AGM and presentation dinner

What a great evening. Just photos for now but I will write this later.

Blackpool

Couldn’t sail. Had to take the kids to Blackpool, well Cleveley’s. I popped up to the club where I found Andrew, Stuart, Philip and Pat screaming around the perimeter of the reservoir in high wind. Looked like great fun too.

wind, fog and a dodgy chinese meal

“Take my Topper out while I eat my lunch” said Gwyn.

I got my wetsuite on and did as I was told. With winds reaching 39mph I was soon to find out that a six foot four, thirteen and half stone sailing novice plus a small boat  equals disaster.

It was almost minutes before I was blown helplessly down to the far eastern end of the reservoir – Capsize Corner – a place I know well.  While I was there I decided to do a bit of reservoir maintenance and  drag the lose buoy safely onto dry land. All this took some time. As they couldn’t see me due to the fog the folk in the club house became a little concerned and Stuart sailed out to check that I was OK. I got back in the boat and tried to follow him back to the club house. This wasn’t at all easy as the boat just didn’t want to sail anywhere near the wind. I fought with it for a while and was almost back at the clubhouse when I stalled on a turn. After another 20 minutes of battling and bouncing off the dam wall I ended up back down at Capsize Corner. Where I stayed.

Now all this seemed a little more than the ‘ghostly hand’ that sometimes paralyses Gwyn’s boat so I came to the conclusion that there was a problem with the rigging and as, I’d been over a couple of times, that there might be excessive water in the hull. I decided to un-rig the boat, empty the hull of water, re-rig it and sail happily for the rest of the afternoon. Well, I wasn’t going anywhere else. As I dragged the boat onto the reeds and eventually onto dry land at Capsize Corner I noticed Stuart and Andrew racing. I don’t know how much time passed but the next I knew they’d taken their boats in and walked down the dam wall to help me.

We dragged the boat towards the western end of the reservoir before emptying out the water and rigging it. Then with me on board Andrew dragged it into the spot in the water most likely to enable me to sail happily back to the club house – home and dry. The wind had other ideas and wasted no time in driving me straight towards the dam where, after a couple or three more capsizes and plenty of time in the water I beat a hasty retreat back to my favourite corner. So much for the time spent re-rigging the boat then!

Andrew asked if he might try. Relief!

As I was wading chest deep through the water pulling the boat with Andrew in it back to the launching point I remember feeling like I was in one of those Vietnam war films. I gave Andrew (and the boat) a hearty push. He was off! And it looked like he might make it. Forgetting I was atop the Pennine Moors, in a reservoir, in the rain…and the fog, I tried a celebratory swim. It was fun too but it wasn’t long before I lost all feeling in my fingers so I hopped out and walked back along the dam.

Expertly handling the boat through the horrendous wind Stuart made it back long before I did. Now freezing I changed out of my wet suit and drank a cup of tea before packing the boat away.

You can’t plan day’s out like this. Great experience, great camaraderie and most of all great fun.  The end of the (official) season is closing in fast now but I’m planning on going right through winter.

st. luke’s little summer

Wind SW

I thought something was wrong when I arrived at the club to find no boats rigged and people still sitting around clothed.  It wasn’t long before folk sprung into activity and we were soon sorting out who was sailing what and where. To make the race more competitive and enjoyable for the Enterprises, Andrew all but insisted that I take the Laser out again. I did what was best for the club and got it rigged.

We got plenty of races in and as usual there were plenty of incidents. Charles finished the first race almost underwater due to a missing bung, Noddy lost the wind and ended up going against the traffic at the start of a race before crashing into Charles etc… luckily none of them involved me (this time) – well not that I know of anyway.

Due to a rigging mistake I handicapped myself by half a lap in the first race but somehow still managed to come second. Andrew worked out a handicapping system – everyone except me and Philip and Pat could miss the F bouy on the last lap. This proved very effective and the subsequent races all had much closer and exiting finishes. One of the most memorable saw Stuart in his Topper expertly holding me off in the much faster Laser to win the race. I spent most of the races in Philip and Pat’s wake trying to work out how to get past them – I couldn’t of course but it was good fun and educational.

I did win a couple of races, the ones on which I got good starts but up at Redbrook it really is the taking part that is so enjoyable. A glorious autumnal afternoon with some great sailing and wonderful people.

• Me: Laser
• Andrew: Pico
• Stuart: Topper
• Philip & Pat: Enterprise
• Noddy & Milly: Enterprise
• Sally: Topper
• Charles: Topper

Rounded the day off with dinner and a pint in the Great Western with the family. 

Oh the title? It came from Charles. Ask him or Google it.

autumn sunset

Couldn’t resist it really. A wonderful autumn day and Charles was out too. The sort of afternoon’s sailing that’s good for the soul, Charles’s bacon butties and a pint in the Great Western! What’s not to like?

 

dragon boots and laser quest

I arrived at the club to find pleasant conditions and a moderate breeze so I set about rigging my Minisail – forerunner to the Topper – with the big Minisail sail. I set sail in a wind strong enough to achieve satisfying speeds without being extreme. I was halfway across the reservoir then everything suddenly stopped. As the boom clattered noisily onto the hull I noticed the Minisail’s sail loosely flapping around the front of the boat (bow). It didn’t take me long to realise that I’d ripped another clew out of another sail….. [pause for 'jokes': haven't got a clew; clewless etc etc.].

Grabbing the end of the sail (we’ve been here before) I was able to navigate my way onto the dam wall where I tied the boat to a rock, de-rigged it and walked back to the club house. Kindly saving me the job Gwyn took to the kayak and rescued the Minisail – forerunner to the Topper. By the time he’d got it back to the jetty I’d got changed and decided to call it a day. I dragged the boat up to the mooring (is that the right word?) and was about to leave when Andrew suggested that I should borrow Philip’s (or Richard’s?) Laser. Hmm, this might just save the day. I began to perk up again.

Meanwhile back at the ranch….

dragon boots

Next season's fashion?

…Gwyn’s quest for the ultimate cold water winter sailing foot furniture has led him to acquire the above! Who else but Gwyn could find such an appropriately eccentric loafer in the Cuckoos Nest? Note also the rubber over sock worn under the shoe, essential to the mechanics of the whole system (I’m pretty sure gaffa tape was involved somewhere too).  Whatever, he was keen to test them out and was soon zipping across the reservoir on Captain Chaos.

Back to the plot

Me and Philip (mostly Philip… a lot mostly Philip) got the Laser rigged and onto the water. It wasn’t the size of the boat or its reputed speed that made me nervous. It wasn’t even because the sail was big enough to have it’s own gravitational field. It had a centre main – the Laser’s mainsheet operates from the centre of the boat, not the transom where I’m used to. I don’t understand the mechanics of this system and the last time I tried was on Charles’s Topper at Rhoscolyn… just before capsizing.

Andrew found a stick (tiller) and a piece of rope (main sheet) and demonstrated the procedure. I practised Tai Chi like on dry land hoping to embed it firmly into muscle memory before getting into the boat. After a while I felt I’d got it. It felt right. I was confident(ish).

I got in the boat and set off for the first race. I managed to get a couple of practice turns in at the start line, it somehow felt different from the Tai Chi on dry land. The starting hooter wailed and we were off. I decided to hang back, take it easy and get used to the boat and the centre main procedure. The boat had another plan all together and it wasted no time in letting me know. My first turn was rather a panicked affair but it kind of worked. It was so inefficient that it put some distance between me and the other boats.  This was good. For everyone. After a few more turns I realised that the technique I had committed to muscle memory only worked when using the tiller extension. I wasn’t using the tiller extension.

I stayed out after the race to practice and got a bit more comfortable using the tiller extension. Changing to centre main was a bit like driving a left hand drive car – it feels a bit weird at first but after a while it feels probably more natural. I think I came 2nd or 3rd in the next race and began to get a feel for the Laser which, after sailing the Minisail – forerunner to the Topper – felt manageable and stable.

Race 3 and I got a really good start. I somehow managed to catch Pat up rather a lot faster than I had the ability to deal with and just about managed to avoid crashing into the back of her. Seconds after this incident Pat capsized. I felt responsible and hung around to make sure she was OK and shouted my apologies.  An excellent and experienced sailor Pat was soon out of the water, back into her boat and sailing again.

I don’t remember much more of the race except that I found myself in the lead and being chased down by the two Enterprises: Noddy in his and Philip in Gwyn’s. The Laser seemed to be able to sail really close to the wind and I’d noticed that Philip had had to put in an extra tack but Noddy hadn’t and I could tell by the sound of his boat that he must be catching me up. I just managed to get over the finish line in front of him to finish the race first – probably not a win after handicapping but a most enjoyable sail.

race route - wind direction: south west(ish)

late summer evening family sail

A phone call from Gwyn led to a lovely evening up at the reservoir including a picnic dinner, sailing and Chinese lanterns.

Zuni took some great video and photos:

sunday 25th sept 2011

2nd :-)

What a great day. Arrived at Redbrook plate glass mirror with little expectation of any sailing taking place. The only thing disturbing the surface of the water were midges but I optimistically rigged my boat anyway. Andrew, Stuart and Philip turned up with the rescue boat and set about some much needed buoy maintenance. A breeze developed. Enough to push boats round the reservoir. We were off.

I took my boat out then took Gwyn’s Enterprise out with Sally. Andrew organised a race. Me and Sally took part in the Enterprise and managed to come 2nd (disregarding handicaps). Though this was mainly due to other people making mistakes it did feel like we’d sailed a good race – for us novices.

The next race I did in my boat and did quite well until the last half of the last lap where I completely lost the wind and finished a day or two after everyone else. Great fun though. Very chilled out and relaxing. A most pleasant and enjoyable afternoon.

race route

race day woes

Not much to report from today’s sailing day because I’m sulking about it.

• My boat tipped over whilst tied to the jetty. The hull filled with water. It capsized a lot.
• Brought my boat back in and emptied the hull.
• Set off. The difference of and empty hull was immediately noticeable.
• I shot across the reservoir nearly 50 yards before my rudder broke.
• I fixed my rudder. Things were good.

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• I went out on Gwyn’s topper to compare it’s stability and manoeuvrability with my minisail. It was far, far better and I enjoyed 5 minutes of excellent fun until getting stuck at capsize corner.
• I was held here by ‘the ghostly hand’ that haunts Gwyn’s boat for about an hour.
• I held up the start of the racing.
• The hull filled with water.
• Rigging came undone.
• I got wet and cold.
• Stuart excorcised ‘the ghostly hand’ and I limped back to base.
• We emptied the water out of the hull – this is becoming a theme of my sailing.

• I took Gwyn’s boat out for a race.
• I kept stalling or nearly capsizing.
• I capsized.
• I took my boat out for the next race.
•  I capsized.
• Gwyn took some excellent photos and a video.
• I need a better boat.
• I dragged my boat out and went home.
• I was looked after by Jess and the kids.
• Corned beef hash, cake and coffee.
• All is well with the world.

race route

the water is back

The jetty and the 'high water' marker clearly visible under the water.

Called up to Redbrook to drop some stuff off for tomorrow. The water is at it’s maximum level. The highest it’s been for a long time.

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oh go on then

It just had to be done. Howling gales all day had me wondering if I could possibly benefit form sailing in such conditions. Of course I could! Even if I spend more time in the water it’s experience and learning isn’t it? Checking Marsden Weather Station told me that winds were gusting up to a maximum of 43mph confirmed it. So I went. The wind speed up at the weather station while I was sailing were as follows:

6:00pm             22mph
6:30pm             20mph
7:00pm             22mph
7:30pm             24mph

I blasted across the reservoir and discovered a kind of sweet spot between the water my boat and the wind whereby everything seemed to just work perfectly and effortlessly together. Great practice for managing conditions and though I thoroughly expected to get a soaking I capsized twice but didn’t go in the water once. All that previous capsize ‘practice’ must be paying off.

And….
The reservoir is full. Water up to the top of the jetty. I can’t tell you how much easier it was being able to use the jetty without having to worry about the bits under the boat hitting the bottom.

enterprising

Gwyn launches his Enterprise

There was a club meeting in the Great Western on Thursday. I met Gwyn an hour or so earlier, he wanted to rig his Enterprise to see what it would take to get it back on the water the following Sunday. It turned out all we were short of was a centre board, a problem which Colin solved almost instantly.

I will post a story about what happened to Gwyn’s Enterprise one day, needles to say it was an incident with as much comic hillarity as comedy carnage at the open day race

I was really looking forward to sailing the Enterprise for several reasons: it’s a much bigger boat than I’m used to; I want experience of more boats to guide my next purchase; we both have a lot more experience under our belts; the last time we sailed it it ended in  utter disaster and stage 2 hypothermia; and it seemed like we could have fun doing it.  Saturday came with tree bending wind. I don’t know what wind speed was but when Gwyn contacted me to say sailing the Enterprise might not be a good idea in such conditions I wasn’t dissapointed. I was when I woke up on Sunday morning though. Not a breath! I took the kayak up to Redbrook to find nothing more than a mirror, the only ripples on it being caused by the midges – perfect conditions for paddling the Enterprise.

We hung about and chatted for a bit before a light breeze could be felt – I began to feel optimistic. Gwyn rigged the Enterprise and by the time we had it on the water their was a definite breeze. Enough to have some fun.

Gwyn took the helm and we were off. It was fantastic being in a bigger boat and I could really feel the difference that the jib made. Gwyn offered me the helm so I jumped at the chance. I was surprised at how what I had learned in my Minisail – forerunner to the Topper – easily transferred to this bigger boat and my confidence quickly grew. I took the boat back to the jetty with what is probably the best bit of ‘boat parking’ I’ve ever done. I loved it. It was a really nice boat to sail.

Triumphant and chuffed

Next I took 3 kids out in the Enterprise (Zuni, Constance and Jina) – I was that confident! The kids loved it. They screamed so loud every time the boat heeled slightly they could be probably be heard from the top of Pule Hill. Zuni crewed for me and took charge of the jib – she did a good job too. After this I took Zuni, Jess and Phoebe out getting my first taste of what I’ve always wanted out of sailing – a hobby that all the family can enjoy. It was great fun and they all enjoyed it as much as I did (well that’s what they told me anyway )

Having fun with the kids

Phoebe loved it and will be back for more

We ended the day with me and Gwyn taking turns at the helm as the wind died away bringing to a close another wonderful day on the water. Once again I owe a debt of gratitude to Gwyn for his generosity and to Charles and many others at the Redbrook Sailing Club for so much help and advice.

Though I’ve been thinking of a mirror for my next boat I’m now thinking of something bigger – a Wayfarer currently sounding favourite. I’m hoping to organise a trip to Pugneys Water Park (where I think you can hire them) to try one out  before the end of the season.

comedy carnage at the open day race

So, the Open Day Race…

It was windy and very gusty. It wasn’t for the feint hearted. It was great! A bit of apprehension as the more experienced sailors reefed their sails but I was keen to get out on the water. I did OK too. I managed the gusts and stayed on my boat for the most part. Funnily enough I only fell off twice, both times when the gust suddenly disappeared leaving me hanging off my boat with nothing in the sail to counter my weight. I’m not sure they were capsizes really, more like me jumping backwards off the boat and thus kicking it away as I did so. Is that a capsize?

hustle and bustle in a busy club house

Anyway. People turned up. Tea was drunk and lots of sailing took place. My mum and dad even turned up to see what I was up to. and Jess and the kids. With lots of people who had turned up to ‘have a go’ and potential new members the club house was fuller than I’ve ever seen it.

Andrew suggested a race. A small figure of eight circuit across the front of the club house with (I think) 8 boats, the experienced sailors taking out people who had come up for ‘taster sessions’.  Recognising the obvious dangers Andrew expertly went over the ‘give way’ rules for racing. What could possibly go wrong?

The one minute to go hooter went and saw Noddy, Charles and me in almost perfect place for the starting hooter. We were off.

It does look good with boats on it

Here’s how I remember the rest (after several conversations):
Charles got off first, followed by Noddy then me. What went on behind me I’m yet to find out. I was travelling faster than Noddy who – though he was in an Enterprise – had his sail reefed and was carrying passengers so was obviously not racing. I tried to overtake him on the outside when rounding a bouy but this left me further behind. I was happy with that though because it put some distance between us so I could sail without the fear of a collision. I caught him up again. Rounding the next bouy I decided to try to pass him on the inside. Now what were those rules about overtaking? Windward boat? Two boat lengths? Shouting something? Starboard Tack? Right of way? Ah I remember – panic and hope the more experienced sailor sees you and gets out of the way.

Charles takes five

I picked the optimum panic moment. It was as the huge wake from Noddy’s boat engulfed my bow like a tsunami. My poor little boat nose dived like a submarine with a puncture. Tony rounded the bouy in front of me as I came round the wrong side of it. Unable to steer I did the next best thing and shouted “look out” or “man the rescue boat” or something.

At this point I’m not sure of the exact sequence of events. Not that it matters because the result was the finest comedic carnage.

Still in front of Noddy, Charles shot past. Just as I heard him shout “Watch out for my boom” I felt something hook through my jacket and into my buoyancy aid. Yoink! I was pulled backwards off my boat. I can’t remember whether it was before or after this point that my boat T-boned Noddy’s with one hell of a thud. His main sheet ended up tangled around people and bits of boat that it shouldn’t have but his boat did stay upright. Not so for poor Charles. My weight on the end of his boom arrested the forward movement of his vessel and off he flew. Carnage.

race route

As the sail on Charles’ boat filled with water and began to sink I could feel whatever was stuck in my back trying to take me down with it. It wasn’t enough to drag me under it but wasn’t something I was comfortable with. Charles was also caught up in some of his rigging and I couldn’t see how he was  as I had my back to him. I eventually freed myself by ripping whatever I was snagged on out of my clothing. I turned to see Charles was OK and trying to right his boat.  I set about recovering my boat and off we set to finish the race like the plucky chaps we are.

Great fun and the perfect end to a great day’s sailing and socialising…. Except that is for the couple of pints and the huge Sunday Lunch in the Great Western afterwards.

 

open day 2011

A great day ending with an unforgettable race

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it’s all happening up there…

A lovely repair

Great day up at the club. I took Zuni and the kayak and Jane was there with 3 kids who had improvised another kayak out of a surf board. The 4 of them had high adventure and and fun for a couple of hours on the water before they stopped for cake. There was also a chap making a sterling effort of learning to windsurf – something I’m plan to have a go at but today I stuck to sailing.

After 30 minutes of pottering around Andrew organised a race. Great fun and I’d improved. The second race saw the two best laps I’ve probably ever done (after a tip I’d got from Andrew about rounding the top buoy and aiming above the next one). At the end of the second lap I was thinking if I could do a third lap of the same quality as the first two that I might not lose this race by as much as I normally do. I rounded the buoy to start the third and final lap and found myself in a kind of slow motion capsize. I was out of the boat, onto the dagger board and was just thinking I might be back in and off again without losing too much ground. Andrew and then Charles both sailed passed me with ease. Then I drifted around the wrong side of the next buoy and had to turn back and put in another tak. I was now about three quarters of a lap behind. I finished though! And got some more experience and had a fine day.

A heart warming post script

In an earlier post I mentioned the prusik loop I was using to secure my kicking strap to my boom because I’d snapped the bracket off. In a facebook post I asked if anyone might lend me a rivet gun and four rivets to fix it. Before I went to the club today I received a message from an old friend I’ve not seen for years telling me that he had a spare rivet gun and rivets and had left them for me under the steps at the club.

busses and scouts

Got the bus up after work. Had a good hour of sailing sharing the reservoir with Marsden Scouts who were up there kayaking which was lucky because it meant I got  a lift back down to the village.

my first race

Two things surprised me on the way to Redbrook today. The first was the…well, army of army vehicles in the carpark of the Carriage House and the second was all the people at the sailing club. It was a race day!  An unexpected surprise as I only planned to meet with Charles for a chat about theory and an hour or two of sailing.

This was new. I’d had to be aware of other vessels at Rhoscolyn but the sea is a bit bigger than our reservoir. We actually had a queue of boats waiting to get down the slipway. I was a little nervous about bumping into other boats and trying remember right of way rules but was reassured by the other members that they would keep me abreast of things on the water.

Race 1

After a short practice we were back in the club house where Andrew outlined the route. Then we were off. As it was a handicapped race we started at different times. I was out first with the Toppers. I was soon wondering why other boats went in directions mine wouldn’t and marvelling at the expertise of the other more experienced sailors. It wasn’t long before my handicap was consumed by everyone except the people on dry land (and even they came close) leaving me in last place. I finished though! And had a great time. My first ever race.

The route - exactly 1km in straight lines.

Race 2

With the handicaps tweaked to give me more of an advantage I managed to come last again. I actually sailed this race better but managed to get grounded up at the eastern end of the reservoir and with my hull filling up with water I was coming closer and closer to capsizing. Even more fun than the first race though – getting into this now.

Race 3

Oh dear! After emptying my hull and topping the reservoir back up I was in probably in a perfect starting position. The 1 minute hooter went. I was poised to unleash the minisail into full flight. Then I noticed that I was drifting too quickly towards the start line. What was that Andrew had said about crossing the start line before the hooter: “You can’t turn around. You have to do a full lap of the course to get back to the start line”. Gulp. Quick. Think. I know, stall the boat! I just managed to point the boat into the wind as the starting hooter rang out. Instead of unleashing the minisail into full flight I floated helplessly around the wrong side of the buoy on the starting line and slowly out towards the centre of the reservoir. As I struggled to regain control I watched the next group of sailors set off – that’s my handicap gone again. Then a loss of concentration, a bad decision and  a gust of wind had me well and truly in the drink. It’s quite odd how quickly your breath leaves your body when you hit cold water unexpectedly.

Not to be deterred (and maybe because of the temperature of the water) I was back in the boat in record time (you’ll remember that I’ve had some practice at this) and straight into the damn wall…where I stayed…. for another lifetime. Still, this short break gave the water time to empty out of my boom. Then I was off. Handicap squandered and probably only about one and a half laps down in a three lap race. I can catch up…or finish.

Andrew playing dodgems against a much bigger boat. He later explained this manoeuvre to me.

As I rounded the second buoy I couldn’t work out whether we were in a race or whether it had been called off. People seemed to be sailing round more  leisurely than before. I think Charles had had a problem and people had gone to help. Thinking this was probably the end of the race, and because I was already out later than I had a pass for I decided to call it a day.

I’m now sitting here typing this and wondering whether I’ve spent too much time on the water this weekend as I still feel like I’m bobbing up and down (should that happen?). A wonderful day’s sailing with great people. I hope I’ve learned something from today amidst the mild panic. It’s certainly a different experience from sailing by yourself, a good one, a very good one, and I’m looking forward to getting in some more practice and the next race day.

PS

The army vehicles at the Carriage House was some sort of collectors meet not an invasion.

jetty

Phoebe’s birthday. Managed to grab an hours sailing while she had her afternoon nap. Fair conditions with a nice breeze which I couldn’t quite get to grips with as I struggled with the direction and I think it was swirling a bit. Even though Brittish Waterways have opened the valve to run water out of the reservoir it must have gained more than it lost since Tuesday as the water was only about 18 inches below the top of jetty.

It was luxury launching the boat on the slipway without having to wade through the swamp and mud. And having the use of a  jetty was bliss, if I’d been wearing sailing boots I’d have even managed to keep my feet dry. Charles turned up just as I had to leave which was a shame but hopefully he got a bit of quality sailing in.

good for the soul

Finished work a bit early to take advantage of the lovely summer evening and the breeze. Some of the other members (“The Tuesday Club”) were up at the club – a cup of tea and a chat about British Waterways disappointing decision to open the valve on the reservoir to start letting water out… again. And I did learn from Andrew the relative affordability of sailing. He told me that over the 30 years he’s been sailing what he’s paid for boats works out at £25 per year. Rushed home to tell Jess that one

Got a good hour with near perfect conditions before the wind dropped. Gave me a good chance to take some on board photos though.

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open day

Redbrook Sailing Club

We’re having an open day at the club. This is to tell people about what activities you can  do at the club and to break the ice for anyone interested in beginning sailing etc. The open day is going to be followed by 3 Sailing Sundays in September where people will be taken out on a sailing boat by an experienced sailors.

Open day 12pm Sunday 28th August 2011
Redbrook Sailing Club
Manchester Road
Marsden

• Location map
• http://www.redbrook-sc.uwclub.net
• facebook page for open day

another broken bit

To recap. I’ve got this boat which is a  minsail – forerunner to the Topper. I bought it without a sail. The sail I’ve borrowed has ripped so I’ve tied a knot in the end (the clew) to hold the rope, I’ve turned one of the auto bailers in the bottom of the boat into a hole and patched it with gaffa tape and I’ve cracked my dagger board.

Today I decided to try a bit of bad weather, high wind (for me) sailing. Well to be honest the weather kind of decided it for me. What could possibly go wrong? I got the boat rigged without any problem despite the wind. To be honest I was a bit nervous. I shot across the reservoir just short of the speed of sound – it was great! And after a 15 minutes of high wind adventure I’d completely forgotten my previous anxieties.

After one particularly deft turn at the far end of the reservoir the back end of my boom flew up into the air. Now I’m no expert but I was pretty sure that something had gone wrong. I stalled the boat and after a brief investigation I noticed that bracket on the boom that the kicking strap fixes to had ripped off. Oops I had noticed a loose rivet in that and meant to fix it but that’s diy not sailing.

As I staggered back to the club house to attempt a repair I noticed Gwyn had arrived to collect his boat. During a brief chat in pouring rain Gwyn suggested tying some rope round the boom and forming a loop to attach the kicking strap to. I tried to tie a Sailors Gripping Hitch but couldn’t remember how to do it properly so ended up with a mass of knots and dangly bits everywhere, not pretty but it worked and I was off again.

I lasted about another 45 minutes before retreating to the club house to get out of the rain. All in all a great time. I learned loads and didn’t capsize.

P.S.
A minisail – forerunner to the Topper is for sale on ebay. Keeping my eye on this. The rate I’m trashing these rare as rocking horse poo boats I’m going to be needing plenty of spare parts.

…paddling

Nice evening. Thought I’d grab a peaceful hour on the water to end the week when the scouts turned up for a kayaking session

No problem though, Marsden scouts are great and though she wasn’t there due to being at Kirklees Summer Camp Zuni is one of ‘em.

I got my boat on the water only for the wind to completely disapear after about 20 minutes. I then spent the next 30 minutes trying to get back to dry land before Tone (Noddy) Norcliffe braved the dam wall and brought me a kayak paddle. I owe him one for that. I paddled back to the slipway, got changed and joined Charles for a couple of pints in the Great Western.

photo from http://www.variousstuff.co.uk

Whilst enjoying a pint and pleasant conversation a couple of ambulances pulled up outside. After a 30 mile walk a woman was feeling faint “up above Redbrook somewhere”. After regaling them with our local moorland knowledge and scouring the landscape with binoculars we retired back into the pub. They stood around talking for another 10 minutes before speeding off west over the hill. Funny what goes on innit?

Update:
The woman was found later that night – well next day actually, 1am Saturday morning – near the wooded area on the west side of the Wessenden Valley. Just like us old lags in the pub had suspected.

rhoscolyn

After an excellent weekend at Marsden Family Camp we raced the Walkers to Outdoor Alternative in Rhoscolyn and met up with Gwyn, Jo, Ariane and Charles. What a fantastic week! Lots of sun meant we were on the beach until 8pm most days sailing, kayaking and cruising round in the Zodiac which Charles had brought to use as a rescue boat. I got further experience of sailing on the sea and Jess and the kids got their first experiences of sailing – albeit as passengers – sea kayaking and handling a motor boat with both Zuni and Jess taking the helm of the Zodiac and zipping around the bay. Even Phoebe enjoyed two trips out exploring the rugged coastline in the kayak.

New experiences for everyone

The only day we weren’t on the sea we went to South Stack where Jess and Zuni negotiated the 400+ steps to the lighthouse. Nerissa, Phoebe and I stayed on the mainland where Nerissa, thrilled at joining the nature club (RSPB), spent the rest of the holiday pouring over the supplied literature planning her own adventures while Phoebe insisted that everybody (especially Charluls) draw Teeny Biders.

The Tuck Crew

On friday Charles (now renamed Prince Charles to the Rescue by Nerissa) and I sailed the toppers out of Rhoscolyn bay around the coast to Silver Bay whilst Gwyn and Zuni followed in the rescue boat. We were against the wind on the journey out and I was glad to be following Charles who navigated and tacked his way expertly to our destination.  For the return journey I jumped into the rescue boat with Zuni – who took the helm for the journey back to Rhoscolyn – and Gwyn sailed his boat back. A great day.

To top off each day we managed a couple of  marshmallow toasting sessions and evening walks on the beach before settling into Gwyn’s communal shelter for relaxation, chat and a wee dram.

Two fishing expeditions saw 1 mackerel hunted down and caught. Small, very tasty and expertly gutted by Zuni it was well worth the effort.

Sadly we didn’t get any photos of the Tuck family at sea because we were all a bit too busy…well…erm… doing things in boats. Thanks to Julie Walker for the excellent pictures she uploaded to facebook – some of them nicked and shown below.

The Tuck Crew

…and it’s coming together.

Got a text of Charles saying he’d picked up my keys and left them in the Great Western Inn for me.

Picked up the keys.

And it’s coming together.

7pm – 8.30pm
Moderate NW breeze – which had me powering across the reservoir.
Great fun sharing the reservoir with various birds skimming the surface of the water for their supper.

Found my short wet suit in the club house. Must have been there for at least 12 months.