Kingfisher is finally taken away

Seals, lifeboat and lifeboat house

Second sail of the season. A fairly strong and gusty SW wind. I got out to the point in a couple of tacks, took some photos of the newly restored exterior of the lifeboat house and then set off to far point. There were quite a few seals on the shore and in the sea. A lifeboat swung into the harbour briefly. I had a fast and slightly hairy broad reach back to the pit, a swift reach past the finishing race and managed to get up the cut in a couple of tacks.

View from inside the lifeboat house:

View from the new walkway

A lifeboat breezed in and quickly out again

There were a goodly number of seals

Speeding towards the lifeboat house

Caught on webcam going out...

...and coming in

I should have a GPS trace

Hail the first sail of the season!

It was a wet-suit day for the first sail of the season. It was a gusty N-NW wind which meant a tricky tack out of the cut. I sailed towards the point, minding my own business and keeping out of the way of the race when a hailstorm hit us.

I headed out to the pit but decided not to go any further as there was no one else about and it could have got dodgy in squally conditions

Instead, I had a long, fast reach all the way to the Cley channel to the junction with the old and new cut near the beach road. I tried to stop but it was tricky in the gusts so I just headed back  - at quite a rate.

 It being the first sail of the seaon there were bound to be a few teething problems. The most irritating was that I hadn't rigged my usual bungy centreboard downhaul so had to make a lash-up with one of my essential 'bits of string'

I reached towards buoy 6 and then sailed back with the leaders of the last race with an exciting run down the cut which wasn't quite as hairy as I was fearing.

I should have a GPS trace

Zephyr on her mooring

She could do with a pump-out but should be OK with her new mooring equipment.

Zephyr's new 'Ground Tackle'

This view shows the outer stake position before being driven home under the water/sand, the masonry block is roughly where the inner stake is located.

Detail of inner stake before being driven home and before the masonry block was buried. The wire has also been taken away. The masonry block is looped round the chain. The original block looks OK and was therefore re-used.

This view shows the chain running from the inner stake towards the outer stake, and the general location of the block - a little further out than before..

summary

Aug 19
W18
M&B to pinchen's with Chis (Laser) & Diane (Topper). Drifty to start so towed Topper to end of cut. M cooked breakfast. Wind was E then backed ENE so even though winds were light they were very good for minimising beating. Bent on the spinnaker - could have been handy on the way out.

Aug 7 2012
W17
Heather Solo. Bill, Richard & Eve Wanderer. No GPS. Went to see seals then landed on point opp lifeboat house. B&R brought coffee, H & E brought croissants, toast, salami, jam, marmite and sausage rolls!
Had a short walk to the top of the boardwalk. Wind SSW 3-4

Aug 6 2012
Mary, Bill and Chris in Wanderer. Wind 3 SW, GPS? To seals? Landed on point near lifeboat house and did short boardwalk. Managed to sail back without needed to tack up the cut.

Aug 5 2012
W16
Marsh Marathon! Sailed to mouth of Morston crekk to receive baton from Chris in her canoe after Rik swam/cycled/ran from the greasy pole. Wind wasn't brilliant at first to get to lifeboat house but probably quicker than canoeing. Sailed back to the point after handing baton back and saw the new plaque covered ready for unveiling in a few minutes but we didn't wait.

Aug 4 2012
W15
Morston regatta. Rik Solo, Bill & Chris in Wanderer. Went to the seals and then back to point opposite lifeboat house anchored. Went all the way along the boardwalk to the sea. Had to pull the boats most of the way up the creek in dying wind and hefty tide.

Aug 3 2012
Bill, Jenny & Chris in Wayfarer. Breakfast Wars at Stiffkey Freshes! Our Orange Juice, eggs, bacon, beans and waffles almost did the trick but the Sidgwicks upped their game and fried tomatoes, fried bread and gawd knows what else. We felt we held our end up though.

Aug 2 2012
W14
Fun week breakfast on the point. Jen & Rik in Solo, Mary & Bill in Predator. Solo went to see seals before joining others at Pinchen's Creek. Much banter about naked flames on the point. Joe, Jane, Susie, Seymours and Sidgewicks were there and went to see seals but we went sgtraight back.
(see diary for Jen's tale of exploits in Solo)

Aug 1 2012
BSC Fun Week day on the sands
Bill in Solo. Rik cycled/walked mid morning in time for rounders. Mary & Jen walked all the way in time for lunch. The others left soon aftger lunch while Bill faffed about with the others and there was the usual business of waiting for the tide in the pit as we set off too early as you do. quite strong wind.

July 31 2012
W13
Bill & Rik in short row/sail while NWNSA was drifting about. Only went to end of Cut and back


July 21 2012
Short and sharp solo sail

July 22 2012
W12
Mary & Bill in Wanderer to seals then to Pinchen's creek for cooked breakfast. Saw Betty's topper had drifted across creek.

Last sail of the summer?

Mary and Bill had a drifty sail in the Wanderer. There was hardly a breath of wind at first and very few starters (just an RS400 to begin with). We motored to beyond the committee boat and then had a spinnaker run to the east, tacked back and had another - fortunately we had the spinnaker set nicely when passing Sean!