Near miss

Went out for about four hours today (two at anchor having dinner at mount edgecombe). It's the second time we've left this new spot in the marina. As it's quite narrow we can't spin around, and as it's a dead end we have to reverse out. With the wind & tide pushing us onto the pontoon, my springing technique didn't spring us out far enough and when we started backwards we started to drift onto the boat that had been behind us. Mayuri gave us a little push and the boats didn't make contact. Then we skimmed past inches away from the next boat (all 21m of brand new princess luxury motor boat) and just began making steerage way as we got into open water. Overtook our first boat in the sound and went through the bridge with sails up & 20kts!

Away from civilisation

Set off for the dandy hole on the river Lynher at about 1400 yesterday. We beat into a headwind all the way but gave up at the start of the Lynher (and the narrow navigable channel) when it increased to 25kts, and motored the rest of the way.
After anchoring about three times (the depth gauge started playing up just as we needed it), we finally shut the doors and had dinner. I went to bed at about 2100, but woke a few hours later to the sound of rushing water. I didn't realise the tide would be so fast and wished we'd set the anchor more carefully. I didn't sleep much again. Things floating past hit the side, and I wondered how we'd end up at 0200 when the tide was out - on our side if we weren't properly in the hole.
Everything ended up ok, and we had an easy downwind sail (just the genoa up) all the way back to yachthaven this morning. - Until ten minutes before we berthed and the wind went back up to 25kts just as a final test.

Great day for sailing

Washed all the bed covers this morning in our new washing machine (two 25l B.T. buckets), to save us a fiver at the launderette. Shorts, sunglasses & flipflops all day, but we didn't go sailing as the boats being used as a washing line :-(

Risked life & limb on the rocks off Mount Batten pier to recover a nice piece of teak that I don't need (getting too much like dad) to add to the Princess fender that we found on the beach yesterday that I did need - our new neighbour's engines failed as they parked up and he collided with everyone down the row. I'll probably get my own back on him as he's in front of me now and I haven't practised getting out of this new space yet:-)

our new berth

Trying to flog a few things on ebay, but typing in a F9 is not easy! Our washings hung out under the cockpit tent, which is struggling to hold on. If it lets go during the night, I'll be wearing the clothes I've got on for the rest of the year.

Into the English chanel (for 10 mins!)

Set off at 1200 to fill up with diesel. Full tank & a 5 gallon drum for £30. Told to move to another spot when we return from our sail.

Spent three hours in the sound learning reefing & unreefing? in 14-23kts of wind. Finally made it out of the breakwater - on the third attempt. The tide had started to flood and the first two attempts saw us pushed too near the breaking waves next to the lighthouse on the western edge of the breakwater. 10 minutes later we gybed and came back through the eastern entrance, past an Aussie navy ship and home to our new berth in front of Lady Holland.

Man over Board - well dingy

Went out at 1200 for a couple of hours today. I'd been playing in the dingy yesterday and thought it would be ok to tow it behind Janix.

The was just over 20kts of wind when we went out. We put 2 reefs in and went into the sound to play. The spring tide was ebbing as we tried to sail into the Hamoaze (in the shelter from the wind). Every time we tried to tack, the bow never came through the wind and we were blown back downwind. The rocks got really close at one point and I was seconds from starting the engine to get us out of trouble.
So we gave up and decided to have one blast around the sound before going home. I turned around a few minutes later and saw the dingy, outboard and oars about 100m away. I went into M.O.B. mode and for a couple of seconds started working out which way to turn for a close reach approach, but then remembered unlike the drills, we had an engine that worked. We dropped the sails and motored back, circling it until Mayuri had sorted out the lasso (as we had no boat hook) she drove while I lassood the outboard and retied it to Janix. The glue patches that stick the metal eyes onto the dingy had come off.
We put the sails back up and sailed back home.

Cutter rig at last

Went out for two and a half hours today (1330 - 1600). Just 8kts of wind. From the end of the Mount Batten breakwater, we sailed to fort Picklecombe. We were thinking of going out the breakwater for the first time until we were headed off at the western entrance by an Aircraft carrier with its two tugs and defence police ribs and boats. We did get the stay sail out for the first time and became a proper cutter.