Marica goes clockwise
| Vessel Name: | Marica |
16 December 2017 | Slipper Sailing Club
Epiblog
I met fellow Westerly Centaur owner Tom Bedford in Milford Haven. As it turns out we also share a fondness for real ale and the band Steely Dan. Tom is a freelance journalist and when I got back to Emsworth he suggested writing an article about my trip. I agreed without too much reticence and he sent [...]
08 November 2017 | South coast
From Shoreham
I checked the live wind at Chichester Bar this morning on the Chimet web site. Force 4 northerly. Hey! we could go somewhere, Little Hampton (LA) or even further. I might just make it for the 9 o'clock lock out. I called them and they said I would be going out of the smaller Prince George lock. I had [...]
07 November 2017 | Newhaven
From Newhaven
On Tuesday morning we wake to a southerly force 6. The sea state was expected to be 'moderate' and waves were crashing over the harbour breakwater. George and I had porridge and reviewed the situation. He decided caution was the better part of valour and I walked him to the train station.
06 November 2017 | Beachy Head
From Rye
My dad joined me on a frosty Monday morning for our leg from Rye. His name is George so he is the original George according to my sister, or he is George V for this trip. I thought Eastbourne would be a suitable port to make for, and could be completed in daylight hours. Dad had suggested Newhaven so [...]
05 November 2017 | Rye
More water problems
I started the engine this morning, whilst Marica was afloat, to check the repair on the throttle linkage. It was fine but there was no cooling water flowing through the engine. I assumed that mud was stuck in the inlet pipe. All the boats settle in this soft smelly stuff to the top of their keels. So [...]
04 November 2017 | Rye
Bailing Out
This morning (Saturday) I found the cutlery drawer full of water. It's just underneath the cooker. I was wondering where the water had come in last night. The boat had obviously been heeled over at a bigger angle at the top of the tide. There had been water in the washing up bowl, that I had not tested [...]
From Fort Augustus
It looked like it might be a wet and windy day so I had my porridge and donned full wet weather gear before setting out along Loch Ness. Chris, from the bar, had told me of the geology of the fault line that nearly divides Scotland in two. A fairly slow pace along the 19 miles of Loch. Some very interesting looking stopping places, moorings, anchorages, Urquhart castle and hostelries. I passed them all as I wanted to get to the flight of locks above Inverness before the canal closed for the night.
Coming into Dochgarroch at the end of the start of the River Ness I encountered a large barge with a JCB on it. I didn't want to overtake it as there was little room between it and a set of weirs. I was admiring the way that they had two guys as look outs at the back of the barge when it became apparent it was actually coming towards us. A quick turn to port as they hooted at me. I pulled up just before the lock there as the gates were closing. I saw STF were also moored up. Walking to talk to the lock keeper I recognised a dog, then the skipper and family from STF. They said there was not much below the gates so were staying for the night. I decided to press on.
Three miles and one bridge later I tied up on a wharf above Muirtown (Inverness). I sorted the boat and decided to explore the mile and a half between Marica and the North Sea. I walked past the well fortified Seaport Marina. It is pretty large, but I spotted Seeadler on the end of a pontoon, but with no access from my side. The canal map shows a pub the Clachnaharry Inn, so I'm paying them a visit.