Landmarks seen from the Sea

North Foreland

Needles

Old Harry

Dartmouth Castle

Gribbin Head


When you undertake a lengthy coastal cruise aboard a yacht, you will inevitably come across obstacles in the form of headlands. Sometimes they can be identified by lighthouses, day marks, forts, coastguard cottages, or by particular cliff features, such as with the chalk cliffs of Old Harry near Swanage.



North Foreland is marked with a hexagonal lighthouse. This building is a sentinel for sailors who sail by during the day, and a beacon of light that warns them at night of nearby shallows.



One of the more spectacular headlands on the South Coast of England is Beachy Head. It has a distinctive red and white lighthouse at its base. Apparently, that’s a better location for the lighthouse than at the top of the cliffs, because under certain weather conditions there is a tendency for mist to form there.



Dungeness is well marked with a very large and rather ugly, nuclear power station. I have seen its massive buildings when they were 15 miles away.



Portsmouth must have the most memorable of manmade landmarks on the South Coast of England. It takes the form of a huge spinnaker-shaped, sculptural building. This audaciously, curvaceous structure can be seen from the Solent for miles.


Across the water, and to the west, the Needles, with its lighthouse, mark the western extremity of the Isle of Wight. On a fine day these stacks of eroded chalk make a fine sight, but when seen from the rolling deck of a yacht being tossed by a gale-blown sea, the sight of them turns a sailor’s heart of flint into a ball of pulpy mush.


Both Dartmouth and Fowey have Day Marks which are placed high on promontories to enable them to be seen from far away. The Fowey Day Mark is actually sighted on Gribbin Head, which is a little more than a mile from the entrance of the harbour, and to the southwest. These towering edifices resemble lighthouses. Their purpose is to aid navigators, by pinpointing the entrances of the respective harbours. For reasons I do not understand, they have not been equipped with lights that would make them visible at night.


For me, Dartmouth Castle is a favourite landmark. As one enters the natural harbour from seaward, Dartmouth is gradually revealed on the port hand side of a mini fiord which geologists tell us was formed during the last Ice Age by glacial erosion.


A little further to the west, Start Point has a prominent white lighthouse overlooking dark granite rocks that point seaward to towards the associated Race that can run wild in a winter gale.


Another picture postcard West Country landmark is St. Anthony Head with its lighthouse marking the eastern side of entrance to the River Fal. On the western side, the rocky Pendennis Point, complete with its stone castle, gives protection to a fine natural harbour. Beyond these flanking markers seafarers entering the safe haven can see a backdrop of very green hills and fields of tilled, loamy soil, typical of that part of Cornwall.



Links


North Foreland Lighthouse
http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/interactive/gallery/north_foreland.html

The Needles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Needles

Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower
http://www.spinnakertower.co.uk/

Dart Estuary
http://www.dartestuary.org/conserve/index.html

Contessa 26

'Black Rose' - see another photo of her at yesterday's page



Standing headroom is very nice, but you can do without it on a boat. My ‘Ladybird’ has good sitting headroom, as does the Contessa 26 created by Jeremy Rogers and David Sadler. Mostly when you are down below, especially if the boat is sailing, perhaps on her ear as she makes up to windward, you find the nearest seat where you can safely wedge yourself. This is true for boats with standing headroom, just as it is with those without.


What is better? Do you want your yacht to be weatherly, or do you accept that she may not go to windward in a blow because she has too much top-hamper? If I had to make a choice, I would opt for the weatherly yacht with a flush deck or little windage by way of a low profile, streamlined cabin trunk. That’s the case with the Contessa 26, styled after the popular and proven original clinker Scandinavian Folkboat. Rogers and Sadler came up with a winner when they produced their fibreglass, smooth-skinned modification of the carvel Folkboat. The wooden German Folkboat has a rather higher cabin than the Nordic one, which helps with interior space, including headroom, but takes away from her performance upwind and does nothing for her appearance.


When I was at Cowes with ‘Ladybird’ this summer, moored to an adjacent pontoon there was a Contessa 26, with the name ‘Black Rose’. Her owner could not conceal her enthusiasm for her yacht. She had rebuilt the interior, completely refurbishing it. This lady knew her stuff, because she was a qualified marine surveyor, experienced sailor and a delivery skipper. She had decided to go the whole hog and replace the mast which had seen service since the yacht was built. She valued her so highly that she was prepared to invest in her, even in these times when investment may not reap rewards. That says a lot for how she treasures her yacht, considering her to be worth the expenditure.



Links


Contessa 26 Association

http://www.contessa26.net/

Henry Bomby Around Britain in a Contessa 26

http://www.henrybombysailing.co.uk/

Across the Pond Contessa Website

http://www.co26.com/

Photo Storage

The very, very attractive 'Ladybird' at East Head, Chichester Harbour

'Black Rose', an early Contessa 26 seen at Cowes

A beautiful workboat type of yacht, at Dartmouth - note her high freeboard

The good ship 'Pelican' at Weymouth

I have three SD cards for storing photos or other items; one I keep for live cruising which I use for my Blog and for storing cruise photos; then I have another, exclusively for photos not related to boats, and the third is for general items, including a few photos. An advantage of storage cards over fixed hard drives is that they can be swapped between computers, so that information can be exchanged between them. Another good reason for using storage cards is that one can avoid clogging up the main hard drives of ones computers. SD cards are particularly useful when used in conjunction with a computer like my EEE PC 4G, which only has a 4 GB hard drive, much of which is taken up with space for various programs.


Well, today, I’ve been doing those things that need to be done and I haven’t anything to say that will excite people logging on to the Blog; therefore I’m uploading a few photos taken during my summer cruise.

Rubber Duck

Ready to go


An oar lock


In her valise



My rubber duck, more correctly my 7 foot WavEco inflatable dinghy, proved to be just the job for my single-handed cruise aboard ‘Ladybird’. Yesterday I washed her down and put her long nylon painter in the washing machine to restore its pristine whiteness. Today, I packed everything, including the oars and pump into her holdall, before placing the package in the loft where it will remain until my next cruise, or until I want to use the dinghy again.


Inflating her and attaching her seat took about five minutes. I could deflate her in the same time. I used to carry out both procedures when she was on the cabin top while I stood in the cockpit operating the pump. Launching the dinghy was easy - I simply slid her from the cabin top into the water, and getting her back onboard was almost as easily done by hauling her onto the cabin top. I used a sponge to clean and dry her before packing her into her valise. When not in use, she was stowed in the forepeak of the yacht.


As I expected would be the case, rowing her against a brisk wind and an adverse current took a lot of effort, but she was pretty stable, even when the water was choppy. There were only two occasions during the cruise when I didn’t risk using her to get ashore, because the wind was up to Force 6. She would have sailed downwind with ease, and she would have been quite buoyant, but I would never have made it back to the yacht. As it was, I had a really hard job rowing her at Starcross when the wind was almost up to a Force 6. I needed to get upwind of the yacht, and the only way to do this was by carrying her along the edge of the River Exe, but the job was difficult because the dinghy wanted to take off like a kite.


Apart from times when the wind was very strong, she behaved impeccably.


I don’t think she is suitable for two people. In my opinion she is a one man boat, although the blurb makes out that she is suitable for an adult and a child. As it is, I can only row her if tuck my feet under the seat. If I don’t, there is not enough clearance above my thighs for pulling the oars, and I cannot feather them, because they are held in place with hinged rods that pass through their shafts.


Despite her shortcomings, I am very pleased with my WavEco dinghy.

A Day of Maintenance and the Next Sail

Black Panther

Playground

Rubber Duck


I had some idea how the day would pan out: first I would feed my daughter’s cats, which entails a total journey 21 miles by car; next I would hang out the washing; then I would pump up the inflatable dinghy and wash her with fresh water; afterwards I would check my Ebay items for sale; then I would have two new tyres put on the rear wheels of the car because the old ones have become threadbare; while that was being done I would shop for two weights to replace those that had failed on the vertical blinds in the front bedroom; afterwards I would sew them into the blinds. When lunch was over, I would go to the Post Office to find out how much the postage would be for sending an Ebay parcel to Malta; then I would iron the washing that would have dried in the morning, and so this day of maintenance would continue until doing my Blog etc..


That is in fact how the day turned out. The fine weather helped, because quite a few of my activities were in the open.


“You’re retired, aren’t you? What do you do all day long?” they ask. Just wait until you are in your seventies and you’ll know what you do to keep up with things; it’s not simply whiling away your time. Each new day, the clock hands spin around faster and faster - there never is enough time to do everything you want to do. In order to keep on top of jobs that need doing, I find myself waking at 0600, but for the next couple of days the forecast is for heavy showers, which may prevent me from doing things in the garden that I have prioritized. I need to cut the front hedge, trim another at the back of the house, remove heavy parts of a felled tree to our local dump, and get rid of piles of droppings from fir trees at the bottom of the back garden. Then I have to sort out odds and ends that have accumulated in the garage and pack them in such a way that I can walk in and out without having to negotiate an obstacle course.


There are never-ending tasks that need doing, and if time can be found for sailing; then it’s off to ‘Ladybird’ for more games with the wind and tide – plus healthy exercise while enjoying the scenery and at the same time becoming part of it. The sailor, his boat and the elements combine, sometimes in peaceful poetic harmony, and at other times battles are waged until victors are found.


The weather looks to improve for this coming Saturday, and if it does, will I make the right gambit at the outset of the game of chess that may unfold on the waters of the River Crouch? High water will be at 1627 – just right for an afternoon sail up the River towards Fambridge, if the wind will allow it.

Yesterday and Today

View to the left of Bridgemarsh Creek from the spot where 'Ladybird' was anchored
Creeksea
Improvised anchor ball

Yesterday is now a good memory. I’m glad I went for a sail. I took the opportunity when it was there. The tide was right; the wind was right; the weather was dry and I was free to go. The exercise working the boat, rowing out to her and back, and getting the dinghy on and off the pontoon from where she is stored, did me a power of good. I didn’t need to take a walk that day to burn off energy or use my limbs, because I found all the physical exertion I needed in carrying out the jobs required while working the boat. Pulling the dinghy on her trolley up the gangway from the Rice and Cole pontoon caused me to sweat, and that, I’m told, is good for reducing cholesterol. I wonder if mine needs reducing.


By contrast today I have done a lot of driving and little else, except have a walk. It rained this morning and later this afternoon, but I was able to take my walk between the downpours.


I’ve placed a few more photos here of some of the ones I took yesterday while aboard ‘Ladybird’ on the River Crouch.

Another Day Sail

Hungry Cats
'Hussar', Vertue 21
Canewdon Church, as seen from where I anchored
Police Launch, the 'Alert 1V'
Wallasea Wharf

The first task before streaking off to Burnham for a sail was to feed my youngest daughter’s cats. That having been done, my time was free for a jaunt on the River.
As usual, motoring along the winding, narrow road that leads to Burnham, my speed was restricted to an average of 40 mph because of slow vehicles ahead, but I was not in a hurry. High water wasn’t until 1228, and it would be a bit later at Fambridge where I intended to go. Unusually, the wind was from the south, which meant that I only had to put in a couple of tacks, because the River Crouch bends to the southwest after Creeksea, where it passes south of Bridgemarsh Island.


I left the mooring at Rice and Cole at 1050, and in the lee of the southern bank I made full sail and cut the engine. A variety of dinghies were engaged in a handicap race heading eastwards towards the River Roach, and I noted that they were being sailed by girls – there was not a boy to be seen. I can only assume the race was organised specifically for members of the fairer sex.


At 1220, in time for lunch, I anchored ‘Ladybird’ in the lee, close to the south bank, opposite the entrance to Bridgemarsh Creek which cuts behind Bridgemarsh Island. There was no shortage of yachts sailing up and down the River, and one of them was ‘Hussar’, a Vertue (No 21). Years ago I had seen her at Heybridge Basin. I have always liked Vertues, particularly the early ones which were narrower than later ones. In fact I was so mad on them that I travelled to Northern Ireland to view one with the purpose of buying her, but for some reason I cannot now remember, I decided against getting her.


The Vertue Class of yacht was made famous by Humphrey Barton and O’Riordan who sailed Vertue 35 across the Atlantic in 1950. On the way they encountered five gales in twenty-one days!


After lunch and a snooze, I retrieved the anchor and ran with the ebb, using just the partially furled Genoa, until Cliff Reach where I had to set a reefed mainsail because the wind had increased and backed to the southeast. At Wallasea, by the jetty which has two cranes for offloading wood from ships that berth there, I took in the main and started the engine. From that point it was a quick trip through the moorings to ‘Ladybird’s’. We had sailed a total of 14 miles.


I was home at 1700, after an enjoyable interlude aboard the yacht since sailing her with my eldest daughter last Thursday.



Links


Vertue Owner’s Website
http://www.vertueowners.org.uk/


Vertue No 21 ‘Hussar’ Details
http://homepages.rya-online.net/vertueowners/UsedPages/v21_hussar.htm


Story of Vertue 35
http://homepages.rya-online.net/vertueowners/UsedPages/xxxv.htm


The Incredible Voyage of Humphrey Barton
http://www.oceancruisingclub.org/content/view/137/82/


Sail with my Eldest Daughter last Thursday
http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/08/day-sail.html

Granddaughter’s Delight

'Ice Cream Delight - Eat Messy'

The day did not pass without the word ‘boat’ being mentioned, just as the day could not go without using the word ‘I’. To manage without these words would be very difficult indeed. As a starter, this Blog is about me, my family, my friends and the things that interest me. Therefore to manage without the first person singular is almost impossible. If my topics were always about other people and things, the possibility would be there to avoid the pronoun ‘I’, but why should I not point the finger to me? After all, one of the purposes of the Blog is to inform my family and friends about what has been happening in my life – it’s a kind of online diary, except at times I choose off-topic items.


Today, the hours from waking until now have not been entirely selfish; in fact I dislike selfishness and self-centredness, because it does not fit in with my values and beliefs. The latter determine the stance and attitudes I try to put into practice during my waking hours. Like most people, I suppose, there are conflicts and anomalies, but that’s how Homo sapiens behave. The problem with that is I do not believe I have descended from the primate species, because man was made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26)


One of my activities today involved eating, but not just any old meal; it was a special one to celebrate the birthday of my eldest daughter. A few of us gathered together at a popular public house that has a good reputation for tasty food and excellent service. We had to wait for forty-five minutes before we were allocated a table, but the wait was worthwhile. In between munching our food, we were engaged in congenial conversation exchanging news and sharing interests. There was ample to eat, and the quality of prepared food lived up the standard we expected. For a sweet, I chose a mini raspberry cheesecake which was absolutely delicious, but the emphasis was on the minute quantity, served in a very small glass container. I was surprised how tiny the portion was. As I ate my scrumptious cheesecake, I gazed across the table, and my mouth watered more as I observed my granddaughter demolishing an, ‘Ice Cream Delight - Eat Messy’. It looked irresistible as she ate it with obvious pleasure, and the size of it was huge by comparison with my cheesecake. I made a mental note, that I would be terribly selfish if I were to visit that venue again.


Incidentally, I couldn’t avoid chatting about boats and yachting, bore that I am.

Selling ‘Ladybird’

'Aziz', a Pioneer 9
'Lady Asquelon', a Buccaneer
Hunter Europa 19, 'Zeta'
'Ladybird' now


Well, my first listing of ‘Ladybird’ in the Buy it Now section of Ebay has come to a close without a buyer, but I have received an offer from someone who would like to have her. While I am considering the offer for the next seven days, I’ve re-listed the yacht at Ebay with an additional option for potential buyers to make their offers. If you are at all interested, key in this number (80885191921) into the search box at http://www.ebay.co.uk .


As I have put quite a bit of work into making the boat better than when I bought her, I would like to get back my money on things like the solar charger and the new depth sounder that I have installed. Also I have equipped the yacht with a new engine which cost me more than the money I had for the old one when it was sold. I think I’ll have to be resigned to the fact that I may not recoup the money expended on the boat to improve her. I certainly will not recover the running costs for last season and this, but I have had the enjoyment of improving the Seawych and of using her.


You see advertisements where the seller states that he wants his boat to go to a good home. I can sympathise with that, because some of the yachts I have sold have been allowed to become total wrecks! ‘Aziz’, my Van de Stadt Pioneer 9, lies in a sorry state at Calstock, and my old Hunter Europa 19 is in an even worse condition at a boatyard on Canvey Island. ‘Lady Asquelon’, my beautiful Buccaneer, was allowed to deteriorate badly before she was restored by a dedicated enthusiast who rebuilt her deck and cabin trunk.


I would not like a similar fate to happen to ‘Ladybird’, a boat to which I have become attached, but must dispose of, so that I can start my next project. I hope this classic gem will be loved by her new owner, who will give her the tender care she deserves because of her faithfulness to past owners who have looked after her. Because of her endurance over the years, she has proven herself to be a good boat, and she could have many fruitful years to come when she’ll have more great adventures.

Another Day

Chay Blyth's 'British Steel' that he sailed around the world against the prevailing winds. I took the photo at Dartmouth.

I received an indirect comment about how my Blog was not as interesting as when I was cruising. Well, that’s probably true, but like everybody, I have to take life as it comes. There are times when you travel in the fast lane and lots of things are happening very quickly. When speeding along the motorway, if your judgments are not correct, the consequences can be grave. If you are in the slow lane and you keep your distance, you have more time to react to situations. There’s little excitement and no adrenalin rush, but life is safer and duller.


Today, I’ve been in the slow lane, doing mundane things, such as cleaning the car, cutting the lawns, hanging out the washing, ironing it when dry, repairing a sleeping bag with needle and thread, and shopping etc.. I have not been faced with vital decisions or the need to react immediately to a wave that might crash into the cockpit of my yacht. I have not had to battle with the wind or the sea. I’ve been able to stand without being thrown about because of the constant movement of the boat. I have not had to be careful when standing on the deck while reefing the mainsail, with the possibility that I may slip and end up in the briny.


This has been just an ordinary day with no challenging or demanding situations. For this I can be grateful. I can be thankful that I have not had to use the rubber dinghy to get ashore to find drinking water, buy food, or get hold of fuel for the engine. Tonight, I shall be able to sleep on a level, static bed without being rolled from side to side or tossed violently as when ‘Ladybird’ was anchored at Starcross in a full gale.


Well, I’m sorry that my Blog can be no more interesting than it is, but I do it for myself, and you the reader, can peek through the window to see what I am doing, or share my thoughts, learn of my aspirations, my failings, my triumphs, my ups and my downs. The door is open, and if you want to pop in on a regular basis, or call now and again, there’s no charge, and little effort is required on your part. If you want to share or make a comment, the facility is there.



Web Link

Chay Blyth - a man who has had plenty of excitement in his lifetime

http://www.solarnavigator.net/sir_chay_blyth.htm

Day Sail

'Lucky Star', a Victorian canoe yawl I saw before my crew arrived.
'Lucky Star' again
'Marie Louisa'
Intelligent Autohelm

Today was one of those days when everything went according to plan. My eldest daughter joined me for a sail to see the seals at Maplin Sand. Initially the wind was from the west, straight down the River Crouch and out to sea. It is seven nautical miles from the Rice and Cole pontoon to the sandbank, where the seals rest. Getting to them was the easy bit, because the ebb and wind was in our favour. We first had to keep clear of a fleet of Optimists racing and when we away from the moorings we made sail. Beyond the entrance of the River Roach there were very few yachts about, but more materialized as the day progressed; some were making up to Burnham on the last of the ebb and two others were going in our direction.


The Range Safety Vessel, the ‘Marie Louisa’ was anchored close to the Crouch Buoy. Three or four times we saw large, intensely bright flames erupt from the weapons testing area. We could only assume that quantities of unwanted inflammable material were being burned off. Later, while returning to Burnham we were asked by a guy aboard the Safety Vessel to put a short tack in to avoid getting too close to the shore where the ignitions had taken place. Since he referred to me as ‘Sir’, I obliged him right away by putting in the short tack.


Sailing ‘Ladybird’ with a ‘live’ Autohelm that can respond to what she sees is more convenient and safer than relying on my blind electronic Autohelm that cannot anticipate. The latter we only briefly used when the going was easy and we wanted a break. I think it only took us about an hour-and-a-half to reach a spot where we could see the seals while anchored for a picnic lunch. My new intelligent Autohelm in addition to her helming duties provided the food and made the hot drinks. Before breaking out the anchor under sail, my crew borrowed the ship’s binoculars to observe the seals more closely. When we were underway, I scrubbed the foredeck and sluiced it down with seawater to get rid of the mud that had been brought up with the anchor.


Tacking back up the River was quite an interesting exercise, because the wind kept fluctuating in strength and direction. Sometimes we could point the boat straight up the River, and there were times when we seemed to just zigzag to the shallower water either side of the main channel. I was pleased not to be on the helm, and remarked to my crew that she was doing very well, as it was a very long while since she had sailed a boat.


We enjoyed our time together, and I’ve been asked by the crew to invite her again. If the boat is not sold in the near future, I’m sure we’ll have another sail.

Favourite Walk

A fine upper reach looking towards Brandy Hole
An old sluice gate
Natural saltings
Path on the sea wall


There are some places that are very special to an individual. One such place for me is South Fambridge. In the past I have spoken about the place here at my Blog. I like it for the atmosphere, the beauty, for the wonderful skyscapes reminiscent of Dutch scenes of a flat terrain where the sky takes up most of the view. The sky is forever changing, perhaps filled with cotton wool clouds, or shafts of sunlight radiating outwards from between gaps in the clouds; maybe there’s a dark thunderous, threatening canopy, or a black veil spilling rain which is coloured by a double rainbow. The scene is never the same.


Yesterday evening the sun was hidden, except for occasional glimpses of it through chinks in the clouds; in the distance there were hints of showers and the air felt moist and cold. The fresh smell of the river just after high water heightened the drama. The west wind was cool enough to keep my body temperature down as I walked at a fast pace. A powerboat zoomed and zigzagged through her wake while towing a trio of skiers who shrieked and shouted loudly words I’d rather not publish here. A large yacht tacked and was almost motionless as she struggled to overcome wind and ebb.


This is a place where I like to be. My imagination can run riot. I can pray and be very close to God. I can think creative thoughts and dream. I can be free. This is where I want my ashes to rest.



Previous article

http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2009/10/scattering-of-ashes.html

Cruise Photos

Crew cleaning their anchor
CYE dinghies

During my recent cruise aboard ‘Ladybird’, my Seawych 19 sailing sloop, I took numerous photographs to make a visual record of things that interested me. Each day I uploaded two or three of them to illustrate the day’s events and to add a bit of graphic interest. In the next few days I shall choose some of the photos not previously featured in my Blog so that you can enjoy them.


Today, I am starting with two pictures of dinghies owned by the Christian Youth Enterprises Centre, based aboard their ex minesweeper, ‘The Gerald Daniel’, which is moored at Cobnor, Chichester Harbour. From information gleaned at their website (address below), it seems they do a wonderful job of giving many young people opportunities for trying their hand at sailing, canoeing, kayaking, powerboating, climbing, and raft building, besides sampling archery, having a go at an assault course and sampling supervised problem solving situations.


At the time of taking the photos, ‘Ladybird’ was anchored at East Head, on a lovely sunny day. I was impressed with the way the instructors monitored the youngsters, clearly with a schedule for the day’s activity. The trainees had to anchor their dinghies before they were taken ashore in support craft, where they had lunch and were engaged in organized games on the sandy beach. Afterwards, each crew had to retrieve their anchors, before returning to Cobnor. One of the photos shows a crew removing weed from their anchor; the other photo is of three of the dinghies as they gill around waiting for the others, before setting off on the return trip.

Website: http://www.cye.org.uk/

‘Ladybird’s’ Summer Cruise Review

View from the cabin
The Autohelm at work

I joined the boat at Burnham-on-Crouch on the morning of Wednesday, 2nd June, and after cruising her to Falmouth and back, I disembarked on the morning of Wednesday, 28th July, a total of just a little more than 55 days. Altogether I put into various anchorages and marinas amounting to 28 locations where I stayed from one to three days. The total distance sailed and motored was roughly a thousand miles (land miles).


I found the Seawych 19 to be a comfortable and easily manageable boat for this type of cruising. Her average speed was in the region of 3.5 knots. Providing she was reefed from Force 4 upwards to force 6, she could be handled very well. Going to windward in choppy conditions was a slow business, because she does not have sufficient waterline length to enable her to bridge the waves. A thirty-footer can do this, but not a broad-beam nineteen-footer like ‘Ladybird’. Her main drawback for single-handed cruising is the fact that she will not keep a course when the tiller is lashed, except when she is on the wind in anything less than a Force 3. My Autohelm could only manage the steering when the wind was less than Force 4. Mostly, I hand steered, some days up to 10 consecutive hours.


The boat more than matched my expectations, particularly when the going got rough, such as when we were crossing the Shambles Bank to the west of Portland Bill on the return leg. There the wind was in the region of Force 6 from astern. ‘Ladybird’ surfed down the breaking waves and could be steered with precision. Only once did she nearly broach when I misjudged a large wave. She handles better if she has plenty of weight up forward; in this respect, stowing the inflatable dinghy in the forecastle did the trick.


The Honda 2.3 outboard was first-class, but perhaps not quite powerful enough to push the boat through choppy water; however, under those conditions, ‘Ladybird’ could be sailed. Replenishing the fuel when doing long stretches was a bit of a bind. This tedious, hourly event could be overcome by modifying the fuel tank filler cap so that it has a tube passing through it that can be used to pump petrol from a supply tank housed in the cockpit. If I were planning to keep the boat, I would make the modification.


The month of June came up with excellent sunny weather, if not enough wind; whereas, July brought days that were sometimes too windy and lacking sunshine. The plus side of the July weather was that the winds were mainly from the west which was very helpful for the homeward legs. Only once in the two months I was away was there a day when I could sunbathe while sailing, because the wind was otherwise too cold.


All in all, the cruise was a great success and almost all of it was pleasurable. The times that I remember most vividly are when the wind was strong and the conditions were demanding. These were the most exciting and challenging moments, and I shall always remember crossing the Shambles Bank, when ‘Ladybird’ surfed the waves towards Portland Harbour against the ebbing tide.


Meeting relatives, friends and strangers added a human and social dimension to the cruise. I particularly cherished times with my relatives, and it was great to renew acquaintances with my distant friends. A surprising number of people took an interest in the sailor and his little boat, even those who owned very large sailing and motor yachts stopped to pass the time of day and talk about boats. For the first time ever, I was invited by the owner of a very large motor yacht to have coffee with him aboard his vessel. I find that generally, motor yachtsmen do not socialize with those who own sailing yachts.


If you want a challenge, you want fun, you want adventure and you are reasonably fit, I thoroughly recommend you have a go at sailing along the South Coast of England aboard a small yacht.

‘Ladybird’ is not forgotten or abandoned

Before being launched at the beginning of the season
Being launched
After being launched

This afternoon I went to the boat with the purpose of ‘deep’ cleaning her cabin. When I left her after the recent cruise, I had thoroughly cleaned her exterior and partially cleaned her interior after removing the cruising gear. She’s now pretty clean, and ready for a new owner - should one materialize. Meanwhile, my plan is to take her for day sailing during August. Hopefully, if the weather is suitable I’ll be sailing her on Thursday with a couple who want to see how she sails. The tide will be right for visiting the spot where the seals lounge on Maplin Sand while awaiting high water.


We will need to set off at three hours before low water so that we can go with the ebb to arrive at the anchorage an hour before low water. This will give us time to watch the seals and have a picnic, before returning to ‘Ladybird’s’ mooring. The best plans of mice and men often fail; therefore I won’t bank on the plan being a success, because the wind could be too strong, or it might rain, or some other unforeseen happening may occur, but unless plans are made, and time is set aside to accomplish them, prearranged events cannot happen.


A neglected boat will deteriorate quickly; even a fibreglass one will become grubby; therefore I shall use the boat whenever I can.

‘Ladybird’ for Sale

For more photos, visit the ebay page

The deed has been done. I made the decision to place my Seawych 19 for sale in the ‘Buy it now’ category of Ebay. You can see the advert by pasting this number160462863471in the search box at http://www.ebay.co.uk/. The asking price of £2,750 which is a true value based on the age, condition and inventory of the yacht, includes an almost brand new Honda 2.3 outboard and a dinghy with oars, rowlocks and dinghy trolley.


I know this boat is good, because I have sailed her during the past two months in a variety of conditions, the worst being around Portland Bill when the waves were about three metres high and breaking. She ran before them and her buoyancy kept her out of trouble as we passed by the western end of the Shambles Bank. For an account of that day’s sailing visit: http://bills-log.blogspot.com/2010/07/saturday-17th-july.html .


My regular readers will know that I change my boats on average, every two years, in order to do new projects, which this time could well be building a small boat, smaller than the Paradox I built: see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV3w9X_eFcI&feature=related or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HokXXkqrPY&feature=related , plus others featuring ‘Faith’ at YouTube.


Whoever gets this boat will have a bargain. You need only look at new boats of around 19 feet LOA to see that this is the case, and often they do not come with all the necessary cruising equipment, unlike a second-hand one.

Back Home

The driver and his cousin

The passengers

Forest and Jenny, the cats who are not stupid; they know where to stay cool in the shade!


One of the great things about being back home is that you are not cut off from family and friends, as when you are alone on a boat. I have been cruising my yacht for the past two months and I have missed close contact with those who are important to me: my wife, my children who have grown up, their children, some of whom have grown up and of course, my church family, the people I meet and worship with on Sundays and at other times. When you are on a boat by yourself, your decisions are simplified, because the main ones are concerned with your own safety and welfare, but when you are at your home base, your main decisions are about the welfare and wellbeing of those you love and care for.


Being involved, as ever, this morning I found myself in the role of driver for my wife, and carer for my triplet grandchildren. How closer could you get than this with doing something vital and worthwhile? It’s always a privilege and a responsibility to look after grandchildren, and a few hours ago I fully appreciated the love they have for me; likewise I enjoyed being able to show my love for them. An older granddaughter was with us as a third hand to help with the children. The boys each have their own buggies in which we took them to the local ASDA for slices of toast. This was a great treat for them at a place where they are well-known by the staff and regular shoppers. The fun we had cannot be measured; we had such a lovely time together. On the way back to their home we took a route away from the traffic, along a path through a green area where there are birds, insects and a variety of plants and trees. Butterflies were flitting to and fro under the summer sun and we saw a few ladybirds. The children wore hats to protect them from the sun’s scorching rays.


Back at home the boys had a late morning nap, while the two cats took up residence in the lounge to escape the heat. They are about fourteen years old, and very sprightly for their age. The male cat, who is named Forest tried staring me out, which he could not do, and he turned his head away in subjugation and defeat, but he was not daunted; he proudly lifted his head and looked towards his sister who was cleaning her mouth with one of her paws. The two cats live harmoniously together, and although much older than the triplets, they have accepted them into the family, as if they are their own kittens.


The boat is on hold, until I sort out the things I have to attend to, after being away for two months, but a decision will have to made, to sell the yacht, or to keep her. I also need to have a self-debriefing of the days spent aboard so that I can profit from the exercise, to take hold of what has been useful and take with me what will be valuable. What lessons were learned, and can they be applied to my future actions? Meanwhile ‘Ladybird’ is pining away without her skipper as she feels redundant while on a tether, hoping she will not be abandoned to a new owner.

Thursday, 29th July

Early morning view from the boat


The summer cruise is well and truly finished. This morning I offloaded all the cruising gear and gave the boat a thorough clean. The friendly Rice and Cole boatman helped me put ’Ladybird’ on her new mooring which is closer to the jetty than the old one. One of my daughters arrived in the car at a prearranged time and we put all the bits and pieces in the boot.


The first day back ashore has been exceptionally busy, because not only have I had to sort out the cruising gear, but I have been in demand for driving family members to and fro. (I haven’t driven them mad, neither have they caused me any hassle.)


It’s good to be back home sharing all the news and getting into the routine of being on terra firma. There have been times when I stepped ashore and the land was moving all over the place, particularly in a confined space like a shower. Regaining my shore legs is not usually a problem, because I’m seldom onboard for more than two days at a time, and when I’m able to get ashore I enjoy walking to sample the locality, to take in the sights, and to see those things that interest me.


My Sony Cyber-shot 7.2 mega pixels camera has been a really useful tool. More recently I’ve been exploring the different modes for taking photos with the camera; for example, this morning I took a low light photo of an early morning view from the boat, looking towards the shore.


Perhaps tomorrow I‘ll be able to find time to put together a few thoughts about the summer cruise.


I have yet to make a decision whether to sell ‘Ladybird‘, as would be the case if I follow my usual pattern of owning a boat for two years, then taking on a new boat project; maybe building one, renovating one, or getting hold of another boat for improving her and trying her out..