Unplanned voyage!!

[srm]

My 32ft Prout catamaran was easy to handle under just the headsail. I would often take it out for a few hours by myself on a summer evening. I enjoyed the challenge of sailing back in to the berth on the dying breeze. The only trouble was the entrance channel to the marina had the ferry to the mainland berthed on the windward side. Just for the fun of it I made a skulling oar to get through the wind shadow and found I could keep the boat moving in those calm conditions with a minimum of effort.

 

[dunedin]

I've just ordered a pair of replacement parts, port and Starboard, from the Rib Store. It's worth me paying the £30 to get the dinghy useable again. I need it to get out to my mooring, but I've started looking for something that will row easily.

Do the wheels not fold up? Ours fold in seconds. Nothing will row properly with wheels down.
Also you would be amazed how much better a rubber dinghy with an airdeck and RIB shape rows compared to a flat floor inflatable - though a lightweight 2 stroke outboard is perhaps the best solution.

 

[veshengro]

" Do the wheels not fold up? "
Yes, Each leg is secured top and bottom by a removable pin. By removing the bottom pin the legs pivot upwards
and if I wished I could secure them upright clear of the water against the Transom. My experience is that the wheels down position provides a kind of directional stability, almost like a keel or twin rudders even. They are plastic on aluminium legs and weight nothing. Of course there is a 'Drag' factor I suppose, but at least the dinghy holds a reasonable course when I row hard, rather than skating about like a Water Bug.

It's only about a quarter of a mile from slip to mooring and had the plastic Rowlock not failed the trip as always would have been uneventful. The fact that one Rowlock failed and the other is looking tired ( I'm replacing both) might indicate that the dinghy's days are numbered anyway, although the fabric appears study enough.
A dinghy with air deck and finer bow is in fact on my list to look at locally this weekend.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Out on my swinging mooring this morning. There are 3 other bouys up river from me then nothing but Farms, Woodland and mud flats. Small tides but quite a fresh breeze blowing so I knew the row back to the slipway would raise the heartbeat. It's only about quarter of a mile from slip to mooring but at times, even with a favourable tide can be hard work against the wind. Being lazy I leave the Dinghy wheels attached while afloat which cause drag and the inflatable never did row well anyway..
About halfway, crack!! and I go over backwards off the thwart. Starboard side plastic Rowlock has disintegrated... managed to hang on to oar and I am bound away up river on the wind....
With a strange sort of sculling movement using one captive oar from the side tube of the dinghy I managed to grab one of the only mooring bouys between me and an uncontrolled trip up river to the wilds..

Made fast to the Bouy with the Painter, and after a pause to plot ways out of spending the night with the Oyster Catchers high on a mud bank, it was Mr Leatherman and a length of Flag Halyard to the rescue. I had to remove the screws to gain space under the pivot bar of the Rowlock, so that I could pass a couple of turns of Halyard underneath to secure the oar in place for the row home.

Back in civilisation and a trip to the van for the camera...






Thoughts when safely ashore...I suppose I had better start carrying one of those telephone thingies.
Carried a Leatherman for 40+ years..no plans to change.
Order two new Rowlocks..Starboard one is looking iffy with slight rust staining around the Oar Pin.
Thinking I might seek out a proper rigid dinghy that I can row, rather than the red balloon that I have now...

First photo sometimes does not show...press red X

Well done. How about this catchy slogan to advertise the sport.

"Sailing - Great for unplanned adventures"

 

[Neeves]

Luckily a German family on a big Ketch anchored a bit further seaward saw me and quickly shot across in a Rib and towed me to their yacht and later back to mine

Why this 'later'



Jonathan

 

[mjcoon]

Why this 'later'



Jonathan

Calming libation?

 

[veshengro]

Why this 'later'



Jonathan

Calming libation?

They first sighted me furiously sculling my high sided aluminium Dinghy in the usual fashion, an oar over the stern but slowly losing the battle against the wind. They probably thought Mad dogs and Englishmen or something similar and wondered why I didn't get the Ferry to Morocco like everyone else...Then realised I was having problems, so came to my rescue in their Rib. They were first timers to the Med so I was happy to mention some reasonable anchorages when asked. Luckily he had proper paper charts so he spent some time with a 2b pencil while his Mrs stuffed me with coffee and sticky buns...

 

[ylop]

I’m always surprised how many people will step into a little wobbly dinghy with no anchor, no torch, no bailer, no radio or waterproof phone, and often no life jackets! Yet im sure we all inwardly tut as we watch/read reports of some holiday maker misjudging wind/tide on a beach and getting washed out to sea with no LJ, not means of getting help etc

 

[Neeves]

I’m always surprised how many people will step into a little wobbly dinghy with no anchor, no torch, no bailer, no radio or waterproof phone, and often no life jackets! Yet im sure we all inwardly tut as we watch/read reports of some holiday maker misjudging wind/tide on a beach and getting washed out to sea with no LJ, not means of getting help etc

And, as they have a O/B they obviously don't need oars - and sometimes they have oars (they are the sensible ones) but don't have rowlocks.

Been there, done that

Jonathan

 

[capnsensible]

I’m always surprised how many people will step into a little wobbly dinghy with no anchor, no torch, no bailer, no radio or waterproof phone, and often no life jackets! Yet im sure we all inwardly tut as we watch/read reports of some holiday maker misjudging wind/tide on a beach and getting washed out to sea with no LJ, not means of getting help etc

Try the popular Caribbean anchorages. All that plus dark early, drunk drivers and outboard tiller extensions for stand up muppet driving....

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Try the popular Caribbean anchorages. All that plus dark early, drunk drivers and outboard tiller extensions for stand up muppet driving....

Presumably, a drop of rum makes one forget the drowning stats for yachtsmen.

 

[ylop]

Try the popular Caribbean anchorages. All that plus dark early, drunk drivers and outboard tiller extensions for stand up muppet driving....

At least the water is warm enough your demise might be noteworthy at the “hands” of sharks rather than from hypothermia!