Monday 18 March 2013
New boat!!
Purchased....!!
So I'm now the proud owner of a bilge keel, Hurley 20.....looks like I'll be boating this summer after all - now let's have a little sun, please.....
Keep an eye open here for blog details for the new ships log....
Very happy!
FOR SALE. HURLEY 20
This Hurley 20ft GRP bilge keel, 4-berth sailing cruiser has been refurbished and is in excellent condition. R/reefing, new forestay, genoa in good condition, mainsail & spinnaker pole. Steering compass, nav lights, new windows, self draining cockpit, s/s pulpit & pushpit, anchor, chain, fenders, ropes. Just needs an outboard [4-6hp] Cheap Mooring available |
So I'm now the proud owner of a bilge keel, Hurley 20.....looks like I'll be boating this summer after all - now let's have a little sun, please.....
Keep an eye open here for blog details for the new ships log....
Very happy!
Saturday 10 November 2012
That was the boat that was... "Papillon"
Now that Papillon is sold; what could be more natural than a summary of the period of my ownership..
So... it all started when I bought Papillon in March 2009 from Wilson's Boatyard on Hayling Island [clicky]. I remember distinctly offering the asking price immediately... I'd been looking for a boat for some weeks by then and had missed out a few times by being too late, or delaying, so when I saw Pap, I knew she was right, & I moved quickly to avoid losing her! As it turned out Wilson's were a very nice bunch of people who allowed me to keep her in the yard until I was ready to launch, so my first few months of ownership involved long commutes down the length of Hayling to clean/paint and generally titivate....happy days...!
So first off, and with much interest, I loaded every GPS track I had for the four years into GoogleEarth for a view on where I'd been spending my time... so once again, like a spider dipped in blue ink and left to wander all over Google Earth - here's where Papillon went under my ownership - click again for slightly bigger views of the pictures in this post:
Mostly in the main Chichester channel it would seem, if the above is anything to go by....
...and that's the big view including the Solent trips... two to the Nab, one to Cowes, one to Seaview, and one "Round Hayling"..
~~~~~~~~~
Number of sailing trips/visits: 61 in four years; 18 in '09, 13 in 2010, 18 in 2011 but only 12 this year (hideous weather, but I was also getting the sink hole fixed!). If you count all the times I visited in the mornings/evenings while she was on shore though (usually two to three times a week), and the days I worked on her pre-season, and the cups of tea visits (and pot noodle visits!) - easily triple, or even quadruple, that...
Total distance sailed: 646 miles; 125 in '09, 154 in 2010, 193 in 2011 & 173 odd this year - that's no mean feat when you consider there's no tiller pilot involved - I hand steered all of that!
Nights on board: Surprisingly I can only find 3 - one was on the Cowes raid, this year and then a couple of times in 2010; one of these was, memorably, the night before I dis-masted..!
Crew on occasion: 2 daughters - both of them are good company. Youngest was crew more than eldest (as she got a job and a boyfriend) Youngest is turning into a confidant helm... Both of them tell me sailing is "boring" and look at me in a pitying way when I talk about Pap... Oh, and Jellybean Phil and I took her for a motor up to Emsworth one very wet & gusty evening!
Cruising range: Emsworth to the north, Bosham/Itchenor in the East and the Folly (up the Medina River from Cowes) to the west and the Nab to the south.. superb!
Biggest Cruise: Cowes raid day one this year (32 miles) shortly followed by the day sail to Seaview in 2010 (31 miles)
Best Cruise: So hard as it comes down to a choice of four, the Cowes raid this year (which proves adventure is available to everyone), the trip to Portsmouth Harbour entrance also this year, the trip to Seaview in 2010, and also the trip to the Nab last year (the one where I finally got there).....
I'm going to go for Seaview as it was my first major cruise out of the harbour, it was sunny, it was windy, and I learnt that the boat wasn't going to let me down, and I wasn't going to let the boat down...
Worst cruise: Choice of two.. the trip when I dis-masted, or the outbound trip to Cowes where the weather was hideous; cold, wet, miserable, windy, and on the nose! (Thank goodness the pub was open when we got there... )
Dis-masting takes it I think, as it was a very low point in my burgeoning sailing career....
Oddest cruise: Bad luck comes in three's without a doubt!! I look back now and I can chuckle, but blimey what an afternoon....!
Best anchorages: None... didn't anchor her on the main anchor in all the four years I had her! I have moored up on the small kedge a couple of times, and the spot I enjoyed most is just at the top of the main Emsworth Channel where it turns towards Northney.... I've stopped there a couple of times for a fish, or just a relax, when the wind isn't blowing....
Best mooring: Ignoring my home moorings for the time being I have a choice of three that I use on a regular basis.... one at the mouth of the Thorney Channel, one in the line of visitors buoys at HISC, and one at the end of the Emsworth Channel - and of the three I especially like the HISC one - purely because there's so much to see at that end of the harbour.... you have to be quick though... they have a tendency to demand money for stopping - who'd have thought it! That aside this is the spot for a freshly cooked sausage sandwich and a mug of tea.....
On the home front my first mooring was mostly mud, but my new one is a
cracker (once we get the sinker re-buried) water 3+ hours either side of
high tide... the temporary one I got put on at the end of this year has
even more water but is a bit of a long slog out on oars! Looking
forward to getting back on mine with a new boat next summer...
Worst mooring: None... they're all good when you need a cup of tea and a break!
Plans for next year: New boat!!
So... it all started when I bought Papillon in March 2009 from Wilson's Boatyard on Hayling Island [clicky]. I remember distinctly offering the asking price immediately... I'd been looking for a boat for some weeks by then and had missed out a few times by being too late, or delaying, so when I saw Pap, I knew she was right, & I moved quickly to avoid losing her! As it turned out Wilson's were a very nice bunch of people who allowed me to keep her in the yard until I was ready to launch, so my first few months of ownership involved long commutes down the length of Hayling to clean/paint and generally titivate....happy days...!
So first off, and with much interest, I loaded every GPS track I had for the four years into GoogleEarth for a view on where I'd been spending my time... so once again, like a spider dipped in blue ink and left to wander all over Google Earth - here's where Papillon went under my ownership - click again for slightly bigger views of the pictures in this post:
 |
| 2010 - 2012 trips - no 2009 data as I didn't have a GPS then.. |
Mostly in the main Chichester channel it would seem, if the above is anything to go by....
...and that's the big view including the Solent trips... two to the Nab, one to Cowes, one to Seaview, and one "Round Hayling"..
Number of sailing trips/visits: 61 in four years; 18 in '09, 13 in 2010, 18 in 2011 but only 12 this year (hideous weather, but I was also getting the sink hole fixed!). If you count all the times I visited in the mornings/evenings while she was on shore though (usually two to three times a week), and the days I worked on her pre-season, and the cups of tea visits (and pot noodle visits!) - easily triple, or even quadruple, that...
Total distance sailed: 646 miles; 125 in '09, 154 in 2010, 193 in 2011 & 173 odd this year - that's no mean feat when you consider there's no tiller pilot involved - I hand steered all of that!
Nights on board: Surprisingly I can only find 3 - one was on the Cowes raid, this year and then a couple of times in 2010; one of these was, memorably, the night before I dis-masted..!
Crew on occasion: 2 daughters - both of them are good company. Youngest was crew more than eldest (as she got a job and a boyfriend) Youngest is turning into a confidant helm... Both of them tell me sailing is "boring" and look at me in a pitying way when I talk about Pap...
Oh, and Jellybean Phil and I took her for a motor up to Emsworth one very wet & gusty evening!Cruising range: Emsworth to the north, Bosham/Itchenor in the East and the Folly (up the Medina River from Cowes) to the west and the Nab to the south.. superb!
Biggest Cruise: Cowes raid day one this year (32 miles) shortly followed by the day sail to Seaview in 2010 (31 miles)
Best Cruise: So hard as it comes down to a choice of four, the Cowes raid this year (which proves adventure is available to everyone), the trip to Portsmouth Harbour entrance also this year, the trip to Seaview in 2010, and also the trip to the Nab last year (the one where I finally got there).....
I'm going to go for Seaview as it was my first major cruise out of the harbour, it was sunny, it was windy, and I learnt that the boat wasn't going to let me down, and I wasn't going to let the boat down...
 |
| Seaview, ahoy.... overall best cruise..... and that was back in 2010.. |
) |
| One of the three bad lucks that afternoon |
Oddest cruise: Bad luck comes in three's without a doubt!! I look back now and I can chuckle, but blimey what an afternoon....!
Best anchorages: None... didn't anchor her on the main anchor in all the four years I had her! I have moored up on the small kedge a couple of times, and the spot I enjoyed most is just at the top of the main Emsworth Channel where it turns towards Northney.... I've stopped there a couple of times for a fish, or just a relax, when the wind isn't blowing....
Best mooring: Ignoring my home moorings for the time being I have a choice of three that I use on a regular basis.... one at the mouth of the Thorney Channel, one in the line of visitors buoys at HISC, and one at the end of the Emsworth Channel - and of the three I especially like the HISC one - purely because there's so much to see at that end of the harbour.... you have to be quick though... they have a tendency to demand money for stopping - who'd have thought it! That aside this is the spot for a freshly cooked sausage sandwich and a mug of tea.....
 |
| My favourite mooring other than "home" - this is looking towards HISC and the harbour entrance |
Worst mooring: None... they're all good when you need a cup of tea and a break!
Plans for next year: New boat!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Papillon is a 41 year old boat (she was built in June 1971)... my period of ownership (or better, guardianship??) has
represented less than 10% of her life to date.. talking to her new owner
he already has plans for her next stage... we only get to look after
them, we never own them.....
As is the way of these things this will be the last but one post in this ships log - a new boat calls for a new log, so the last post will be to announce the new address, but for now this chapter has come to a close....
As is the way of these things this will be the last but one post in this ships log - a new boat calls for a new log, so the last post will be to announce the new address, but for now this chapter has come to a close....
Tuesday 6 November 2012
"Papillon" is .. sold.....
End of an era...
Papillon is sold - looks like she'll be heading west along the coast to Lee on Solent at some point in time.. probably next spring as the new owner would like to keep her at the club yard for the time being..
I'm happy she sold of course.... just not sure if I'm happy or sad at losing her!
Papillon is sold - looks like she'll be heading west along the coast to Lee on Solent at some point in time.. probably next spring as the new owner would like to keep her at the club yard for the time being..
I'm happy she sold of course.... just not sure if I'm happy or sad at losing her!
Thursday 1 November 2012
"Papillon" is for sale..
LOA 19ft. LWL 16ft, Beam 6.25ft, Draft (twin) 2ft, Displacement 1568lb, Ballast 545lb, Sail area 150sqft, Construction GRP, Headroom 4.4ft.
The Fantasie 19 was designed by Robert Tucker and is a 19ft triple keel GRP constructed mini cruiser suitable for coastal and estuary cruising. I sail her in Chichester Harbour, and have personally sailed her to the Nab Tower, Portsmouth Harbour, Seaview (IoW) and this year to Cowes.
I have owned "Papillon" since 2009 and in that time she has had new standing rigging (in the winter of 2009/10), new running rigging winter 2010/11. The cabin was extensively re-furbed winter 2010/11 (old headlining removed/scraped back/painted).
She comes with jib/genoa (new in 2009 from Arun sails), and a good condition main. Reefing for the main is the boom roller type which works well (two reefing handles included), the jib/genoa is on a Plastimo 406-S roller furler. All lines have been lead aft to the cockpit and she is optimised for sailing solo...
She also comes with anchor (with chain/rope rode in anchor locker), nav lights, steaming light (new 2009), anchor light (new 2012), VHF (working but venerable), stereo (amplifier and speakers with cable to connect MP3 player - new winter 2011/12), two solar tickle chargers (keeps the battery going all summer), battery (new 2009), electric & manual bilge pumps, cabin lights, cooker (single burner - new 2012), sea toilet (which I've not used), and various "chandlery" (ropes/mooring ropes etc). By the by, there is also a transducer for a NASA depth sounder (I've only just found this, and as I don't have a head unit I have no idea if it works.. )
)She is sitting on, and is being sold with, a trailer that is not suitable for road use - I use it for moving her round the sailing club yard and launching (it also helps when painting/anti fouling underneath).
I have anti-fouled and she is in all respects ready to go sailing right now - all you will need is an outboard *.
In the four years I've owned her, she's looked after me, and taught me many things and we've had some fantastic sailing trips - I'm only selling as it's now time to be moving on, and I'm looking for something bigger....
From PBO publication 'Which Boat' - "Attractive, well made, three berth twin keeler with practical outboard well, skeg mounted rudder and good directional stability."
From Hoskyns Yacht Directory - " useful pocket cruiser"
Leave a comment if you're interested...
* Recommended engine size is a 4-6hp outboard (I use a 4HP/2 stroke/standard shaft) which sits in a well at the rear of the cockpit (this allows you to manage/refuel the engine from within the cockpit - much safer than having the engine on the back - I think this is a major bonus)
Sunday 28 October 2012
That was the year that was... 2012
Time for what is now my traditional review of the year past; I really enjoy putting it
together as it's a good
excuse to review and read all the posts, video and pictures from this
years logs.... I would say that it's been a good year because of a few memorable events, but it's not been a classic year. The subject of weather has been done to death in the press and on other yachting forums, but I think I'd agree that it wasn't a good summer - certainly worse than last year....
The other big issue for me in 2012 was the failure of the sink skin fitting; in hindsight it wasn't really as bad as I thought at the time, but there was no doubt that if I hadn't caught her in time the outlook could have been a lot worse.. the downside was a big 10 week gap in the middle of the season when I could have been sailing and putting on miles....
All in all then I'd say that this was a good'ish year.... 7, oh go on then, 8 out of 10..
Like a spider dipped in blue ink and left to wander all over Google Earth - here's where Papillon went this year - click again for slightly bigger views of the pictures in this post:
...and this time with the two trips out into the Solent - to Portsmouth and Cowes this year!
...and the following in "Ami-Ly" - no cross Channel trip as we'd hoped this year (weather casualty) but I still managed to get in a good number of miles with Rod her skipper - highlight being the seal sighting just off Portchester Castle, and my first trip with a cruising chute (I want one!)
~~~~~~~~~
Number of visits down to the boat: 14 (three less than last year) but once again if you count all the times I visited in the mornings/evenings while she was on shore (usually two to three times a week), and the days I worked on her pre-season, and the cups of tea visits (and pot noodle visits!) - easily triple that...
Total distance sailed: 173.29 miles; this compares with 193.41 miles in 2011, 154.23 miles in 2010 and 125 miles in 2009... a good year, but not as good as last year.. having said that it's only 20 miles less than last year and on three trips less so further indications that I'm taking her further each trip..
Nights on board: 1 - that was on the Cowes raid... I have finally found a comfortable way to sleep on her...
Crew on occasion: 1 daughter - youngest - she's good company and is turning into a more confidant helm... she still says sailing is "boring"...
Cruising range: The mooring in the west, Emsworth to the north, Bosham/Itchenor in the East and the Folly (up the Medina River from Cowes) to the south..
Biggest Cruise: Cowes raid here and here! (57 miles in one weekend!)...
Best Cruise: So hard, as 2012 was brilliant - but a choice of three, the Cowes raid (which proves adventure is available to everyone), the trip to Portsmouth Harbour entrance in May, but also the last cruise of the season up to Itchenor and Bosham which was idyllic. I'm going to go for the Portsmouth Harbour trip simply because of the express elevator trip back - stunning speed, sunshine and breeze.. perfect.
Worst cruise: The outbound trip to Cowes - weather hideous, cold, wet, miserable!
Oddest cruise: Breaking the duck at the beginning of the season (finally) - only time I've taken Pap out in a 6 gusting 7..!
Best anchorages: None... didn't anchor this year either... really need to do something about that, I've never anchored in all the years I've had her! Part of the problem of course is that everywhere I sail there are huge numbers of empty moorings so there's little need to anchor!
Best mooring: Hmmmm... been an "interesting" year for moorings... My new one is a cracker (once we get the sinker re-buried) water 3+ hours either side of high tide... the temporary one I got put on at the end of the year has even more water but is a bit of a long slog out on oars! Looking forward to getting back on mine next summer...
Worst mooring: None... they're all good when you need a cup of tea!
Plans for next year: The bigger adventure will come once/if I sell Papillon.... new boat to search for... Then there was talk of taking Ami-Ly over to Cherbourg this year but the weather scuppered that - next year would be good!
2012 Mileage:
Year total: 173.29 miles
The other big issue for me in 2012 was the failure of the sink skin fitting; in hindsight it wasn't really as bad as I thought at the time, but there was no doubt that if I hadn't caught her in time the outlook could have been a lot worse.. the downside was a big 10 week gap in the middle of the season when I could have been sailing and putting on miles....
All in all then I'd say that this was a good'ish year.... 7, oh go on then, 8 out of 10..
Like a spider dipped in blue ink and left to wander all over Google Earth - here's where Papillon went this year - click again for slightly bigger views of the pictures in this post:
 |
| In the harbour - as far north as Emsworth, as far east as Bosham and West Itchenor this year |
 |
| Lot of miles in the Solent (for me!) this year... |
...and the following in "Ami-Ly" - no cross Channel trip as we'd hoped this year (weather casualty) but I still managed to get in a good number of miles with Rod her skipper - highlight being the seal sighting just off Portchester Castle, and my first trip with a cruising chute (I want one!)
Number of visits down to the boat: 14 (three less than last year) but once again if you count all the times I visited in the mornings/evenings while she was on shore (usually two to three times a week), and the days I worked on her pre-season, and the cups of tea visits (and pot noodle visits!) - easily triple that...
Total distance sailed: 173.29 miles; this compares with 193.41 miles in 2011, 154.23 miles in 2010 and 125 miles in 2009... a good year, but not as good as last year.. having said that it's only 20 miles less than last year and on three trips less so further indications that I'm taking her further each trip..
Nights on board: 1 - that was on the Cowes raid... I have finally found a comfortable way to sleep on her...
Crew on occasion: 1 daughter - youngest - she's good company and is turning into a more confidant helm... she still says sailing is "boring"...
Cruising range: The mooring in the west, Emsworth to the north, Bosham/Itchenor in the East and the Folly (up the Medina River from Cowes) to the south..
Biggest Cruise: Cowes raid here and here! (57 miles in one weekend!)...
 |
| Cowes Raid - Pap on the Folly pontoon... happy times! |
Worst cruise: The outbound trip to Cowes - weather hideous, cold, wet, miserable!
Oddest cruise: Breaking the duck at the beginning of the season (finally) - only time I've taken Pap out in a 6 gusting 7..!
Best anchorages: None... didn't anchor this year either... really need to do something about that, I've never anchored in all the years I've had her! Part of the problem of course is that everywhere I sail there are huge numbers of empty moorings so there's little need to anchor!
Best mooring: Hmmmm... been an "interesting" year for moorings... My new one is a cracker (once we get the sinker re-buried) water 3+ hours either side of high tide... the temporary one I got put on at the end of the year has even more water but is a bit of a long slog out on oars! Looking forward to getting back on mine next summer...
Worst mooring: None... they're all good when you need a cup of tea!
Plans for next year: The bigger adventure will come once/if I sell Papillon.... new boat to search for... Then there was talk of taking Ami-Ly over to Cherbourg this year but the weather scuppered that - next year would be good!
2012 Mileage:
- 30th April : 0.5 mile (don't laugh) - force 6 gusting 7 - blowing the cobwebs out..
- 13th May : 8.55 miles - force 4 gusting 5 - SW - gusty day, little'un helmed us to the bottom of the harbour and did a brilliant job .
- 20th May : 10.15 miles - force 4 gusting 5 - N/NNE - another gusty day, windex jammed but came free...
- 24th May : 9.33 miles - force 2 - S/SSE - sunny day, afternoon off work - lots of tacking...windex knackered...
- 29th May : 28.73 miles - force 2 and 3 (morning and afternoon) - WSW to SW(ditto) - Spitbank Fort and Portsmouth Harbour.. superb trip back!
- 17th June : 16.82 miles - force 5 - S - head of Prinstead Channel
- 8th July : 12.23 miles - force 2, up to force 4 at the end -
W/WSW - HISC and the Emsworth on a sunny, wet, and squally day... windex
working for the moment - must be all these gales....
- 14th July : 32.20 miles - force 2, up to force 4/5 at the end - W - Chichester to Cowes for the Raid... wet, squally, horrible, cold, wet
- 15th July : 24.85 miles - force 1, up to force 5 at the end - W - Cowes to Chichester back from the Raid... long goose wing run... lost my hat at the West Pole in a squall!
- 21st July : 4.28 miles - force 1 or 2 - SE - Saturday afternoon pootle... first run out for new hat..
- 23rd July : 16.08 miles - force 3 dropping to force 2 by the end - S/SSW - Bosham and Itchenor... huge tide, just made it back in time...!
- 1st September : 19.88 miles (not counted to my year count, as not in Pap ) - force 4 occasional 5 - SW/SSW - Northney to Port Solent taking Ami-Ly back to her home berth - superb sail....
- 16th September : 18.96 miles (not counted to my year count, as not in Pap )
- force 2 occasional 3 - SW - Port Solent to Northney taking Ami-Ly
back to finish her repairs - first time with the cruising chute....
- 7th October : 8.57 miles - summer coming to close, light breeze (force 1 gusting 2) I spent an afternoon tacking to Marker and then running back to the mooring.. getting cold...
Wednesday 24 October 2012
Not so much a bang as a whimper...
...so how did the weekend go? Well the title kind of gives it away.... I'd taken Friday afternoon off expecting it to be grey but with a little wind to allow some last minute perambulations round my little corner of the harbour, in the end it was grey, raining, and almost windless... not a brilliant combination - ah well, fired up the new cooker, boiled a kettle, and passed the afternoon with coffee and a curry pot noodle while watching the (wet) world go by... not so bad, I had the Kindle with me so it was nothing if not relaxing...
Saturday I had planned to go round the island but needed an early start as I wanted to have a slightly more relaxing circumnavigation than what could be done in a single tide... once again - the weather struck back, and when I got up to check the weather I couldn't see the end of my street it was so foggy.... circumnavigation cancelled so I went down to the boat later that day and took the mast down ready for lift out on Sunday.....
Was sat there drinking a coffee when one of the lift out team asked if I wanted to come out then and there - "might as well", I thought - would save me being busy all day Sunday...!
...and so it was that Saturday evening - after dark - I was lifted on to my trailer and wheeled into a quiet corner of the yard.....
Summer is officially over.....
Thoughts now turn to prep-ping the boat for sale (rather than a sail
) - pressure washed her this morning, ready for a coat of anti-foul, then she goes on eBay. If anyone is interested by the way - leave me a comment....
