Have you been out today?

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Kielder sailing

Postby Dennis » Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:59 am

I past the 3,500 Nm mark yesterday sailing on Kielder Water.

I had a cracking sail, hot with a steady(ish) F3 westerly/south westerly, more like the Med. than Northumberland. :)

Kielder is a big lump of water, it is (was?) the largest man made lake by volume in Northern Europe and is 50 metres deep when full. However, in the recent dry spell Northumbria Water have been releasing water from the reservoir into the North Tyne. Consequently the level has dropped about 3 metres in the last month. This has had the effect of producing islands where I would normally be sailing. I am having a different sailing experience as a result, I need to give the depth gauge much more attention than I would normally.
Last week my keel touched the bottom where there would normally be 3 metre of water, this week the same spot is now a rocky island.

At this rate the sailing season may soon be curtailed because the water will drop beyond the end of the launch ramp. This is not a problem because the boats are kept on moorings, but it means the boats can not be recovered for winter storage. We could be forced to haul out early while we still can. :(

Any one know a good rain dance? :D
Cheers

Dennis

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Re: Have you been out today?

Postby Greybeard » Mon Jul 23, 2018 3:13 pm

I dare say that if your committee approached our sailing club, Dennis, they would probably allow you to use our slipway. Theres a concrete roadway width that goes all the way down to the bottom of Kielder - it was the access road used when they built the valve tower.
Its been a month since I was last up there. Despite the weather Ive just not had the opportunity so far :confused: who said I would have plenty of sailing time when I retired?

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Re: Have you been out today?

Postby Dennis » Tue Jul 24, 2018 10:11 am

Hello Steve

Thanks for the suggestion, that would work for me and the handful of other "Trailer Sailors" at the yacht club. However, most of the yachts only have launching trailers or unroadworthy road trailers and would not be able to make the subsequent road journey from the sailing club to the yacht club.

Lets hope that these measures are not necessary.
Cheers

Dennis

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Re: Have you been out today?

Postby Dennis » Wed Mar 27, 2019 7:00 pm

Got the 2019 season off to a start yesterday.
Launched Mary Ann one week ago but did not fit the sails. Completed the work yesterday by attaching the mainsail and yankee. :)

Had a short (5Nm) sail in fresh conditions. Brought a smile back to my face as soon as the sails were hoisted and she was moving again as nature attended.
There was a brisk F4(ish) westerly blowing, an effortless 5-6 kts beam reaching with double reefed mainsail plus the yankee. Wonderful! :D

Tricky tying to the sailing club jetty though in the strong crosswind. I was however, ably assisted by our redoubtable Treasurer (Steve, aka Greybeard) who also provided a most welcome cup of tea.

I just hope that it will be warmer for the rest of the season.
Cheers

Dennis

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Re: Have you been out today?

Postby erbster » Thu Mar 28, 2019 12:30 am

Glad to hear you’re afloat, Dennis. It’s going to be another slow start to the season for me, unfortunately. Hoping to go over to the E Coast for some recce sailing before the rally...


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Re: Have you been out today?

Postby Greybeard » Thu Mar 28, 2019 11:19 pm

It was good to catch up, Dennis. Wednesday, the day we'd hoped to get the boat on the water proved a disappointment. According tho the clubhouse monitor it was gusting over 20 knots and very cold with it - such are the joys of Kielder whilst the rest of the country basked under a high pressure system :mad:
We donned the walking boots instead and headed off to Falstone for a brew and a bun in the local tea shop - needless to say it was shut (winter opening hours) when we arrived :( A stroll back to the sailing club saw the boat sheeted over in disgust and a 170 mile drive home. We thought better of waiting for Thursday to arrive as the forecast was even worse.
I hope the season improves.

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Demo. sail

Postby Dennis » Sun Apr 07, 2019 6:36 pm

Been out on Kielder Water again with Nick Scroggs as crew on this occasion.

A pleasant sail in benign conditions, a gentle easterly breeze, dry but overcast and cold.

Nick is delivering a new CC19 this week and wanted to familiarise himself with a fully rigged boat, no better method than getting out on the water in one.
Cheers

Dennis

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Re: Have you been out today?

Postby Greybeard » Sat Apr 27, 2019 2:55 pm

Caution : no CC19 pictures attached ;)
Your Treasurer encountered the Vikings over the Bank Holiday weekend on Kielder Water but evaded capture and the fate of the Lindisfarne monks. It was interesting to revisit the square rig as it brought back memories of my years as Sailing Master of the Humber Keel, Comrade.

Steve

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Re: Have you been out today?

Postby erbster » Sat Apr 27, 2019 5:14 pm

How well does go upwind? Or does it just wait for the wind to change!


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Re: Have you been out today?

Postby Greybeard » Sat Apr 27, 2019 7:22 pm

A square rig will sail upwind, though obviously not as well as a fore/aft. This one was more limited in its ability compared to the Humber Keel I sailed, but there again, I had getting on for a thousand years of rig development to help - and a bowline which could be used to draw the leading edge of the sail into a better shape and meant it would tack through the wind. This Viking one wasn't doing too badly at all considering the lack of leeboards and they were able to sail back and forth along the lake much of the time. They tacked by making what was almost a three-point turn, allowing the wind to back the sail pushing the ship astern and steering her round that way. Otherwise they resorted to the wooden tops'ls ;)

This one was my baby for about 8 years. 'Comrade' built in 1923, 1250 sq ft of sail, 61ft6in long, 15ft6in beam and could carry 100 tons. The only rope running rigging was the mainbrace, sheets were wire and the tacks were chain. She worked under engine from about 1934 until 1975. Initially a 20hp Lister JP2, then from 1953 a 30hp JP3 that I rebuilt over a very cold winter several years ago.
Nothing at all to do with CC19s of course, but I hope of some historical interest.

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