The joys of sailing.

[capnsensible]

Just had this text from my mate. He, his wife and their seasick cat set off last Sunday from Gib, bound for Lanzarotte

'Still on this f******* trip. 7 hours away. Just had fuel pipe block. 3 hours of rolling while fix. Auto helm broke day 2 hand steered. Rip in Jib. Beer tonight!'


My reply back was 'Chelsea only got a draw last night'. He is a big fan.

Hopefully that will take his mind off his problems.

 

[Poignard]

Huh! That's nothing - for real stress he should try Xmas shopping in Croydon.

 

[bigwow]

Huh! That's nothing - for real stress he should try Xmas shopping in Croydon.

Are there any shops left standing in Croydon?

 

[Poignard]

Are there any shops left standing in Croydon?

 

[bigwow]

Actually my old man was from Thornton Heath, just down the road. I remember as a child going up the Pearly Way and post war prefabs being pointed out, I suppose they are listed buildings now, or a Tescos.

 

[Nostrodamus]

Ngogo Mwambi has to travel 5 miles every day for fresh water, 7 miles
every day for food & 10 miles every day for medicine for him & his
family. This is because the daft b*****d and all his mates torched the
Peckham Spar, Tottenham KFC and Hackney Medical Centre and now he has to
walk to Croydon for his breakfast.

 

[RichardS]

Actually my old man was from Thornton Heath, just down the road. I remember as a child going up the Pearly Way and post war prefabs being pointed out, I suppose they are listed buildings now, or a Tescos.

Pearly Way? That sounds like something from the East End.

Purley Way? - now that's the road which runs past the old Croydon Aerodrome used by the RAF in WW2 and demolished when Heathrow was opened. In the 70s I used to drink at The Propellor, on the opposite side of the Purley Way with friends, including a couple who lived in Thorton Heath.

I understand that after a sortie the WW2 airmen used to have a drink at The Propellor in tribute to those who sadly didn't make it home.

I've not been down there for 20 years now but I understand that the pub has now gone the same way as the airport.

I lived in Wallington, at the other end of where the runway would have been.

Richard

 

[BrianH]

Purley Way? - now that's the road which runs past the old Croydon Aerodrome used by the RAF in WW2 and demolished when Heathrow was opened.

Not exactly demolished, it still operated as an airfield well after it lost its London Airport title to Heathrow. As a teenager I had my first flight there, in a de Havilland Rapide. In the summers I used to cycle from Beckenham, where I grew up, to the open air swimming pool opposite the airport.

In the 1950s I briefly worked at the Ministry of Civil Aviation's (as it then was) air traffic control telecommunications centre, sited in the terminal buildings, but I think by then all flying from there had ceased.

Small world, innit.

 

[Skylark]

Just had this text from my mate. He, his wife and their seasick cat set off last Sunday from Gib, bound for Lanzarotte

'Still on this f******* trip. 7 hours away. Just had fuel pipe block. 3 hours of rolling while fix. Auto helm broke day 2 hand steered. Rip in Jib. Beer tonight!'

Funny thing, this sailing malarky. I guess we've all experienced a particulary arduous passage, during which we've asked the obvious question "why am I doing this". It's equally amazing just how quickly the bad memories fade, let the good times roll, eh. Doubtless they'll have some great stories for the bar. Hope they arrive safe and well.

 

[Tranona]

I had my first flight there, in a de Havilland Rapide.
Small world, innit.

Memories of my first flight also in a Rapide from Hornchurch. Still don't know where I got the ten bob from to pay for the ticket. Other memory of same period was Margate pier to Calais on the Royal Daffodil - that was a good preparation for coping with rolling at sea!

 

[Nostrodamus]

Can this thread drift any more?

 

[BrianH]

Memories of my first flight also in a Rapide from Hornchurch. Still don't know where I got the ten bob from to pay for the ticket.

My 80 year-old grandmother paid mine, and came with me - her first flight too.

 

[Tranona]

Can this thread drift any more?

Not drift at all. If the OPs mate had done a trip on the Royal Daffodil when young he would be better prepared for coping with rolling in the Atlantic swell! Also a flight in a Rapide is a good way of shaking up your partially digested lunch.

Always learning in every memorable experience - even if it is difficult to pass on to others.

 

[tarik]

Not drift at all. If the OPs mate had done a trip on the Royal Daffodil when young he would be better prepared for coping with rolling in the Atlantic swell! Also a flight in a Rapide is a good way of shaking up your partially digested lunch.

Always learning in every memorable experience - even if it is difficult to pass on to others.

Fond memories of the Royal Daffodil and buying a watch off one of the street pedlars in Calais/Bologne.

David

 

[capnsensible]

Not drift at all. If the OPs mate had done a trip on the Royal Daffodil when young he would be better prepared for coping with rolling in the Atlantic swell! Also a flight in a Rapide is a good way of shaking up your partially digested lunch.

Always learning in every memorable experience - even if it is difficult to pass on to others.

I think that what really prepared him is that he and his wife have actually circumnavigated in the same yacht.

They arrived safely!!

Happy Christmas

 

[Babylon]

Not drift at all... Also a flight in a Rapide is a good way of shaking up your partially digested lunch.

You were lucky!

When I were lad in the air cadets, doing an air-experience flight in a DH Chipmunk, I boldly told the instructor that I was certainly up for some aerobatics. Quickly feeling pretty dicky, I reached under the seat for the sick-bag, but rapidly put it back when I realised that the previous bu**ers had already filled it up!

Filling a zero-gravity cockpit with free-floating vomit was a definite no-no.