Ships Log

[vyv_cox]

A grand total of 153 miles, in the Dodecanese. Quite a proportion of that under engine. A delightful experience that I did not expect to be able to achieve this year after my accident. It is impossible to quantify the pleasure derived from being on my boat after such an unpleasant episode in my life. Treasure every moment of it.

 

[PhillM]

1st year owning a boat ....

310 NM in 19 days sailing including 4 trips with an overnight onboard.

As you can see, we have been taking things slowly and learning as we go. I really didnt want to scare the kids or push the limits. Have met a few other new owners and they all seem to push things further and faster than us but I am sure we will catch up at our own pace. I see no point in scaring the kids (or myself) and there is still so much that we need to get competent at.

Hoping to at least double the milage in 2012 and have a few longer trips. We are planning the Scuttlebut in-compnay to Poole in May and we are also waiting to see if we are invited to the Diaomand Jubilee Pagent in June. If we are selected then I will get just a few more miles in (sailing to the Thames and back) but I am sure I will get a experenced skipper to help out on that trip.

I am also working up a training plan that we can follow early in the season. We know all the theory and have ahad a few goes at most things, but I think we need to practice boat handling so that we are both competent and confident. Top of the list are pontoon bashing, anchoring, picking up a bouy, picking up pile morrings and MOB. My plan is to get some practice in on a topic in the morning then go for a sail in the afternoon.

 

[Babylon]

What did you and your boat manage this year?

I managed to put a permament 5NM between myself and my now ex-SWMBO.

The boat managed not to sink when I did a galvanic experiment on all seacocks by repeatedly putting 16amps through them on passage.

Both proved expensive

Despite not chocking up many miles - 415 on my own boat plus about 160 crewing - and sailing no further than Chichester, Poole and Cherbourg, my most pleasing achievement was learning to single-hand with reasonable confidence.

Wishing all a good 2012 season!

 

[Sadlermike]

3000 miles. Scotland to Morocco singelhanded. Highlights included landfall on Ouessant in F7, Rias of NW Spain, the contrast between Morocco and Europe, my wife flying to meet me in November. Lows were the failure of a new splice in my mainsheet while sailing downwind at night across Biscay, catching a drifting rope between my rudder and skeg (I had to launch the dinghy to free it - it took three hours) and being boarded by Customs five times (on one occasion they even removed the chain from the anchor locker).

 

[Babylon]

.. and being boarded by Customs five times (on one occasion they even removed the chain from the anchor locker).

Gosh! The defence cuts must be pretty serious!

 

[onesea]

1st year owning a boat ....

310 NM in 19 days sailing including 4 trips with an overnight onboard.

"As you can see, we have been taking things slowly and learning as we go. I really didnt want to scare the kids or push the limits. Have met a few other new owners and they all seem to push things further and faster than us but I am sure we will catch up at our own pace. I see no point in scaring the kids (or myself) and there is still so much that we need to get competent at."

Cannot agree more, its not about the distance its about the enjoyment! Take its easy make sure its fun nothing worse than sailing with a skipper that is always worrying!

"Hoping to at least double the milage in 2012 and have a few longer trips."

Why? do not set goals... There will always be good seasons and bad seasons go with the flow...

"I am also working up a training plan that we can follow early in the season. We know all the theory and have ahad a few goes at most things, but I think we need to practice boat handling so that we are both competent and confident. Top of the list are pontoon bashing, anchoring, picking up a bouy, picking up pile moorings and MOB. My plan is to get some practice in on a topic in the morning then go for a sail in the afternoon."

My suggestion here is instead of making it part of a "lesson" make it part of your day. Cannot see where you are based to give options but as a rough outline when I used to teach my day would normally be.

Lessons:
1) Present Conditions Weather Limitations on where we can go?
2) Departing present berth. - Sails up sails down
3) Anchoring practice (If in the med quick swim). - Sails up sails down reef in?
4) Lunchtime Pit Stop (berthing practice, navigation) - Afternoon sail
5) Man-overboard? Reefing? "Ferry Gliding" Round a buoy, even moor swimming (also useful a demonstration HOW hard it is to get a body out of the water. if there was time).
6) Final berthing putting gear away etc

Before each operation I just used to sit and ask the people 2 questions:

Whats the Dangers? (Wind, Tide, Currents? Boats etc)
How are we going to deal with them?

Should take seconds after the first few times, as skipper you do it naturally.

Once the plan is made every one knows what they and each other should be doing and every body knows the problems.

Sailing is the easy part...

 

[jbweston]

Agree with various above about not being a slave to how many miles.

In my case I need to set myself a goal or goals or I'd just fritter my sailing time away. That doesn't mean that I have to cover big miles, but typically it's about visiting new harbours that I've always wanted to go to, or completing a cruise that I've thought up during the winter.

Not that there's anything wrong with 'frittering sailing time away' if that's what you want to do -part of the fun of sailing is just being on the boat and pottering about. And of course doing it your way, rather than having to compete with others.

(Short rant follows) That's one of the reasons I don't like to hear sailing cruising described as a sport. I appreciate that the RYA have to do this because they want to be my 'governing body', and organize me and to persuade the authorities that they have the right to speak on my behalf. I don't want or need a 'governing body' as the less 'governing' my sailing gets, the better. Sports are competitive with winners and losers and rules and sponsorship deals. Cruising sailing is a pastime, like fishing, stamp collecting and hillwalking. 'Winning' doesn't need anyone to 'lose' - in fact it's great if everyone 'wins' and we can help each other to achieve that. (End of rant)

 

[DJE]

We only got out of the Solent twice: 1st time was to Weymouth at Easter, 2nd was a 900 mile round trip to South Brittany! Best season ever.

 

[webcraft]

.
Only 600 on our own boat this year, but nearly another 4,000 on other boats, including a Biscay crossing and a Transat.

- W

 

[PhillM]

ONESEA: I agree with just about everything you said. We are Solent based so I am not too sure about swimming in early season(!) but the idea of making it fun and combining learning with trips is excellent advice. Thank you.

 

[JimC]

...the less 'governing' my sailing gets, the better. Sports are competitive with winners and losers and rules and sponsorship deals. Cruising sailing is a pastime, like fishing, stamp collecting and hillwalking...

I wish I'd said that, expresses my feelings perfectly; however each to his or her own.

 

[rib]

just short 5,000 around uk long way(again)stop off C I.s,down the west side france/spain/portugal/spain up to barcelona for 6 weeks then off again 31 dec,it aint half nice ps been lucky with weather nothing above a 6 in all that distance!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kelpie]

Three biggish cruises this year, over about six weeks, took us up to about 1000nm and from Rathlin to Orkney. A few more day sails, evening races etc on top of that. Pretty happy with it and glad we made the effort to push on as far as we did. Always a balance between sight-seeing and miles.