(Underway) Boats to sleep on

[jimi]

I used to think the quarter berth on the Contessa 32 was the best, but my recent experiences of a really sound cross channel F6 sleep in the pilot berth of a wellfound Tradewind 35 really pips it by some way .. any other recommendations as I'm taking up sleeping as a hobby ... is the Twister any good?

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[vyv_cox]

Lack of noise in the berth has a profound effect on comfortable and peaceful sleeping. The hull insulation in the aft cabin/quarter berth on our Sadler 34 makes for a very refreshing sleep, not so the starboard side saloon berth which has the water tank beneath.

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[Peppermint]

Nic 35 has a really nice pilot berth and any of the Westerly boats where the back rests make a padded leeboard are good.

My preference is for an adjustable pipecot.

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[ParaHandy]

cherbourgsomiasis

... hmm .... i was wondering if we needed to fly a Q flag ....

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[iangrant]

Phil slept for nearly 8 hours in the aft cabin, cross channel into a force 6/7, this weekend (3 hours F7 recorded by Tome) - appearing on deck at 0720, "oh has it been rough"? he asked..seeing 3 arses up in the air heads over the deck..

Ian

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[Twister_Ken]

I second the Tradewind 35. Having made sure the noble craft missed the dangers off the East Coast of the IOW (I'd personally reconnoitred the position of said dangers some 12 hours earlier) I retired to my pit in the vicinty of Bembridge Ledge at 2200. I dutifully got up four hours later with an to offer to relieve the watch only to be shouted down on the lines of "We're not going down there, we haven't taken our Stugeron." So I went back to bed. The motley crew had kindly arrranged Cherbourg across the horizon by the time I re-emerged at 0800. So I kindly made sure they hit none of the Cherbourg dangers on the way in, then wondered why my playmates all wanted to grab a kip instead of nipping around to see if Fifi la Plume's was open..

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[iangrant]

and for afters a couple of pints of Duncan's special "French" mix..cider and creme de blackberry and apple - etc,, etc..

Ian

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[robp]

Re: Ah sleep....I remember that! NM

~

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[tome]

One lump or two?

Hi Ian

Yes we recorded 3 hours of winds in excess of 28 knots in the early hours on the way over, but mostly F6 there and back with mean wind speeds of around 24 knots and gusts up to max 38 off Bembridge. Just a note of caution though - our system records the true wind as a snapshot every 15 minutes so it's possible (though unlikely) that these were all gusts. In my book a good F6.

It was the big spring tides which gave such lumpy conditions. Similar winds on neap tides would have produced much more moderate seas.

Fatipa gets our prize for managing to sleep in the foc'sle whilst hammering to windward and being assailed by Charlie's guitar. Even being airborn didn't seem to unsettle this man of steel!

We cleared Cherbourg harbour at 0520 and were at Chichester Bar 11 hours later. I remained largely in the 'owners cabin' whilst Derek skippered Amaya home with little fuss to gain his spurs.

Did you see the motorboat perched high on the mud in Northney? How the hell did he get there? Pictures and a more detailed account to follow.

Regards
Tom



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[iangrant]

Re: One lump or two?

Tom
I didnt see the motor boat at Northney. we did it in 12 hours, I saw 38 knots a couple of times. We hit a really big wave motoring the last bit north west of the Nab and the engine started to run rough - cleared now rough again .. hoping nothing to 'orrible,,

Ian

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[tome]

Re: One lump or two?

Ian

Muck in the tank? Ideal conditions for this to give engine probs.

Tom

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[iangrant]

Re: One lump or two?

Yes I hope you're right and that's all it is, she starts ok but runs like a petrol engine with the timing slipped - There is a metallic "screech" which may be the alternator bearings, oh and the bloody water pump seal has just about given up.
Looking at her tomor morning with the VP engineer..

Ian

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[qsiv]

Oh good - I'm glad others felt unwell. Couldnt join the Cherbourg bash as I had to be back before weekend - but our 14 hour run to Jersey left me feeling more ill than I have evere felt. Bizarrely it wasnt till an hour after I actually got home that I was ill - I still blame lunch the day before. All thanks to StephenH for being a supremely competent and genial crew on my trip. We didnt see more than 35 knots all the way, and mostly less than 25, but still managed to scoot through the race at just under 20 knots.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by qsiv on 13/10/2003 12:16 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Twister_Ken]

Ah yes, I remember it well, I think.

On arrival Ian sent a party of Royal Marines ashore, with instructiuons to capture a) a French fishing boat and b) a Cidermaker's wife. These were held to ransom, a) in exchange for several bushels of assorted prawnie thingummies, and b) for a vast quantity of cidre (although how some of it turned out to be Woodpecker, I'm not sure).

Aforementioned marines then took delight in capturing passing Scuttlers, and holding them down while quantites of shellfish and cidre were forcefed. An altogether pleasurable experience.

PS. That lad Spanner can shift it, can't he?

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[iangrant]

Re: Ah yes, I remember it well, I think.

Spanner can indeed shift - in his Motor cruiser moored on the Thames - circa 1950 something - I think waves came as a bit of a shock....

Ian

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[BlueSkyNick]

Re: Ah yes, I remember it well, I think.

I agree - a very pleasant snack, indeed.

On top of Para's 'full english breakfast at sea' followed by wine tasting and the evening meal, it was a good day for those of us who enjoy our nutrition.

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[Twister_Ken]

Information for Jimi

Whilst Parhandy, Tescotrev, BigNick (he is, isn't he?) and self were manfully steering two tons of fibreglass, 10 tons of lead and a ton and a half of wine through seas that resembled one of those electron microscope pictures of a flea's arse, and whilst you reclined in your stateroom below, dreaming of sheep you have known, the owner was heard to mutter "Effing Yachtmaster? Jesus Christ!"

It certainly was a trip to sort the real seamen from the yachtmasters.

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[jimi]

Re: Information for Jimi

Wot happened tae ra Twister? I was exercising my energy conservation mode ready to leap like a coiled springg into action when required .. however as a result of my good tuition on the way out I was allowed to nurse my hangover in silence!

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[Twister_Ken]

Re: Information for Jimi

Ah yes. What happened to Indigo?

Well, having signed up a certain Bavarian gent for the trip, he was surprised to find that Cherbourg was quite so far away from Southampton Water, and taking pity, we decided to return him to base before turning around and proceeding. Whilst on this mercy mission Tescotrev and self intercepted a call for assistance from three ageing gents, who needed a bit of muscle for string-pulling aboard their lugger. And so being obliging sorts, we paused only for a quick curry, before swapping ships and making sure they arrived unharmed.

As a consequence TT and self sailed 130 miles in 26 hours to get to Chbg, putting other's efforts somewhat to shame.

As you aware, I spent much of the second trip on standby below de-Mustoed and de-Dubarried but otherwise ready for a call to action which never came. Owing to the fact that the Force 7 headwinds which had demonstrated Indigo's superb seaworthiness earlier in the day had declined to Force Yanmar by the time you layabeds got out there.

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[bedouin]

The nearest weather buoy shows the wind at a fairly constant 24kts for the trip back yesterday - which is a good F6

My wind instrument seems to under-read as most of the time I was seeing about 20-22 apparent (i.e. 18-20 true).

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