solent clown
RIP
Karen and I have taken every opportunity to get out in the Trident during the last few weeks, and we have pretty much mastered the basics now.
Lazyjacks that were a pain are now an absolute boon, and all our small boat and dinghy skills have transferred well, once we got used to winching, and the inspiration one day that a gentler gybe made things a hundred times easier for karen with the jib. (Thanks Tom Cunliffe for that one)
It is very thrilling to heel a bigger boat over and go fast. Of course our meanderings are probably quite sedate compared to some of you modern experienced types, but we have grown hugely in confidence. Any weather we have had was better than the day we picked it up in February, and we survived that, so onwards and upwards, and all that!
Lurking in a locker is a spinnaker. Laying on the deck, looking all innocent, is a pole. They seem harmless enough sat there, so that is where they have remained until now. I must admit I have a degree of tepidation about using the thing, I know how in theory, but have never executed hoisting, trimming or dropping by myself.
As Karen is not mad about me going forward and mucking about with sails, we will only be using it in very light winds. In the next few weeks we will begin practice, beginning with setting up the rig and the stringy bits that attach to the flappy bits. As part of this process I want to maximise the ease of use - On a Budget - so I am thinking of maybe having a spinnaker sock made - I have a sailmaker who could do this cheaply for me if it would be useful on our little 24ft boat. I have a load of thin ripstop fabric. I am guessing the sock will be the prefect way to store the sail too.
I WILL be doing this pretty much single handed, so I need to work out an easy safe way of doing it, or just not bother, so any input gratefully received as always.
The Ladybird Book of Sailing and Boating got us this far, alongside a few other publications, and lots of practice.
I can even go astern now, and berthing has become a much less stressful experience - in fact it has made me a bit of a show off when we come alongside, but I daresay I will get it wrong and be humbled again soon enough.
This spinnaker thing is the last thing I really want to master. We have anchor practice to do also, but that is just a metter of getting used to handling the particular chain etc. I have had it out of the locker, marked it all up, and we are good to go on that.
But that spinnaker.... Haunted by it, beckoning me to have a go.
Lazyjacks that were a pain are now an absolute boon, and all our small boat and dinghy skills have transferred well, once we got used to winching, and the inspiration one day that a gentler gybe made things a hundred times easier for karen with the jib. (Thanks Tom Cunliffe for that one)
It is very thrilling to heel a bigger boat over and go fast. Of course our meanderings are probably quite sedate compared to some of you modern experienced types, but we have grown hugely in confidence. Any weather we have had was better than the day we picked it up in February, and we survived that, so onwards and upwards, and all that!
Lurking in a locker is a spinnaker. Laying on the deck, looking all innocent, is a pole. They seem harmless enough sat there, so that is where they have remained until now. I must admit I have a degree of tepidation about using the thing, I know how in theory, but have never executed hoisting, trimming or dropping by myself.
As Karen is not mad about me going forward and mucking about with sails, we will only be using it in very light winds. In the next few weeks we will begin practice, beginning with setting up the rig and the stringy bits that attach to the flappy bits. As part of this process I want to maximise the ease of use - On a Budget - so I am thinking of maybe having a spinnaker sock made - I have a sailmaker who could do this cheaply for me if it would be useful on our little 24ft boat. I have a load of thin ripstop fabric. I am guessing the sock will be the prefect way to store the sail too.
I WILL be doing this pretty much single handed, so I need to work out an easy safe way of doing it, or just not bother, so any input gratefully received as always.
The Ladybird Book of Sailing and Boating got us this far, alongside a few other publications, and lots of practice.
I can even go astern now, and berthing has become a much less stressful experience - in fact it has made me a bit of a show off when we come alongside, but I daresay I will get it wrong and be humbled again soon enough.
This spinnaker thing is the last thing I really want to master. We have anchor practice to do also, but that is just a metter of getting used to handling the particular chain etc. I have had it out of the locker, marked it all up, and we are good to go on that.
But that spinnaker.... Haunted by it, beckoning me to have a go.
must be able to sneak in somewhere last minute!
