Friday 23 December 2011
2011 Sea Miles - Moving without travelling
Well, here are the tracks I recorded this year on the GPS. I've been a long way but as you can see didn't really get anywhere! Overall I managed just under 400NM on Live Magic plus probably 200NM on my dads boat Silver Blade, a 29' motor boat. This has been an excellent boating year for me, and I hope it has for all of you too.
November Sailing
Appologies for the lack of posting for a while - I have been sailing in Live Magic but have been rather busy with a new SWMBO and so had very little time. Before I get started, I must confirm that these pictures are in fact mid November in the Solent - shame on you all if you have your boat in the carpark! I thought that sailing might make an impressive date early on in the new relationship so off we went to the coast.
We stayed on the boat for the night to make sure we got an early start with the tide. This went very well and Laura cooked the most amazing chorizo and prawn jambalaya in a single pot on the single ring cooker (she's a keeper this one!). We got up at 7 and showered ready for our day of sailing. We had a pretty good sail up the river until we reached Chichester bar. Unfortunately at this point there was a bit of a southeasterly wind and the tide was running out at a rate of knots. There were pretty big waves coming in and breaking on the Hayling Island shore which we were being blown onto. I decided to tack to get a bit more room but sadly too late and we made almost no progress away from the shore and thanks to the tide the boat was now going backwards with a new sailor on board.
I decided to start the engine to make sure we were safe, and sent Laura below so that I had room to manoever on deck. I got the engine started after a few pulls and turned the boat just in time to see the rather large red buoy fine on the port bows! I must have had a little panick in the eyes because Laura asked if everything was OK? "you'll see shortly" was my reply just as the buoy drifted past close enough to touch!
Once out of the harbour our luck did not change. The waves were enormous and in just the wrong direction which forced us to head straight for Bembridge much longer than planned. Eventually I gave in and motored for an hour to get back some comfort. Thanks to the motion of the ocean, one of the shrouds worked loose at this point and I had to leave Laura in charge while I went forward to retighten. An hour later and everything was much more calm, we were sailing again and the sun was shining. We moored in East Cowes marina just after lunchtime and had a well earned pint. Luckily this has not put Laura off and we've been sailing a couple of times since. She's even starting to pick up how to tack and handle the boat despite my shoddy methods of teaching!
I won't be sailing until the new year now due to a holiday in Cornwall but hope the rest of you manage to get out and that you have weather as sunny as we did.
Happy Christmas all.
We stayed on the boat for the night to make sure we got an early start with the tide. This went very well and Laura cooked the most amazing chorizo and prawn jambalaya in a single pot on the single ring cooker (she's a keeper this one!). We got up at 7 and showered ready for our day of sailing. We had a pretty good sail up the river until we reached Chichester bar. Unfortunately at this point there was a bit of a southeasterly wind and the tide was running out at a rate of knots. There were pretty big waves coming in and breaking on the Hayling Island shore which we were being blown onto. I decided to tack to get a bit more room but sadly too late and we made almost no progress away from the shore and thanks to the tide the boat was now going backwards with a new sailor on board.
I decided to start the engine to make sure we were safe, and sent Laura below so that I had room to manoever on deck. I got the engine started after a few pulls and turned the boat just in time to see the rather large red buoy fine on the port bows! I must have had a little panick in the eyes because Laura asked if everything was OK? "you'll see shortly" was my reply just as the buoy drifted past close enough to touch!
Once out of the harbour our luck did not change. The waves were enormous and in just the wrong direction which forced us to head straight for Bembridge much longer than planned. Eventually I gave in and motored for an hour to get back some comfort. Thanks to the motion of the ocean, one of the shrouds worked loose at this point and I had to leave Laura in charge while I went forward to retighten. An hour later and everything was much more calm, we were sailing again and the sun was shining. We moored in East Cowes marina just after lunchtime and had a well earned pint. Luckily this has not put Laura off and we've been sailing a couple of times since. She's even starting to pick up how to tack and handle the boat despite my shoddy methods of teaching!
I won't be sailing until the new year now due to a holiday in Cornwall but hope the rest of you manage to get out and that you have weather as sunny as we did.
Happy Christmas all.
Sunday 21 August 2011
God says "Buy a bigger boat"
While I was in Berthon Lymington Marina they put me on a big boat pontoon. Here's a picture of my fenders disapearing under it:
And if that wasn't bad enough, here is a picture of the whole pontoon. The yellow arrow points to the topmost tip of my mast:
I think this is the universe telling me I need a bigger boat.
Tracks
Here are the trip tracks.
Overview of the week
Saturday
The Ferry incident - Portsmouth harbour
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
Overview of the week
Holiday Part 2
OK last we left off, the boat and I were in Lymington with Steve on board. After checking finances I decided that I could not risk getting stuck in Poole for a few days so decided upon Southampton instead. This would also be Steve's departure point as he had to get back for work. We sailed into the wind again but this time with the tide and made excellent progress. Once in Southampton Water, the wind died completely and we lost steering as a result so had to motor up to Ocean Village Marina. Although not the best marina in the Solent, it was certainly a refreshing change from Yarmouth and close enough to the town for a walk in.
The following morning, Steve left on the train bound for the Westcountry and I was left solo on the boat. The only forecast I had seen predicted an easy F3 NE which would be behind me all the way to Cowes which was excelent news. It was raining hard but that was forecast to end by around 2pm. Sailing with the wind behind me was magical, albeit in full waterproofs. There was no sound at all except the pitter patter of raindrops on my suit, and the gentle murmor of the boat in the water. At this point I was the happiest man alive sitting on my own boat with not a care in the world. I had only put up the headsail and was averaging 4 knots through the water all the way down Southampton Water. This should have been my first clue, but with a following wind all seemed well. My speed gradually built to 5 knots, and the waves started to get a bit bigger just as I reached the Solent. By the time I got out to Bramble Bank, the waves were getting big and I had some ferrys to play with. About half way accross I recorded a 6.6 Knot speed, although this is not unusual for Live Magic, it would usually be with a good tide and over the ground. In this instance it was through the water surfing down a huge wave! I managed to reef in some of the sail and things calmed down a bit. By the time I reached the Medina entrance, I was tired and wanted more than anything to tie up and sleep. This was not to be. Unfortunately the calm of the river I had been expecting was now a maelstrom of bucking waves, and everything in site was chaos. Since I was near the western bank where the waves were breaking on the shore I started the outboard and motored to get to the other side of the river. The prop spent more time out of the water than in, and made scary revving noises while out of the water. After several changes of plam I got to the ferry terminal and all was calm. Within 10 minutes I was tied up at East Cowes where the lady asked if I had called in whereupon I informed her that the radio had been in the cabin and if I was going to make a trip down there it would more likely have been for a lifejacket!
I spent all of Friday in the marina in glorious sunshine drying the boat, cushions and everything else that was damp from a week of boating and bad weather. Saturday came and I slipped the lines at 09:00 to head for home. After only a single tack which was probably unnecessary I reached West Pole in no time at all after a great day on the water. A quick clean up and a long unload of the boat and I headed home a more experienced sailor.
The following morning, Steve left on the train bound for the Westcountry and I was left solo on the boat. The only forecast I had seen predicted an easy F3 NE which would be behind me all the way to Cowes which was excelent news. It was raining hard but that was forecast to end by around 2pm. Sailing with the wind behind me was magical, albeit in full waterproofs. There was no sound at all except the pitter patter of raindrops on my suit, and the gentle murmor of the boat in the water. At this point I was the happiest man alive sitting on my own boat with not a care in the world. I had only put up the headsail and was averaging 4 knots through the water all the way down Southampton Water. This should have been my first clue, but with a following wind all seemed well. My speed gradually built to 5 knots, and the waves started to get a bit bigger just as I reached the Solent. By the time I got out to Bramble Bank, the waves were getting big and I had some ferrys to play with. About half way accross I recorded a 6.6 Knot speed, although this is not unusual for Live Magic, it would usually be with a good tide and over the ground. In this instance it was through the water surfing down a huge wave! I managed to reef in some of the sail and things calmed down a bit. By the time I reached the Medina entrance, I was tired and wanted more than anything to tie up and sleep. This was not to be. Unfortunately the calm of the river I had been expecting was now a maelstrom of bucking waves, and everything in site was chaos. Since I was near the western bank where the waves were breaking on the shore I started the outboard and motored to get to the other side of the river. The prop spent more time out of the water than in, and made scary revving noises while out of the water. After several changes of plam I got to the ferry terminal and all was calm. Within 10 minutes I was tied up at East Cowes where the lady asked if I had called in whereupon I informed her that the radio had been in the cabin and if I was going to make a trip down there it would more likely have been for a lifejacket!
I spent all of Friday in the marina in glorious sunshine drying the boat, cushions and everything else that was damp from a week of boating and bad weather. Saturday came and I slipped the lines at 09:00 to head for home. After only a single tack which was probably unnecessary I reached West Pole in no time at all after a great day on the water. A quick clean up and a long unload of the boat and I headed home a more experienced sailor.
Tuesday 16 August 2011
Holiday
I'm currently on a two week trip out on Live Magic. The plan was to head west as far as possible in the first few days and then stroll back at whatever pace. Unfortunately my brother Steve and I left Emsworth Marina on Saturday and we've had constant westerly winds ever since. We had a cracking sail all the way from Emsworth town quay all the way over to Bembridge on day one. We then tacked and headed for Portsmouth still with the intention of heading towards Cowes. By the time we got to Portsmouth, however, it was clear we probably couldn't make it that far west and so decided upon Haslar for the night. Entering the harbour entrance against the tide we were making very little progress. Little progress is better than none, so we persevered until the engine cut out about half way into the entrance. I tried to restart a few times but quickly it became clear that we would not make it and so I unfurled the headsail (the main was still up at this point). The harbour master came over to help since we had been drifting in the channel witout steering. By the time he got there we were under control and declined his assistance. He seemed happy for us to sail back out but did point out the continental fast cat followed by a continental ferry coming right for us. When I say right for us, they were actually going sideways in the current!
Thanks to the strong tide we sailed back to almost the pier in the five minutes it took us to get the engine started again. It then took over an hour to motor into Haslar.
Day two saw us sailing from Haslar to East Cowes Marina again against the wind. We were not in a hurry so sailed all the way with long wide tacks accross the whole solent. We arrived in plenty of time for a sizzler at The Anchor and a pint of Fuggle De Dum.
Day three, we headed for Lymington against a strong westerly. We were with the tide so only took around 3 hours to get tied up in Berthon Marina. This marina has the absolute best facilities in any marina I've seen, only Portavadie comes close although Emsworth aren't bad now they've opened the new block.
Day four the plan was Poole. This plan stayed in place right up until we got out of the channel and saw the state of the Solent! Instead we headed to Yarmouth which took 2 hours and some motoring against the tide since I had left early to line up for Hurst for when the tide turned. Yarmouth I am not fond of for many reasons. Once ashore it's a great place and I have no issues there. It's the marina/harbour I don't like. We are for some reason rafted up despite there being plenty of space around. We didn't get clear instructions on where to go despite the fact that the berthing master is in a boat and could have shown us. We were also charged just £3 less than Berthon, a difference which will easily be made up by the pay per minute showers. The toilets are also in appaling condition - why not use some of the extortionate fees on a cleaner!?
Oh well, easterlies predicted for tomorrow so fingers crossed we might make it to Poole after all.
Thanks to the strong tide we sailed back to almost the pier in the five minutes it took us to get the engine started again. It then took over an hour to motor into Haslar.
Day two saw us sailing from Haslar to East Cowes Marina again against the wind. We were not in a hurry so sailed all the way with long wide tacks accross the whole solent. We arrived in plenty of time for a sizzler at The Anchor and a pint of Fuggle De Dum.
Day three, we headed for Lymington against a strong westerly. We were with the tide so only took around 3 hours to get tied up in Berthon Marina. This marina has the absolute best facilities in any marina I've seen, only Portavadie comes close although Emsworth aren't bad now they've opened the new block.
Day four the plan was Poole. This plan stayed in place right up until we got out of the channel and saw the state of the Solent! Instead we headed to Yarmouth which took 2 hours and some motoring against the tide since I had left early to line up for Hurst for when the tide turned. Yarmouth I am not fond of for many reasons. Once ashore it's a great place and I have no issues there. It's the marina/harbour I don't like. We are for some reason rafted up despite there being plenty of space around. We didn't get clear instructions on where to go despite the fact that the berthing master is in a boat and could have shown us. We were also charged just £3 less than Berthon, a difference which will easily be made up by the pay per minute showers. The toilets are also in appaling condition - why not use some of the extortionate fees on a cleaner!?
Oh well, easterlies predicted for tomorrow so fingers crossed we might make it to Poole after all.
Monday 1 August 2011
Chain Locker
When I bought the boat, there was a length of chain and rope attached to the anchor which went through the deck via a hawse pipe and into the cabin. In the cabin was a washing up bowl into which the chain was placed. This all sounds very neat in theory but in reality the chain just dropped into the bilge and water, mud and sand ran down and made a mess. The reason for this is that there was no way to place the bowl under the hawse pipe. To rectify this, I decided to put some fibre glass and wood in to stop the chain and much from going down into the boat, effectively making a chain locker at the bow.
This picture is the bow from inside. The post you can see goes up to the samson post on deck and the grp at the top of the image is the forward bunk to which I glassed the wood. To measure up I used corrugated card and cut to shape, fitting it to the hull shape in line with the front of the bunk to add strength. Once I had the outline shape, I cut this from 4mm marine ply and covered it in resin and glass mat.
This photo is the wood in place, covered in resin but not yet glassed into the boat. Before putting it in place I sanded the hull with 90 grit paper to ensure a good bond with the resin. You will notice that there is no drain hole present, I considered fitting one but I don't see that much water getting in so I'll see how it goes. It's easy enough to add one if it becomes necessary in future.
I then ripped squares of chopped strand mat which would secure the wood to the hull. I mixed 100ml of polyesther resin at a time because it has a short pot life and this is a difficult location to get to. In total I used 200ml to glass into the boat and around 300ml to cover the wood at home.
Here is the finished work. As you can see there is no obvious line of new glass, this is why I ripped it instead of cutting. Thanks to Harbour Chandlers in Emsworth Marina for that bit of advice!
This photo is the wood in place, covered in resin but not yet glassed into the boat. Before putting it in place I sanded the hull with 90 grit paper to ensure a good bond with the resin. You will notice that there is no drain hole present, I considered fitting one but I don't see that much water getting in so I'll see how it goes. It's easy enough to add one if it becomes necessary in future.
I then ripped squares of chopped strand mat which would secure the wood to the hull. I mixed 100ml of polyesther resin at a time because it has a short pot life and this is a difficult location to get to. In total I used 200ml to glass into the boat and around 300ml to cover the wood at home.
Here is the finished work. As you can see there is no obvious line of new glass, this is why I ripped it instead of cutting. Thanks to Harbour Chandlers in Emsworth Marina for that bit of advice!
Monday 27 June 2011
Sunday
Having had a great day of sailing in the fog then sunshine (Pics to follow), we sailed back up Chichester Harbour to Emsworth. In an effort to wait for the tide to come in further I dropped the main early and left out half the genoa to cut speed. We were on a beam reach going with the tide so going slowly was not easy! Since it was such a nice sunny quiet day I left it until nearly the town quay to start the engine which usually starts second pull. It didn't start and we were getting closer and closer to the town quay so I gybed around and sailed back towards the waiting pontoon since I didn't fancy trying for town quay in an easterly with only 0.9m water and no engine.
This was my first attempt at sailing up to a pontoon so I'm sure you can understand how I felt. There was luckily space on the end of the leeward side of the pontoon so we got fenders and ropes ready in advance as we headed toward the pontoon. While we were still a way off, another boat pulled in to our planned spot. I was gutted but fair enough, they had just as much right to be there as we did and worst case there were plenty of mooring buoys about that I could sail up to. As it turned out there was a space just my size on the windward side of the pontoon so I took the opportunity and went for it. We swapped the ropes to the starboard side of the boat and made what can only be described as a textbook aproach; even if I say it myself we were more graceful than the other boat had been under engine (no offence if you're the boat!!). The genoa was furled quickly and we tied up ready to look at the engine.
Problem 2 is that this was also my first engine problem afloat so I checked the fuel, checked the spark plug then felt a bit stumped. Thanks to many "wasted" hours reading forums and magazines I then thought "carb rings a bell, might be that". I've never taken the carb off before let alone taken it apart but I wanted to get home so strip it I did. There's more fuel in this than I expected so I'm glad I had a newspaper on board. I stripped the carb and cleaned then refitted everything. As luck would have it the engine started immediately and we were on our way and tied up with the BBQ lit in the marina shortly after.
I was lucky that the weather was so good on this day so this being my first time wasn't overly traumatic but the moral of the story is, don't leave it until you have to to take things apart and practice maneuvers. Although I had sailed up to buoys on numerous occasions I had never before tried a pontoon. I had changed the spark plug and impeller on the outboard before but always though I would get to the carb another day, I guess I was right.
This was my first attempt at sailing up to a pontoon so I'm sure you can understand how I felt. There was luckily space on the end of the leeward side of the pontoon so we got fenders and ropes ready in advance as we headed toward the pontoon. While we were still a way off, another boat pulled in to our planned spot. I was gutted but fair enough, they had just as much right to be there as we did and worst case there were plenty of mooring buoys about that I could sail up to. As it turned out there was a space just my size on the windward side of the pontoon so I took the opportunity and went for it. We swapped the ropes to the starboard side of the boat and made what can only be described as a textbook aproach; even if I say it myself we were more graceful than the other boat had been under engine (no offence if you're the boat!!). The genoa was furled quickly and we tied up ready to look at the engine.
Problem 2 is that this was also my first engine problem afloat so I checked the fuel, checked the spark plug then felt a bit stumped. Thanks to many "wasted" hours reading forums and magazines I then thought "carb rings a bell, might be that". I've never taken the carb off before let alone taken it apart but I wanted to get home so strip it I did. There's more fuel in this than I expected so I'm glad I had a newspaper on board. I stripped the carb and cleaned then refitted everything. As luck would have it the engine started immediately and we were on our way and tied up with the BBQ lit in the marina shortly after.
I was lucky that the weather was so good on this day so this being my first time wasn't overly traumatic but the moral of the story is, don't leave it until you have to to take things apart and practice maneuvers. Although I had sailed up to buoys on numerous occasions I had never before tried a pontoon. I had changed the spark plug and impeller on the outboard before but always though I would get to the carb another day, I guess I was right.
Saturday 18 June 2011
Pictures of the trip
I finally got around to uploading the pictures from the recent trip. Sorry it took so long but I had 2 cameras and a phone to upload from and left one of the cameras on the boat.
The Bounty in Cowes
In Cowes Marina
Click here for the whole album
Haslar MarinaTuesday 7 June 2011
Weekend sailing
This weekend I fitted a TP10 tiller pilot (photos to follow) and went sailing out in the big world of the Solent. This was my first trip out of the harbour in Live Magic since buying her in February. Unfortunately the weather forecast was not what I'd hoped with mentions of F7 and F8 for a couple of the days. In reality this never seemed to happen although I admit I don't have wind instruments so who knows.
In all we covered 63nm over 4 days. By "we" of course I mean myself and the boat since nobody seems to like sailing quite as much as me.
Thursday 2nd June: Left Emsworth as soon as possible and motored against tide to the harbour entrance in order to catch the tide westwards. As a consequence of this I ran out of fuel at the entrance just as my neighbors from the marina passed with their camera out ready to capture my voyage. This was quickly rectified while holding steady with the sail up against the wind and tide. I then proceeded past Horse Sand Fort and on to Cowes.
Friday 3rd June: Left Cowes despite a poor forecast. I decided to leave the main down until I could see what the sea state was like outside. This was a mistake since it was a little lumpy and I therefore opted to leave the main down rather than risk going into the sea myself. With the wind behind me all the way and the sea also coming from behind I could really have done with the extra sail up to gain speed and also steady the boat. The sun was beaming down all day despite the wind and waves and I could feel myself burning despite the sun cream I'd applied. By the time I got to Lymington I felt like I'd done a full day so decided not to carry on to Poole as planned. I called in to Berthon marina who were fully booked for the night. I then called Lymington Yacht Haven who also said they were fully booked. I knew that Yarmouth was fully booked already so was a little worried at this point where I would end up for the night. After 5 minutes, I got a call from LYH to say they'd found me somewhere as a berth holder was away for a few days. I gratefully accepted and tied up shortly after. After tidying the decks I went and paid my dues and stopped in The Haven for a cold cider sitting in the darkness out of the sun. It was at this point I noticed it was only 12:30 and that I would have had (and still had) plenty of time to make Poole. I spent the rest of the day below out of the sunshine before going out to a local pub for a gammon steak. While on the pontoon I was asked what kind of yacht Live Magic was. I guess she looks as good as I'd hoped.
Saturday 4th June: I left Lymington early in the morning to catch the tides back to the east. Again there was a terrible forecast but I thought I should start heading back just in case. Having learned my lesson, I raised the main as I exited the marina. Although I left the motor running until I was on the straight leading out to the Solent, it was in Neutral almost immediately. The wind was in a good position and gave me 4 knots once the genoa was unfurled. Once the ferry passed I turned for Cowes and made my best speed yet reaching Cowes in just 2 hours despite having a slow patch at Thorness Bay where I sailed into the lee of the island to have some food and drink in the calmer water. I continued on and reached Stokes bay 2 hours later where I anchored and sorted out the ropes and fenders before proceeding to Haslar Marina in Gosport. It was still very windy so I preferred the idea of being prepared and looking a bit amateur than rushing at the last minute. Once tied up I look the ferry to Portsmouth and had a pasty and some ale at Gunwharf then on to Spice Island for another pint. Three people asked what kind of boat Live Magic was at Haslar, I am becoming rather proud of her!
Sunday 5th June: Poor forecasts again made me hesitate somewhat. I didn't need to return until Tuesday but Haslar visitors pontoon is not a comfy place at the best of times so eventually I decided to go for it. Once again I got the main up in the marina and once again I was rewarded with excelent progress with the wind and tide. I was effectively on a beam reach from Portsmouth all the way to West Pole at Chichester Harbour and the GPS recorded 6-7 knots most of the way with the log showing 5.3 through the water several times. I actually think the log is under reading as it showed significantly less distance for the trips than I travelled even if the tide is taken into account. I will, therefore, be proclaiming this as 6 knots through the water since nobody can prove me wrong :)
I saw a yacht of over 40 feet with a shiny blue ensign stop in the main channel into Portsmouth to put up his main only to take it down again 10 minutes later. When heading through the sub barrier a yacht of just over 30 feet came though just behind me, presumably having sailed from the island. Somehow I managed to keep up with him all the way to Chichester. He was reefed but had both headsails out on the cutter. I'm not sure why he was so slow or me so fast but my journey was safe and comfortable and I only rolled some of the genoa away a couple of miles from West Pole when the wind built a little.
The whole weekend was thoroughly enjoyable and I plan to do a simlar trip as soon as possible. As always if you see a little Vivacity with a Cornish (St Piran) flag on the port spreader then come and say hello.
In all we covered 63nm over 4 days. By "we" of course I mean myself and the boat since nobody seems to like sailing quite as much as me.
Friday 3rd June: Left Cowes despite a poor forecast. I decided to leave the main down until I could see what the sea state was like outside. This was a mistake since it was a little lumpy and I therefore opted to leave the main down rather than risk going into the sea myself. With the wind behind me all the way and the sea also coming from behind I could really have done with the extra sail up to gain speed and also steady the boat. The sun was beaming down all day despite the wind and waves and I could feel myself burning despite the sun cream I'd applied. By the time I got to Lymington I felt like I'd done a full day so decided not to carry on to Poole as planned. I called in to Berthon marina who were fully booked for the night. I then called Lymington Yacht Haven who also said they were fully booked. I knew that Yarmouth was fully booked already so was a little worried at this point where I would end up for the night. After 5 minutes, I got a call from LYH to say they'd found me somewhere as a berth holder was away for a few days. I gratefully accepted and tied up shortly after. After tidying the decks I went and paid my dues and stopped in The Haven for a cold cider sitting in the darkness out of the sun. It was at this point I noticed it was only 12:30 and that I would have had (and still had) plenty of time to make Poole. I spent the rest of the day below out of the sunshine before going out to a local pub for a gammon steak. While on the pontoon I was asked what kind of yacht Live Magic was. I guess she looks as good as I'd hoped.
Saturday 4th June: I left Lymington early in the morning to catch the tides back to the east. Again there was a terrible forecast but I thought I should start heading back just in case. Having learned my lesson, I raised the main as I exited the marina. Although I left the motor running until I was on the straight leading out to the Solent, it was in Neutral almost immediately. The wind was in a good position and gave me 4 knots once the genoa was unfurled. Once the ferry passed I turned for Cowes and made my best speed yet reaching Cowes in just 2 hours despite having a slow patch at Thorness Bay where I sailed into the lee of the island to have some food and drink in the calmer water. I continued on and reached Stokes bay 2 hours later where I anchored and sorted out the ropes and fenders before proceeding to Haslar Marina in Gosport. It was still very windy so I preferred the idea of being prepared and looking a bit amateur than rushing at the last minute. Once tied up I look the ferry to Portsmouth and had a pasty and some ale at Gunwharf then on to Spice Island for another pint. Three people asked what kind of boat Live Magic was at Haslar, I am becoming rather proud of her!
Sunday 5th June: Poor forecasts again made me hesitate somewhat. I didn't need to return until Tuesday but Haslar visitors pontoon is not a comfy place at the best of times so eventually I decided to go for it. Once again I got the main up in the marina and once again I was rewarded with excelent progress with the wind and tide. I was effectively on a beam reach from Portsmouth all the way to West Pole at Chichester Harbour and the GPS recorded 6-7 knots most of the way with the log showing 5.3 through the water several times. I actually think the log is under reading as it showed significantly less distance for the trips than I travelled even if the tide is taken into account. I will, therefore, be proclaiming this as 6 knots through the water since nobody can prove me wrong :)
I saw a yacht of over 40 feet with a shiny blue ensign stop in the main channel into Portsmouth to put up his main only to take it down again 10 minutes later. When heading through the sub barrier a yacht of just over 30 feet came though just behind me, presumably having sailed from the island. Somehow I managed to keep up with him all the way to Chichester. He was reefed but had both headsails out on the cutter. I'm not sure why he was so slow or me so fast but my journey was safe and comfortable and I only rolled some of the genoa away a couple of miles from West Pole when the wind built a little.
The whole weekend was thoroughly enjoyable and I plan to do a simlar trip as soon as possible. As always if you see a little Vivacity with a Cornish (St Piran) flag on the port spreader then come and say hello.
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Weekend
This weekend could be exciting in the world of Live Magic. Either she will get a tillerpilot fitted or not, and she may go to Poole or not. Fingers crossed for both but only time will tell.
Monday 23 May 2011
Sailing
I picked up the sail on Friday as planned in Poole from Crusader Sails who could not have been nicer if they tried. I had a brief tour of the factory and some advice before heading back to the boat.
Once the sail was fitted I took her out for a spin. Unfortunately the wind was a bit strong and I still have no reefing on the main so I was under head sail alone. I put the whole genoa out and had a great time doing 4.5 knots, very nearly the boats top speed.
The following day I took the boat out with my dad and anchored at the entrance to Chichester harbour in beautiful sunshine. We then sailed to Northney Marina and had an excelent steak at the Royal Oak. Sunday we waited for the tide and motored back in a F7 to Emsworth marina. Unfortunately I broke the guard wire which was rusted internally so I now have something else on the list to replace!
Once the sail was fitted I took her out for a spin. Unfortunately the wind was a bit strong and I still have no reefing on the main so I was under head sail alone. I put the whole genoa out and had a great time doing 4.5 knots, very nearly the boats top speed.
The following day I took the boat out with my dad and anchored at the entrance to Chichester harbour in beautiful sunshine. We then sailed to Northney Marina and had an excelent steak at the Royal Oak. Sunday we waited for the tide and motored back in a F7 to Emsworth marina. Unfortunately I broke the guard wire which was rusted internally so I now have something else on the list to replace!
Monday 16 May 2011
Sail at last!
My sail will apparently be ready on Friday so hopefully we'll start to see some pictures of the boat out sailing.
Monday 9 May 2011
Motoring
This weekend I replaced the leaking fuel cock on the engine, fitted a new sparkplug and replaced the impeller. Although the impeller appeared to be working it actually only had 2 out of 6 vanes left. The difference since replacement is very noticeable. With all that done, and while still waiting for the new headsail, I went for a motor with my brother. We took a quick trip in the sunshine over to the Hayling Island bridge and picked up a mooring buoy for a while to refuel.
Tuesday 3 May 2011
Thursday 21 April 2011
Boat update
The measurements for the new sail is now in so fingers crossed it won't be 5 more weeks until I can go sailing. I've now bought a detail sander so can finish off the look of the boat by sprucing up the woodwork. Hopefully I'll finish that this weekend or next and get some new pictures up.
Monday 18 April 2011
Painting the Deck
This weekend and last I painted the deck to get rid of the old baby blue which no longer matched the hull.
To begin with I brushed it with a wire brush to help give a key, and also to remove any flakey paint. In some areas I also had to use the scraper. All ropes were tied up out of the way, and the nice spliced shore lines were replaced by tatty ropes for the duration of the painting. On the first weekend I used a brush all over because I didn't have a roller tray and had already been to B&Q twice. I regretted this almost straight away and then even more when I returned after a week to see a boat that looked like it had a bad white wash on it. This time I was armed with a roller, however, so proceeded with a second coat after washing the deck down. The second coat went on very nicely and now looks pretty good for a 40 year old boat.
The paint used was Hempel Deck coating.
The paint used was Hempel Deck coating.
Monday 11 April 2011
Painting the Hull
Back on the 19th/20th February 2011 I painted the hull of the yacht then known as "Vic". Having asked for advice on the YBW forums I posted there once the painting was complete. Here is a rewritten version with some pictures.
This is a pic of what the hull used to look like, it was a little bit battered in places but smooth enough to avoid any major filling work. Another reason for the painting was simply that I didn't like the colour. I know it's not a good reason to completely repaint a boat but that's the way my mind works.
To paint the topsides I first sanded with 240 grit paper on an orbital sander to give a good key for the new paint to stick to. This was a fairly quick job and we probably should have spent longer on it but the days of February are short and cold so a fairly quick onceover was sufficient. Next, the whole boat was washed as thoroughly as we could and dried. Being February, the drying was helped along a bit with a t-shirt which was ruined but died in a good cause.
Next came the painting, and here I was glad to have a team of three. Had I been alone I don't think the finish would have been as good and the painting would have been significantly harder. First, masking tape was lined up along the boot top, or top of the antifoul as it was then. My brother took the lead and did the cutting in at the top and bottom using the Hempel Brilliant Enamel in "Brittania Blue". I then followed with a mini foam roller putting on the majority of the paint and then my dad followed me to "tip off" with a brush. We then waited for the paint to dry and removed the masking tape.
Once thoroughly dry the bottom of the hull was scrubbed with soapy water and allowed to dry. A new layer of masking tape was added on the topsides and red Cruiser Uno antifoul paint rollered on to the bottom, again with foam roller. This time two coats were painted on to ensure the bottom stays as clean as possible.
Finally a new cove line was added. This is a plastic tape purpose made for the job and is very sticky indeed. I lined this up along the bottom of the topsides above the antifoul.
I think you'll agree the new paint job looks far better.
To paint the topsides I first sanded with 240 grit paper on an orbital sander to give a good key for the new paint to stick to. This was a fairly quick job and we probably should have spent longer on it but the days of February are short and cold so a fairly quick onceover was sufficient. Next, the whole boat was washed as thoroughly as we could and dried. Being February, the drying was helped along a bit with a t-shirt which was ruined but died in a good cause.
Next came the painting, and here I was glad to have a team of three. Had I been alone I don't think the finish would have been as good and the painting would have been significantly harder. First, masking tape was lined up along the boot top, or top of the antifoul as it was then. My brother took the lead and did the cutting in at the top and bottom using the Hempel Brilliant Enamel in "Brittania Blue". I then followed with a mini foam roller putting on the majority of the paint and then my dad followed me to "tip off" with a brush. We then waited for the paint to dry and removed the masking tape.
Once thoroughly dry the bottom of the hull was scrubbed with soapy water and allowed to dry. A new layer of masking tape was added on the topsides and red Cruiser Uno antifoul paint rollered on to the bottom, again with foam roller. This time two coats were painted on to ensure the bottom stays as clean as possible.
Finally a new cove line was added. This is a plastic tape purpose made for the job and is very sticky indeed. I lined this up along the bottom of the topsides above the antifoul.
Saturday 9 April 2011
Roller Reefing
OK the mast is back up and I've rigged the old headsail onto it using cable ties. Seems to be working OK and the roller stayed up on the sail today so all seems good. Next to measure up for the sail and wait 4-5 weeks for delivery.
Friday 8 April 2011
Roller reefing
I've taken down the mast this evening ready to fit the roller. I managed to assemble it but it took longer than expected so the mast will have to go back up in the morning.
Adding Shore Power
Hi all, this weekend I installed shore power on my little 20’ Vivacity and thought I would share the experience in case it’s useful.
First, I used the black foam which accompanies the flush socket as a drilling guide. This foam is to help waterproof the installation but is useful for drilling as it’s the same size as the socket. I drew around the inside with a marker and then drilled many small holes around the edge.
Next, I wrapped tape around a coping saw blade and cut between the holes
Once the hole was cut, I used a round and flat file to neaten the hole and adjust to the correct size. Here I kept it as tight as possible to ensure a more waterproof fitting. Once the socket fitted, I installed it with sealant on both sides of the foam padding and fixed in place with 4 3.5mm bolts.
Next, I wired up the consumer unit, having determined the most suitable place for it inside the boat. Wires were all stripped and tinned prior to fixing in place to try to prevent corrosion. I used a 32A cable from the socket to the CU, although 16A would have sufficed, all other cabling was 16A including the premade shore power cable. When inserting into the CU, an IP68 grommet was installed on each cable to ensure a watertight seal. The consumer unit purchased includes a double pole RCD to ensure power is completely cut when necessary rather than just cutting the live circuit. Two separate MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers) are also included giving two separate circuits within the boat. This will be plenty for my little boat which will have 2 sockets and a permanent battery charger.
Next, the wires were installed with the incoming power line connected to the earth bar at the top of the unit and the live and neutral both going to the RCD. The other two cables shown in the picture are for sockets, so both lives go to the smaller MCB and neutral to the neutral bar. Earth, as always, fitted to the earth bar. The spare MCB will be used in future for a permanent fixed battery charger.
Once all wiring was complete, the unit was put into place. This is done after wiring because boats are difficult to get around. This is also the reason I connected the CU end of all cables first, so that cable can be fed back through the boat to the various sockets from there. I have left some slack in the cable to allow some movement for when I fit the charger.
Next, the sockets were installed in some high/dry places which are convenient to get to. In my case this is the end of the lockers in the cabin. Wires were again tinned and screwed in then the sockets fitted into the boxes.
After the sockets were in, the incoming socket was wired up without the shore power cable connected. This was done last so ensure there was no chance of accidentally powering up the system before it was finished.
Finally, I plugged in the shore power and switched on the RDC and MCB and connected a radiator which all worked first time. As mentioned above, I will soon be fitting a permanent charger but will also be fitting a 240v lamp between the earth and neutral wires before the RCD. This will light up if the power in the marina has earth and neutral installed backwards and will be a warning not to switch on the RCD. This is optional and probably unnecessary for UK marinas, but apparently can happen abroad so is a worthwhile investment.
I hope this is useful to anyone fitting shore power, as always I’m interested in any feedback you have.
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