To go to Milford Haven from Fishguard safely you have to have good weather and get the timing of the tides right. We were given this information by the harbourmaster who gave us a detailed route map describing the whole journey and just about every rock to avoid. It seems that you should leave at HW Fishguard, and maintain a boatspeed of 5knts all the way. Tomorrow HW is 0630, which is not too early, and the weather is just right.
WatangaThe quaySteep climbInner harbour St George’s FortSunset
So it was a rest day in Fishguard, the town itself is up on the top of the hill and was quite a climb. We had a coffee and grabbed some supplies from the Co-op. In the afternoon we had a quick lunch in the Fishguard Bay Yacht club, before visiting St George’s Fort up on the headland.
Then a quiet evening on the boat and an early night ready for tomorrows passage.
The Wessex Kidney Patients Association is a charity that helps patients and their families deal with the upheaval caused by Kidney disease. If you enjoy reading our blog please consider giving to this cause . Many thanks Louise & Martin
We set off from Wick in bright sunshine, very little wind and a flat sea. On leaving the Wick estuary there was a surprising swell coming down from the North, maybe 1.5m giving us an undulating roller coaster ride. The weather forecast stated a F4/5 Westerly wind and we were looking forward to sailing but as the wind filled in it was from the south and later the South west. Smack on the nose.
Then all of a sudden it was blowing around 30 Knots and the sea was building. The combination of wind, waves and tide soon had us slowed right down to about 3 Knots over ground and what was to be a pleasant 4-5 hour sail became a 7 hour slog. Again! We arrived at Helmsdale around 5:30pm and came straight in without calling up. To our surprise the Harbour Master was waiting on the pontoon to take our lines, they normally knock off at 4:30pm. He looked relieved that we had arrived, and even congratulated us on making it. Was there something we didn’t know?
As an aside we noticed on the local news, that one of the larger Pentland ferries had run aground last Tuesday. MV Alfred is about the size of the condor ferry. News Link here
The wind is even stronger on Friday so we are staying in Helmsdale for at least two nights.
The Wessex Kidney Patients Association is a charity that helps patients and their families deal with the upheaval caused by Kidney disease. If you enjoy reading our blog please consider giving to this cause . Many thanks Louise & Martin
We awoke bright and early for our trip to Scarborough, also up were David and Rosie on Ventus doing the same passage. We locked out at 6.45 am into a very busy Humber Estuary. The tides are strong and we made slow progress toward the commercial traffic lanes near Spurn Head with Humber Port Control advising us on our progress.
An opportunity to cross the traffic lanes came just as we reached Spurn Head, Port Control confirmed and at last we could turn towards the North, it had taken 2 hours to get going in the right direction!
Grimsby Fish Dock‘ Bull sand fort’“Traffic”
Things picked up, the tide was now with us , and progress was swift. Then as we passed Westermost Rough Wind farm we found enough wind to sail, and so we did up until Flamborough Head where the wind died and the wildlife began. Hundreds of birds, Gannets, and Guillemots mainly going to and from the Cliffs at Monkton.
We were nearly at Filey Brigg when a Pan Pan came over the radio, it was “Ventus” who were becalmed with engine failure. We turned round then plotted a course to their position, but they were over an hour away and already a nearer boat was going to assist.
So back to our passage, sorry that we hadn’t been able to help but glad to know they were alright. They had been towed to Bridlington.
The last three hours to Scarborough were a struggle against fast flowing tides.
Filey Brigg Approaching ScarboroughA double helping of Gemini
A funny conversation over the radio with the Harbour Master, I told him we were a 10.5 metre catamaran and he must have thought that was my width (beam), and asked about 4 times what my length was, it was always the same answer, we got there in the end!!
Berthing was straightforward. Help from Jonathan on yacht ‘Bubble’ as we slipped in.
We are berthed just down from another Gemini 105mc, but haven’t seen the owner yet.
After dinner we were invited aboard “Christine” and spent the evening with Tony the owner/skipper and Martin who it turned out is the Commodore of Ramsgate Royal Yacht club. “Fair winds” fella’s.
Now you lot, you haven’t been paying attention! Nobody picked upon the fact I’d missed out a day. I’d actually written the post, but forgotten to publish it. So here it is.
Today marked one mile stone today. At around 3:30 this afternoon we reached the most eastern extremity of our journey. 1° 47m 07 E. as we skirted the Lowestoft Bank on our approach to Lowestoft Harbour.
We had retraced our steps and as we emerged through the sandbanks of the Deben Estuary, headed East and North. past miles of empty shingle beaches to round Orford ness, an area once used for top secret military experiments including the atomic bomb. Now home to seals scattered along its shoreline. Later we passed the sizewell power stations before arriving at Lowestoft.
The Wessex Kidney Patients Association is a charity that helps patients and their families deal with the upheaval caused by Kidney disease. If you enjoy reading our blog please consider giving to this cause . Many thanks Louise & Martin
Last Friday with 7 days to go before our leaving day, I took a peek at the weather for the 29th, and was disappointed with what I saw. An easterly headwind of F5 and more. Not a comfortable first passage and indeed if it got much stronger we would be delaying the leaving date.
Move on two days and now look at the forecast for the same day. Winds down to F2, not enough to sail, so now it looks like we may be motoring at least some of the time. Not ideal, but better than being battered for a 5 hour passage.
The fingers are still crossed that it will be good weather to sail on our first day..
After last nights shenanigans. The only plan today was to get Watanga back to the mooring at Wareham.
After breakfast we fancied a change of scenery and moved to shipstal point and watched the wildlife
whilst we once again awaited the tide. I’d never realized before that you can see Corfe Castle from Shipstal
Later on the way upriver we passed our friends Howard, Liz, Colin and Jenny, out for a jaunt in their Cornish Shrimper, before arriving at our mooring.
So 4 days aboard, 3 nights on anchor a total of 50 miles travelled, most of that sailing. A few minor snags found around the boat, some of which were corrected and the rest will be done soon. As far as we can tell everything works, the boat is ready.
It’s been tiring, and I think I need a crash fitness course, but other than that we’re ready to go on the 29th.
The Wessex Kidney Patients Association is a charity that helps patients and their families deal with the upheaval caused by Kidney disease. If you enjoy reading our blog please consider giving to this cause . Many thanks Louise & Martin
Sunday morning. Coffee in bed. and Louise opening all of the birthday presents she had bought with her. A slap up breakfast was an Egg and bacon Roll. Then what to do. Lou suggested a sail, so off we went.| The South Easterly wind lent itself nicely for a sail along the coast past Bournemouth, Boscombe and Chichester, ending up a Hegistbury head. It was pretty much perfect conditions for sailing, and there were several boats around us help us gauge our performance. I was over the moon to be sailing at 32° to the wind, something I’ve been unable to do for some while, all whilst outrunning a Catana Catamaran. Result.
I had planned to stop in Chichester Harbour for a quick lunch. The narrow entrance to Chichester Harbour was a little choppy and when the rudders kicked up on the way in we knew that any stopover would mean we wouldn’t get out again because of the falling tide. So a quick U turn and out again before we got trapped.
The journey back was a brisk broad reach. Lunch was on the go!! We reached Poole Entrance 2 hrs before low tide and had to fight our way in against 4knts of tide. Aiming for the Wych Channel to anchor the tide defeats us once again as the channels dry become too shallow to pass. So we ended up in South Deep for a second night. Still not a bad place to spend the night..
Moon rise at South Deep.
Famous last words… Around midnight I started awake, to the sound of wind and waves slapping the hull. Looking out of the window the boat ahead had dragged, and very close to the front of ours. I dashed out on deck in an ensemble of pyjamas, crocs and wet weather gear, and although it didn’t appear to be getting any closer I still bestowed the front of the boat with fenders just in case. There was not much more to do than watch and hope. High Tide came and went, the wind died again and we didn’t touch.
Back in bed an hour later, Not easy to sleep with that on your mind.
The Wessex Kidney Patients Association is a charity that helps patients and their families deal with the upheaval caused by Kidney disease. If you enjoy reading our blog please consider giving to this cause . Many thanks Louise & Martin
I’m not sure what the temperature was first thing, but it certainly was Brass Monkeys! One objective today was to learn more about the sails and how to set them. This required getting out of the harbour into open sea and sailing on one tack for a good time, allowing time to tweek and see what works best to get the most out of the sail.
As a separate issue I wanted to check on my home mooring in Swanage so, with a loose passage plan off we set. We got to Poole Entrance just as another Gemini 105 was leaving. Quite a coincidence.
An hour so’s sailing and we had the sails sorted and we had arrived in Swanage. Both objectives complete and it was only 12.00. We sailed back to Studland where we hooked up to a bouy and had Lunch. Unfortunately the easterly wind kicking was up a short chop it was not a pleasant place to spend the afternoon.
rbt
So on we travelled back to Poole Harbour, this time anchoring at South Deep. with pleasant views of Furzey Island and Green island. Slightly out of place is the “Eye” sculpture on the Green Island shoreline. The island has been owned by Edward lliffe since 2005 and was the scene of a dramatic fire in 2012 which burnt down his newly constructed home.
Furzey Island is owned by the oil company Perenco. It’s almost unbelievable that beneath this tiny island lies 22 oil wells which feed the Wytch Farm oil field. Oil is extracted from under Hampshire and Dorset, stabilised at the site by separating out the oil, gas and water, and then transported via a 91km pipeline to a terminal at Hamble, in Southampton Water.
The Wessex Kidney Patients Association is a charity that helps patients and their families deal with the upheaval caused by Kidney disease. If you enjoy reading our blog please consider giving to this cause . Many thanks Louise & Martin
Brrr , just 2°C and a big windchill, thermals on today. Met up with Richard Ayres this morning who came to take some pictures for Wessex K.P.A. our chosen charity. Richard interestingly has also done a round Britain sailing challenge, much of it single handed.
Watanga was picked up yesterday and sat in the slings overnight giving me a chance to antifoul the centreboards. before going into the water this morning.
The mast was restepped and the rigging tensioned before she was towed off to her berth. Time for me to nip off to Kemps sailmakers to pick up the new sails. Excellent timing by them!
All very exciting, I can’t wait to try them out. Before we do any sea trials, I have to connect up the mast wiring, but that will have to wait as there are light winds tomorrow so a good time to get the sails on.
The Wessex Kidney Patients Association is a charity that helps patients and their families deal with the upheaval caused by Kidney disease. If you enjoy reading our blog please consider giving to this cause . Many thanks Louise & Martin
This post is more for the D.I.Y.ers , and Gemini Owners. There is a link to an excellent “How to” video at the end of the post.
All our windows are starting to suffer from UV degradation, particularly the cockpit and forward window which are badly crazed and yellowed. Back in December I decided to have ago at replacing the cockpit window. My thoughts were, if I can make a good job of the biggest window, then the others should be a doddle.
First job was to remove the window. Remove all the screws. Then with a modified bread knife, from the inside, I gently cut through the sealant to the outside in a series of stabbing motions. That Sikaflex is tenacious stuff, but slices quite easily. The perpex windscreen was then lifted clear. Cleaning off all the residue sealant was acheived with a sharp wood chisel and a good deal of care. Using rubbing alcohol to clean down.
A temporary cover was put over the hole to make the boat watertight while the new panel is made.
So far so good,
£200 saw a very large piece of ‘Makrolon” , polycarbonate sheet arrive. I started by clamping the old window on top of the new sheet and to a piece of plywood. The holes were drilled using the old window as a template , then with both pieces screwed together onto the plywood. Again using the old window as a template, the window shape was formed first with a jigsaw leaving 2-3 mm all round, then with a router with an edge trimming bit.
{Note. the tool must be dead sharp. run the router at a low speed or the makrolon will start melting. : Lubricate with water if necessary}
Final job was countersinking the holes.. I had bought a micro adjustable countersink for that job to give a consistent depth and finish.
A 25mm wide foam tape 3mm thick forms the inside edge detail to the window and this was the next thing to apply. Sika recommend a primer be applyied to polycarbonate to make it stick reliably, so that also needs applying. This stuff is more expensive than printer ink. It happens to be a very dense black colour which will be helpful to make the the job look good. ( any missed spots when you’re sealing will shine through and spoil the look of the finished job.)
The Sikaflex 295UV is not meant to be applied at low temperatures So the job was put on hold until early Feb when the temperature finally rose shove single figures.
Next temporarily screw the window in place and tape round the edges for the sealant edge.
Now the big moment. Apply the sealant, generously, and carefully offer the window up into place and get some screws in but do not tighten up until ALL the screws are started. Then starting in the centre tighten gently to produce an even curve on the window (NO DIMPLES) Remember the screws do not form a structural part of the window, they simply hold it in place until the sealant cures. Once you are happy with the shape and all screws are of an even tension. I used a silicon edging tool to form the edge bead.
Makralon is unbelievably clear, actually clearer than glass. so the finish job looks almost as if there’s no windscreen in place. Really pleased with that.
4 Kidneys and a Wonky Leg 