Christmas 2013

This year's sailing related present was a book about the 2008 voyage around Great Britain by Mike Brooke in a Cape Cutter 19.
I first learned of this trip in January 2008 at the London Boat Show.  The stand for Honnor Marine featured the newly built boat Theo's Future.  Subsequently, I followed Mike's blog as he completed the trip.  Inspirational!  A challenging future prospect for Daisy II!?  Mike's book, which has only recently been published, is a good read with plenty of interesting anecdotes and some fine photos.  Well worth the outlay, with proceeds going to worthy charitable causes.

I've always greatly admired the Cape Cutter - not a Drascombe but, nonetheless, a well-built, proven hull design with traditional rig and pleasing lines.

At the aforementioned boat show, mother and I spent time sitting in the cockpit and cabin.  The cabin has something of the tardis about it, with room for four - two in the V-berth forward, and a pair of quarter berths.  What would I miss in owning one?  Ease of launching - Bob Brown thought it would be a challenge to launch and recover single handed, since the trailer is not of the 'roller coaster' variety.  I'd also miss the mizzen, and the fact that the outboard cannot tilt clear of the water when not in use.  If money were no object, the ideal boat for me would be the Baycruiser 20, made by Swallowboats.  It ticks all of my boxes and has the added benefit of larger cockpit and cabin in a shorter, lighter hull which has proven 'rightability', particularly through its use of water ballast.    

However, lacking the spare £30K needed for one of those, a Drascombe Coaster is considerably less expensive and ticks almost as many boxes: highly capable and utterly dependable.  I also own one, for which I count my blessings every day.

So, back to Daisy II, sitting in patient hibernation on the drive, buffeted by the various passing winter storms which have characterised this month and reflecting on an outstanding season past.  Indeed, I doubt if there will be a finer year, particularly in terms of nautical miles sailed.  Inevitably, the new year beckons and, with that, a brand new set of challenges.  Formative plans include joining one of the south coast rallies in May; I also hope that there will be summer holiday time to visit the Crouch by sea for the first time.
In the mean time, we've upgraded our home computer to an iMac and I'm enjoying working out how to edit videos on iMovie.  Hopefully, future offerings will be rather more accomplished that the efforts thus far.

Daisy II sailing the River Blackwater, August 2013

Off the mooring

Daisy II now safely back on the trailer, having seen off storm "St Jude" from her mooring

We know that Drascombes are tried and trusted designs; herewith, yet more evidence of this.  I remain truly grateful for the quality of a boat which survived, unscathed, the ravages of last weekend's storm "St Jude"; that's more than can be said for a number of other boats moored at Pin Mill.  I noted F10 gusts on Monday morning at Harwich on the windfinder website weather report; Pin Mill was presumably slightly more sheltered but must, nonetheless, have been rather wild.  Subsequent reports suggest the eye of the storm tracked directly through this area of Suffolk.  I understand one boat slipped a mooring, another capsized, and noticed a few badly shredded jibs as I brought Daisy II back to shore in the dark on Friday night.  At the time of the storm, I had been in Cornwall on a short walking break but received a very welcome email following the storm from a fellow Drascomber at Pin Mill to reassure me that all was well.
Pulling her out in the dark on the 10pm tide, artificial light provided by the Butt and Oyster pub was extremely helpful.  Conditions were calm - a good reason for bringing her home then and not later in the weekend when another autumnal storm was due to strike - and she winched onto her newly serviced trailer with ease.

Now on the driveway, the hull has had a hose-down, I've run the engine through with unsalted water and checked the hull for necessary winter repair work.

End of season chores

I'd like to think the season is not yet over and hope to trail over to Rutland Water for the day later this month.  I'm also toying with the idea of taking her up to Honnor Marine for the winter to have her buoyancy upgraded and to leave the professionals to deal with a few other jobs on the wishlist.

Whilst October was a disappointing month with very little sailing possible, on the back of an otherwise superb sailing season, one cannot grumble too much.

Reflections on a sailing season

A comment recently received on this blog was in response to the last statement on my previous post.  It stated that I was clearly not a 'real' sailor in anticipating the need to prepare Daisy II for her winter 'hibernation'.  Presumably 'real' sailors sail on throughout the year, come wind or weather.

Clearly I'm not a 'real' sailor, by this person's standards.  It is always good to see the local sailing club's sailors on their boxing day meet; I wouldn't mind keeping a small racing dinghy one day.  I suspect there are some Drascombers who keep their options open just in case there is a free winter day which happened to be suitable.  Stewart Brown, of Churchouse Boats, once commented that such days are 'days gained' over and above the usual expected cruising season.  However, such days are few and far between, and there comes a point where it is kinder on the 'hardware' to bring spars, sails, engine and other trimmings into a warmer environment - in my case, the garage, loft, wardrobe or under the bed. 

Drascombers do like to sail in company - a recent PBO article commented on the Drascombe Association's 'Spanish Armada-sized rallies' - although this is not an essential part of my sailing - I'm far more likely to sail solo.  Even in such company, racing is never really on the agenda, since Drascombes are not fast boats.  We like to take time to reach destinations, take in the scenery and  have flexible itineraries, based more around food and drink, rather than time and tide. 

For me, relaxed sailing is the aim, not gripping the sheets with backside hanging over the gunwhales.  I'm not averse to bad weather, but it is more difficult to cruise in a relaxed manner in the cold, and the short daylight hours from November through to March would presumably make a night stop almost interminably exhausting.  I once spent the night at anchor in the Walton Backwaters during the Easter holiday, during which time temperatures dropped to zero celsius...cold enough to think twice about any such trip during the winter months.  Added to this, it does the boat no favours whatsoever to languish on a mooring in the hope that a suitable opportunity arises.  Living inland, as I do, the trip to the sea is also a barrier. 

Hence, she sits on the drive, covered, taking time to reflect on seasons past, and looking forward to the next...