The Eventider's News
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Issue 15 Winter 2010/11.
Page One Late Summer Sailing
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Angela Letters Owners tips Buchanan's found Scran Bag! |
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Welcome to the 15th Edition of the Newsletter. We welcome articles, photos, logs, (in one of our designs!) and any other snippets of information you might like to send in.
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| Summer is over and we are into the 15th edition! We have some articles to load up, but any more articles, snippets etc, all welcome! | |||
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West Mersea Weekend 2010. |
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Once again the West Mersea Weekend was hit by
F6's! We opted to drive over to West Mersea again and met up with 14
other members plus friends and crews. We had a great meal in the Oyster bar again, then retreated across the road to the Victory for an evening of chat, before returning to Bradwell, by car. We slept on board but the next day was no better so slipped home in the morning. We slipped out Monday for a sail, but no one else was about, awful weather! |
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September sail |
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In late September we got Fiddler's Green
sorted out for sailing. We had problems with a massive oil leak, that
at first I had thought was the main oil seal. Eventually it was traced
to the head and the rocker box. It was cracked and the gasket/'O' ring
destroyed, as a result black filth had filled the bilge. Thanks to
Nigel for sourcing oil absorbing pads for me.
We were pleased that we could still get out and have a little sunshine. |
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The river was almost empty. We saw 12 sails on the horizon all day, and it was a weekend? What was going on, had everyone given up this year. | ||
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The Boss was happy, really, just lost in thought. Well I suppose I had pushed my luck a little by hoisting the main... for some reason this frightens her. Today there was no cause for any concern and we enjoyed a very gentle sail. | ||
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More empty horizon and we are still upright! | ||
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One of the few boats out and about, a gentle giant on the water. | ||
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October sail |
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Last October, in line with other years, I try
to get afloat for Trafalgar day. this year I was accompanied by
brother in law Keith and long time friend and former colleague Phil. We
always seemed to get on incredibly well together on board, hardly a word
needs to be spoken and all the jobs get done, that is a good sign of a team. We arrived at Bradwell in time for a great sunset. we sleep on board. |
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Next morning, with Phil and Keith, suitably attired and we gently sail out onto the Blackwater. | ||
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We head up river and as the wind drops put the motor on gently... | ||
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We putter past A GH 26 at Maldon. Think we have seen her for sail recently. | ||
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That evening we creep into Lawling Creek and as the sun sets drop the hook in still calm waters. that night it gets pretty cold, but with the oven and the heater on we are warm and snug below. | ||
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The next morning again it was calm and we sail out of the creek into the Blackwater. we spend most of the day gently drifting about, but later the breeze starts to get up from the south east. We begin to tack down stream. | ||
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We are challenged by a long keeled Stella, no contest really, but it does take them a little while to pass us, we are able to exchange pleasantries. | ||
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In the distance the baffle of the power
station is visible, but it will not be for long now as they are now planning
to remove it, probably to replace it with a new one when the new power
station is built. We round up into the wind, motor on and back into Bradwell. a toast to Nelson!
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Halloween sail |
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As we had not used the boat as much as we would have liked during the summer, mainly down to the wet and windy weather, when we saw a day of two clear at the end of October I grabbed crew Keith and we hightailed it to Bradwell. We were able to also sort a job out on Dougaljo with Alan and son Nick before we went... Making Dougaljo ready for a trip to the repairers. | ||
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We took one look at the weather and jumped aboard and set off. we sailed up an empty Blackwater into the sun. | ||
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We arrived in one of my favourite anchorages as the sun was setting, heater and oven on, dinner in the oven! | ||
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The next day it was grey and still. We drifted out under sail and then started the Beta and puttered very slowly so as not to disturb the peace. | ||
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There was an eerie silence on the river, nothing moved except us and the birds, the occasional seal. We switched off the motor and tried to sail, the breeze was fitful to ay the least... | ||
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As we approached Bradwell we had to admit defeat. the motor had to go back on or we would have been swept gently to Harwich. the sky and sea almost merged into one, with dozens of shades of blue grey. all very peaceful | ||
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Rounding the Bradwell beacon I took this last
shot looking back up stream into the sunset.
Perfect end to the last sail of the season. |
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Spotted in Rye Harbour. This August, instead of sailing, I was down in Rye in Sussex for a very important day for a pair of young friends of ours. We were especially invited as friend of the groom and his sister, our lovely daughter in law. Jonathon and Karen had tragically lost their parents, far too early and we had sort of been adopted. Our Michael was to be best man. the day was superb, Jon's lady. Marissa, was stunning and all smiles all day. The day after the wedding we walked round the town and down to the harbour, where there was a proper nautical flavoured fair in progress, boats with bunting and stalls of all sorts. Wandering along the quay a couple of familiar shapes came into view. Two Golden Hinds, Jonas from the Netherlands and Adienne. Both owners are members!
I met Ken, who was on board, but sadly missed Boudewijn. Later this winter he contacted me and had to remind me which boat was his! 'I'm the skipper of the "Jonas". You spotted her in Rye last summer during the Maritime Festival. You were there to attend a wedding, as I heard from Ken Marsden of the Adienne. Greetings, Boudewijn van der Mik.' |
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Boudewijn sent me a link to a website run by
another member. It is
'Longevity'. On the site
he has a on board web cam album and a cruise around the UK.
GH round UK web site!
Click the link to have a look.
It is in Dutch, but the pics are not!
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******************************* Haul out time
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Opps! first thing to go wrong was the crews cap getting lost over the side! Fortunately it was the only thing that went wrong and he got it back after the boat was winched clear! | ||
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As the boat came clear of the water we were able to see how the Marclear anti fouling had fared. As you can see no barnacles and a minimum of jellies. the best ones were on the bolts for the anodes each side and the log impellor, 4" long! | ||
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There are a few dangling from the underside of keel and bilge plates, where we scrape off the anti fouling by creeping over the sands. We have thought of small wheels either end of the bilge plates..... | ||
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The pressure washer makes short work of the slime coat, it will rub off with a finger... | ||
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Dave and Ian tell me I am about the cleanest boat in the marina, again, very gratifying. They point to a garden hoe nearby, that's what they use on many! For once not too much anti fouling comes away with the hose.. I always tell them to blast away, something they normally are loath to do on wooden boats, but the epoxy coating makes it so strong it is akin to GRP gel coat. | ||
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The only disappointment this year was the prop. If has a few barnacles on the shaft and the hub, none on the blades. I do not anti foul it but try to polish it, this season I ran out of time and battery on the electric drill, so it was not as shiny as I would have liked. However some boats props resemble footballs, so better than most! | ||
| We have the boat dropped onto the trailer, we chain her down, then slack off the rig and get out the 'A' frame stowed under the quarter bunk. An hour later the mast is down and all is strapped securely in place padded with lengths of old carpet. 2 & 1/2 hours later we are in the barn backing her into her winter berth. another season over. | |||
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Marclear Antifouling will be available again in 2011. Prices as yet to be fixed..... |
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Click a can to find out more about our special Antifouling deal!
