The last few days have not been as the forecasters predicted, why am I surprised? 🤣. It has been useful though because I am learning about living afloat while waiting for better weather. This is something I will be doing a lot of in the coming years.
Simple things such as having a full body wash including my hair in just a few litres of water. How much power I can expect from the solar panels when overcast, how much power various devices and the heating use in normal operation, how to stay warm while minimising power consumption plus lots of other stuff.
I am also being more adventurous in the galley, using the oven more, including doing some baking. I plan to make some bread today. I have been reading and listening to music a lot as well. Yesterday we proved remote support for my old shop and a charity I was treasurer for can work
I am investigating options for a haul out next month on the Isle of wight where its cheaper.
I have set up links from this blog to Instagram and twitter, lets see if this post arrives there.
No more waiting, conditions this morning were flat calm with no wind, so up went the main for the first time so I could check out everything. The third reefing line was missing and the two spares aboard are too short. I used one of the spares but terminated it at the first reef cleat. That will do for now, if I need the third reef, there will be enough free line to reach its proper cleat, its only when the sail is fully up that the reef line is fully extended.
By lunchtime the wind started to rise so we were off. I motored out of the harbour and tried to raise the main, it jammed about 2 foot from the top. It was fine earlier but there was no pressure on the sail then. I lowered it and reclipped to a second position at the head of the sail, up she went, no problem. A few minutes sailing with just the main and I felt ready to unfurl the genoa, I quickly found the sheets needed repositioning outside one of the stays, that done and we were off.
Lady Cindy was predictable and well behaved and although I made no effort to trim the sails, she sailed well. The tell tales were all over the place but I did not care, we were doing 6.5 knots in about 15 knots of wind varying from close hauled to beam reach and I was happy with that.
I should have stayed out longer but I came in with the tide going out at full race. I nearly turned around but decided to plough on, lets see if she can do this. I throttled up and although the speed through the water read 6 knots, I think we were actually doing 1 knot ground speed. The garmin GPS instrument was not showing speed over ground, I need to see if I can configure it to do so, it was ok when I was tracking a route so I know it can do it.
I had chance to practice my radio skills today, a yacht ran aground about 500m away from where I am anchored. I first heard about it on Channel 16 (emergency channel) from a conversation between a rib reporting the grounding and the coast guard. I followed them to channel 67 and after their conversation, I cut in reporting I could see the vessel and monitor it until it refloats on the incoming tide. The Coastguard have been calling me hourly to check on the situation.
Who put that sand bar there?
I decided not to raise the sails today, the winds were high this morning, the weather gods obviously had a different forecaster than me, more importantly the wind was from the north and freezing. I decided to stay put and do some odd jobs around the boat and have a chill out day reading in the warm cabin.
I think Dotty has hurt her hip again, probably while sliding around the deck yesterday, the rest will do her good as well.
I left Deacons marina at 10am and headed across the river to get some fuel at premier marinas… none left 😳 ok there is another one near the entrance to the hamble, I’ll phone them as they need an appointment. Booked in for 12.30 so off down the river I went. I arrived around 11.45 but was told they are taking a delivery and nobody allowed on the fuel pontoon while they transfer fuel, so come back in an hour. I tied up across the river and had a cup of tea. An hour later I returned, still delivering, be another hour 😳. Back across the river for a coffee this time. The marina phoned me to apologise and said they would call back when ready. It turns out they had a problem with a valve. £100 lighter, and 90 litres heavier in fuel, I was off.
I decided not to raise the sails today, 20knot winds with squalls gusting up to 40 knots were forecast, not the day for a solo sailor to raise the sails for the very first time on an unfamiliar boat. I decided to motor all the way and boy am i glad I did. Two squalls hit me, one just after Portsmouth that heeled the boat with bare poles, the second as I just entered Chichester Harbour. Luckily it had mostly blown through by the time I set the anchor.
A squall passing through near Portsmouth
Setting the anchor was not without problems but I did it, and so far it seems to be holding. Another squall has just blown through so I we passed that test. First the anchor chain jammed in the winch, it looks like a guide is bent so the chain can get under it, I will look tomorrow, it may need what is technically called a whack, with a precision instrument called a hammer. The second problem was the chain jammed in the pipe to the chain locker, simple fix but nerve wracking to go below when the anchor is half down.
So I think today was a success, all the instruments worked, including speed through the water. I ran most of the way using the autopilot which worked like a charm. Neither dotty nor I was seasick despite the conditions and I arrived safely. Tomorrow and the next few days look ideal for a novice sailer, sailing solo for the first time, on a new (to me) boat to practice sailing. Light winds and sunny conditions 😎
I had planned to move the boat to a cheaper marina today, hire a car for the 2nd to get my covid jab in wales and move to an anchorage on the 6th. Everything was booked and confirmed. I arrived at the new marina, my booked berth taken so went into the one next door. Went to the marina office, they did not know of my booking😳 I showed them the email confirmation and told them my plans, oh! We don’t allow liveaboards 😳😳 I explained their web site suggested they did! OK, she will speak to the boss but I had to be prepared to move off on the next tide 😳😳😳 spent the last hour looking at hotels and other options including cancelling my jab 😳😳😳😳 just had a phone call, I can stay aboard for the week 😭 I need a stiff drink 🤣
After several days of more work on the boat including fitting a new radio, dressing the new wiring, organising and cleaning cupboards, plus selling the car, I finally felt ready to take Lady Cindy out for a run down the river and back. All went well, the speed through water is not working but everything else worked great.
I got her up to 6.2 knots when I reached Southampton water, that was not full throttle but fast enough for me. She was comfortably doing about 4.5 to 5 knots at revs that felt about right (she has no rev counter). No pictures I’m afraid, I wanted to focus on the boat and it’s a narrow channel with lots of other boats moving about. I did misjudge docking though and touched the boat behind me, luckily no damage done but it was embarrassing.
Tomorrow I move the boat across the river to Deacons boat yard as its a bit cheaper. I need to be tied to the Dock another week and will hire a car on the 2nd to go back to Wales for my covid jab. Lockdown restrictions eased on Monday so I no longer need to rely on the goodwill of marina staff to sleep aboard.
I returned to New Quay last weekend and came back to the boat on Wednesday. I cleaned the flat and handed the keys back to the landlady and helped with some shop admin. Since getting back I have been doing some more of the electrics. I fixed the auto bilge pump which was not level, moved the radio to a better position and fixed the starter battery charging which was caused by a faulty wire. The weather was bad today but I hope to get the boat out down the river under motor this weekend. I am booked in deacons boatyard from the 31st for a week. I have my covid jab on the 2nd and hope I can sell the car quickly afterwards. I will then move to an anchorage and start doing some sailing.
I am awaiting parts to finish many jobs, including the rewire but I am happy the major jobs needed before taking the boat out are now done. I have been doing a lot of odd jobs in the last couple of days, including putting up picture frames, cleaning, getting rid of a lot of stuff. I threw out a lot of clothes before coming down, I went through the rest today and got rid of about 1/3 of what I had left.
Picture frames put up with temporary photos until I get chance to look through my albums.
I plan to take the dinghy out for a run tomorrow and later Lady Cindy under motor. I only plan to run down the river and back but it will give me confidence in both the outboard and the main engine.
A big Atlantic storm has been blowing through the last few days but I am in a well protected spot here at the marina. I have been continuing with the rewire including the stern lights, interior lights and more work on the console.
These were removed from about 2 foot of cabling in a cockpit locker.
I have decided to get a new radio as this will be one of the most important safety items on the boat. It came with a reasonably good marine radio but that got its GPS position from a separate garmin GPS, I also have an AIS receiver. I am replacing all three with a single radio with built in GPS and an AIS transceiver which can broadcast my position to other vessels. This will be an important safety improvement and reduce the chances of being run over by something big. The new radio has DSC which means I can press a distress button on the radio or nav station and it will automatically send out a radio message with my position and nature of the distress.
I have been looking at options for moving the boat next month. Swanwick have quoted me an eye watering £780 per month to stay here, no thank you. Most marinas are expensive and do not allow liveaboard so I am thinking about anchoring in Chichester Harbour to give me easy access to the Solent to give the boat a thorough work out before sailing around to New Quay for the summer.
