Autumn days

 We have been getting classic Port Phillip Autumn weather, ever shorter days with mostly light airs.  Mostly but not always...

The Wooden Boat Association sailing day at Albert Park Lake gave us some good gusts as a reminder that you need to keep on your toes.  I launched the SCAMP and put a reef in the sail, and just as well as with 4 adults in the cockpit, the C of G must be a bit higher.  Or maybe my crap helming.  But we got a fair old lean on a few times when gusts came through, though I never thought we were going to go over.  It was a bit squeezy with 4 sailing - I had to step over the tiller - but still manageable. I think 3 for sailing is probably better though.

On a more typical autumn day a few days later,  Chris, Gerard and I set off from Werribee South, on a falling tide, to explore the mouth of Little River again.  A fair bit of rowing was involved to get round Wedge point.

We anchored in the same spot that Chris and I had lunch the previous trip (the green pin).  

The deep keel Scruffie boats were nervous about going closer in, so Chris and Gerard embarked onto the SCAMP, and we tried our luck rowing in.

A falling tide about an hour off low water, what could possibly go wrong?  We ran aground, and Chris and Gerard took bearings and discussed the possible ways forward, while the tide dropped further beneath the boat, leaving us well stuck.  We did get organized eventually and with a bit of pushing and pulling we managed to get enough water to get back to the other boats.

The wind just about died away and we wound up using the Torqeedos for the long haul back along the coast, while the short day drew to a close.

We didn't get back in till sunset - a long day at the helm, and home in the dark.  

 

I wasn't happy with the trailer set up, so spent a while putting a runner under each skeg.  Anne and I launched from Altona, to test the new set up, and also to give Anne her first sail in the SCAMP.  Unfortunately this day proved to be yet another exception to the still Autumn weather, and we had a stiff chop and 16 knot wind gusts - probably not ideal for introducing the partner to the boat, but the SCAMP, and Anne, both handled the conditions with much grace.

On this outing, I noticed an ominous clunking sound coming from the centreboard case in the swell going down wind.  Hmmm.  Investigation showed that the bushing on the centreboard had parted company from the surrounding epoxy.  

I am waiting for the epoxy to really harden up on my second attempt at this, hopefully it will be better.

As the epoxy was setting, I took the Skerry out for a sail from Werribee South, meeting Chris who was taking Stephen out for a sail.  He was tied up to the visitors buoy when I launched, and Wayne launched a bit later and joined us.  We had a cuppa and watched the incredible bird life goings on near the river mouth - a huge flock of black cormorants and a phalanx of well organized pelicans working the tide.  It is a marvellous spot.   There was not much wind so we got a tow out, rowed a bit, got a bit of wind, and made it up as far as Wyndham harbour, which is only about a mile and a half up the coast.  I have never been inside the harbour, but today seemed like the day.  We tied up the visitor berths, and Stephen bought me a coffee at the nice cafe. It is always more of an adventure when you stop somewhere new on a small boat trip.

All this rowing is taking it out of me though.  My watch told me my body battery was just about empty yesterday afternoon when I got home, and that was pretty much how I felt.  I hope to get the centreboard back in the SCAMP, and that Torqeedo going for future Autumn trips. And ideally some energy back in the body battery.