The inaugural Midweek Sailing Day of the WBA at Williamstown on Wednesday was the usual cat herding experience. But some fine sailing too. Coming back across the Shipping Channel Chris in his Stornoway 18 made a fine sight. Lunch at Blunts Boatyard, a Torqeedo run back to a blissfully quiet ramp. A good day overall.
Somehow I have wound up as organiser for the inaugural WBA midweek sail scheduled for the 9th. We're heading down to Walkerville for daughter's birthday festival (yay), and the weather after today looks a bit dodgy, but I wanted to do some reconnaissance of Hobsons Bay before the event.
My back was still not so good yesterday, but I told myself to smarten up, and set the alarm and backed the car in the drive ready to hook up the Skerry and trailer. And despite a bit of internal lack of enthusiasm I got down to the Warmies and on the water by about 10.30. We rowed down the warmies channel and tied up at one of the Vistors moorings to get sorted, then on through the wonderful array of moored boats, past the one in thepicture above, which had made what I fear was a fairly expensive voyage to the bottom. It was back on the surface I was driving home, hopefully a happy ending. There are quite a few boats in there that look like they too might be making that trip to the bottom pretty soon.
There is something very relaxing about rowing. The Skerry is so controllable I am ok with heading into the most confined of spaces. I rowed right up next to the Gem Pier fish boat, we can use the Skerry to go buy our fish next time. And I had a nice chat to a guy moored in the Royals jetties who saw me rowing past and liked the look of the Skerry.
A really nice morning on the water, I really enjoyed. I hope I have turned a corner.
Gerard wanted to get out for a sail, and the forecast was for another 30 plus day. We arranged to meet at Werribee South at 8 to try and beat some of the heat. My back is still dicy so I took Derry the Skerry. After I rigged up, I noticed a chap rigging a handsome looking sailing dinghy over near the ramps, so I went over to say hello. "Is that a Stornaway?" I asked. "Yes"he replied,"Are you Gary?"
He had watched some of my videos and recog ized me. Or perhaps the doggy sailing hat and checked shirt which I realise I tend to be wearing in many of them.
It was a nice coincidence meeting him, and even more of a coincidence as we discovered that he and Gerard had served on the same ship in 1978.
We sailed in company out and up the coast, rafted up for lunch, and backed the jetty where after a reasonable docking under sail imaged to nearly fall in and capsize the boat. I think it was the heat.
Derry the Skerry was quite liberating, I confidently cut across the sandbars and would have been happy to beach for lunch. And I was first back to the ramp, no stuffing round dropping sail and following the channel. I will have to work on getting better organised though, somehow I seem to get into a mess. Of ropes and bits. Maybe some more bags to stow things, maybe some saddle eyes along the front to make a secure storage area.
It was the first WBA sailing day for the year and I had mentioned it on the Port Phillip Bay Dinghy Cruising facebook group, so I felt I had better get along. My back cooperated and we got there in good time, and rigged and launched, but it was very light northerlies on the lake and super hot. Poor Ozzie found it hard going, and was desperately searching for any bit of shade. We took first Steve, then Leigh, out for a row after lunch, but my brain was starting to melt down by then. The Skerry does make a good rowing boat though. I came home and after multiple cups of tea and some dinner, passed out. Poor Oz was very quiet too. It was an unexpectedly gruelling day, but it seems to have fixed my back.
Jim from the Dinghy Shop called yesterday. He had to curtail his trip down to Tassie because of engine problems, so he was back in the shop, and the Ronstan Fiddle block I ordered before Christmas was in. Good news for me at least. My back still not so good. We went for a swim first thing, then I thought I would try out the Fiddle Block.
The SE wind had kicked up by the time I was ready to launch. I tried sailing off the lee shore, but Derry isn't great without rudder and centreboard down. After a couple of fruitless attempts I rowed out a bit, then off we went bouncing through the chop. Coming back in, surfing on the waves, I was hitting over 7 knots. The boat felt very controllable. The Fiddle Block is a success, much easier than the cleat arrangement it replaces.
It wasn't a long sail but glad I got out.
I aggregated my Christmas and birthday presents for a dry suit, which arrived yesterday.
Steve Early and Bruce Batteau, two sailors of small open boats with much more experience of making extended voyages than me, both have positive reports and both are glad of their dry suits. "Don't get cold, don't get wet" is a good motto. I could probably have used one that rainy day down at Mallacoota. The challenge will be getting into the damn thing. Steve Early speaks of "slipping on" his dry suit. More like a five minute wrestle with a contortionist for me when I tried mine yesterday. I doubt I could get it on or off in the Skerry on the water. And it is quite a sizeable package.
Anyway, it feels quite comfortable on, and I feel like an extra in a sci-fi film from the sixties.
