Days like today

The sun was out an 14c was the temp so a quick romp around in the water was in order. Only, the tide was out when I arrived at the boat in the blow-up, just a foot of the wet stuff underneath so I sat and waited. And Waited a bit more till there was at least 1' 2" below. At this point I got bored and set off.  I got stuck on the bottom soon after and the o/b cut out as I hadn't closed the choke!

Luck was on my side. The tide was coming in and with a little bit of help from a small anchor and the re-started o/b I was soon out into the raging seas.

Lovely light glistening up from the smooth water barely ruffled by the light breeze. But there was enough to fill the sails and propel me forth and back across the harbour.
I managed to avoid the leaving ferry and the arriving Norwegian fish carrier boat surfing their wakes as I went.

A lovely late October sail on my own in the sunshine

Freyja is staying in the water

Despite the deteriorating weather conditions up here, Freyja will be staying in the water over the winter - barring unforeseen circumstances. She's not fouled up too much and she's moored in a sheltered area. You never know, like last year we may get out sailing on Christmas Day - what else is there to do?

Earlier this year we had a fine sail on the Caledonian Canal on a hired wee boatee for a few days [despite the snow]. That boat was a plastic affair like Freyja - only bigger, faster and in better condition. Well next year we are hiring the oldest Hire boat in the UK - Zoe, on the Norfolk Broads. Built in 1897  !

Ooh, we are so looking forward to it. Not quite the boat my late parents hire for their honeymoon, but close!

No, we didn't sail

No wind at all again. So unusual up these parts. So, we took off to Stornoway to help Rear Admiral Gerald raise his mast on Ammonite - a Cornish  Crabber. When I say raise, I mean "try to raise". The mast had been off to repair the thing after it cracked during the Martime Festival dash round the harbour in blustery conditions. Plenty of bodies arrived to help including a passing back-packer [Ben ] who we moved on to the Sgoth sailing crew for a few hours afterwards. I think he had nothing to do :-)

One thing and another meant the mast was still not up when we left Stornoway this afternoon but we had a fine old time there - lugging the mast, knitting string and drinking coffee - as you do.

Ammonite with Rear Admiral Gerald aboard knitting string or something. Even the harbour master came to help today.

Afternoon coffee is served in the lovely if compact cabin.

Late summer

It has been nice here I have to report. Look, not over-rippled at all. Even had a little wind to tootle along at 2knts for a while. Till the wind decided to go home.

Three hours of bobbing around in the warm sunshine. And that was after Eve and others rowing about too.

Phew, what a lovely sail

I mean, look at that!
Obviously, the technical brilliance I was using [phone camera] to capture the scene enhances the reality somewhat. It was not exactly a raging of the seas as I pootled about the outer harbour under the warm sun and I really enjoyed it. I mean, really enjoyed it.

I'd had my head up my bottom for the last few days as a result of feeling somewhat under the weather. I was sulking about not being able to do what I could do when M.E. messes you about - as it does me. But the sailing this morning - apart from being on my own, was lovely. The engine, recently tickled back to life by Angus the Outboard played the game perfectly, starting when it should and propelling me off the mooring and then waiting till I wanted it started again when we'd nearly sailed back there. Oh bliss.

Even the Sarnia Liberty [yes, please go and look - well worth it] played her part and tootled out slowly so not as to create a huge wash - many thanks Sir.

Life is good you know.

I might add here that the gulls messed me about though- pooed and threw-up all over the blow-up while I was out!

Back with the blow-up's Mechanical Paddling Device

The mpd from Freyja is in hospital at the moment after being a refusenik in the starting department. It was either ask Angus the Outboard to look at it or use it for an anchor. I chose Angus - for the moment. I was ill the other day after continually thrashing the starting rope thing to get the mpd to play.

Yesterday we went out for a quick sail using the mpd from the blow-up. Only 2.3 hp but works like a dream. Did the same today in the sunshine and a little breeze. What a nice bob about although we didn't stray from the outer harbour. Still, we got 5 NM under the bilges averaged around 2.4 kts and maxed at 4.5kts - all under reefed main and full genoa. Must have been Eve's driving that meant it was such a lovely couple of hours. Even had a fine chat with Gerald the Great who was washing his Ammonite, and saw the reappearance of the sailors who sailed to Marvig last night. Bet they had a nice if slow sail home.

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