| Ameera |
Denizens of FleetwoodAs recounted previously, the last time I raised Ameera's mainsail nearly resulted in a heart attack, so a couple of weeks ago I tried to do something about it. I made up a bundle of steel wool, attached it to the main halyard, clipped on a light line to pull the halyard back down, and spend half an hour "polishing" the mainsail track by hauling this bundle of steel wool up and down it. Then I finished the job by soaking the bundle in silicone polish and coating the track with it.Well, today was my chance to find out if it worked. After a morning of chores culminating in Preston, it was only a short drive to Fleetwood, and I arrived to brilliant sunshine and a gentle breeze, just before the dock gates were due to open. A rush of preparation and I was ready to take Ameera out. Again, I cocked up leaving the berth. Not as bad as last time, so getting better. Motored out of the marina, up the channel, turned Ameera's bow to the sea, engaged autopilot, and off we went. What little breeze there was came from directly astern, so I found some clear water, and turned through 180deg to point into the wind while I raised the sail. Hard work. But nothing like as hard as last time, I was able to winch the mainsail up, by myself, without real difficulty. Turned back into the wind - what wind? Now that I'd got the sail up the wind had died. Oh well, better have lunch....  Badger "First Gold". Now I have never tried Badger beer before, remiss of me perhaps, but I was chatting to a colleague the other day, and she told me about her weekend just past, which she spent down South at her parents house, celebrating her father's 80th birthday. Said father is apparently still working aged 80, he is a brewer - for Badger - so I thought I'd try a bottle. And very nice it was too. So there I am, gently bobbing along in almost no breeze, when this hooligan yacht overtakes me on the inside, motorsailing without a cone....  The (in)famous Claymore, a regular on the YBW forums, comes sprinting past on his way out to Piel Island for the day. Claymore, a.k.a John, yells "hello", and we have a brief chat as he speeds past. We have chatted in cyberspace often enough, and made tentative arrangements to meet, but it's never happened until now. He seems a pleasant chap, but then most sailors do until you get to know them..... While Claymore was obviously well crewed, I was on my own, so here's Ameera looking after herself.  Not very tidy, fenders draped everywhere, but I'm only out for a couple of hours, by myself, enjoying the sunshine, so what the hell. And I'm not the only one, this chap was keeping pace on our starb'd beam, with the washing out. If I were feeling cruel I might have suggested washing the mainsail before hanging it out to dry tho....  And a big cat coming up from astern..  So this is all very nice - bright sunshine, calm sea, gentle breeze.... but the time has come to go about and return to harbour. Easily said, and in such conditions easily done. As I approached the channel to Fleetwood Docks I turned ino the wind to drop the sail, and started the engine. Went up to the mast, pulled the sail down OK, returned to the cockpit, took the autopilot off and opened the throttle. Vrrmmmm. We're not moving. Vrrrmmm, vrrrrmmmmm. Nope, definitely not going anywhere. Well, drifting on the tide, not stuck, but no motive power. Try power astern instead. Nope. Arrghh. Sudden realisation - the propeller must have fallen off - oh SHIT. 200 yards from the shore, drifting on the tide, not enough wind for really accurate steering even if I put the sail back up - what now skipper? I'm in hailing distance of the lifeboat station - that is to say I could raise them by shouting, no need for radio. I pick up the handheld VHF, take a deep breath, resign myself to calling for help, and realise that the gear knob is not pushed in... Ameera's gear knob pulls out for "out of gear" and pushes in for "in gear" - the difference between the two positions is less than a quarter of an inch and far from obvious. I push the gear knob in. Ameera surges forward. Prat. At least I realised before calling for help, if only just. Back in the marina without further embarrassment, I park up reasonably tidily, and wander down the pontoon to admire Newtsville, a 37' Colvic Countess owned by a young man and fellow YBW forumite - Jonny_H. Jonny is aboard, doing work - he has the steering binnacle in pieces - real work, so I introduce myself and we have a chat. He shows me around Newtsville, which he and his wife Kate plan to sail around the world as explained here. Anyway, suffice to say that Newtsville is a glorious boat, absolutely beautiful. Way to big for single-handed day sailing, but a super passage-maker. And so ends a super day. I have sailed Ameera solo with the washing up for the first time and survived. I'm a happy bunny. 7:45 PM - May. 5, 2007 - post comment
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Description Ameera's Log Home User Profile Archives Recent Entries - Going Home - Mrs. Craggy's Big Day Out - Summer? What Summer? - Denizens of Fleetwood - First Time With The Washing Out |