BRISTOL SAILING ASSOCIATION

Newsletter June 2015

Contacts:Kath Liddiard (Commodore)01443 227928

Jock Playle (Secretary)0117 973 8855

Becky Goddard (Treasurer) 01749 346818

Future Trips

Jeff Birkin will skipper a week’s trip from Milford Haven, aiming for the east coast of Ireland on Sunday July 5th – Sunday 12th. A Jeanneau 36i ‘Kalel’ (which Jeff has sailed before and really liked) has been booked. This is now fully booked and paid.

1.2Gordon Ogden will skipper the Bavaria 44 ‘Bertie’ from Plymouth for a long weekend on July 16th – 20th. This is fully booked and paid.

1.3Having successfully arranged to charter a yacht from Plymouth Sailing School for racing, Alan Howells will skipper the Helford to l’Aber Wrac’h race on June 26/27th. As in previous years there will be a cruise in Brittany following the race, so the charter will be from Wednesday June 24th to Friday July 3rd. The race crew is complete, and it is fully paid.

1.4A weekend trip has been requested for early September, this may be from Plymouth, skippered by Alan Howells, who will confirm a date in due course. Alan will also skipper a weekend in October requested by several members.

1.5BSA members have been offered the opportunity to sail on the PYC yacht ‘Quartette’ during her summer cruise on the east coast. Two weeks are available, July 25 – Aug 1 and Aug 1 – 8. These will be based at Suffolk Yacht Harbour on the River Orwell. Costs are £35 per weekday and £55 per day at weekends. Chris Watts will skipper the first week, with space for one or two more crew. Chris has submitted a passage plan to sail between Lowestoft and the Kent Coast. There are also 2 or 3 crew places available for the second week.

2.Recent Trips

At the June meeting there were reports by Alan Howells and Jeff Birkin, the ‘nominal’ skippers of the two boats for the cross-Channel skippering experience trip for members aiming to achieve RYA skipper qualifications, when each leg of the trip was skippered by a different crew member. Brian Adams added a subsidiary report on one leg of his trip. Gordon Ogden gave a short report of the first stage this year of Ros Bennet’s sail for charity from Bristol back to her home port in Cornwall. Here are all these reports.

We have also had Julia and Chris Wallace’s first report of sailing ‘Aremiti’ from her winter berth in Crete. This report ‘Aremiti in May’ is included with posted versions of this newsletter, and attached as a separate file with email versions. Bob Hayes was with them for the first few days and had sent his report, but this is all covered in the one from Julia and Chris.

Trip on Viola, skippered by Alan Howells

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Trip on Loxley B, skippered by Jeff Birkin

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Brian Adams had the misfortune to be at the helm during the first night when they were still trying to head west of south into the rising wind, and he has added the following, describing his personal experience during those three hours.

And now for some of the more eventful things. This trip started at the 4 or 5 passage planning meetings Arranged by Bill, at the Port of Call pub, in Clifton. Attendance by the incumbent skippers, when available, for obtaining a 60 mile trip for their log books. This was very encouraging as passage planning was beginning to take shape after lots of chips and a few pints of ale.

After several meetings with lots of input and discussion by the various up and coming skippers, a plan was beginning to come forth, As far as I was aware. It was to Alderney, with an emergency Cherbourg visit if conditions did not favour.  I had to hastily arrange a days holiday as it was decided to be at Hamble point for the  high water at 1400hrs and use the out going tide to enable us all to sail west out past the Needles.

Eventually we left Bristol. Jeff Birkin myself and Chris Baxendale around 1230 hrs with an intention of arriving in time to enable what was discussed at the pre passage plan meetings and sail from Hamble Point to catch the outgoing tide.

Well as we all know for one reason or another best plans go astray.

We were delayed slightly by a motorway closure. But with Jeffs' superb rally driving, and a navigator, namely myself, who could not keep up with him. We got on M4 at Swindon to arrive at Hamble approximately 1500 hours. To find the rest of the crew in the marina bar. All the best plans etc etc,

As Jeff said in his report we finally got under way at 1850 hrs.

The forecast was easterly going round to southerly winds 4/5 rising to 6/7,

Bearing in mind the previous week we had been lashed with 50 /55 mile hour gale winds the trip was not looking promising as the sea state was always to be not good. As Jeff indicated we set sail and conditions were fair, considering the previous week’s gales. Alas, not for long.

When I surfaced for my 1100 hrs till 0200 shift it was as black as black could be, all you could see were the white crests breaking near the boat, with waves 3 to 4 metres. It felt like more. Needless to say we were all strapped on with safety lines, the sea state was as you can imagine rough, very rough. We were all being tossed around like a small cork in a large washing machine. 

When I took the helm, it took me a while to get use to steering into oblivion, not being able to see the waves or how they were breaking, but with the boat set up expertly by Jeff and the crew earlier, three reefs in the main and very little Genoa she sailed and responded very well. After a couple of 360 degree pirouettes I eventually become use to not trying, to compensate for the swell and the crashing waves that you could not see. 

To me, it really felt I was sailing blind. It did not help as the compass binnacle light was not working. But that was maybe a good thing, as the plotter light, set to its lowest luminance seemed to blind you. Again, hindering your visibility even further. I eventually conquered the wheel, seated, holding the wheel and keeping my hand against my leg and not even allowing the wheel to move, she stayed on course and into the wind without any further pirouettes. With the cockpit canopy giving you some respite against the weather, we sailed on into the black black night being tossed about avoiding the constant stream of ships going east to west.

It turns out for me sea sickness is still horrible, even after some 3000 miles over the last 15 years it finally got to me again. It rendered 3 of our crew out of action for a large part of our cross channel trip. Putting more pressure on the less affected crew.

I personally would to thank Dougal and the two Jeffs who were able to with stand the longer shifts, seas and all it was throwing at us.

 

I have to say it was a crossing, 22 hours long, one of which I would not like to have to endure again and having read no 16 of Tom Cunnliffes 200 top tips for skippers, I think it would be prudent to heed his advise and stay in the pub or go to a good cinema and wait for more favourable conditions. Why put to sail at night with a long crossing and a rising forecast like that.

Nevertheless, the whole trip improved the whole time we were away, especially the restaurant in Cherbourg, highly recommended, le.Plouc tucked away in a little courtyard behind the big church facing the marina.

Food, drink, sunshine, good company and to cap it all we had an excellent crossing coming back, sunshine, force 3 winds with some mandatory man over board exercise with Jeff’s new device which proves to be a great idea.

According to our log. Nautical miles covered 395

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Trip on Demelza, skippered by Ros Bennet

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