There was no wind as I motored into the Sound on Wednesday morning.
anchor
A different solution – staying in the bunk
The bunks on Blue Mistress are narrow. Being a relatively small boat this is natural. The problem is, I am used to wider beds at home and tend to turn over expansively. In the boat, that would mean landing on the cabin sole.
Winter refit 1/4 – inventories – fore-hatch – ventilator – exhaust outlet
Blue Mistress was lifted in November and slotted into a tight spot between another yacht and a fishing boat – both much larger.
This seemed a good idea at the time because she would be protected from the worst of the winter weather but is proving awkward now because there is work to do on the rubbing strakes and access is poor.
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A Quiet Morning
Saturday Feb 04, 2012 UT/GMT
▲ 02:40 4.6m
▼ 08:50 2.3m
▲ 15:20 4.6m
▼ 21:20 2.1m
0600 UTC Sat 04 Feb – 0600 UTC Sun 05 Feb
Wind Variable, becoming south or southwest, 3 or 4, increasing 5 to 7, veering north later.
Sea state Moderate or rough, but slight for a time in east.
Weather Rain and drizzle for a time.
Visibility Moderate or good, becoming poor for a time.
~~~
On the road to Plymouth, a large neon sign “Heavy Weather Warning. Drive Carefully.”
OK, drive carefully – but ‘Heavy Weather Warning’? Not really. It was going to snow overnight in the east of the UK, but not here.
If we overstate every inkling of every risk, who will ever pay attention to the warning? And if we do pay attention every time to every organisation – organisations whose very existence require that they constantly warn us how much danger we are in, aren’t on a fast track to mediocrity?
~~~
The rain started as I climbed aboard. It set in for the rest of the morning – light rain.
A morning of short jobs.
Both batteries were well down but the engine started first time – not always the case. I refilled the greaser for the stern gland. Grease travels!
The pair of oars I bought aboard needed stowage space. I am looking for a sweep for sculling but these are definitely too short for that.
Also, the chain locker is too small. Feeding the rode back down the narrow hawspipe, I find the chain blocking the pipe and I am left with a length on deck. (Too much chain? Not enough locker). I have to go below and clear it. That works in a flat calm but it’s no fun having chain flaying around the deck in a sea while I struggle below. It also takes time to re-stow the anchor and rode; plus I want to keep the anchor off the deck. So I am trying out plastic bins of varying sizes (including a flexible laundry basket). We’ll see what works best.
I fixed two brass hooks. Everything gets stowed away at sea, but at anchor you need somewhere to hang things.
And then there was time to write.
~~~
A quiet morning – or so I thought . . .
. . . then 60 plus rowers appeared from nowhere.
No wind yesterday . . .
No wind yesterday but a fine day to run the engine.
I removed the sail cover and attached the halyard but left the lazy jacks in place as I didn’t expect to set the sail. As the Sound opened up it, it was almost empty – two vessels in sight, one trying to set a sail. A little later he had given up.
It was also a perfect day to anchor and run out the rode. I dropped anchor around 1300 close to Jennycliff near the Withyhedge beacon.
Then time for lunch, and, as I had bought the dinghy with me, time for some photography.
There were three naval vessels at anchor. The village of Cawsand can be seen in the sunshine on the far side of Plymouth Sound – (just aft of the pulpit).
All the metal work makes Blue Mistress look positively industrial. The depth is 7.7 metres – it had dropped from 8.4 metres in the 3/4 hour I had been at anchor.
The washed-out colours of January.
This simple rig holds the course giving plenty of time to go fetch something from below. It works just as well under sail..
The tide was low and the water slack as I passed the Cattewater Wharves.
Flinterlinge, registered out of Groningen, was busy unloading.
Beyond Steeple Point 