Wednesday, 29 October 2014
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Sail dilemma
So now that the Jib and Genoa have cleaned up so well I have kind of given up on the idea of the cream sails. It just doesn't make any sense to replace good sails that I can't afford anyway. I do on the other hand have enough to replace the mainsail this year.
So the dilemma is this, The current mainsail is not in bad shape, it just needs some patches to hold new eyes for the luff lacing and the rust marks cleaning off of it. On the other hand it is completely ruined by the big FOR SALE marks on it.
So I could go ahead and replace it and that will be about all I can afford this year or I can opt for a new mizzen, which is desperately in need of replacing plus a new staysail as the old one is very tired and get the main repaired and perhaps even a cover for the mainsail all for around the same price.
The other thing to factor in is it will be difficult to get the money together again to replace the main and if we had it sorted we would have the bulk of the cost of replacing the set behind us.
Stupid problem I know.
So the dilemma is this, The current mainsail is not in bad shape, it just needs some patches to hold new eyes for the luff lacing and the rust marks cleaning off of it. On the other hand it is completely ruined by the big FOR SALE marks on it.
So I could go ahead and replace it and that will be about all I can afford this year or I can opt for a new mizzen, which is desperately in need of replacing plus a new staysail as the old one is very tired and get the main repaired and perhaps even a cover for the mainsail all for around the same price.
The other thing to factor in is it will be difficult to get the money together again to replace the main and if we had it sorted we would have the bulk of the cost of replacing the set behind us.
Stupid problem I know.
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| Please excuse our saggy luffs, It was the first weekend out and we had the worlds worst piece of rope as a staysail halyard. You can see the issue with the main & the mizzen for that matter, The rust marks on the other have since cleaned up lovely. |
Monday, 13 October 2014
Stuff on the river
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| 100yr old Teal and 102yr old An Faoiléan |
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| Smouldering gorse, I know they get a little grazing out of it but I don't really get it, It does smell good though. Burning Quarantine Island was probably a bit unnecessary as its about 10mtrs square |
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| Guillemot on her mooring |
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| I'm not entirely sure |
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| Bit envious of this place and there little pier |
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Packing up
We went down and cleared Teal out for the Winter today. Brought home the sails, mizzen mast and spars and put them all away. Opened the bolts on the bottle screws ready for the mast to be unstepped and cleared out the interior of all the various paraphernalia that accumulates on a boat.
She was dried out so I went over the bottom with a paint scraper, It was only really bad where the anti-foul had been scrubbed away and on the rudder for some reason. She will have the mast down and be on the hard tomorrow if she isn't already.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened beneath the waterline thankfully, she did squeeze the putty out a little as she took up but that was to be expected.
I'll winterise the engine and fill up the diesel tank etc when she is out.
Bit depressing taking it all apart again but it will be Spring again before we know and there will be loads to do, in a rush no doubt.
She was dried out so I went over the bottom with a paint scraper, It was only really bad where the anti-foul had been scrubbed away and on the rudder for some reason. She will have the mast down and be on the hard tomorrow if she isn't already.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened beneath the waterline thankfully, she did squeeze the putty out a little as she took up but that was to be expected.
I'll winterise the engine and fill up the diesel tank etc when she is out.
Bit depressing taking it all apart again but it will be Spring again before we know and there will be loads to do, in a rush no doubt.
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Thats it
The weather finally showed signs of breaking so I decided to take Teal back up river this morning. I actually managed to get the night away so I headed down just before dark yesterday evening and moved her in closer to the pier so I could access the pub for an end of season pint.
After my breakfast this morning I put up the mainsail to see if there was enough of a breeze to take me as far as the sound. There was not. So I started up and had a leisurely motor up the river. Her bottom is desperately in need of a scrub now so going anywhere at more than a leisurely pace is kind of out of the question anyway. I'm surprised she has so much weed on as that anti-foul has proved very good on my other boat over the last few seasons.
Overall I would call the season a great success, apart from the bit of engine trouble the first day she has been trouble free and takes no water. She could probably do with a bigger prop and I have a list of other little changes to make inside but there was no other way I was going to figure that out other than by using her. Not that I had time to do any more before she went in.
Now I just have to wait for her to be lifted out so I can winterise her and give thing a pre winter coat of varnish and a coat of paint on the canvas.
After my breakfast this morning I put up the mainsail to see if there was enough of a breeze to take me as far as the sound. There was not. So I started up and had a leisurely motor up the river. Her bottom is desperately in need of a scrub now so going anywhere at more than a leisurely pace is kind of out of the question anyway. I'm surprised she has so much weed on as that anti-foul has proved very good on my other boat over the last few seasons.
Overall I would call the season a great success, apart from the bit of engine trouble the first day she has been trouble free and takes no water. She could probably do with a bigger prop and I have a list of other little changes to make inside but there was no other way I was going to figure that out other than by using her. Not that I had time to do any more before she went in.
Now I just have to wait for her to be lifted out so I can winterise her and give thing a pre winter coat of varnish and a coat of paint on the canvas.
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| Porthole view |
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| New book and an Oil lamp, What more could I want (Tales from a Cornish Lugger) |
Monday, 22 September 2014
Closing days
I got set to leave Union Hall on Friday with a plan to head for Kilcoe to spend a final night on board before returning to the mooring in Baltimore. No sooner had I the sails set when I got a booking for Saturday morning so I resigned to getting the boat as far as Baltimore.
I had a somewhat frustrating sail with the wind being lighter than forecast and being dead astern with the ever present swell at this time of year to make a dead run quite uncomfortable. To add to that I had somehow figured the tide was with me for the day but as I realised later it was actually against me albeit a small tide anyway but every little helps (or in this case doesn't help)
As it turns out it was somewhat of a blessing as my postponed trip lead me to go in much nicer weather and a friend of mine came along to try his hand at sailing.
We headed to Poulgorm bay for the night near Jeremy Irons castle in Kilcoe, We had a nice easy sail most of the way but the wind died out amongst the mussel beds so as it was getting pretty dark at that stage we motored the last mile into Poulgorm. We rowed to a small Island in the centre of the bay and with the help of a very powerful head torch found a little gravel beach to land on and another to light a BBQ and a camp fire. We were a little merrier rowing back.
This morning was beautifully sunny again so we sailed back to East Skeam were we anchored off and went ashore to explore, before finally sailing and motor sailing back to Baltimore.
Not bad for the end of September. It may be the last trip of the Season but there is still no sign of any terrible weather so as long as it holds out Teal will stay in the water.
There is a fantastic photo taken by Kevin O Farrell as we sailed past Cunnamore Pier into the sunset HERE
I had a somewhat frustrating sail with the wind being lighter than forecast and being dead astern with the ever present swell at this time of year to make a dead run quite uncomfortable. To add to that I had somehow figured the tide was with me for the day but as I realised later it was actually against me albeit a small tide anyway but every little helps (or in this case doesn't help)
As it turns out it was somewhat of a blessing as my postponed trip lead me to go in much nicer weather and a friend of mine came along to try his hand at sailing.
We headed to Poulgorm bay for the night near Jeremy Irons castle in Kilcoe, We had a nice easy sail most of the way but the wind died out amongst the mussel beds so as it was getting pretty dark at that stage we motored the last mile into Poulgorm. We rowed to a small Island in the centre of the bay and with the help of a very powerful head torch found a little gravel beach to land on and another to light a BBQ and a camp fire. We were a little merrier rowing back.
This morning was beautifully sunny again so we sailed back to East Skeam were we anchored off and went ashore to explore, before finally sailing and motor sailing back to Baltimore.
Not bad for the end of September. It may be the last trip of the Season but there is still no sign of any terrible weather so as long as it holds out Teal will stay in the water.
There is a fantastic photo taken by Kevin O Farrell as we sailed past Cunnamore Pier into the sunset HERE
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| Sun setting on East Skeem |
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| Anchored off East Skeam |
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| Ruins on the Island |
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| New Helmsman |
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| Kilcoe Castle |
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| This one is out of focus but I like it, The extra ballast has her on an even keel now so just to lower the waterline. Might go with black anti-foul next year |
Sunday, 14 September 2014
Peel Castle Gascannan sound
Stumbled across this on youtube the other day, Its hard to say how the conditions compared to the day we went in there in Teal but considering the Peel Castle is up around the 50ft mark you can imagine the effect it would have on 21ft Teal. Note: the confused breaking see ahead of her, I assume she is making her way out, We were running in.
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