Launch and first sail, 5 April 2014

As the previous post stated, 5th April has been my stated goal in terms of launching this season.  Tides were just about ok to launch at 3.50am at Pin Mill.  Unfortunately, tide heights thereafter were due to decline as the moon waned and I would have had to pay to launch elsewhere.  So, silly time as it was, I just about managed to roll the boat off the trailer at high tide at the public slip by the Butt and Oyster pub - not a soul about although it was rather dark.  Fortunately, I could make use of an excellent head torch.

I punted my way out into deeper water, pulled the starter cord twice and gently worked my way out to some vacant moorings as close to my own mooring as I could imagine in the available light and, by 4.40am, was in the cabin ready for slumber.

The morning was not without its drama - I almost lost the cabin entrance lid, just watching it glide with the tide past the boat and scrambling a loose oar into action, retrieved it in good time.  The remainder of a long and leisurely breakfast was spent cooking, eating and sorting - masts raised, spars attached, various bits of kit stowed.  Additionally, I located the correct mooring - my original stab in the dark was two buoys away from the correct place.
From then it was time for a sail!  Conditions were strange, F4 southerly but with some rather marked F5 gusts as well as a few lulls.  I set off, initially under jib and mizzen since I wanted to test out the new mizzen arrangements.  Steve, owner of coaster Pamela Jean noticed me and sent me some snaps

Daisy II maiden voyage of 2014 captured from shore

The woods at Pin Mill made a fickle wind into an annoyance.  During the gusts, I was moving along at over 4 knots against an incoming tide; eventually, however, the gusts subsided for a while and I hove to and hoisted a reefed main.  After a few tacks, taking me past Suffolk Yacht Harbour, I turned for a wonderful run with the flood reaching a top speed of 6.7 knots.  Working my way towards the Orwell bridge I cast out the anchor for lunch in a favourite spot opposite Freston.
After lunch, the winds still gusting, I returned, against the still rising tide, to the mooring, passing Pamela Jean as she stretched her own sails for the afternoon.

Coaster Pamela Jean 

Back at the mooring, it was time to put things back in order and leave Daisy II to brave the elements from her mooring vantage point.

10.4nm; top speed 6.7 knots; moving average 3.2 knots

Hopefully, this Easter break will yield some opportunities for a few short cruises.  I'd like to see some of the old haunts!

'A little varnish and less polish' - fitting out season, 2014

Alterations to mizzen boom attachment, 16th March 2014

I haven't posted here for a while which is really a reflection of a manic start to 2014 from the non-sailing perspective.  However, things have been ticking along and, following my first sail today, there is some catching up to do.  So, this post is all about the fitting out and I'll put up a second post about today's first sail.

I'm not much of a fitter outer!  A self imposed deadline of launching by 5th April has been adhered to come what may.  Hence, 'a little varnish and less polish' would neatly summarise my efforts in this fitting out window.  I have run some Sadolin over the wooden gunwhale capping - which will doubtless have the purists spitting into their tins of Deks Olje - and scrubbed the decks and hull.  I also repaired the damage to the stern transom caused by that lowlife boater who collided with Daisy II on her mooring last October.  This latter repair involved removing the wooden transom for the first time, use of some 'Plastic Padding' filler followed up with some colour matched gelcoat repair.  The resulting finish is functional rather than professional but then I've never been completely satisfied with repair jobs previously done by boatyards.  I didn't do much in terms of photography for this one.  And, of course, we mustn't forget my favourite job of all - the good old antifouling, by several nautical miles the boater's least pleasant job of the year.  If I had the money to pay someone...

Antifouling, International Micron extra, this year in the preferred navy blue

As for the black marks on the spars, maybe I'll just wait until there are more black marks than brown wood, and then paint the whole lot black!

The most significant modification has been to remove and repair the damaged mizzen boom and use the opportunity to make some alterations to the attachment.  The previous incarnation involved chiselling a groove in the mizzen mast to house the boom fitting.

 This looked rather shoddy but, more significantly, prevented a raised boom from resting flat against the mast.  Hence, following an idea picked up from last year's Broads Rally, I glued together a couple of pieces of spruce over winter, fashioned this into a semicircular prism attachment to fit the contours of the jaws and then, using epoxy, glued this to the mizzen, filling in the previously chiselled groove.

semicircular wooden prism made to fit the attachment jaws

epoxy resin and filler used to attach to mast

Finally, I sanded down the whole and finished it with brown exterior paint.

I used a couple of screws to reinforce the join, but these caused trouble when fitting the jaws so have been removed.  Again, purists will be upending their pots of varnish , but I really don't have the time or patience (or skills) to fashion a fully wooden scarfed joint; I'm not a big fan of varnish and this paint matches a similar alteration made when extending the height of the mast a few seasons ago - a repair which still stands the tests of time.

The major objective - to allow a raised mizzen boom to rest against the mast - has been achieved, although I neglected to provide pictorial proof.  That may be corrected in due course.

I also had some filling to do on the boom itself.  Having filed away the loose wood, I used a similar but lighter coloured epoxy filler, finished with a few coats of exterior varnish and have since reattached the rigging eye.

Not the best angle, but mizzen boom refitted and functioning during today's sail.  

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

Rutland Water on a cold November Saturday

It would be rather unjust to describe last month's weather as disappointing, since it did offer up a rather fine storm.  However, little sailing could be managed throughout October, so it is good to be back on the water seizing the opportunity presented by high pressure on this cold November day.  Any opportunity with the boat at this time in the year can only be viewed as sailing gained!

Cockpit view

The mizzen boom still makes use of my 'jury rig' - ever since the damage incurred from unknown passing traffic on the mooring at Pin Mill.

No engines permitted on Rutland Water.  If the wind drops, oars must be deployed.

Sailing without an engine is a liberating experience and I've only ever once needed to resort to rowing on Rutland Water - and that was for the final few hundred yards.  Today, Daisy II sailed beautifully throughout the day.

Sunset at 2pm?

Winds were pleasantly F3 NW but, as with most of my previous sailing on Rutland, which only ever takes place at the beginning and end of a season, it was cold.  As I drove in, the car registered 4 degrees, enough for its usual ice warning.  I was on the water by 12.15 and sailed non-stop through to 3.30pm by which time the Watersports Centre at Whitwell require all boats to return.
In the latter stages of the sail, before returning to Whitwell Creek, I managed a top speed of 6.1 knots.

Poor attempt at a panoramic view...

10.4nm, season's total 654.5nm

I think I'll keep the rigging on the boat just in case another winter opportunity arises!