Solo trip to the Azores - YouTube

I love Patrick's videos. Although I'm quite into the 'one guy, one GoPro' style of YouTube sailing channel - the sailing Frenchman is another one I like. In terms of the docking style, we saw a Spanish guy who was taking people out on his little sail boat and he docked in exactly the same way, but without the bow fender or dock fender - he just nuzzled his bobstay into the dock. He did it about 5 times while we were there, and it seemed like he'd been doing it for ages with no ill effects.
 
SV Kittiwake said:
I love Patrick's videos. Although I'm quite into the 'one guy, one GoPro' style of YouTube sailing channel - the sailing Frenchman is another one I like. In terms of the docking style, we saw a Spanish guy who was taking people out on his little sail boat and he docked in exactly the same way, but without the bow fender or dock fender - he just nuzzled his bobstay into the dock. He did it about 5 times while we were there, and it seemed like he'd been doing it for ages with no ill effects.
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Lol I also subscribe to your channel maybe I should give my motorboat up and buy a small boat
 
Patrick Laine said:
Well, I have just sailed 450 miles up the French coast and am currently in Cherbourg. As soon as I catch my breath, I'm across the channel, so put out lots of extra fenders, and lock up your wives and daughters. :-)
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Hello Patrick

Let us know your planned ports of call. I am hoping to get to France at the end of next week so our paths may cross.

Sandy
 
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Thanks Sandy. I had hoped to do Cherbourg Dover direct, but the winds won't have it. Am leaving tonight for Brighton, with a possible divert to Hastings if I can't make the tide at Brighton. Best wishes on your trip to France.
 
Patrick Laine said:
Thanks Sandy. I had hoped to do Cherbourg Dover direct, but the winds won't have it. Am leaving tonight for Brighton, with a possible divert to Hastings if I can't make the tide at Brighton. Best wishes on your trip to France.
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Well to the east of our planned trip to the Channel Islands and Brittany.
 
Patrick Laine said:
Well spotted. The second after I hit send, I realised I meant to say 'NewHaven' not Hastings. :-) There is a bit more water there at neap tide than at Brighton (apparently due to silting).
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Best to call ahead, Brighton did a lot of dredging last year and Newhaven were I think turning away visitors due to the quantity of support vessels from a windfarm being constructed just to the south.

BTW you don't have to sail around that, just keep 50m from the windmills and 500m from the support vessels and construction sites. Guard Vessel is always there and feel free to call on Ch16.

Have a great trip and FWIW I wld personally say Brighton is a much nicer town than NewHaven, but some will no doubt disagree!
 
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dom said:
Best to call ahead, Brighton did a lot of dredging last year and Newhaven were I think turning away visitors due to the quantity of support vessels from a windfarm being constructed just to the south.

BTW you don't have to sail around that, just keep 50m from the windmills and 500m from the support vessels and construction sites. Guard Vessel is always there and feel free to call on Ch16.

Have a great trip and FWIW I wld personally say Brighton is a much nicer town than NewHaven, but some will no doubt disagree!
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Thanks for the tip Dom. I was going to sail around the farm. Brighton is certainly Plan A. I used to live in Horsham, and kept my private plane at Shoreham, so know the area well (by air). Hoping to beat low tide to the port, but in sailing...... ;-)
 
Patrick Laine said:
Well, I have just sailed 450 miles up the French coast and am currently in Cherbourg. As soon as I catch my breath, I'm across the channel, so put out lots of extra fenders, and lock up your wives and daughters. :-)
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Ha ha! If you are in the Solent Patrick, we would like be to find you at anchor and buy you a pint. You will find us at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qrkJP42i89c
 
The winds were favorable, and I beat the tide into Brighton. And, I did as you suggested Dom and sailed through the wind farm. You're right. No big deal. Cheers
 
Patrick Laine said:
The winds were favorable, and I beat the tide into Brighton. And, I did as you suggested Dom and sailed through the wind farm. You're right. No big deal. Cheers
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Well you certainly seem to have brought back some fine weather from those southern climes :cool:

Good sail, well done !
 
doug748 said:
The docking bit seems fine to me, esp for boats with a plumb ish stem. I have seen it done quite a bit.
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It's a standard single handed way of coming into a finger berth when being blown off. The official ways of berthing in that situation with a spring to a centre cleat just don't work on your own - not enough arms, legs and eyes on one body to steer, look, control the engine and hook a line over a cleat. Try to do too much and you fail at all of them and subsequently lose control.

The other way is to put most of the fenders on the downwind side and intentionally drift onto the neighbouring boat, tie up to that and then sort it out. No-one minds as long as the touch is gentle, fenders plentiful and the boat an appropriate size.

The golden rules of soloing are be prepared, be in control and be prepared.
 
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AngusMcDoon said:
It's a standard single handed way of coming into a finger berth when being blown off. The official ways of berthing in that situation with a spring to a centre cleat just don't work on your own - not enough arms, legs and eyes on one body to steer, look, control the engine and hook a line over a cleat. Try to do too much and you fail at all of them and subsequently lose control.

The other way is to put most of the fenders on the downwind side and intentionally drift onto the neighbouring boat, tie up to that and then sort it out. No-one minds as long as the touch is gentle, fenders plentiful and the boat an appropriate size.

The golden rules of soloing are be prepared, be in control and be prepared.
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Well thank you Angus. I did not invent this technique. Solo sailors with longish boats, short fingers, and unfavorable cross-wind have been doing it for decades. You sound like someone who fully understands the multiple demands of single-handing (lines, radio, engine, helm, wind, current, 'helpful neighbors', etc.). I sure find it challenging, and always feel much better outside of the marina. :-)
 
This is where I upset the applecart...

Sorry, but Mr Laine is not my style of sailing video. I'm sure he's a nice chap and good sailor. Certainly he has a nicer boat than me.

Thing is, his videos are mostly him talking to you via the medium of the camera/video. I sit in meetings all day and have people talk to me. I want to see sailing, great sailing, doing stuff aboard the boat, dramatic manoevres, struggling with engine and other maintenance. Not some bloke talking to a camera. This is the recipe of boredom.

So: more action please, more struggles, funny/odd stuff and general sailing. Would have liked to have seen the running into the underwater obstacle coming into the Spanish marina too. Just don't spend ages talking to the camera because its boring.
 
mainsail1 said:
The secret is in his centre cleat and the fairlead. Unfortunately, to fully explain would be too much to do here as a short answer would lead to all kinds of 'yes buts'.
It really needs a two day course to cover the basics that are essential each time and then add the nuances of particular circumstances. IMHO his video shows that he has not understood some of the 'basics'.
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Gents, you can all relax now. After a brief flirt with Penzance/Newlyn, I caught the afternoon tide yesterday and left England's Green and Pleasant Land and am now safely in France (L'Aber Wrac'h). So, you can remove those extra fenders, and let out your wives and daughters again. Thanks for the memories.
 
Patrick Laine said:
Gents, you can all relax now. After a brief flirt with Penzance/Newlyn, I caught the afternoon tide yesterday and left England's Green and Pleasant Land and am now safely in France (L'Aber Wrac'h). So, you can remove those extra fenders, and let out your wives and daughters again. Thanks for the memories.
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Glad to hear you survived total lack of wind in Scotland Patrick, most unusual!

Enjoyed your "Tour of grande Bretagne" and the Faroe Islands. You and others have convinced me that I should add them to my dash round the British Isles in a few years time; the warm up lap to a longer trip.
 
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