knew that!), and then it calmed down and jumped aboard with tools and did it properly.
Spent 10 minutes trying to extricate anchor, which came up after using pulling from several angles with fair bit of wellie from newly fixed engine, complete with half of total of grey clay in Alum Bay seabed. Why does it never set like that when I want it to?
Headed off to Lymington arriving 2 hours after my original 14:00 eta
Got home up a not too busy M3. Went to dump dirty clothes in washer. As I opened door, several gallons of water cascaded out. Hmm!
Fantastic weekend, and lots of good company, despite the problems
<hr width=100% size=1>Err, let me know if Depsol enters the forum, I'll go and hide
