(Thursday)
With the tide on the turn shortly after eight, there was no particular need for an early start so we didn't make one!
In fact, Jane didn't start at all (she would finally emerge form the forecabin just as I was shaping up to anchor!
With the wind firmly in the East and gusting up to F5, I put the first reef in the main before slipping. Although there would be times when I was tempted to shake it out, it does take the sting out of the gusts and makes life easier
It was a beautiful morning as I motored downriver with George II at the helm. He's working but I need to calibrate and set him up properly. Once I'd tidied away the lines and fenders I looked aloft and reckoned it worth a go at sailing.
Up with the main, out with the genoa and away we went. Apart from Cliff Reach, which I could fetch the length of, it was short tacking all the way. In the moorings at Burnham it was several very short tacks indeed.
Although it had clouded over, it was a pleasant day and I was enjoying myself. However, it was going to be a long slog down the Whitaker to the Spitway and I binned my original plan to head for West Mersea and headed into the Roach instead
With the ebb tide now against me and the wind astern, we never the less made steady progress upriver. The entrance to our favourite anchorage isn't wide and I rolled away the genoa and ghosted in under main alone.
Picking a suitable spot on the Eastern side, I scandalised the main and, with the engine running to boost the batteries, dropped anchor in 3m putting out about 12m of chain.
Jane cooked up a full English brunch after which we idled around and snoozed for an hour or two.
With the tide now on the flood, I ran out the rest of the anchor chain. With my best guess of 5m of rise (which would prove to be a slight overestimate) that would give us about a 5:1 scope. Less would likely do but more doesn't hurt and with an electric windlass it's no great effort
Then it was time for chores. Jane tidied and cleaned in the cabin whilst I sluiced the mud that had come up out of the chain locker off the decks and gave them a good scrub
Both burners on the cooker needing filling and we've got two bottles of ethanol left now so we've used 8 litres so far this season.
Then we had a play with the MOB gear. It takes longer than you might expect even just to heave the horseshoe buoy and Dan Buoy off the stern rail. And my best effort with the heaving line barely cleared thirty feet!
We followed that with a rehearsal of making a DSC Mayday call. That went OK too but fingers crossed none of it will ever be necessary! Much the better idea is not to fall off the boat in the first place.
Whilst we were at it, I fetched the PLB out of the grab bag and ran a battery and gps test on it. Been meaning to do it, now it's done! This also gave Jane a chance to run through the procedure for using it again.
Tinned stew and potatoes for dinner was followed by rice pudding and then we watched a programme on i-player before retiring for the night
All in all a very pleasant and relaxing day. I could get used to this!
With the tide on the turn shortly after eight, there was no particular need for an early start so we didn't make one!
In fact, Jane didn't start at all (she would finally emerge form the forecabin just as I was shaping up to anchor!
With the wind firmly in the East and gusting up to F5, I put the first reef in the main before slipping. Although there would be times when I was tempted to shake it out, it does take the sting out of the gusts and makes life easier
It was a beautiful morning as I motored downriver with George II at the helm. He's working but I need to calibrate and set him up properly. Once I'd tidied away the lines and fenders I looked aloft and reckoned it worth a go at sailing.
Up with the main, out with the genoa and away we went. Apart from Cliff Reach, which I could fetch the length of, it was short tacking all the way. In the moorings at Burnham it was several very short tacks indeed.
Although it had clouded over, it was a pleasant day and I was enjoying myself. However, it was going to be a long slog down the Whitaker to the Spitway and I binned my original plan to head for West Mersea and headed into the Roach instead
With the ebb tide now against me and the wind astern, we never the less made steady progress upriver. The entrance to our favourite anchorage isn't wide and I rolled away the genoa and ghosted in under main alone.
Picking a suitable spot on the Eastern side, I scandalised the main and, with the engine running to boost the batteries, dropped anchor in 3m putting out about 12m of chain.
Jane cooked up a full English brunch after which we idled around and snoozed for an hour or two.
With the tide now on the flood, I ran out the rest of the anchor chain. With my best guess of 5m of rise (which would prove to be a slight overestimate) that would give us about a 5:1 scope. Less would likely do but more doesn't hurt and with an electric windlass it's no great effort
Then it was time for chores. Jane tidied and cleaned in the cabin whilst I sluiced the mud that had come up out of the chain locker off the decks and gave them a good scrub
Both burners on the cooker needing filling and we've got two bottles of ethanol left now so we've used 8 litres so far this season.
Then we had a play with the MOB gear. It takes longer than you might expect even just to heave the horseshoe buoy and Dan Buoy off the stern rail. And my best effort with the heaving line barely cleared thirty feet!
We followed that with a rehearsal of making a DSC Mayday call. That went OK too but fingers crossed none of it will ever be necessary! Much the better idea is not to fall off the boat in the first place.
Whilst we were at it, I fetched the PLB out of the grab bag and ran a battery and gps test on it. Been meaning to do it, now it's done! This also gave Jane a chance to run through the procedure for using it again.
Tinned stew and potatoes for dinner was followed by rice pudding and then we watched a programme on i-player before retiring for the night
All in all a very pleasant and relaxing day. I could get used to this!
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