Christmas 2022

 

Christmas eve, nice weather, Chris S was getting Ysolde out for a quick sail from Werribee South so I got over there with the Skerry. On the water by 9. Wind West South West.

The wind kicked up a bit and we put in a reef. I could just about keep up with Ysolde unreefed, but after we each put in a reef, i was much slower.

We sailed in quite close to shore and anchored. Mike's 1 kg Cooper anchor holds the boat in those conditions, somewhat to my surprise.

I sailed back in, and for once did a nice approach to the jetty, dropped sail a couple of boat lengths off, and coasted up nicely to a stop. Two blokes hanging about were very impressed, nice to have an audience when things go right. Usually there are only audiences for disasters.

De-rigging was not quite so pleasant. A couple of truly obnoxious blokes pulled up beside me, but at least I was not encouraged to dawdle. Home by 1 and into tidying up for the Christmas day celebrations.

The family gave me a 360 camera for Christmas Birthday. It needs a faster sd card than I possess, so a brief hiatus till one is acquired. In the modern way, no user manual, which I find annoying, but hopefully I can puzzle it out.

A very pleasant Christmas day tho. Lovely weather, lovely family, lots of feasting and good humour. I feel extremely lucky.

Dumb Joe almost

 

Jim and Chris who are doing the TN launched their Lugger at Altona with Penny this morning. I got down with the Skerry.  A beautiful sailing day with a steady 10 knots Southerly. We sailed over to Point Cook. I was a head and headed for the beach there but the sea birds looked so peaceful and the water was shallow which I knew the Lugger wouldn't like, so I headed back out again almost running over a big banjo shark. We drifted and had lunch, then made an attempt to get round Dumb Joe cardinal mark.

It was directly up wind though, and we got discouraged and ran back for home. 13.4 NM for the day.

The good news is that the Skerry performed very creditably relative to the Lugger, faster on all points of sail and pointing about as well. So I might not be the TN lantern rouge.

A good day, my kind of sailing.

Testing testing

Sea trials of Toqeedo bracket on the Skerry were successful in so far as we did not capsize, sink or do any damage to the boat or engine or crew. There is a distinct list to Port, the engine side, but I can counteract that with my weight once I am in the boat. There was a fair old chop and a bit of wind, and the rudder is not sufficient to steer into a choppy headwind. I had to row to keep our heading. But we could move along about 2.4 knots bang into the wind. I anchored, and took battery and engine off. Not much buoyancy back there and it was tricky getting them off ... I don't think I could put the engine on in any sort of seaway. So, on balance, I think I might leave the engine out of the equation. Even with electric,life is much simpler without engines. 

I guess I should give it another go, and tidy up the bracket so it is not such an eyesore. The wind at Laverton was gusting 18-19 knots while I was out so I guess we were doing pretty well to be moving at over 2 knots. Golly I am tired tonight tho! I will have to be careful to conserve energy on the Tawe Nunnugah... minimum possible rowing.

Collie Nose's last sail

 Since the sailing day on the Lake, Ozzie has been diagnosed with "Collie Nose", DLE, a congenital,  abnormal reaction to sunlight. It manifests as a crusty nose, with a lot of congestion, and discolouration around the nostrils. Poor boy has been sneezing and snoring something awful. He is taking cortisone and antibiotics and it is clearing up, but we have to keep him out of the sun. So he is retiring as sea dog. I will miss him.

The slippery slope

 

It was the regular WBA sailing day at Albert Park Lake today.  Anne was heading off to visit a friend, so I took Oz rather than leave him home alone.  He was ok getting back in the boat, first time since our capsize.  He looks fairly relaxed, but perhaps he is just shutting his eyes trying to make it all go away.

Peter was there in his lovely cat ketch, reminding me how good cat ketches can be.  

Jim was there in his row boat.  A couple of chaps I have not met before were launching a lovingly restored clinker built boat.

I was trying to prevent Pitthirrit banging into the trailer when it came time to retrieve, and managed to slip and land in the not too pristine waters of the lake. up to my armpits.  Oh well, someone has to provide the free entertainment.  I was glad to get home and get a shower.  

I made a few tweaks in the balanced lug, which seem to help a bit.  I need to push on with new centre board and engine mount this week.

I got a heads up regarding a Welsford Navigator for sale at an extremely reasonable price over in Mornington. But somehow,I am just not interested. Something has changed in me. Perhaps I amon another slippery slope. But it could also be a glimmering of something like sense.

Ketchless

 Yesterday, Cam from Canberra took Kirsty Ann off to her new home in Canberra. He has been chasing me for years, and just after the capsize, when I was thinking I really should sell as I have not been using the boat, he made contact again.  He is very knowledgeable and a keen sailor. So I am richer, but also feeling quite bereft. I really loved that boat.

I really haven't been using it much though, and it is a shame to see boats fust away. And I don't have to keep berating myself about not using the boat, and making half arsed plans to get out. Plus,I won't miss the ramps which are getting more annoying and crowded. I now have a Torqeedo engine and super battery on my hands, as Cam didn't want it. I will see if I can get it to work on the Skerry and if it does I will register the boat, if not, I can sell the engine and be even more cashed up. 

Hey ho. It is life I guess, things you love pass out of your life. Hey ho. 

Comparisons inevitable

 

Gavan in his Little Tern and me in Derry the Skerry got out from St Kilda Marina on Friday, the only half decent day for a week. The Altona ramp carpark was about 90% full at 6.15 and more cars and boats heading in when Ozzie and I went past on our morning walk. So I headed over to St Kilda with some trepidation, but the carpark was half empty, and there was a much more relaxed vibe.  Perhaps the $14 carpark fee acts as a disincentive. But it was easy launching there. The biggest downside is the long narrow busy channel out to open water, not so good rowing into a headwind as I discovered coming home.

The Bom forecast was for East North Easterlies, which would have been perfect for a run up to Sandringham, but in fact it was a Southerly, so bang on the nose and we had to tack. No doubt, the Tern can point higher than the Skerry. The Skerry could go faster, but as far as VMG is concerned, Tern was better, by about 10 degrees. This could be because of the chap job I did with the dagger board. My new project is to make a new, improved dagger board. I have ordered Oz goose plans from mik storer which has templates for foils, and I think I will add an inch or two to to length and reduce the curve at the bottom of the leading edge. I  will try loosening off the foot of the sail too. If no improvement I can try a new larger rudder, I notice that the Terns rudder is larger. 

Good to have another similar boat to sail with,I would not have twigged there was an issue otherwise, and it would be annoying to find myself on the TN raid with everyone hauling off to windward and leaving me behind.

We had a long beat back and forth alon the coast, and decided to go for the dog beach inside Brighton harbour for lunch.  Quite a few dogs came over hopefully to see if we had any surplus sandwiches, but their owners studiously ignored us. The wind was getting up so we put a reef in the sails and headed off for a fast run back to St Kilda. The skerry, being lighter, seemed faster downwind, and there was some good surfing, up to 6.8 knots catching the occasional wave. 

The wind was blowing directly down the channel so a stiff row back, but the Skerry rows well and we didn't have to work too hard.

Getting home over the Westgate took a while in the Friday afternoon traffic but we got there. All in all  a good outing. I can see more launching over that side of the bay coming up, Black Rock next time.

Keeping on

 

I got out again last Saturday on the get back on the horse that has thrown you principle.  It was a low key pleasant sail.  Oz stayed home.

I am working on upping the amount of buoyancy in the boat, and made a box that will slot under the thwart.  Should be good for putting flares, emergency stuff in. 

As Cam does not want the Torqeedo, I am tossing up whether to keep it and use it on the Skerry, or sell.

I have started to make a bracket but I can see that will need considerable beefing up if it is to work.

The Torqeedo fits quite nicely on the floor of the forward compartment. It should double as  I need to work on some good tie down points, it would be a shame to see it go to the bottom if I capsized again.

I am launching with Little Tern tomorrow over at St Kilda Marina.  A first for me, and I suspect it might be busy, but I am looking forward to trying some new water!

Uh ho ...

 It was a strange day last Tuesday.  Somehow I found myself in situations that I had not planned for and not as anticipated or forecast, and not great communications.

I was planning on taking out the Pirogue, as it was a 10 knots or less forecast.  Andrew texted me saying he was taking his laser out to visit the seal on T28.  I put a message on AYC cruisers, and contacted Gavan to say I was getting out from Altona at 10. 

Greg from AYC said he would come, and we met down there at about 9.30 and were ready to get on the water at 10. Andrew was a bit late, so we said we would get a head start.  Gavan called me about 9.45 but I missed his call. Greg and I headed off, me with a reef in as it was gusting northerly.  The Bom often seems to get Northerlies wrong.

We had a splendid fast sail over to T28, no seal home but we saw a seal head pop up nearby. We were going so well, Greg suggested we head over to St Kilda.  We sailed over to St Kilda Harbour, and spent a bit of time as Greg was not familiar with the area, and headed off towards the marina.  When we were in, we had a cuppa and a leg stretch, and Oz had some shore leave on the nice little island that had formed where we landed.

When it was time to go, the wind had just about died away, but some very ominous clouds were building on the horizon back over to the West.

Roger Barnes has some profoundly sensible things to say about storms:  

"A seagoing yacht can weather a storm out at sea.  A small boat must seek shelter. She needs to be in shelter before the storm hits. So you should always have a plan in the back of your mind how you would do that - where the nearest shelter is, and how you would get to it. But storms do not suddenly hit out of a blue sky.  You always have time, if you are aware of the weather and how it is changing ..."

I did suggest we should run for Williamstown, in a half hearted way.  But we headed on towards it, in the hope that somehow we could squeak through before the storm hit. 

No such luck.  I was tacking between the Gellibrand mark and the cardinal mark for the reefs off Williamstown, when we got hit.  Laverton recorded 41 knot gusts. I had shaken the reef out, somehow I was too stupid or optimistic to even put a reef in, but I doubt in that wind it would have made any difference.  I was trying to avoid heading into the reef, had eased out the main probably further than right angles to the line  of the boat, and we were in the water super fast.  Oz was in the dodger space, and I managed to get the boat up, fairly fast, but with the sail up, we went over again straight away.  I got it up again, but with Ozzie's weight in the wrong place and the narrow amount of freeboard, we went over again, and again.  Oz got a fright, and took off swimming to shore, which gave me a chance to get back in.

Greg was fantastic, and got Oz plus various crap that had drifted off.  I bailed out, we transferred Oz back and we sailed home through a few more storms,downpours and calms. 

Thinking about it all, the social element is a key one.  I would not have made the choices that I did, nor been in the situation I was in, if I had been alone. But if I had been alone I would have been in really deep trouble.  It is the Civilization and its Discontents dilemma.

Coming home, I thought I should sell the Core Sound, as I really wonder, given the trouble I had getting the Skerry up, if I would be capable of getting the Core Sound up and going again.  The very next day, I got a call from Cam from Canberra who offered again to buy the Core Sound.  

The whole episode was profoundly sobering and traumatic. A week later, I am still bruised in body and in ego.  I lost my video camera, and drowned my vhf, but, thank heavens, Oz is ok and I got home.  It is  my second close shave this year. If I was a cat, I think I might be running out of lives.   I have to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.  A lot to think about, and a lot to change.

Sieze the hour

 After a spell of grey, windy, cold,  rainy days, at last the sun came out today. I was free from commitments after 1, and after weighing up the possibility of chipping one more job off the never ending list of things that need doing, I decided to hitch up the boat and go sailing instead.We got on the water a bit before 3, not sure why it took so long. 

Oz has taken to curling up forward under the dodger. I will have to cut some mat to fit up there to make it cozier for him. We practice putting in and taking out a reef, pretty quick and easy with the new cam cleats on the boom. I tore the dodger a bit swaying up the halyard, some stitching required. A great way to spend an afternoon, and great exercise.

Row while you can

 I had been out the previous 3 days, and the forecast was for a light airs day, but I figured I should get out while I could.  As the subsequent week of gales and rain has demonstrated, that was not a bad idea.

Oz and I rowed over to the little Williamstown Anglers harbour.

I thought maybe I could get a coffee, but the rotunda kiosk has a big sign saying $20 minimum eftpos, so no coffee for me.  We headed back out after a leg stretch and brief mutiny from Ozzie who decided he would rather go off with the chap who had two nice blue heelers. 

We rowed out to the yellow pipeline buoy, then drifted for a while.  Oz decided he would like to sit right up under the dodger canopy again, and I tried sitting in the space forward of the thwart, which is not super roomy, but relatively sheltered.

I was supposed to be going to Paynesville with the Wooden Boat Association over this long weekend, but Maggie the cat was attacked by the dog next door, with much drama, vet visiting, and anxious cat watching to follow. She seems to have recovered so no serious harm done, but I could not imagine heading off and leaving her and Anne.  As it turned out, it has not been a great weekend weather wise, so I must confess that I am secretly not too unhappy to have missed. But that makes me wonder if I have just run out of going away energy. The urge to just potter round at home is very strong.  Which in turn makes me wonder how I am going to go being away 2 weeks next year with Tawe Nunnugah.  I think I had better try and make some practice trips before then.

Double enders

 

Gavan brought his Little Tern over, and we launched from Altona ramp. Very interesting to see another 15 foot double ender. Derry did ok keeping pace despite smaller sail area 68 vs 83 sq ft.   I am not sure why but I am not complaining.

I seem to have developed an annoying crease in the sail. I relashed the sails yesterday, after watching Michael Storer's videos. And I will double the down haul. 

Hopefully eliminating variables will find a set up that works.

I got out 4 days in a row last week, including one rowing only day. Hopefully Tawe Nunnugah will be within my capacity.

Under new management

 

Tanya sent me this photo of Andy and Mary out today in Peregrina.  A fine crew to be sure.  I am so glad that the boat is nearby and getting used, it does my heart good to see the kids out enjoying the boat.  I guess boat use goes in long cycles but for now, I am really glad that Peregrina is out being used and not mouldering away under a tarp in someone's back yard.

A visitation

 

I had a busy tiring week last week that didn't include any sailing. When I skip for a bit it all seems hard to get going again. Yesterday was a light winds nice weather forecast so I invited Andrew in his Laser. A sailing arrangement with someone else keeps me honest. 

It was a fantastic sail. The wind was light to start but picked up to round 10 knots, blue skies, getting warmer. And we got a visit from a friendly pod of dolphins! 

The thrill that'll gitcha

 https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/derry/

.. when you get your picture in Small Boats Magazine...

Amazing Raid

 

Next time, take a tripod.

Up the creek

 

A good test for the dodger in the rain. It works. Next time, two rain coats.

As others see us

 Khiem from the Sydney Raid group was down in Melbourne and came out in the Skerry with the AYC Cruisers. He did a short video and write up of Derry.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/raidsydney/permalink/5258084204320005/

It was great to sail with Khiem, and I learned a few things on light airs balanced lug sailing.  We got over into Kororoit Creek, then back over to raft up with Greg and Andy and Campbell and Mary and Duncan off Altona Pier. A great day out.

AYC Cruisers

 A nice group of younger locals have started an informal group  AYC Cruisers. Mostly young dads with kids. I am invited as honorary geezer. My oars have come in handy, towing fleet members to the raft up in no wind, and the anchor has come in handy in a bit more wind, stopping us drifting down on the coast before lunch is finished.

Only one other boat out last week, and they didn't stay out long after lunch. We did have a great procession of a pod of dolphin, led by a seal, that swam by quite close to us.

After I retrieved the anchor I sailed over to the mouth of Skeleton Creek, Nd we stopped for some shore leave.

Tide was low, and getting out over the shallow mud was fun, sailing standing up so I could better see possible channels, and shifting weight to free the boat when we got stuck. About 8.5 NM for the day. I was seriously tired afterwards.

I  am starting to think about set up and packing for the Murrar trip in October and Tawe-nunnugah-2023  next Feb. Jamie gave me a screw top barrel ages ago which I finally got round to trying in the boat. It fits so well it is like they were made for one another. Have to get another, they will be perfect for food and cooking stuff I think.

Circumnavigation

A 15 NM sail round Corio Bay, a grand sail, and good practice for Tawe Nunnugah. 

Training

 I have paid my money for the Tawe Nunnugah next February so I better be in good shape for it. I was helping Anne make some videos in the morning but got down to AYC beach and launched about 12.30. Wind was South South Westerly.  I rowed into and at an angle across it. Bom recoded 18 knot gusts at nearby Laverton while we were out. 

We rowed to the beach on the western side of Altona Bay, where a large yellow buoy with "exclusion zone" on it had washed ashore. I wonder where that came from? 

Feeling somehow as if we were trespassing we set off back home, which somehow seemed to be about as much into the wind as the trip over. 🤔   A bit over 5 miles, but a very good workout. I will sleep well tonight.

Good day

 Last day of winter had a fair forecast so I  posted my intention to get out on the PPB fb page. I didn't hear from Anyone but as I was launching I saw Andrew with Mars over at the ramp. We helped Gerardunload then load his boat so he could weigh it to get a VIN then headed off to raft up for lunch off the mouth of Kororoit Creek. 

I tried out the new dodger I have been working on for ages. Oz definitely liked it.

It was a good day. 

Different days

 

I thought the weather was supposed to be getting warmer Friday, and I wanted to test new Torqeedo battery, so Anne and Oz and I motored over and sailed back from St Kilda. It was nice, but bloody cold.

Next day the blue skies and warm light airs arrived. Peregrina and Minty were being rigged when Oz and I walked by. I had lunch with the kids lined up so I couldn't rush home and get my boat. Oh well. I met Tanya, who might have bought her? , and Alex who is building up the mirror fleet at Williamstown. Very heartening and great to see Peregrina being used.

Bom'ed again.

 

Wednesday seemed a bit bleak, but the wind forecast was OK for the morning, North North Westerly predicted to strengthen as the day proceeded. I had arranged to meet Kate, and we rowed over into Kororoit Creek. I think I know the way ok now, I think icould get in at high tide in the Core Sound. 

On the way back we tried the spinnaker oar combo, getting round 2 knots. I gotthe sail down and organised to row again just as the wind piped up. 23 knots at Laverton. Bang on the nose. It was a good workout getting in.

Fourth time lucky

 If at first you don't succeed... 

I have tried three expeditions to get into Little River. I sailed in there in my first Mirror, in the 80's. My three recent attempts were unsuccessful due to weather, boat choice by some of the fleet, and tide. Monday was a beautiful light airs day, with a high tide at 10.30. Chris and I met with kayaks at Point Wilson ramp at 9. 

A 45 minutes of wind assisted paddling later, we were scraping over the Shelley Spit and into the river. It was as lovely as I remembered, indeed, apart from the silting up of the river mouth, not much has changed. I felt like we were intruding there, and the swans agreed, but we tried to keep a respectful distance. 

After exploring the river as far as we could get, we headed back to the west, to the mouth of the lagoon system at Spit reserve. It was a 10 mile day. My kayak paddling muscles have pretty much vanished due to lack of use. An early night Monday alright.

Row and blow

 On Thursday, forecast was for 15 knots North North Westerly winds. I  got Derry the Skerry down to AYC ramp about 11. Wind was indeed Northern and about 15 knots, so we set off  keeping close to the coast heading East, with the wind slight on the Port forward beam. I should have turned back at Kororoit Creek mouth, wherever coast turns South East, but I kept going. Wind shifted north west, and strengthened considerably. Again  I should have turned round but I figured if I could get round the jawbone I would be relatively sheltered.  I headeded onto Williamstown Beach, landed there, and had a coffee from the kiosk, hoping the wind might ease. No such luck.

When isn't out again it was still blowing hard. Around the point from the jawbone there was nothing to break the wind, and a bit of a chop had built up. I tried rowing straight into the wind, hoping the make it to the sandbars at the Creek mouth, but I only got a few hundred metres. The nose would blow off the wind, the boat turn down wind, and I would loose all the distance I had made. I was worried I would break or loose an oar, and get blown out into the bay towards Mt Martha.  

Eventually I gave up, and retraced my route back to Williamstown Beach. I called Anne who ever so kindly drove over and waited with the boat while I went back and got the trailer. A bit of logistical shuffling but home safe. 

The Bom recorded gusts of 29 knots at Laverton and Fawkner beacon while I was out. So I know now what strength wind I can't row into. Reading up on this later, I think I should have tried tacking into the wind. An article in small boats magazine suggests using the centreboard and tacking. A second article suggests ensuring boat is trimmed well down forward. One correspondent says he rows from the forward position into the wind. Hmmm. If ever I am out in similar conditions I can try these. But smartest thing would be not to get into the situation in the first place.

Still, it was an interesting day and I am emboldened to land at Williamstown Beach again for coffee in the future, noone came and tried to chase me off, in fact the natives were very friendly and welcoming.

Small steps

 

I really need to push on with the Round the Bay exercise. Friday was a nice day for July.   I got up before 7 and pottered, which meant I was not on the road till 11, got to Kirk Point at 11.30, stuffed round with rigging, flat trolley tyre, disintegrating trailer, tangles, forgotten phone,etc, which meant I wasn't properly underway till after 12.30, at which time the wind just about faded to nothing. I rowed a bit, ghosted,  had lunch,  rowed a bit more, ghosted, and didn't get very far, till turn around at 1.45. It was very pleasant, some rafts of little penguins keeping apace but a cautious distance away, a few gannets and seagulls and the odd cormorant, but otherwise pretty deserted.  I rowed back most of the way. I made a complete stuff up of approach to the ramp. Forward rowing so I could see where I was going, but reacted dyslexically when one oar hit one of the pair of tyre covered pylons, and crunched on the rocks adjacent. Lucky it was calm. I sanded and repainted today, no serious harm done. 

It was a nice day on the water, and good to get out, but I suspect I will never get round unless I try some different strategies. That leg from Kirk Point to Avalon is round 12 miles, too far for  there and back in one day.  Some opttions: A)  I can try another day with a more advantageous wind to get half way and back. An earlier start might help. 🤔  B) I can do it one way and arrange car shuffle or bike. The latter idea appeals to me, but probably could not take Oz. C) Or I could do an overnighter, sail one way, camp and return next day, though the ramps at either end are a bit remote and I am not super keen on leaving  the car and trailer at either. 

Messing about

 It was the WBA AGM and sailing day on Sunday.  I really don't want to catch the bug before Anne's book launch, so I skipped the lunch, and rowed over to the island to tie up off a tree and munch a solitary sandwich.  Which I must confess I rather prefer, but still felt a bit odd.  Oh well.  It was a good turn out, and I got to try a few things, the new set up for down wind spinnaker and oar sailing, and my sculling rowlock. 

Testing the limits

 

Andrew posted on the WBA facebook group his intention to get out Thursday, and the weather was indeed perfect.  I got down with the Core Sound to Altona ramp round 9 and despite being a bit distracted, managed to get on the water by 10 without too many disasters.  Andrew wanted to head over towards the huge oil drilling platform that has been anchored off Point Cook for a few days along with its three attendant massive tenders.

There was no wind first off, and the water was as clear as I have ever seen it.   I was following Andrew with the Torqeedo burbling along about 3.4 knots.  We got to well off Point Cook, and the display on the Torqeedo said I had used 50% battery, so we stopped, and rafted up for lunch.  The wind, a South Easterly, kicked up a bit, blowing us towards Werribee coast at about 0.6 knots.  We had a long lunch in the sun, yarning about this and that.  By the time we decided to head back we had drifted quite a way.  I could clear Dumb Joe on a tack, so I sailed off slowly, at around 2 knots.

Round Dumb Joe, at round 2 pm, the wind died away.  Andrew had vanished and was just a dot heading back to Altona. I started the Torqeedo, which told me I had 56 minutes left at around 3 knots.  The GPS told me I would be back at Altona inaround 45 minutes.  I figured that I might squeak it in.

I was about a mile away, a bit off the red stick, and the readout told me I had .12 hours left, when I got an error message, and battery stopped.  Luckily there was no wind, and I can row the Core Sound at around 2.4 knots, so I got home ok.  Andrew waited for me which was kind of him.

I guess the moral is that I need to keep above around 15% battery to be sure. The pressure is on when you are out with someone else.  I would have drifted home eventually I am sure.  Still, it was a great day.

Little River #3

 

Gerard and I launched from Kirk Point ramp and rowed the few miles to Little River mouth. The weather was fine if chilly, the tide not so much. We got in behind the spit but it was too shallow to row, or drag the boat. No idea how far till it gets deeper. I will  have to try again when the tide is fuller. 

The exercise has whetted my appetite to complete the leg down to Geelong. I need to get cracking on my RTB challenge. I will try heading towards Point Wilson and explore the bay with the sand hummocks next.

The Transcontinental Race is on at the moment. All those self supported riders heading off across Europe with only what they can carry on their bikes I find inspirational.  What I can carry on the Skerry would be luxury to them, and the effort I need to expend to cover ground far less. https://www.transcontinental.cc/

Training

 

I put in an EOI for Tawe Nunnugah earlier this week and booked car with Skerry on the roof onto the ferry over to Tassie. Now I wait to see if I shilly-shallied too long, or if they don't consider the boat or the crew sufficiently seaworthy for the voyage.

In the meantime I have started trying to build my capacity to put in longer days in succession. Today was very light SW winds.  A big gas rig has appeared off  point Cook, so I headed towards that, after a late start, about 12.30. We ghosted along a bit, rowed a bit,had lunch, worked out where to put the sculling oarlock, rowed a bit more... and got all of two miles, not even off point Cook. Rowing with sails up seems to make it a bit harder, more awkward, maybe more windage. Coming home, wind died away, and we were making under a knot, so back to rowing. 

Back at Flemmos the tide was in. Kevin, who I met at the Bone Bus, and his friend Phil, were there and had many questions about the boat. Once I got Ozzie on the concrete ramp, he barked his head off, perhaps because we were a bit late for his dinner. 

So, only about 4 miles today, and I am feeling seriously stuffed tonight. I guess all the getting the boat in the water and set up, then home again and put to bed, all takes effort. But I think I need to get a used to putting in more sea miles.

Traditions

 

It was a splendid, chilly, sunny, light South Easterly day yesterday. I  wheeled the Skerry down to the local beach, and rowed the three miles over to the buoy that marks the gas pipeline. I had a nice drift in the sun eating my peanut butter sandwich and banana, and a nice steaming hot cup of tea from the thermos. Two little penguins swam by, I think they didn't even notice I was there.

When I got back to the beach, an older gentleman came over. He said he had heard that someone had been launching "a real boat" from the beach. He was pleased to bump into me at last. He was a former Seaholme resident, whose dad built wooden fishing boats, and he had memories of many small boats being launched from Flemmos beach. He was very pleased to see me continuing the tradition. He remembered "the Beasley boys" fishing off here, the many boats anchored and the red shed round at Wise's reef.  We had a good time getting stuck into the plastic stink boats and Jetskis. It was a nice end to the outing, my longest row only outing so far, about 6 NM.

It is, incidentally, a year since I launched the Skerry. It has been everything I hoped for and more. I will have to count up the launches and the miles from the logbook, but I rekon this boat has hit a sweetspot for me, it fits my environment and the sorts of sailing I like best.