Monday, December 31, 2018
Last sail of the year
I got out this morning for a few hours in the Mirror with a couple of the regulars. Ozzie came as crew. If only he would learn to nudge the helm with his nose.
It was a lovely end to a good year's sailing. I kept a log this year. I launched 38 times, excluding race and training days, but didn't actually get that far - a bit under 200 nautical miles. Be interesting to see what this year brings with the new boat.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Thursday sail
I woke up at first light this morning, just as well as I had arranged to meet a couple of AYC sailors for an early sail to beat today's predicted heat.
It turned out to be a great sailing day, about 10 knots with flat seas. I was in the Mirror, stolidly ploughing along, while Paul in his Sabre and Anthony with his Hobie Cat scooted off and back. They very kindly did not leave me too far behind.
Ozzie enjoys the drama of launching and retrieving the boats, and the social element of meeting people down at the boat club. He goes crazy running madly backwards and forwards and barking when we get back from a sail, as if he as been at sea for days at least. But most of the time we are sailing he snoozes.
I definitely did not need my oars today.
It turned out to be a great sailing day, about 10 knots with flat seas. I was in the Mirror, stolidly ploughing along, while Paul in his Sabre and Anthony with his Hobie Cat scooted off and back. They very kindly did not leave me too far behind.
Ozzie enjoys the drama of launching and retrieving the boats, and the social element of meeting people down at the boat club. He goes crazy running madly backwards and forwards and barking when we get back from a sail, as if he as been at sea for days at least. But most of the time we are sailing he snoozes.
I definitely did not need my oars today.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Soggy Sunday Sailing
This morning I met up with Ian in his trailer sailer down at the boat ramp. I took my recently acquired Core Sound 17.
The weather here has been unsettled, with lots of rain being funneled down the east coast from cyclones in Queensland. Today there were large dark storm clouds moving around the landscape, some coming in from the East, some from the North. If you found yourself under one, you would get a good blast of wind, followed by a good down pour of rain.
We didn't go very far before the wind kicked up, and we headed in to anchor in the shallows off Altona Yacht club, working on the basis that if we capsized in 6 inches of water, it would not be life threatening. I got a chance to try out the spray dodger on the boat, which works remarkably well. With the mizzen up, the boat always points to wind, so the wind driven rain sailed over the top of the dodger and we enjoyed lunch in its shelter while the rain pelted down. Ozzie curls up right underneath the combing, keeping well out of the elements. Here is a photo of another Altona YC trailer sailer heading in, which gives an idea of the conditions.
After the storm passed through, we ghosted out past the end of Wise's Reef, in almost complete calm. With surprising speed, a second storm hit us from the North. I followed the recommended Cat Ketch practice of sheeting in the Mizzen and freeing up the main. It certainly stabilizes everything. I glanced at the GPS and saw that the boat was sailing backwards at over 2 knots. It was quite steerable, and I pointed us back towards the red marker till the wind eased a bit, when I could start sailing again properly. I would not want to be too close to a lee shore and have to rely on the heaving to though.
I learned a few things today too - I need to anchor somewhere open to furl and unfurl the sails - I managed to have two minor close encounters with the furniture in the boat harbor thanks to the pressure on the sails and my poor boat handling under motor.
We didn't go that far, but it was a memorable day sail.
The weather here has been unsettled, with lots of rain being funneled down the east coast from cyclones in Queensland. Today there were large dark storm clouds moving around the landscape, some coming in from the East, some from the North. If you found yourself under one, you would get a good blast of wind, followed by a good down pour of rain.
We didn't go very far before the wind kicked up, and we headed in to anchor in the shallows off Altona Yacht club, working on the basis that if we capsized in 6 inches of water, it would not be life threatening. I got a chance to try out the spray dodger on the boat, which works remarkably well. With the mizzen up, the boat always points to wind, so the wind driven rain sailed over the top of the dodger and we enjoyed lunch in its shelter while the rain pelted down. Ozzie curls up right underneath the combing, keeping well out of the elements. Here is a photo of another Altona YC trailer sailer heading in, which gives an idea of the conditions.
After the storm passed through, we ghosted out past the end of Wise's Reef, in almost complete calm. With surprising speed, a second storm hit us from the North. I followed the recommended Cat Ketch practice of sheeting in the Mizzen and freeing up the main. It certainly stabilizes everything. I glanced at the GPS and saw that the boat was sailing backwards at over 2 knots. It was quite steerable, and I pointed us back towards the red marker till the wind eased a bit, when I could start sailing again properly. I would not want to be too close to a lee shore and have to rely on the heaving to though.
I learned a few things today too - I need to anchor somewhere open to furl and unfurl the sails - I managed to have two minor close encounters with the furniture in the boat harbor thanks to the pressure on the sails and my poor boat handling under motor.
We didn't go that far, but it was a memorable day sail.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Autumn sailing
It looks like the mild Autumn weather has departed, so I am glad I made the most of it. Some memorable days sailing in the log, including a circumnavigation of Swan Island with my brother Mike. That was a great adventure, about six hours from Swan Bay jetty return. The weather was kind, with light westerly blowing us down to the end of Swan Bay and through the shallows - not a place to need a centreboard for tacking. We proved conclusively that the road bridge across to Sand Island is about 5 centimeters too low for a mirror mast. After dropping the mast, getting in a right tangle, and re-rigging, we were swept sideways by the current ripping through the cut, managing not to hit anything. We were lucky, as shortly after we popped out, beside the Ferry terminal at Queenscliff, a pilot boat was barreling in. Lucky we didn't meet him while drifting sideways. Once out in the Bay proper, we followed the top of the West Channel towards the Cole Channel light, with a pod of dolphins performing tricks around us for entertainment and company. Wind had shifted to a South South Easterly, so we had almost a dead run down to Edwards Point where we stopped on the sand spit for a late lunch.
We managed to get back to the Swan Bay Jetty on one tack. A fantastic 10 nautical mile round trip, something that could only be done in a small dinghy.
We managed to get back to the Swan Bay Jetty on one tack. A fantastic 10 nautical mile round trip, something that could only be done in a small dinghy.
There have been some splendid outings locally as well. There are a few other dinghy sailors who also get out down here when the weather permits. It is good to have someone else out there, just in case something breaks, and nice to have the company.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Mt Eccles and the Great Ocean Road
A nice settled patch of warm weather, and the house up the road gearing up for a major party, decided us that it was time to hitch up the Teardrop and hit the road for a few days. I have long wanted to get to Mt Eccles National Park, over in the west of Victoria. I have nearly made it there a few times, but fate has intervened. We managed to overcome our reluctance to leave home, hearth and garden, and managed to get packed and on the road by 10.30.
One of the unexpected benefits of having a gps in the car is that, not only do you get lost less often, but you also discover all sorts of little back roads that you never knew existed. We seemed to zig zag across the countryside, each road getting a little smaller than the one before, until we were scooting along a little single lane road, very much like the one lane roads on the Isle of Skye.
We got to the camp ground at Mt Eccles, to discover that we were the only people staying there. The camping ground has a neglected, overgrown sort of feel about it, with long grass and lots of spikey weeds growing everywhere. Anne was worried about snakes, which I dismissed as a product of an overheated imagination. We parked, then set off for a walk. Almost immediately, we came upon this fellow, about 5 feet long in the old money, sunning himself on the path. Hmmmm. That will teach me.
He was very cooperative though, we stood to one side, he slithered off to the other, and we went on our way. The park itself is spectacular - an impressive bit of geology - and actually has a nice, wild, peaceful atmosphere once you get over the lack of maintenance. We had a great fire, a lovely dinner and a very restful night all by ourselves out there.
Next morning, we got the GPS to guide us to Port Campbell, for lunch, then onto Wye River. The Great Ocean Road has had a bashing with fire and flood, and lots of road works along the way make for slow going, but a very nice place to be going slow. We got a camp site right beside the eponymous river, and enjoyed the abundant bird life - wonderful bright king parrots, currawongs with beady yellow eyes, bower birds with startlingly blue eyes, brown and teal ducks herding clutches of ducklings along through the grass. We even had a resident koala watching over us from the tree above.
One of the unexpected benefits of having a gps in the car is that, not only do you get lost less often, but you also discover all sorts of little back roads that you never knew existed. We seemed to zig zag across the countryside, each road getting a little smaller than the one before, until we were scooting along a little single lane road, very much like the one lane roads on the Isle of Skye.
We got to the camp ground at Mt Eccles, to discover that we were the only people staying there. The camping ground has a neglected, overgrown sort of feel about it, with long grass and lots of spikey weeds growing everywhere. Anne was worried about snakes, which I dismissed as a product of an overheated imagination. We parked, then set off for a walk. Almost immediately, we came upon this fellow, about 5 feet long in the old money, sunning himself on the path. Hmmmm. That will teach me.
Next morning, we got the GPS to guide us to Port Campbell, for lunch, then onto Wye River. The Great Ocean Road has had a bashing with fire and flood, and lots of road works along the way make for slow going, but a very nice place to be going slow. We got a camp site right beside the eponymous river, and enjoyed the abundant bird life - wonderful bright king parrots, currawongs with beady yellow eyes, bower birds with startlingly blue eyes, brown and teal ducks herding clutches of ducklings along through the grass. We even had a resident koala watching over us from the tree above.
It is amazing that there are some many wonderful places only a couple of hours from where we live, and that it is so easy to get out there and experience them, and that it is so restoring and reviving.
Friday, October 6, 2017
Sail to near Point Cook and mouth of Truganina Creek
Another lightish airs day forecast. I am definitely and unashamedly a fair weather sailor.
I headed out in less than 10 knots, ghosting through the weed beds and past the last boat moored in the little bay, last survivor of the Altona Boat Owners moorings. The light southerly was pointing us more or less towards Point Cook, so that was the way we went, heading along at 1.5 to 2 knots in a very relaxing fashion. That is about what I can push the boat along rowing, so I was happy to sit back and have a leisurely lunch and watch the world slip slowly by.
Out towards Point Cook there were gannets fishing, a spectacular display as they dive straight down into the water from a fair height. Too far away for the GoPro to pick up anything unfortunately. Similarly, the little penguin who popped up beside the boat is invisible in the footage. I probably need another camera with some zoom capacity to pick up anything more than a couple of metres from the boat.
The wind picked up a bit, so I thought I'd follow the coast line back towards Altona, and headed into the mouth of Truganina Creek for a leg stretch. There is a large expanse of shallow water along the coast there - really good fun scooting along in a few inches of water with the weed beds below.
As usually happens, the wind kicked up a bit as the day wore on, so we had a fine broad reach most of the way back to the end of the Altona Reef, then ran down back to the beach.
I think my kamakaze beach landings are taking their toll on poor old Peregrina - the rear keel piece is getting quite worn, and the paint work, which is not that good to start off with, is suffering. I will try cutting some aluminium strips to attach on the critical contact points.
A really nice day out.
I headed out in less than 10 knots, ghosting through the weed beds and past the last boat moored in the little bay, last survivor of the Altona Boat Owners moorings. The light southerly was pointing us more or less towards Point Cook, so that was the way we went, heading along at 1.5 to 2 knots in a very relaxing fashion. That is about what I can push the boat along rowing, so I was happy to sit back and have a leisurely lunch and watch the world slip slowly by.
Out towards Point Cook there were gannets fishing, a spectacular display as they dive straight down into the water from a fair height. Too far away for the GoPro to pick up anything unfortunately. Similarly, the little penguin who popped up beside the boat is invisible in the footage. I probably need another camera with some zoom capacity to pick up anything more than a couple of metres from the boat.
The wind picked up a bit, so I thought I'd follow the coast line back towards Altona, and headed into the mouth of Truganina Creek for a leg stretch. There is a large expanse of shallow water along the coast there - really good fun scooting along in a few inches of water with the weed beds below.
As usually happens, the wind kicked up a bit as the day wore on, so we had a fine broad reach most of the way back to the end of the Altona Reef, then ran down back to the beach.
I think my kamakaze beach landings are taking their toll on poor old Peregrina - the rear keel piece is getting quite worn, and the paint work, which is not that good to start off with, is suffering. I will try cutting some aluminium strips to attach on the critical contact points.
A really nice day out.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Sail to Williamstown
The wind forecast was for light airs, for the first time for what seemed like weeks. Too good an opportunity to miss and I got organised, sort of, to get Peregrina the Mirror Dinghy ready.
Eventually found all the requisite bits and got down and rigged and on the water by 11.00. Once I going it looked like I could squeak past Williamstown on a single tack, so that's what I aimed for. Sort of going wither the wind listeth. In fact I had to throw a couple of tacks thanks to the wind shifting and me being less than attentive at keeping the boat pointing as high as possible. But we get past the time ball tower, and turned into the boat channel to head into the sheltered harbour just in time to meet the Spirit of Hamburg, a substantial container ship, heading out. We chose the path of discretion, and kept close to the docks near the point. The wake from a container ship at reasonable close quarters is indeed quite exciting in a Mirror I discovered.
I turned round just off the jetties of the yacht clubs, and tacked my way back past the point where the football stadium is, then eased off into a rollicking good broad reach home. A grand day out, a bit more lively than I had anticipated from the wind forecast, but excellent fun.
Eventually found all the requisite bits and got down and rigged and on the water by 11.00. Once I going it looked like I could squeak past Williamstown on a single tack, so that's what I aimed for. Sort of going wither the wind listeth. In fact I had to throw a couple of tacks thanks to the wind shifting and me being less than attentive at keeping the boat pointing as high as possible. But we get past the time ball tower, and turned into the boat channel to head into the sheltered harbour just in time to meet the Spirit of Hamburg, a substantial container ship, heading out. We chose the path of discretion, and kept close to the docks near the point. The wake from a container ship at reasonable close quarters is indeed quite exciting in a Mirror I discovered.
I turned round just off the jetties of the yacht clubs, and tacked my way back past the point where the football stadium is, then eased off into a rollicking good broad reach home. A grand day out, a bit more lively than I had anticipated from the wind forecast, but excellent fun.
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