Another Rowan 22

Went out late yesterday evening and moored to a buoy off Fambridge Yacht Station. About an hour later, just after the sun set a dark blue hulled Rowan 22' moored to the buoy adjacent to me. Lovely looking boat with what looked like an Association pennant.

Here she is the next morning. After a good nights rest we went up to Battlesbridge, it is getting very shallow up there now so only for spring tides when the next tide is higher!

Projects and short trip report

So the fore hatch is the next job he thinks that he can improve, read all about it in the projects page.

A recent overnighter to the Roach found us being followed by a baby seal.  There were about thirty mother and pup pairs on the mud in the area which is more than I can remember in previous years.

We were sailing / drifting through Pagelsham Reach and a baby seal caught up with us and hung around for a few minutes. I think that my owner is a bit concerned that this pup is too young to be away from its mother and while the photos are cute it may not be a story with a happy ending!

Maldon trip

Not sure how to do this but I am trying to attach a file  which if you open in Google Earth shows where I went this weekend.

Not sure how or why but the Navionics chart plotter on my mobile phone works again!?!?

I sailed from Bridgemarsh to the anchorage just off Osea Island before I activated the tracker on my mobile. The achnorage was very busy with lots of people waiting for the tide to make it up Mayland Creek. So first of all I visited Maylandsea. Very tidal, 1 hr either side of HW. 



After this little excursion it was too late to go up to Maldon and mooring there is almost impossible so I decided to leave it until high water on Sunday. I tried to find deep water to anchor off Heybridge which wasn't in the channel. 



In the end I gave up, used a buoy and prepared for a night lying on a bulkhead. Deepest mooring resulted in 4 hours nestled in the forecabin. Not too bad. 

Next morning I was up early to take the tide up to Maldon. There were a large number of Thames Barges, most had BSBM 2013 pennants which I assume is some sort of rally. 



I caught Repertor in the sun.



I made it up to the top of Maldon before my camera battery ran out.



On my way back I kept pace with Niagara, she looks like a new steel hull. she went off to the Thames estuary and I went back to the Crouch. 

A good trip all in all, nothing broke and boat went well.

Not sure how this post will turn out, Photobucket etc and Preview function isn't working on my machine. 

End of the Engine Project

We went sailing today, the engine alignment wasn't brilliant but it seemed good enough for my owner. Anyway, great to get some air in my sails and visit the seals in Yorksfleet creek. I enjoyed the cleaning as far as it went, if he finishes the rest of it I'll feel great. The engine seems OK, a lot less vibration than my old concrete mixer.

Spot of Luck update

Well, he made it back from the Med. It was, by all accounts, quite an adventure. If you want to know more sign up to 'small boat club', http://smallboatclub.proboards.com and look for the longest thread in its history + 'voyage of a lifetime' thread.

Anyway, I am back in the water, my stern gland is slowly dripping and for once I hope I see my owner before the water reaches my new engine. Hopefully he'll be back this weekend. It almost sounds like I miss him.

Ready for launch 2013, at last

After two long days, one with a friend, my owner has finally got me ready for launching. Yet again another strange colour of anti-fouling. Polish was not finished and apart from some fresh bright work and a replacement engine I feel really scruffy. I hope he has done the stern gear up nice a tight as I don't want to sink! For progress on the engine see the projects section.

A Spot of Luck

It's freezing and my illustrious owner seems to be keeping warm while I am covered in snow and frost. Engine project is going as well as all of the others, its at a stand still.  Now I hear that he has had a spot of luck.

He is off to the Med for a holiday around the Balearics, Corsica and over to Italy. Through his musings on SBC he has landed a trip on a relaxed yacht delivery. Here's hoping the owner and skipper can instill some sense, I just hope that he doesn't like the warm weather, lack of tides and mud banks too much. On second thoughts if he does he might find me a new, more caring owner!

Warm Weather

End of the warm weather is about to hamper his efforts to give me a 'heart transplant'. St Jude being his patron saint, my owner is trying to re-power me so it should be interesting to watch. The story is unfolding in the Projects page.