Have you been out today?

For general discussion about the Cape Cutter 19

Mouse Island and Cape Artimiso, Evia....

Postby Chris Wicks » Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:52 pm

It's great having Kaliope 4km down the hill in the harbour from our house. We day sail perhaps 3 times a week and often with our visitors at Olive Store Cottage... Today we went for a sail to Mouse Island (Pondiconisi) from our harbour in Platanias. It was a steady f4 to 5 reach and broad reach. Admittedly a little over canvassed with full main, yankee and jib, but we were flying. There is a small sheltered bay on the island perfect for a swim and picnic. I did put a reef in the main on our return leg beating initially towards Skopelos in a good F4 then sailing close hauled back to Platanias with 1 meter short waves until we found the lee of the Pelion peninsular. It was a fabulous sail. Interestingly our friends (from Chichester) are not sailors and apart from some very gentle Kaliope sailing last year have never had a proper sail like today. Sunshine, warm water and plenty of spray! Fabulous. I remain a firm convert to the yankee sail.... My Genoa is in very good condition but I can't see using it again. I guess my friendly Chichester sail maker could cut it down to a yankee or is this too difficult ... Any ideas? (assuming anyone would read this post to the end!) Happy days !!:)
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Postby SimonW » Tue Jul 08, 2014 10:30 pm

Went out yesterday with my eldest, 12-14 knots an a flattish sea. Still learning the boat and sails, but made a maximum of 5.2 knots upwind which seems pretty good for a 19 foot boat.

Sailed beautifully, although dropping the Yankee and using the staysail and main improved the pointing a fair bit.

Delightful sail.
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Kielder

Postby Dennis » Thu Jul 10, 2014 9:56 am

Fabulous sail yesterday on Kielder Water.

Wind F3-4 NW, unusual direction for Kielder. But very fickle, with some enormous wind shifts and gusts to keep things interesting.

Constant sunshine making the water sparkle, warm temperatures and plenty of other yachts out for company. :)

Single reef in mainsail + staysail + yankee (most of the time) made for a stress free experience in the conditions.

24 Nm covered with a max of 5.9 kts and an average of 3.6 kts.
Cheers

Dennis

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Minnie keeps going.

Postby ianrmaciver » Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:03 pm

Back to Amble , and on 11th July we set off for Holy Island. Before starting we inflated the dinghy and towed it for the next few legs . Using the two towing eyes on short lines worked well.
About 10 miles north of Amble is The Ship Inn , Low Newton. Entry into a sheltered bay is straightforward , and it gave us a chance to practice our anchor routine as well as dinghy boarding.
The bad news was the pub stopped serving food at 14.00....so no crab sandwiches for us...however the beer was good.
Carrying on to Holy Island , the wind dropped so we motored for a couple of hours arriving at 19.00 . On cue a brisk SE followed us in and a very turbulent ebb tide out. A bit spooked at the prospect of anchoring on a lee shore , we shuffled about and finally tossed the hook over , settling about 50 metres from the shore in the Heugh. The wind was F5 ish so we sat for a while to confirm the anchor was set.
Finally happy we took the inflatable ashore....on the end of a line in case the wind increased further. A brisk walk into the village to find that food service stops at 20.00.....so a packet of crisps , a pint and back to the boat.
The wind had reduced but we still used the line to pull ourselves on board.
There was a wailing choir of seals across the water who kept singing into the night.....we probably saw 100 seals in the water and more on the beach.
In the morning....first night at anchor in Minnie...off to Eyemouth.
Amble is a great marina and a terrific spot for a couple of days sailing with plenty of advice from the marina staff, with the Farne Islands , the anchorage at Newton and Holy Island within 20 miles . It must be just a short trip from Kielder , and no midges.
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Postby erbster » Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:24 pm

Sounds like a great adventure. The CC anchor seems really well designed- it has great holding, especially on mud/silt, providing there's plenty of scope. I know how you must have felt, having spend a rather sleepless night myself, not sure if the hook will hold.

Looking forward to the next instalment.
Charles Erb
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Holy Island heading North to Anstruther

Postby ianrmaciver » Mon Jul 21, 2014 11:17 am

The Heugh was flat calm on the morning of the 12th....seals still singing!!
The two anchoring options we considered in Holy Island Harbour were the pool below the Heugh...near to St Cuthberts Island and the Ouse. The Ouse was dried out by the time we arrived ......and we had been warned that the anchorage there was fouled....it looked the place for maximum shelter , but you would need thigh boots to wade ashore . Ouse by name and nature.
Raising the anchor was straightforward and the "trip line " we set was not required.
No wind so we motored the 20 miles to Eyemouth , mooring up on the quay pontoon. The HM was very helpful and the showers welcome....and the pub served food.
Next day motored out , Westerly F3/4 set reefed main and staysail. Rounded St Abbs Head and headed for Anstruther , or as neat as we could point. Busy day as we shook out the genoa , then full main ,then 1 reef , then 2 reefs , then wind dropped to zero at 16.00. Started motoring and packed the sails away.....thankyou lazyjacks.....just in time for the wind to veer NW and go F5/6. The tide meant we had to get into Anstruther pdq so we motored past the Isle of May....arriving at 18.45.
The marina comprises mud berths on pontoon....hardish mud so no fin keels. After mooring up we found we were locked in...requires a key , which is available during office hours ....on a Sunday....not really available. I had phoned on Sat and Sun morning but no reply. Managed to borrow a key , showers not really available , so off for a pint and an early night .
Found the HM in the morning , he was quite helpful , just constrained by local authority working hours and not the tides.
Leaving in the morning was a further stage in our education.
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Anstruther to Arbroath

Postby ianrmaciver » Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:00 pm

Up at 06.00 we breakfasted and decided to move on to the harbour wall near the entrance.....so escaping the drying harbour. The HM arrived at 07.45 and thought we would be ok if we left by 09.00...so a quick wash and a cup of coffee and we cast off at 08.40.....immediately grounding.....despite heroic efforts by the crew who waded to position the kedge anchor we were stuck.
20 mins later we could walk ashore.....stroll into town....have a shower.....an early lunch and walk back to the boat.
Carefully positioned the kedge anchor to guide us into the deepest part of the channel ( about 6 ft wide ) and waited. The tide came in fast....from the first water touching the boat to floating off less than 30 mins..
The walk into town had allowed time to look at a Fifie.....a two masted lug sail fishing boat from the late 19th century. It was dry , against the wall with 4 men repairing / caulking the hull.....we saw a similar one in Arbroath and the local ship builder said the masts weigh several tons.
So...tail between our legs we sneaked out of the harbour and set sail for Arbroath at 12.15 . Sailing for a couple of hours we passed Fife Ness with one reef then full main then motor sailing to keep the speed up , before finally motoring the last 2.5 hours. The issue at Arbroath is that the marina gates shut at half tide , the alternative being a drying out harbour filled with fishing / potting boats.
Whilst motoring we were accompanied for 30 mins by a large dolphin....solitary and only surfacing every 3 or 4 minutes....not the usual dolphin exuberance .
Arriving at 18.30 VHF 11 got the harbour staff who met us , handed over a key and gave the shower codes......Arbroath is also a local authority harbour working "office hours " but with a weather eye on the tides.
The forecast for 15th included F6 , and as the next leg to Stonehaven is 30 miles to a drying harbour and the leg to Peterhead a further 35 miles......with little in the way of "bailout" ports on the way we prepared to retire for 2014.
I collected the car / trailer from Amble....3 hours train ..4 hours driving and talked to the HM re. slipways. There is one ...very shallow slope .....lots of debris ...so we talked to Mackay Boatbuilders.....very helpful....who lifted us out at 08.00 on 16th..
Started driving at 11.30 , having packed up in a full scotch mist , arrived home at 23.30......460 miles.....having been diverted off the A1 at Morpeth ,
Grantham to Stamford , and several miles around Biggleswade .
We will resume next spring , all being well , and after a couple of weeks to tidy up , I think a spell on the East Coast.
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Norfolk Broads

Postby bellalistair » Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:37 pm

Spent a good week with Tystie on the Northern Broads week before last. Launched at Wayford Marine, good slip and space to leave the car and trailer on the grass. Boats everywhere but slip itself not busy.
Worked our way round much of the north broads, didn't go below Acle bridge but did transit Ludham, Wroxham and Potter Heigham all with no trouble, raising and lowering several times in a week does wonders for your technique! Potter Heigham bridge seems far more effective than I remember at filtering out the hire cruisers, superb quiet sailing upstream. Saw Vedette and her owner at Potter, we both had the "hang on, that's a Cape Cutter" moment at the same time.
Plenty of Kingfishers and we caught an otter unawares upstream of Horning whilst ghosting along in a very gentle evening breath of air (you couldn't call it wind). Other times there was a strong breeze, including "severe weather" being from the northwest we hadn't noticed apparent 40mph gusts (not sure I believe that) and had been sailing through the reeds fully reefed albeit in rather nasty squally conditions. It was only when we stopped and visited a nature trail that was "Closed due to severe weather" that we realised there were branches down, ooops!

Best of all we managed to avoid the queues on the A1, both there and back the opposite carriageway was stationary, lucky escape there.

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Postby ianrmaciver » Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:21 pm

Alistair ,
Sounds like a great trip and one I would like to do , apart from the up and down mast activities.
What is your "technique" , and don't say you've got one of those ultra light carbon fibre masts.
Do you anchor , moor , tie up outside the pub or are there boatyards / marinas.

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Postby bellalistair » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:44 pm

Was indeed a good trip, we have a standard Honnor marine mast so raising and lowering is a brute force and ignorance approach. Lift from the cockpit controlled from about half way up by the genoa halyard with the bowsprit in position. (Waterstay clipped to the trailer when on land.)
On the water a trade off is needed since stern to wind makes the mast easier but results in sail trouble. Leaving one bridge under staysail alone we only just got steerage in time to avoid the boat moored in front. In Norfolk the bridges have dedicated sailing craft mast raising/lowering moorings either side so no need to raise/lower on the go. Leave that to the (huge) wherries and occasional nutters racing!

As for overnight stops on the Broads I made some large wooden pegs and a metal stake to substitute for rond anchors but we never used them, nor the anchor. Each night was spent at Broads Authority free moorings which usually consist of shoring and a wooden edge to the bank with rings or posts for lines. Everywhere from village staithes to the complete middle of nowhere and shown on the OS Explorer map (though the moorings shown as free between Horning and Wroxham are very busy and mostly chargeable). Actually one night was spent at Horsey Windpump which is private and a few quid but that's worth it for the location, well away from the hullabaloos with their motor cruisers and with a very nice pub across the field.
Anchors are used, mudweights actually, but we didn't this time, definitely worth remember a tripping line though.

Cheers,

Alistair
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