Getting restless
17 May 2008 | Suffolk
Two weekends sailing in a row - the usual. One weekend to Medusa and back, the other to the Orwell Bridge and back. I don't think I'll be selling the movie-rights any time soon.
We hung about, sailed (slowly), Yanni dissected lifejackets or just moped. Mum helmed, Evita hung about and I fiddled around with bits of string.
Nothing much happened apart from that. We ran aground for the first time this year. Around our buoy it gets shallow very quickly around LW - from 4.5m to 1.1m in less than half a boat-length. Noted for future reference
It's amazing - only a couple of months ago I would have been well chuffed with this. Winter sailing does not need to be any more ambitious than that.
It's pretending to be summer, and I always tend to raise the bar in summer. More needs to be accomplished to achieve the same sense of satisfaction.
Sailing to Ostend on Thursday. My first singlehanded sail, and straight away a Channel crossing. In at the deep end usually works best for me.
I'm feeling somewhat apprehensive about the whole affair. I don't doubt my ability to actually 'do' it, it's just the realization that there won't be anyone else there should I go over the side. Have to stay on the boat!
In a way it's weird - sailing singlehanded has always been a secret long term ambition of mine, now that the moment has actually arrived I'm not sure if I'm going to like it. Time will tell.
The weather should not pose a problem. Forecast at the moment's for an Easterly 4, backing to the NE. And the sooner it backs, the better.
Two reasons: first of, the engine is quite tired (needs some urgent revision) and Guapa's bottom is supporting more than a bit of marine biology.
Not looking forward to another slow - motoring - trip.
Engine service is well in hand, it should be as good as new when we sail from Ostend. We're going on the grid next Monday. Pressure-wash if it rains, fresh coat if anti-foul if it's dry. The coat we applied 'should' be good for another year. But with Hempel Hard you need to keep your boat moving. Guapa was virtually weed free till December. Then at the end of January, early February we did not sail for a couple of weeks; and hey presto: weed galore.
So there we are, slightly nervous and finding it hard to concentrate on pretty much anything apart from the boat. Clock's ticking.