Royal Clarence 14th and 15th September

Sail to Portsmouth Harbour next weekend... Southampton Sailing Club is organising a rally to Royal Clarence Marina in Gosport on 14th and 15th September.
Toucando will take part if crew is forthcoming and the weather is ok.  It's a relatively short trip, about three or four hours each way and we will be stating at the very attractive Royal Clarence, which was a victualling yard for the Victorian navy.
You would need to arrive at Kemp's Quay in Southampton promptly on Saturday morning (Friday evening would also be fine); and we will get back Sunday afternoon. Please message me if interested.

Autumn Plans

Toucando and I are enjoying a rest after completing our circumnavigation of Great Britain. I hope to do some weekend sailing in the autumn.  The events events which are in the calendar are:

• 6th-8th September: Solent Gaffers' Bembridge Rally
• 14th-15th September: Southampton Sailing Club Portsmouth Rally
• 20th-22nd September: Solent Gaffers' Centenary Chase (Yarmouth) Toucando will NOT be racing

I will only participate in these events if the weather is appropriate (i.e. I will not be motoring into adverse winds and tides for the sake of getting to a rally).  Toucando will start and finish in Southampton. Shared expenses will amount to a maximum of £25 per person per night covering mooring, fuel, food and snacks on board, but not meals ashore.

Other weekends (or short weekday trips) are possible. These are likely to be in the Solent or possibly to Poole or Chichester.  Daysails are also possible if the tides are right.  I hope to make occasional trips through to the end of October.

If you are interested please get in touch by email at toucando(at)citybeat(dot)org(dot)uk

Circumnavigation complete

At about 1430 this afternoon Toucando crossed her outward track near Calshot, thus (arguably) completing her circumnavigation of Great Britain via the Caledonian Canal. At 1630 she was at Shamrock Quay on the Itchen in the centre of Southampton and unarguably was back where she started on 4th May.
Thank you to all 24 of the people who crewed for me, to the skippers and crews of the other Round Britain Challenge boats, the national and local organisers of RBC and all the events ashore, all the harbour staff and others who helped get us round. And thank you to Toucando for looking after me and the crew.

I will be writing a post about the final sections of the voyage and the fantastic Jubilee Festival at Cowes... But for the moment I am just glad to be back at my home port having had an incredible voyage over the past three and a half months.



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Location:Bond Street,Southampton,United Kingdom

Cowes at last!!!

After a few frustrating days when our progress westward was hampered by strong winds, Toucando set out from Brighton on Wednesday morning at 0700. It was calm and pleasant. The objective for the day was to get to Cowes, so I could play my role as a committee member in preparing for the Jubilee Festival.


The sun rose behind us as we set off up the Channel.


We motored up past Shoreham, Worthing and Bognor, through the Looe Channel south of Selsey Bill and into the Solent. Suddenly there were yachts everywhere, not to mention oil tankers, ferries and other large shipping. It felt familiar territory. We went past the forts and Osborne Bay: then Cowes came into view.


The Yacht Haven was going to be given over to gaff rigged boats for a long weekend. Some had already arrived and their flags were fluttering in the breeze.


After the briefest of personal celebrations I was off to a committee meeting. We went and admired the decorations in the events hall: a great collection of sails and small boats.


We discussed the arrangements for the 225 boats we were expecting, the entertainment, hospitality and racing.


I was particularly pleased to see the printed copy of the festival magazine of which I was the editor.
Whilst the Jubilee Festival is the culmination of the OGA 50th anniversary, my personal circumnavigation will not be complete until I'm back in Southampton Water... indeed back in Southampton. Meanwhile I am looking forward to a weekend of celebrations. All the details will be posted here.
Anybody interested in gaffer racing should get to the Esplanade on Saturday. The race starts at 1100. If you would like to visit Toucando please phone, text, email or comment.


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Location:East Cowes,United Kingdom

Brighton

The day started at 0500 with the alarm sounding. We had breakfast and were ready to leave at 0600. Locked out of the marina into a pleasant English Channel. Raised the sails and had a very good sail round Beachy Head. The wind died away. The motor went on... Then it overheated. Not seaweed in the strainer on this occasion, but a broken impeller. We replaced it: thanks to Alex for engineering advice and Brian for keeping watch on deck. We set off for Brighton. The wind got stronger and stronger. Yet again we were trying to get somewhere against wind and tide. Progress was slow, but finally we made it into Brighton Marina. The English Channel is proving to be the most challenging part of this trip.


Eastbourne


Beachy Head


A moth catching a ride


Our route

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Location:Brighton,United Kingdom

Eastbourne

After an initially good sail we had a long slog against a westerly wind and have arrived in Eastbourne. That is all.


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Location:The Piazza,Eastbourne,United Kingdom

Monsieur Thibault to the Rescue

We had a pleasant trip to Boulogne marred only by an inability to start the engine when we wanted to enter the port. We'd enjoyed a pasta melange in the evening sub produced by Isabella.






When we tried to start the engine there was nothing. Our call to the harbour office was overheard by a Dutch yacht, which kindly towed us in. We had an interesting arrival alongside a Bavaria.


Fortunately almost everybody we met was an electrical or mechanical engineer, very happy to offer an opinion. One of them was actually able to get the motor started. Unfortunately as soon as the revs were reduced it stopped, making alternate forward and reverse propulsion impossible. To cut a long story short we sought the services of a local engineer who we named M. Thibault after the hero of the school French course two of us had done many years ago.


If you did the course you will recall he was an ingeneur. After some initial pessimistic shrugging Mr T proved to be brilliant.
The problem proved a little more complex than originally thought, but only required a nut, a bolt and a small washer to resolve. Thereafter we enjoyed a pleasant day of sightseeing in Boulogne.


















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Location:Strond Street,Dover,United Kingdom

Nous sommes arrivée

We are in Boulogne. We had a pleasant motor sail from Ramsgate, and a rather eventful but ok arrival. More will be told later. For the time being I will just say that there is a mechanical problem requiring a solution.


Dover and the white cliffs


The crew working hard


Cap Gris Nez


Approaching Boulogne

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Location:Quai Chanzy,Boulogne,France

Destination Rrrrrramsgate

We're in Rrrrrramsgate. On Thursday we made an early start and headed out of Ipswich through the open lock. Under the Orwell Bridge, past Woolverstone and Pin Mill. We got the mainsail up in the Orwell, motor sailed through Felixstowe Docks, past Harwich and out to sea.
Our route took us down Black Deep and through Fisherman's Gat (I love the names of the banks and channels in the Thames Estuary).








We had a few hours of good sailing, but a south easterly was not the best wind direction for a passage to Rrrrrramsgate.
We finished up motoring past North Foreland and Broadstairs arriving in Royal Harbour at about 1930, and mooring on the special pontoon for old and interesting vessels.


North Foreland: the northeast tip of Kent


Toucando moored by the Maritime Museum
A water colour of the pier and lighthouse has hung on my parents' wall for many years: I was pleased to see the scene is still recognisable.





Why Rrrrrramsgate? My day skipper instructor rolled his Rs when talking of this destination, and somehow it seems right.

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Location:Military Road,Ramsgate,United Kingdom

Sojourn in Ipswich

After two and a half months sailing I was happy enough to stay in Ipswich for a while doing a little spring cleaning aboard Toucando and some essential admin.
"Ipswich is much better than it used to be," opined some people at a gig at The Thomas Wolsey pub, "Especially St Peter's Street and the Quayside." The old industrial and harbour buildings have now been transformed into apartments, bars and restaurants. There is a surprising number of medieval houses amongst the town centre streets. Some churches have been turned into arts venues and tourist information centres. Between doing chores on the boat I have enjoyed visiting some local pubs, looking round the amazing Tudor Christchurch Mansion and the classic Victorian style museum. Day trips included a visit to the Gaffers after the East Coast Race at Brightlingsea and to family in Harwich.
A rest from sailing has been no bad thing, but now I am looking forward to setting sail on Thursday: Destination Ramsgate.


The Quayside at Ipswich


Christchurch Mansion


The Thomas Wolsey


Brightlingsea


Air sea rescue demonstration at Harwich Maritime Festival


A lively sea at the breakwater in Harwich


A pair of Toucans at Ipswich Museum

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Location:Neptune Quay,Ipswich,United Kingdom

What next?

I am sitting at a quayside bar enjoying a ginger beer on a beautiful evening in Ipswich. I plan to stay here for the rest of the week (Ipswich, not the bar). I have some admin to catch up on and a few boat jobs need doing. The next fixture in Toucando's programme is the gaffers' event in Ramsgate on the weekend of 3rd/4th August. Anybody interested in a cruise from Ipswich to Ramsgate starting next weekend is invited to get in touch at: toucando(at)citybeat(dot)org(dot)uk
Intermediate ports of call could include various east coast destinations, London, or perhaps Ostend. After that it is the final passage of Round Britain to Cowes.


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Location:Neptune Quay,Ipswich,United Kingdom

Ipswich

Where did we get to ? Ah yes, Woolverstone. Mooring across the tide proved not to be such a good idea when it came to leaving. To begin we couldn't get off at all. This was a two biscuit problem, as we waited for the wind to come round and we could use the headsails to help blow us off. Great rafts of fine seaweed managed to block the ship's log (underwater speedometer), cooling water intake, and intake for seawater flushing of the heads (sea toilets). Apart from that everything was fine.
We motored up towards Ipswich, under the Orwell Bridge, to the waiting pontoon for the lock. We then locked in accompanied by various members of the gaffer fleet. The water in the lock was quite swirly, and our mooring lines groaned as we were swung this way and that.
Then we were in. We found our place amongst the fleet. Parents Donald and Audrey and family friend Christl came to visit. We had a light lunch before the crew and I went to the Old Customs House to be welcomed by the Deputy Mayor. We enjoyed wine and nibbles. Later we had a barbecue in The Last Anchor and were well entertained by David Ward and Mario Price who had a well judged repertoire of shanties, folk songs and classic rock and roll. They were both true virtuosi.
On Sunday I was visited by friends Anne, Isabella, Janey and Steve. They lounged on the deck enjoying frittata, cheese, salad and sourdough bread, followed by fruit. We watched the festivities in the dock: sailing and rowing races. We loaned Caley Toucan to Senja and friend. Then there was the rubber flubber football competition which was chaotic fun. Nobody drowned as far as I know. An evening of pontoon merriment followed. The Ipswich event had been a great success.


Approaching Ipswich


The lock is nearly ready to open


Our arrival (Photo: Barbara Runnalls)


Welcome by the Deputy Mayor


The crew mingling with the the gaffer crowd


Mario and David: our excellent band


The crowd


Sailing


Sculling


Caley Toucan taking part in the blindfold rowing race









Rubber flubber football: the Netherlands won 4-3


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Location:Common Quay,Ipswich,United Kingdom