Castor Sailing Stuff

Vessel Name: Safe Return
Vessel Make/Model: Westerly Vulcan
Hailing Port: Debbage in Ipswich
Crew: Andy Smith (McSmith) & Ian Sheldon (Shelly)
About: Andy & Ian have discussed Sailing round our independent Island since Andy retired from The Fire Service in 2011. Ian turned 65 last September and Bought Safe Return. The trip an begin
31 July 2017 | Off Wicklow
28 August 2016
28 August 2016 | Castor
27 August 2016 | Tobermory
25 August 2016 | Iona
23 August 2016
23 August 2016
19 August 2016 | Rutland Water
20 July 2016
20 July 2016
19 July 2016
04 July 2016 | Arbroath
04 July 2016
02 July 2016 | Anstruther
01 July 2016
29 June 2016 | Blyth RBSC
29 June 2016 | Seaham marina
Recent Blog Posts
31 July 2017 | Off Wicklow

The trip continues

Andy joined Safe Return on the Caledonian Canal while I was cruising up and down with Jane & Charlie. Eric Joyce a friend from my teen years joined us in Oban, with Andy we set sail for Tobermory to meet Leslie, John, Jack and Anne who were due to visit on a cruise ship, the weather was rough and they [...]

28 August 2016

Professor Plankton

In case you think I was joking.

28 August 2016 | Castor

Ed of another Adventure

Yesterday we knew we weren't leaving Tobermory until after lunch because of the tides to Oban. In the morning I spoke to Proff Plankton who I have seen before trawling a sample net off the pontoons. He explained that understanding the plankton enables the company he works with- Sea Life Surveys-to know [...]

27 August 2016 | Tobermory

Anchor problems and trip to Tobermory

Last night on Iona we returned to Safe Return to find my anchoring skills are dire. A large sight seeing vessel we anchored a respectable distance away from was a few meters off our bow after the tide had changed, also,our anchor was under her hull so no way of moving. I started cooking a spagbol then [...]

A day on Rutland Water with the RAF

19 August 2016 | Rutland Water
I was encouraged by Keir to launch Cygnet yesterday,
it was a light wind sailing day, we bent on the sails and launched with the club tractor, a sail down the south lake towards Hamilton before lunch. I was reminded about what a nice sailing boat Cygnet, the Juno 560 is we were seeing 4 knots as we sailed back to the West Creek Pontoon for lunch.
The club was very busy with the RYA sail for Gold Roadshow being hosted by RSC; Dylan Fletcher from the club is representing GB in the 49er skiff class in Rio.
After a fairly mediocre lunch of very tired and overpriced pasta bake in the clubhouse we returned to sail the northern leg. As we got ready, the Lancaster did a low flypast right over us, always a spine tingling experience.
The RAF sailing association safety team were in attendance with three ribs which was fortunate for us when we caught a big clump of weed and were held close to a lee shore. It took 2 ribs to pull us off because of the weed, they towed us to open watering held us there with the third rib trying to pull the weed off.
Eventually we got the weed off after raising the keel and rudder, then had a great sail to Whitwell and back. Recovery was easy and she is back in her space near the Ribnons’s yacht Seadog.
We borrowed Seadog’s scrubbing brush to give Cygnet a spruce up as we went round. Thank you Graham and Anita.
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Safe Return's Photos - Main
Safe Return sailing
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Created 20 June 2016

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