Weed, deweed

 

Albert Park Lake seems to be getting weedier and shallower each time I launch there. Sailing round Gunn Island, as I did twice, first with Sam, then with Ashley, two potential SCAMP builders, we left a muddy trail behind us and it was clear that the centreboard was ploughing a groove through the mud and weed. Which didn't improve speed or handling. But there was a moderate southerly, gusting over 12 knots I reckon, enough to move the little bull dozer of the SCAMP along. 

Quite a good turn out, 7 boats turned up, and a few people came along thanks to the Facebook posts. The session on the Tawe Nunnugah was interesting, some perspectives there that I hadn't thought of.   The ferry crossing really does add a level of risk and stress if things don't go according to plan. I doubt I will do another, somehow it was more tiring and less rewarding than the previous time. Still glad I did it though, but twice is enough.

After lunch, I had a good solo sail, tacking up the lake while other boats retrieved. I was sailing past the concrete space where the boats wait before moving onto the ramp, a couple of boat lengths off, and Gavan gestured to the space behind Tosh, enough to fit the SCAMP. Split second, I'll considered decision, I headed in, tried to drop sail, but with the wind over port side, the yard pressed against mast, lots of friction, sail stuck, gust catches sail, and next thing we are heading straight for the concrete. Luckily the weed slowed us, and Gavan caught the bow before crunch time, but a few more lessons in there to learn.

The boat and trailer were liberally plastered with horrible Lake weed. I hosed off as much as I could, but the weed still stuck under the skegs was a good excuse to launch the next day. Wind prediction south easterlies increasing over the day. We ran some errands, then I got down to the ramp about 11.30. I was rigging the boat, when a car drove into the carpark and pulled up beside me. An older chap emerged. "You must be Gary" he said. Ah, fame 🙂

It was Shane, aka "Boomerang", a RL28 sailor who I have  communed with over Facebook. He did a round the bay sail recently. Not exactly a dinghy, the RL28, but still a good achievement.  Shane has a fascination with exploring the backwaters of the bay that I can relate to.

Anne came down a bit after 12 and we were heading out about 12.30. Just about close hauled we were heading for P3, which was glowing a cheerful bright yellow against the general grey of the day. I like to have a destination, however arbitrary, so we set our sights on that. It took a few tacks to reach. There were two terns sitting cosily on the buoy, each with their own quadrant, sort of like a bird apartment. They looked very pleased with the arrangement.

A broad reach home, and true to the prediction the wind built as we went. We were pushing along nicely at 4-4.5 knots. The ramp was pleasantly deserted except for seagulls.  The weed cleaning was a very pleasant exercise.

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And then there were three

 

Glorious Autumn weather last week or so, and perfect day for the launch of Geoff's SCAMP " Papa's" #738, on Lake Wendouree. Not much wind, which is perfect for launching a new boat. Chris brought along his little kayak, and did the honours as camera boat so we could get some excellent footage of the historic occasion, three SCAMPs on Victorian waters. I launched mine February last year, so the numbers have gone from zero to three in just over a year. I wish my Superannuation was showing a similar rate of increase. At this rate, we won't be able to move for SCAMPS in a decade or two. Here is a video stitching together some of Chris' fine footage:

There are a couple more in progress, and more people making contact who are seriously interested. A chap who has bought the plans came down from Bendigo for a sail on Wednesday. Another beautiful Autumn day, but an almost windless morning which was not so great for him nor for the skippers of the other 7 boats that surprisingly turned up in response to my announcement I was going out on the WBA WhatsApp group.  Hey ho, I don't control the weather, but couldn't help feeling a bit guilty as we all bobbed round on the glassy surface of the water a few hundred metres off the ramp, going nowhere fast.

It would have been a brilliant paddling day. I have just finished reading Verlen Kruger's "Incredible Journey", his account of paddling and portaging right across Canada in a canoe. He and his buddy each carried a load of 170 lbs on the portages, sometimes for 8 miles or more, often uphill. Golly. They were lucky to survive from the sound of it. But he went on to paddle over 100000 miles, still paddling into his eighties. 

Mike, the potential SCAMP builder who came out with me Wednesday, used to sail Mosquito catamaran, quite seriously from the sound of it.  I by contrast am not a serious sailor.  He asked me what tweaks I have found most useful with the balanced lug.  After thinking for a while, I had to confess that I don't tweak. 

It occurred to me that this is all a bit like Freud's "Civilization and its Discontents".  Having another boat around, or another person on board, especially if they are a serious sailor, is a sure pathway to feeling like you have to go faster, try harder, tweak that sail shape.  Its nice to have the company and the competition, but it comes at a price.

Hey ho, I need to get through the WBA Sailing Day this Sunday, then I plan to try some non-serious, solipsistic sailing.

Adapting

My old car finally reached the end of the road this week.  This has been coming for a good while, and I was sad to see it move on, but all things wear out alas.  

 

It was a great car, and many happy miles and memories go with it. With it gone, I need to change my sailing ways a bit.  I can still negotiate to use the white car, but also I can make use of the little beach and ramp round the corner.  

I have launched the Skerry there a couple of times in the last few weeks.   With all the sailing paraphernalia loaded up it is a fair old workout, especially getting back up the ramp.  Great to be able to do it though. We had a grand sail with Andrew in his Laser.

I think I need a better trolley if I am going to launch to sail.  Last launch and retrieval I had to come home and have a nap afterwards, I was seriously tired.  The fat tyres and rusting axle of my folding trolley impart a fair bit of friction.  I am giving some serious thought to a trolley using bicycle wheels, with ball bearing axles and thinner tyres, a bit like the one I use for my kayak and the pirogue.

 Rowing is much simpler and lighter and quicker all round and I think I will stick to that with the Skerry from now on until a better trolley presents itself.  But it is lovely to sail the Skerry again.  Even Oz thought it was not too bad.

For simple quick light sailing, the 12 foot Bolger Peero that I built when the kids were little makes a nice option.   I gave it some much needed maintenance, and have been fiddling with the rigging. I can have it on the water in 15 minutes without a lot of effort, and it is great fun to sail.

Fun, but also quite tippy.  It doesn't have a lot of hull form stability, and sailing requires concentration.  I am building some Storer Mini Outriggers as insurance against an unplanned swim.

It is nice to have a boat building project again, albeit a small one. I find it immensely satisfying.

Past the autumn equinox

 Now we have moved past the autumn equinox the boating weather is perfect for the sort of pottering round l enjoy most. Lack of second car requires some logistical juggling, but I have managed to get out for some excellent on water activities in the last week or so. 4 days on the water out of 7 ... Now that's a good average.

Sunday was the WBA sailing day at Werribee South, I got down there by train and bus, and Stephen kindly took me on as crew in his SCAMP.  Not much wind, mostly a rowing motoring day. I managed to break the rowlock pin on Stephen's oar but it was a good day, with an excellent turnout of boats.

The weather forecast for the rest of the week looked good. Monday I launched Anjevi from the warmies with Anne and Ozzie as crew. We sailed over to Port Melbourne, admired Princes Pier pylons and the stonking great cruise boats tied up at Station Pier being rebadged, then headed back to Williamstown and tied up at Ferguson St pier. Andrew Campbell was standing at the stern of the Castlemaine to welcome us in. Anne got fish and chips, the tram Ferry and Fearless pulled up and scowled at us a bit, as it is listed as a commercial traffic pick up drop off pier only. Oh well. If another commercial boat has turned up I was ready to move. 

It was a very pleasant spot for lunch.

We did a bit of exploring checking out the piers of Williamstown then headed back to the deserted ramp for an easy retrieval. A good day.

Chris contacted me suggesting an impromptu overnighter to Williamstown. He launched at Werribee South, I launched at Altona with a bit of cafr shuffling.  I radioed Chris to suggest meeting for lunch at the little sheltered indentation just round this side of point cook. I thought I was about a mile away, but my estimation of distance was, as usual, wildly optimistic. But I got there eventually and we enjoyed a peaceful lunch anchored in the shelter of the point.

It's 6 miles across to the breakwater pier at Williamstown, luckily a nice southerly filled in, and we had a fine quartering run, the SCAMP was ticking along round 4.5 knots, up over 5 down some of the waves. Off point Gellibrand we reefed, and pottered round to let the freighter traffic clear before heading in.

It was a bit bumpy till midnight when the wind settled down, and a bit noisy from the dock over the opposite side of the shipping channel which operates 24/7, but a lovely morning. Turner would have loved it. Back at ramp by 10, car shuffle, back home by 11. A great micro adventure !

Well being

 

Today I pushed Derry the Skerry down to the local beach on her folding trolley. Oz and I rowed over to the Dog Beach. On the way we met Andrew in Szotka and had a nice chat bobbing round off the red stick. I could see him tacking back from over towards the pier. It's not a race, of course, but rowing straight I beat the laser tacking back to the red stick. I can keep the Skerry moving about 3 knots into about 10 knots headwind.

We pulled the boat up on the sand just past the safe harbour. As Oz gets older, we have not been walking that far, and he has not been there for a while, though it used to be a regular haunt for him. He was super pleased to be back there. He had a good old bark and run around with some other friendly dogs, and a good old gambol in the warm shallow pools that form there as the tide goes out. It was a very pleasant way to spend a few hours.

L. Francis Herreshoff observed "... for almost nothing gives a person a better feeling of well being than a good long row".

More messing about

 The Autumn equinox is coming up, and as usual there is a burst of hot weather, and with it a burst of boating activity.  Campbell wanted to try a capsize test with his Pathfinder "Antares", Ian wanted a sail in "Westy" before heading off interstate, and a few usual suspects were good for a sail. We had a nice little fleet of six boats, and a good day on the water, real messing about in boats stuff but a bit hot packing up. I find my IQ declines sharply when the temperature gets over 30.

The water is just so nice now tho. I have been swimming a bit and got Derry the Skerry out for a row for an hour or two with Anne and Ozzie. Maggie thinks she might like to try it too.

As well, I have been out last two Saturdays with Peter M in his lovely Pocketship "Kelpie". It was Peter's first outing under sail, and the BOM was predicting light northerlies but we got gusty winds up to 20 knots, probably not ideal for a new sailor in a new boat, but the boat and her new captain handled it all very nicely. For the second outing, Chris came along as well, and we got just about no wind.  We explored some of the nooks and crannies of Port Melbourne, very pleasant, but bloody hot by the time we were putting the boat to bed. My brain got cooked again, and I managed to make a right stuff up of a WBA email later that afternoon. Oh well. What are they going to do, fire me? I wish.

So, plenty of on water and in water time so far for March, and with luck an expedition coming up. 

Faithful

 

Chris my son in law sent a bunch of photos he took 4 years ago when I launched Derry the Skerry. It was a lovely surprise and reminder of a special day. I was particularly touched by the photos of Ozzie watching me closely when I took Andrew Campbell out for a row. I think he is all ready to swim out and rescue me if I sank. 

And of course I got a jolly good barking at when we got back to shore. He is such a good boy! 

It was a great day, and Derry looks very nice. I hope to get out for some low key rowing in that boat this year.