Old Gaffers' Annual Race and Rally 2012

For something like 54 years old gaffers have gathered in the Solent for a race and rally.  This year the event started in Lymington on Friday evening, with a race to Island Harbour on the Medina on Saturday.  Toucando's crew on this occasion all happened to be based on the Isle of Wight.  They came over on the Red Jet on Friday morning and joined Toucando at Shamrock Quay for lunch before we set off.  We motor sailed most of the way (there wasn't a great deal of wind, and as usual it was from the wrong direction), although we did do a bit of sailing in the western Solent.  We were also slightly hampered by the lack of a staysail - it is being serviced by SO31, who are putting on a new UV strip.  We had a comfortable passage and crept into the Lymington River between the large ferries which ply between the mainland and Yarmouth.  We saw a lone gaffer sailing out by a minor channel as we went past the Enticott starboard post:

We got to the Dan Bran pontoon where we moored alongside Rula (Aeolus later moored outside us).  We were just in time to get ready to go ashore for our evening meal of fish pie at the Lymington Town Sailing Club.  There were a few announcements about the race, some music from a local band, and from the gaffers increasingly good shanty singers.

We were not taking part in the race, which meant we could have a leisurely start in the morning, enjoying the fine weather on the pontoon.

We were joined by John, a friend of Carole and Paul, so we had four on board when we set off.  It was a light airs morning.  We got the sails hoisted east of Lymington and had a good couple of hours sailing in the western Solent, practising tacks and gybes, and being carried ever closer to our destination by the rising tide.

Eventually the tide dropped to virtually nothing, and we were happy to drift while we had lunch enjoying the view of other gaffers trying to race.

 We dropped the sails off Gurnard and motored into the Medina.  Island Harbour has a lock, and because we wanted maximum flexibility regarding departure times we decided to moor on one of  the Folly Inn's pontoons.

John, Carole, Paul and Andrew aboard Toucando at the Folly

We caught the water taxi ashore and joined the festivities at Island Harbour... starting off with some excellent beer aboard Susan J, a 28' Falmouth Working Boat. Like Toucando her hull was built by Martin Heard of Gaffers and Luggers in Mylor, and also like Toucando the remaining work was done elsewhere.  Mike and Dan Shaw (respectively the National and Area Presidents of the Old Gaffers' Association) sailed Susan J around the UK and actually saw Toucando being built in Howth.



After the boat party we went to the Breeze Restaurant, where prizes were awarded, Miss Ningi an 18' open boat skippered by Bernard Bowes, coming first overall.  We enjoyed a chilli and were entertained by a bluesy cover band.  Eventually we caught the water taxi back to Toucando's pontoon.

On Sunday we left the Medina in very light winds and motored round to Osborne Bay where we dropped the anchor, enjoyed the view and had lunch.  Whilst we were doing so the wind gradually picked up, to a Force 4 in the bay, which meant it would be stronger out of the lee of the island.  We raised the hook and motored back home in a Force 5, gusting 6,with a couple of slight showers thrown in.  The main excitement on the way back was some high speed air sea rescue activity at close quarters (practice we presume).

We got back to the Itchen and returned to Toucando's home pontoon.  Thank you to Carole and Paul (and John on Saturday) for being an excellent crew.

Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival 2012

For me this is one of the best events of the summer: it's an annual gathering of traditional boats at Yarmouth, a small harbour town at the west end of the Isle of Wight. Although the boats are at the centre of things it's a festival for the whole town and beyond.  There is an international street market, craft tent, vintage car rally, entertainers, dogshow, lifeboat display, etc..

Toucando was joined in Southampton by Lesley and Carole on Thursday.  After some lunch on board and familiarisation with the ropes, we set off.  The wind was variable.  It started off in the north, went round to the south, then the south east, then the south west.  The only consistent thing about it was that it tended to blow from the direction we wanted to go.  We raised the main off Dockhead in a blustery Force 4 to 5 from the south east and motor sailed down to Calshot.  Once in the Solent we were able to start beating down towards Yarmouth,  but  by this stage the wind had dropped and backed to south west and we were not making very fast progress.  The crew however got pretty efficient at tacking.  We completed the passage in very light winds arriving in Yarmouth at about 1930.

After securing Toucando we went for a barbecue and were joined by Carole's husband.  Unfortunately the lawn at the Royal Solent has been turned into a builders' compound so we were in the shed at the back of the car park.  Nevertheless it was good to meet up with the gaffers again.

Friday was shore-based... there was plenty to see.  Toucando seemed to enjoy being on one of Yarmouth's new walkashore pontoons between some Memorys including Sepia and Nipperkin.

In the evening the shore entertainment was laid on by Rob Da Bank or Radio 1 and Bestival fame. 
He does a lot of stuff on the Island and brings a new dimenstion to Friday night at Yarmouth.  Cuban Brothers were headlining, but my recommendation for top band was Skinny Lister.  This five piece sings folk songs, shanties and their own material, while passing around a couple of earthenware cider jugs.  It's about time for another folk revival, and Skinny Lister brings a new energy and enthusiasm to the genre.  Best of all they seem to attract a young following who belt out the choruses with real enthusiasm.

Saturday was the day of the race.  Since Toucando will not race until a regular crew has been found I enjoyed spectating from the end of Yarmouth Pier.  Despite the blue skies it had blown a gale overnight and was very blustery in the morning.  Most of the small boats decided to stay in harbour.  Miss Ningi bravely ventured out, had a brilliant start, but had to return when waves started flooding her.  The crowd repeatedly opined that it was "blowing old boots" and that (most of) the competitors were "going like a train".  I haven't the faintest idea who won, but it all looked good.

I decided to give the Abba, Queen and Rod Stewart tribute bands a miss on Saturday night... or at least listen to them from Toucando.

The homeward crew comprised Lesley and Michele.  The wind had dropped considerably.  We sailed quite slowly up the western Solent and Southampton Water.  It was very crowded as youy might exect for the first really warm weekend of the sailing season.  We got back to Toucando's home berth on the Itchen at about 1430.

Thanks to Carole, Lesley and Michele for crewing and miscellaneous old gaffers for the benefit of their advice.