Pottering – Part 1

'Juno' before the mishap

 

Yesterday I launched ‘Sandpiper’ at Burnham Yacht Harbour. As I was about to head home to attend to last minute business before starting my cruise, I paused to admire the sailing barge ‘Juno’. I believe she had refuelled, and she lay alongside the fuel pontoon. Her engine was started and her bow thrusters took her away from the pontoon. She moved forward well clear, and started reversing; then things went horribly wrong. Instead of continuing stern first to exit the marina, her bow moved towards fuel pontoon that lay to leeward and her bowsprit struck one of the fuel pumps causing it to crumple and tipple to one side. ‘Juno’ continued reversing and scraped clear.

 Afterwards, she returned to the pontoon. Somehow the Harbour Master must have heard of the incident or saw what happened, because he smartly arrived at the scene.

At that point, from where I was on the adjacent pontoon, I couldn’t see any fuel escaping from the pump. The matter was in hand, and as there was little I could do to help, I made my way to the car before returning home with ‘Sandpiper’s’ road trailer.

Having eaten an evening meal, I hosed weed and salt deposits from the trailer and greased its moving parts. Finally, I put it in the garage, fitted the lock and secured the garage door. There, the trailer will remain until the end of my cruise, which may be a matter of days, weeks, or months.

Just now, I’m going nowhere, unless I can sort out the furling jib. What is causing the problem is a mystery. I may have to tighten the shrouds to put more tension on the forestay, and I may have to reduce the tension on the luff of the sail. A bit of WD40 may help.

Well, that’s the first thing I’ll have to attend to tomorrow morning.

This Friday, 26^th April, I’ll be having my first night aboard, which will be at the Yacht Harbour.

Links

Sailing Barge ‘Juno’

http://www.charlieward.co.uk/  

Sailing Barge ‘Juno’ – North Norfolk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIhymzqGWpg