Early season update

Seems awhile since I wrote a piece on here ..winter seemed to linger and then everything seems to happens at once. Lots to tell so here goes......

The flag has been raised on Daislebee's stern both in the yard, as shown below but also during a Solent cruise, about which more later.

I needed to rig her to get her on the water---god what a frustrating experience. I used my new lifter pole that worked ok and will certainly help in years to come but at the moment it is easier to push the mast up manually. I will take some pictures of the finished lifter for any of you that might be contemplating a similar arrangement.

Easier to lift ...but not when it needs to be done four or more times ....grrrr..I cannot believe how many lines got twisted, were incorrectly reeved etc etc ..but lessons learned.

I needed the mast up so I could launch and take the trailer for a service which I did at Fawley Trailers, with a big shout out to Adrian there who did a good job, and thanks also to Sharon at CBL for using her powers of persuasion and contacts to get it arranged for me.

Adrian did the job between tides and having got it to him at 08.00 that morning having launched the night before I recovered her that evening..all sorted. He commented as I arrived at the yard " You'll be needing new bearings then, I heard you coming down the road"....enough said.

The next job, believe it or not was to de-rig her ready for trailing to Cornwall.

I had arrange with Crabbers to give Daislebee a face lift and remove the scratches and polish a very faded gel coat. They also did all the wood work that looks like new now. We had a family gathering in Hayle, Cornwall so the journey down killed two birds with one stone.

Returned to Ashlett looking shiny and bright

I dropped her down the Ashlett the following Saturday, just glimpsing the departing tan sails of the 1st May rally as I came over the hill. I spent the Saturday rigging her and launching, ready for the Sunday tide. Sharon came down to visit Glenys who was camping nearby, so came out for a quick sail before the tide dictated that I set off for Cowes to meet up the the fleet.

Setting off - well wrapped up

I had a good brisk sail across to to Cowes and rendezvoused with the gang in Shepards Wharf where we adjourned to the pub for a meal.

Monday

The following day I wasn't certain if worked beckoned so set off back towards Ashlett, picking up a buoy in Owers Lake whilst I waited for the phone call and/or the tide.
Thankfully the phone call came first, I wasn't required....so I set off to Newtown Creek to catch up part of the fleet, some had gone to Ryde and joined us the next day.


Tuesday

A lovely sunny day that the others wanted to spend reading and sleeping...I set off for Lymington to do some shopping and collect a bundle of flares for Marcus. It was a great sail over and I managed to get onto Town Quay which was very handy - not something likely to happen when the season is in full swing.

Back over to Newtown for the night on the raft.


Wednesday

A very windy morning meant the raft had to split up and I went over to the Clammerkin side of the creek and picked up a buoy and watched a seal play around for awhile.
Once the tide had turned we set off for Ashlett once again and the sail back was great, even beating a Drifter, which doesn't happen very often.

The others recovered but I needed some work done on the trailer so stayed on the pontoon overnight.


Thursday

A quick trip to Adrian fitted the new bit and then I changed over the conventional strap and fitted a Dyneema cable and the turning bloc I posted about,  which worked wonderfully on recovery, taking the strain out of the winching. I'll post a picture of the arrangement soon but I have to thank Nick Payne for the idea. Whilst waiting for the tide I fitted some storage sleeves to the cabin sides - gradually the important items are finding places and the less important get left ashore - she actually looks quite tidy inside.

Once recovered I snugged her down - starting to get ready for the trip to the Morbihan at the end of the month.

Flag staff finished

Final coats on the wood, fittings fitted, flag raised..ready for adventures.....

Getting ready for the season

Launch day or rather lift in day went according to plan last week and the quay at the club is now clear of over wintering boats. Esso, quite surprisingly, issued an extended licence for this to happen. An extension I took advantage of to get some work done. The lease has been seen, signed and returned and is just waiting final agreement from Esso HQ before we are truly back in business.

With the extended licence I dashed straight down from work on Monday last week and rigged the boat so that I could take her off the trailer, which I did, and then on Tuesday morning rushed the trailer to Fawley Trailers in Badminston Lane, where I left it in the capable hands of Adrian to do a service, courtesy of some persuasion by Sharon from Churchouse.

Whilst Daislebee was in the water I gave her top sides a thorough clean and fitted the batteries properly. I was joined by Tony during the afternoon which somewhat delayed too much progress..... but the next morning, when I got the trailer back, running very nicely, I was able to get on with rigging and other bits and bobs.

Rigging ...grrrrr....up went the mast with all the halyards attached...only to come down again to put the wind vane and lights on.....up again......down again...a rope had come unsheaved....up again...only to discover the peak halyard and the topping lift needed to be swapped over...wrong blocks...it was about that time I gave up,,,,,and set off for home.

But most of the work is done and I have a list of new jobs to to next time I am down.

Back at home I am giving a few finishing coats to the flag staff I have mad to replace the one I snapped last year.  £30 odd from most chandlers...just a bit of broom handle surely....well it is now.

Just need to put the fittings on and its ready to go with the new ensign I got for Christmas.

I have also been lurking on E bay...dangerous place isn't it. The result, amongst other items, is some dyneema line on order , a hook and a snatch block.

The idea behind it is based on a successful trial a fellow sailor, Nick Payne, has had making the winching process easier by using a turning block to reduce the pulling load. I'll take some pictures of the arrangement when it's fitted and provide links to the items used...assuming it's successful.

Other items on order are the service kit for the engine, some car back seat tidys' to store items along the side of the cabin. LED bulbs are also on their way to me, to replace the standard bulbs with brighter, less current hungry navigation lights.

The mast lifter has been used quite a lot and is reasonably successful but needs some tweaks. When I'm happy with it I'll post some pictures.

All in all, once she's been to Rock for her hull re furb she is going to look cracking for the new season...can't wait.

Good news at Ashlett

Together with several Drascombers, and of course other boats owners, including I'm glad to say two other Shrimper owners, I have kept my boat at the sailing club at Ashlett Creek for the past couple of years.
Very much a self help club, and extremely tidal it is a delightful backwater just north of Calshot in Southampton Water.

It's history is that  it was the sailing part of the larger Waterside Sports and Social Club based in Holbury, the village up the hill, which used to be the Esso Sports and Social Club.

As time went on and social clubs became less important to business's, it was signed over on a lease agreement to a committee of members, with each sub club, sailing, tennis etc being run by it's own sub committee.

Shock horror at the end of last year when it was announced that the 'Top Club' at Holbury was going into liquidation and therefore, by default, so were all the small sub clubs........ This was just after the end of season lift out, and left members and their boats quite literally stranded. Doom and despair abounded and the end of the world was forecast........

However, a few forward thinking people on the current committee , and others, had taken the precautionary step of creating a dormant company, and through their diligence and hard work, Ashlett Sailing Club Ltd has been able to pay a satisfactory amount to the liquidator for certain club assets as well as take over the lease, having reached agreement with Esso.

So, the Ashlett or perhaps possibly to be renamed -  Phoenix Sailing Club
has risen for m the ashes and opens it's door on Sunday...well done to all concerned in the negotiations and hard work that was required to achieve this.

Ashlett Regatta 2016

Wind and rain...go away

On the way to the Drascombe dinner at Chichester at the weekend I dropped in at the boat to collect some bits so I could start some of the projects I listed in my last entry.
So the batteries are home as well as the bowsprit , the rudder, tiller and I have the measurements for the Mast lifter arrangement.
I even have the wood to make it from as well as some of the bits - hinges and eye bolts courtesy of J Clarke Marine and eBay.

The only thing I don't have at the moment is the right weather - cold, wet, very blustery. So frustrating when you want to get on with things.

The batteries seem to be way past their best, so time for replacement but with my expanded solar project the new batteries should stay in tip top condition

The great bit of news is that I am cutting my work hours by half. Having retired once already and been persuaded to go back I have decided that enough is almost enough and time is more important, so , with both boys through Uni, I can take more time to devote to things I enjoy and this season looks to be going to be absolutely fabulous. The trip to the Morbihan and the Drascombe Golden Jubilee will be high points no doubt but I am sure there will be many other memorable adventures along the way.