Yacht Wishing For The Moon

Oyster Lightwave 48

Vessel Name: Whimbrel
Vessel Make/Model: Discovery Bluewater 50 catamaran
Hailing Port: Guernsey
Home Page: www.sailsunsea.com
27 January 2021
02 May 2020 | Isola D'Elba, Italy
06 April 2019
26 January 2019 | Carlisle Bay
07 January 2019 | Jolly Harbour
11 December 2018 | Jolly Harbour
08 December 2018 | Jolly Harbour
07 December 2018 | Anchored Freemans Bay English Harbour
06 December 2018 | Anchored off OJ's Crab Hill Bay
05 December 2018 | Jolly Harbour Antigua
04 December 2018 | 88.8 NM East of Antigua
03 December 2018 | 260 NM East of Antigua
02 December 2018 | 423 NM East of Antigua
01 December 2018 | 580 NM East of Antigua
30 November 2018 | 893 NM East of Antigua
29 November 2018 | 740 NM East of Antigua
28 November 2018 | 1070 NM East of Antigua
27 November 2018 | 1232 NM East of Antigua
26 November 2018 | 1376 NM East of Antigua
Recent Blog Posts
27 January 2021

Summer 2021 plans

Wishing For The Moon is now back in shape with a new engine, new watermaker, and better plumbing. Now in Isola D'Elba Italy.

02 May 2020 | Isola D'Elba, Italy

Wishing For The Moon

Now on shore on the island of Elba for last couple of years, and works going on October 2019 up to March 23 with engine replacement, plumbing, hull works etc, but locked out due to the virus thing here in Italy, and new engine blocked in the UK still.

06 April 2019

The Futur Plan for Whimbrel

We are free for charters around Antigua between 20th April and 5th May, which is the period of Antigua Race Week 27th April to 3rd May.

06 April 2019

Cruising around Antigua

We start out from Jolly Harbour half way up the West coast.

26 January 2019 | Carlisle Bay

Guadaloupe Circuit

After checking out in English Harbour following a nights stay, and watching an Atlantic crossing rowing boat with 5 men on board arrive around midnight, we sail down to Deshais bay.

07 January 2019 | Jolly Harbour

Christmas Cruise

Cathleen aboard 14th Dec, and guests arrive 22nd. We sail south out of Jolly Hr, anchor off a beach for the night, then visit Cades Reef for snorkelling and spend the next night anchored off Carlisle Bay, near English Harbour.

Another Bumpy Night

02 June 2014 | Azores to Cadiz
Len
Mid-morning the clouds thinned enough to allow through some watery sunlight which came a a great relief after another cold (15-17C), windy, wet and rough night. This afternoon the wind had dropped sufficiently to shake out two of the mainsail reefs (leaving 2 in). Seas have also moderated a little, and we are charging along at over 7 knots well heeled on a close reach, and sometimes close hauled again. The wind strength and direction fluctuates between North and NNE force 4 to 6. Seas from 2 to 2.5 meters, quite confused and steep, making for lots of spray and pounding. Meals are reduced to sandwhiches and snacks.

Is someone reading this blog who is knowledgeable about modern sailcloths? As I look at the No2 Yankee and Staysail doing sterling service in these conditions up foreward and still going strong after 26 years, I wonder if there might still be a sailcloth manufacturer producing a similar quality of cloth. My other two original headsails also are in good shape and in constant use. There has been some re-stitching done and the odd patch applied over the years but nothing dramatic.

The original suit were made by Gowan in 1987 from a Terylene fabric, manufactured by a New Zealand company called Windmaster, but Windmaster are no longer in existence. In 2003 I decided to order a new mainsail from Gowan as the old one was looking a little unsightly and needed quite a bit of re-stitching work, and I thought 16 years of service was pretty good. The new sail was made from contender 9.52 us. oz high aspect polypreg dacron. 4 years later in 2007 it was falling apart from solar degradation, the cloth easily tearing like paper. The next sail was made by Fareast Sails of Hongkong using 9.3oz Challenge Dacron. That sail also is now on its last legs and I have just put in an order for a new one using Contender Supercruise fabric. I have the proof on board that it is possible to make a sailcloth that is resistant to solar degradation but does anyone make it anymore?

Asking various sailmakers about the best cloth, some don't believe me about the age and use of the old sails, and often reply that getting 5 years out of a sail is good going! There is so much mis-information online that it seems impossible to get a reliable opinion. But the fact is that if there is no decent cloth there is no point in spending more than the minimum quote for a cruising sail that is not going to last more than a few years.
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Whimbrel's Photos - Main
Images from our 2013 crossing from Gran Canaria to Bequia via Cape Verde Islands
6 Photos
Created 21 December 2013