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