Have you been out today?

[Dennis]

I have just heard of Dennis's mishap leading to an eye injury. As we say here in Greece περαστικά Ντένις (get well soon Dennis)... So our thoughts to Dennis for a speedy recovery and you are welcome to come and join us for a sail on Kaliope if you decide to come to Greece for some R and R !! Best wishes, Chris and Kathryn

Hello Chris

Thanks for the kind words, and apologies for my tardy response (mainly due to being away from home and offline for a week).

My eye is slowly improving, I now have some vision in it, but it is very blurred. It looks as if there is permanent physical damage to the iris and lens. I do not yet know what the final outcome is going to be.

The good news is though, it is now not stopping me doing anything, my brain has adjusted to using the remaining eye and I am not particularly aware of any problems.

Indeed I plan to go sailing this week for the first time since 24th June, I should meet up with "Greybeard" on Thursday for some Capecuttering Kielder style.

[ianrmaciver]

After three days of gales in Peterhead and the forecast for NW winds for the next couple of days we decided that Wick was not on. So we headed for Inverness , and the Canal.
Local advice...usually the best...suggested we leave Peterhead 2 hours before HW and keep close in at Rattray Head. This contrasted with the Pilot that recommended leaving at HW and keeping 3 to 5 miles off the headland. The local advice was from an ex fisherman , and we took it.
Leaving at 0600 , 1 reef plus staysail , we reached Rattray Head at 0800 , turning West off Fraserborough. Crew spotted a Minke Whale , but no further sightings.
We put a second reef in and motor sailed to Whitehills . Lumpy at first , with spray and some slop , but better later. Radioed the HM at 15.30 and were guided onto the visitor pontoon. 35 miles.
A tidy and very friendly harbour...the HM routinely photographs yachts arriving and downloads the photo onto your laptop. Good showers and Cullen Skink at the local chippie. There's no petrol in the village....no problem!! the HM talked to a friend who drove us to the next village , told us the history of the place and wished us good luck.
A 0915 start the following day , heading for Lossiemouth. Very light NW by W winds and most of the day gently motor sailing. Arrived in Lossiemouth at 1530 , greeted by RAF and low level approach practice. 23 miles.
Harbour very tidy and friendly.
Keen to get into the canal we headed out at 0600 . Motoring into F5 wind on the nose , sea quite lumpy and speed 2-3 Knots. By 1200 conditions eased as we entered the narrows. Speed picked up with the tide and we were soon doing 5-6 knots . Lots of dolphin watchers at Chanonry point on the Black Isle...we didn't see any!!
Reached Clacknaharry Sea Lock at 15.30 ...locked in and then waited for a couple of hours until Brit. Rail agreed to open the rail bridge....this ruled out any further progress so moored in Seaport Marina / Inverness. 35 miles.

[ianrmaciver]

With the now prevailing Westerly winds we were resigned to more motoring....so the canal was a bit of a rush...2 days end to end.
Being a Minnie type boat we were advised to enter the locks last....less turbulence at the back when "going up" and less chance of being crushed by enthusiastic skippers on their first hire charter. This is good advice...see later.
The locks are operated roughly from 08.00 / 0900 until 1700 / 1800.....important to keep close to the lock keepers to book your slot.
The first movement was a road bridge plus 4 locks....the road bridge didn't open until 0930 and in the mad rush we managed to get in rafted to a friendly 34 ft Bavaria. Six boats got in , plus Minnie , and we sailed through the locks. One further lock , plus a bridge and we entered Loch Ness....lunch approached so we anchored off Dores.
Sailing in Rivers and narrow locks tend to be a dead run or a beat....today it was a beat. We sailed for 2 or 3 hours having fun but not making much progress. Loch Ness is 20 miles long and not too many obvious anchorages , so motor on and off to Fort Augustus arriving at 1900. Petrol , fish and chips and a couple of pints and off to bed.
There was a lot of activity in Fort Augustus . I moored close to the lock entrance , ready for an early start. There was room for a couple of boats in front and a hired motor cruiser approached...at speed...T boned the pontoon , hard to port , full revs and smacked the starboard rear quarter into the pontoon. Lots of shouting ,German I think , and a couple of lines to friends on the shore and mooring complete. I resolved not to enter any lock in front of them.
At Fort Augustus there is a run of 6 /7 locks and from 0800 we lobbied to be on the first "run up". The first movement was down...tis took a couple of hours , then the rush started....we got in ...then there was a furious row when a couple of other boats were excluded. Why the issue...well , they would have to wait maybe 3 hours and consequently would not get to Corpach .
The rest of the day was motoring Loch Oich and Loch Lochy and a few locks and bridges . All the boats that were on the first" lock in" at Fort Augustus reached Corpach...no other boats did.
A lift into Fort William with another friendly Scotsman for petrol and we were ready for the sea.
On reflection , we rushed the canal , but the mooring stops were overcrowded and there was little to detain us. I think I'd rather walk the Great Glen , and lots of people were doing just that. There was a commercial barge doing a barge /canoe / dinghy sail / cycle / walking tour which looked fun.
Next Loch Linnhe.

[Dennis Williams]

While you get cold and wet up North it's summer here 'down under' in New Zealand.
Learning the many ropes of Tiptoe and attempting to write it all down via a blog. Please try capecutter.blogspot.co.nz
So far a pleasant Christmas cruise up the coast getting used to confined space and leaning monohull.
A few things to improve on but having great fun.

[erbster]

Nice blog, Dennis. Glad to hear of sailing trips; this seems to be an especially dreary winter so far- endless rain. Am actually looking forward to a burst of cold clear weather before we have a warm and dry spring and Summer

[Dennis]

I have not strictly been out today, at least not in the boat. But I have towed Mary Ann from her winter resting place and she now resides on my drive.

The plan is to polish the hull, re-coat the rubbing strake and the toerail and launch her on Kielder Water in about two weeks time.

I have already dealt with the mast and spars, they have been in my garage all winter. Interestingly, for the first time ever (in seven seasons of use) the boom and the bowsprit needed no work whatsoever, and the gaff only had light surface abrasions on the varnish where it rubs against the shrouds.

I am keenly anticipating gentle breezes and temperatures constantly in the lower thirties all season.

[erbster]

I have not strictly been out today, at least not in the boat. But I have towed Mary Ann from her winter resting place and she now resides on my drive.

The plan is to polish the hull, re-coat the rubbing strake and the toerail and launch her on Kielder Water in about two weeks time.

I have already dealt with the mast and spars, they have been in my garage all winter. Interestingly, for the first time ever (in seven seasons of use) the boom and the bowsprit needed no work whatsoever, and the gaff only had light surface abrasions on the varnish where it rubs against the shrouds.

I am keenly anticipating gentle breezes and temperatures constantly in the lower thirties all season.

My spars seem to receive rather more abrasion than yours, Dennis! The mast in particular always has had the varnish worn away where the gaff jaws sit. I wasted all that warm spell leading up to Christmas and have still not done any varnishing. Now its getting urgent, its too cold...

[Dennis]

[quote="erbster"

My spars seem to receive rather more abrasion than yours, Dennis! The mast in particular always has had the varnish worn away where the gaff jaws sit. I wasted all that warm spell leading up to Christmas and have still not done any varnishing. Now its getting urgent, its too cold...[/quote]

You are right about the abrasion caused by the gaff jaws. The jaws on Mary Ann are sheathed in leather and after three seasons use the leather is almost worn through. Every year I have to give that part of the mast some attention. This year it was a light rub down, which exposed bare wood in places, then four coats of varnish applied to the damaged area. The whole mast was then lightly abraded and a coat of varnish applied.

My toerails suffer the most, mainly due to the fender ropes. Unfortunately, I have no option but to attend to them "out of doors". This is proving impossible at the moment, so I expect I shall be launching Mary Ann next week-end with disgraceful toerails.

[Greybeard]

Inspired by the change in the weather Ive made a concerted attack on the exterior woodwork (mast and spars were done last year). Every trace of varnish has been scraped off and the process of treatment with Deks Ojle D1 has begun. Once it has dried for a couple of days it'll be followed up with several coats of D-O D2 for a gloss finish.
Ive also stripped the hubs on the HM traler and greased/adjusted the brakes. They feel much better than they did on the handbrake at least. Im not overly convinced about the waterproof claim on the hubs though. One was fine though the other did have some evidence of water having got behind the hub cap. The bearings feel fine but I shall be keeping an eye on it this year.
With a fair wind, I hope that she'll be joining Mary Ann in April.

Steve

[Dennis]

I launched Mary Ann on Kielder Water for her eighth season yesterday.
A trip from the ramp to my (new) mooring buoy hardly constitutes a day out, but at least she is on the water.

It was a perfect day for launching, not a breath of wind, a reasonable temperature and bone dry (at least above the waterline).

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I was reminded why my insurers insist that I keep the boat ashore from the beginning of November until March. We now have one of our club members yachts high and dry about half a mile away from it's mooring. During Storm Desmond the lake rose about 3 feet above the overflow level at the dam. This coupled with the strong winds and subsequent waves caused the chain securing the mooring buoy to break. Consequently the boat and mooring buoy were driven ashore. The lake has now returned to a normal level leaving the boat stranded.

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