Sunday, June 21, 2020

Winter solstice sail

Today was the coldest day for weeks, according to the news tonight, and it felt like it out on the Bay.  It was also the shortest day.

I launched the Core Sound by 10, and set off towards Williamstown with Sandra on the helm. There was not much wind, and very little sun.  Quite a few very purposeful formations of gannets flew over us, glad I was not a fish.

Poor Ozzie got cold, so he got wrapped up in a blanket.


It was a very peaceful and enjoyable sail. I quite like light air days. We averaged around 2.6 knots.

I was fairly efficient derigging and packing up, but coming home, there was a party on next door, cars everywhere, and I clipped a car with the boat trailer as I was turning. I was hurrying as I didn't want to block the road, and I  forgot that the trailer does not exactly follow the car in turns. Is this a patch of ice, or a winter I wonder? I guess stuff happens, but is it a sign I am getting less quick. Is it a pattern, the bike accident and now this? Hmmmm, better be extra careful for a while.






Saturday, June 20, 2020

Sail day

Jim from the WBA came over again Friday, this time for a sail on the Core Sound.  Gerard got his Shimmy 12 on the water, and put on an impressive sailing display getting out of the harbour despite the wind blowing almost directly on the nose out of the narrow channel.  He did have a spot of bother though, getting his oarlock,which he was using as a fender cleat, caught under the dock and breaking off part of the coaming.  (Yesterday I helped him fix it so my guilt about leaving him and heading off is now assuaged, and hopefully his oarlock sockets are as good as new.)



While we were waiting for him, Jim steered while I rowed the Core Sound out towards Altona Reef, where we could see a seal slowly working his way round the reef.  When we saw Gerard starting we headed back in, and the wind picked up enough for us to sail, more or less retracing our steps from the kayak expedition the day before.

Gerard took some great photos of the Core Sound in action.


We got buzzed by the seaplane again, sailed through a mass seabird event, and got to see a seal demonstrating how they get up onto the channel marker.   There was a huge bull seal tilting the buoy over to one side.  A smaller seal leapt out of the water, successfully landed on the buoy, but got chased off.  Seal went to the other side, tilting way high out of the water, and tried unsuccessfully to leap up on that side. But we got a good idea of the technique.   It is a great sail over to the marker and back, and the wind kicked up so we hooted back round 5 knots, getting up to 6.8 knots.



Just about all sailing days are good, but some are magic. This was one of the magic days.


Paddle day

Jim from the WBA came over last week with his kayak.  It was a good kayaking day, sunny with not much wind.  We rowed over to the mouth of Kororoit Creek. but it was too shallow to get in.


We headed on via the Jawbone and along the coast, to T28 channel marker, but no seals home unfortunately.   On the way back we saw a raft of about 10 penguins.  I was too slow getting my camera, by the time I had it out, all but one had dived below the surface.

We were entertained by the seaplane doing circuits and bumps, clearly taking advantage of the calm conditions to get in some landing and take off practice.  He managed not to run us over.

It was a really nice day on the water and good exercise too.




Tuesday, June 9, 2020

A grand day out

Anne and I launched the Core Sound round 10 from Altona ramp.  The forecast was for light northerlies, but it seemed to be gusting up a bit, 12 to 14 knots over at Fawkner beacon this morning.  But it helped us scoot along, and we got round to Williamstown with two tacks.  There were two boats tied up at the loading berth at Ferguson Pier, but we tied up on the main bit, next to a ladder.  It was beautiful there in the sun, having a cup of tea.  Why can't I remember to wipe the gopro lens though?


We got some admiring comments and envious glances from the jetty above, and a little girl was very concerned as to how Ozzie was going to get up onto the jetty. Vincent called while we were sitting there, and he came down to join us for lunch. We got fish and chips, good at the time, perhaps not so good subsequently.  But something about sailing in and having lunch made it all special.

I did feel a bit like Steve Earley who does the wonderful Log of the Spartina, which involves lots of small boat voyaging to visit locations where there is lots of eating at salty establishments.

After lunch we motored off, as it was dead calm and sheltered in Hobsons Bay.  Heading out past the very end of Williamstown, we saw two dolphins, also heading out. The wind had switched round to a South Westerly, so we had a nice reach home once we passed the last cardinal mark. I said to Anne that we should be back round 3, and sure enough, we were nosing our way into the safe harbour bang on 3.00.  

It was a grand day out on the water, one of the best. 

Sunday, June 7, 2020

Winter piroguing

I wheeled my Bolger Pirogue down to AYC ramp today. Light airs forecast. I missed the bit about rain. At least, as well as getting wet, there was a magnificent double rainbow.
Andrew was a maybe, but must have decided it was too cold. He may have been right, it was a chilling experience. Sandra, the renegade, got her Sabre out. She took some splendid photos of the Pirogue in action.
It is an interesting little boat, but not all that comfortable in the cold, as it is difficult to move round much. I broke one of the gudgeons, and was lucky to get back with limited rudder. It was a good day on the water.
I came across a quote from Mark Twain tonight: "the only real, independent,  genuine  gentlemen  in the world go quietly up and down the Mississippi River,  asking no homage of anyone, seeking no popularity,  no notoriety,  &give not a damn ..." I admire their style, and his.








Thursday, June 4, 2020

Tacking practice

Gerard was launching at Werribee South, and despite the grim forecast, I got down there too. I wimped out on Tuesday, which turned out to be less windy than forecast. Wednesday turned out to be more windy than forecast, which goes to show you never can tell.

Wind was almost due South, so we ran straight down the river, and had lunch on the island.

My gps showed 127 tacks back up the River. It was a good workout. The wind was sometimes non existent, blocked by the cliffs, sometimes blasting down at 20 knots. No time to relax. I have been a bit sore and sorry since, I am out of practice.
I cobbled together some of Gerard's footage with the odd bits I took. I always wish I had taken more, and I wish I would remember to a) check that I am actually taking video when I think I am (not time elapse which is cumbersome to manage) and b) wipe the camera lens before each shot! 





Sunday, May 31, 2020

Slough of the despond

The awful creek/drain that exits into the bay between the AYC ramp and the Altona Safe Harbour wall has redirected itself to run parallel along the shore front past the club ramp.  The creek deposits silt, mud and slime which is building up between the shore and the outer sandbanks.  I guess this is sort of nature at work, but it makes launching at low tide a work out.  Especially if, as was the case last Thursday, one tyre on your beach trolley has gone flat.


It took me ten minutes to drag the boat across the quagmire. and it was hard work.

Once on the water. the wind was light, but it filled in and I had to hike out on the last tack over to Altona Pier. 

Andrew very kindly offered to help me drag the  boat back, so it was only half as bad coming home.

I discovered  that one of the pair of tyres on my Sabre is also flat.  Two inner tubes on order.

It was a good sail though, worth the effort, though I will try to time my sailing to higher tide from now on in I think.