Stellas

[DanTribe]

We (royal, my Dad & wife) owned ‘Galaxy’ for a while in Walton. Stella website says she is in Burnham On Crouch and was a Petticrows build.

I remember going to sleep listening to the tide lapping against the hull sending me off into a deep sleep. Could do with that now instead of insomnia combined with snoring partner and cat.

Ah, the Stella chuckle.
Loved that sound.

 

[JayDomK]

We (royal, my Dad & wife) owned ‘Galaxy’ for a while in Walton. Stella website says she is in Burnham On Crouch and was a Petticrows build.

I remember going to sleep listening to the tide lapping against the hull sending me off into a deep sleep. Could do with that now instead of insomnia combined with snoring partner and cat.

This is one of the best sounds I've ever heard in my life. It's one of the things I love my boat for. I mean the sound of splashing waves, not my partner's snoring And it really helps with insomnia.

 

[Daydream believer]

B..y racket if you ask me-- which you weren't. But hey ho

 

[Black Diamond]

After many happy years sailing on Lys of Slaughden (No.96), which was maintained impeccably by John Sparks, who probably contributed more than anyone in the last three decades to keeping as many Stellas in commission as possible, I jumped ship and bought Vreny (No.71) in 2010 or so. She was afloat at Bridgemarsh Marina on Althorne Creek, and we decided to sail her to her new home in Mersea. Preparations became increasingly fevered as we threw things aboard for the voyage, as we had to catch the tide over the Ray Sand.

The motor was a fairly up together Yanmar 1GM, but I have always had a distaste for internal combustion engines on boats (I'm told I sound like Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), but managed to fire the thing up successfully, cast off and chugged down Althorne Creek. Just as we reached the main Crouch fairway, the engine died, so I instantly went into default mode and made sail pronto, covering for the fact I had absolutely no idea how to diagnose the engine fault.

All went well, lovely sunny September Saturday, NW Force 3, enough for Vreny to stretch her ribs without scaring my recent partner or her two young children. Traversing the Ray Sand on a falling tide on a strange boat, when I didn't know what datum the depth sounder was offset from was slightly nerve-tingling, but I withheld that from the crew too.

The crunch came when we were batting along nicely off Dengie Flats, when said partner went below to make a brew. She appeared at the companionway and said 'I don't know much about boats and sailing, but should I be up to my ankles in water down here?' Out came the bilge pump handle, and the rest of the trip was spent returning the North Sea to where it should have been.

When Vreny was hauled out the next day by Peter Clarke's lads, I was introduced to SlikSeam to caulk the split plank, so we could see the season out, but the real eye-opener was the engine fault. It seems that in my increasing eagerness to get to sea, I had thrown something into the sternsheets which had closed the tap under the fuel tank ...

 

[DanTribe]

This is one of the best sounds I've ever heard in my life. It's one of the things I love my boat for. I mean the sound of splashing waves, not my partner's snoring And it really helps with insomnia.

If the wind dropped or tide turned in the night, the silence would wake me up. I would have to get up to check that we weren't aground.

 

[JayDomK]

The crunch came when we were batting along nicely off Dengie Flats, when said partner went below to make a brew. She appeared at the companionway and said 'I don't know much about boats and sailing, but should I be up to my ankles in water down here?' Out came the bilge pump handle, and the rest of the trip was spent returning the North Sea to where it should have been.

What's happened? Did the plank split from old age or did you hit something?

 

[JayDomK]

If the wind dropped or tide turned in the night, the silence would wake me up. I would have to get up to check that we weren't aground.

When I'm at home, I often turn this sound on my player.

 

[Black Diamond]

Hi Jay, I suspect it was already lurking, had taken up to a degree and been bunged with the silt of the tidal pontoon. This was washed off/pulled through when we pressed her, and also the pump float switch was busted. I only bought her for 3 and fourpence, so no survey, just a strong feeling she was the good boat she turned out to be, despite my naivety

 

[MikeBz]

If the wind dropped or tide turned in the night, the silence would wake me up. I would have to get up to check that we weren't aground.

Not much point in getting up if you're aground - or at least if you're high and dry enough for there to be no 'clinker chuckle wavelets'

 

[DanTribe]

Hi Jay, I suspect it was already lurking, had taken up to a degree and been bunged with the silt of the tidal pontoon. This was washed off/pulled through when we pressed her, and also the pump float switch was busted. I only bought her for 3 and fourpence, so no survey, just a strong feeling she was the good boat she turned out to be, despite my naivety

I believe Vreny was epoxy sheathed below the waterline some time in the 90s. Your experience reinforces my thinking that this is not a good thing to do. Many Stellas have been completely sheathed to deck level and this seems to work well.

 

[JayDomK]

Hi Jay, I suspect it was already lurking, had taken up to a degree and been bunged with the silt of the tidal pontoon. This was washed off/pulled through when we pressed her, and also the pump float switch was busted. I only bought her for 3 and fourpence, so no survey, just a strong feeling she was the good boat she turned out to be, despite my naivety

The previous owner probably guessed this but didn't want to do the repairs.