Monday, 6 June 2011

What's in a boat name?

Awoken in Fowey this am by the church bells and a darned cockerel. How some fellow yachtsman hasn't strangled it and had it for supper by now is beyond me! Bleary eyed i did chortle to myself this morning.

Lots of boats had left by the time we got up (well me, sleepyhead aka das captain was still in deep slumber). Forecast was for high winds later but anyone heading our way would have had a big tidal push out to Dodman Point. We left around eleven in a f4 and flat sea but soon picked up. Motor on we made our way in good time, lots of boats in the horizon and not much else except a racing trimaran overtook us on the approach into Falmouth.

In Falmouth Marina, rafted up as chocca block with boats of all names and nations. It always intrigues me with boat names as to how, what, when, why they aquired their name.

Das captain when he bought das bot, never renamed her, she is and always will be Red Snapper and we both r really proud of her, there will never be another Red Snapper in our eyes.

Should we ever get another bot, what would we call her I,d get thrown overboard before calling her something like flirtini ( fav fizz cocktail), scrumpy jack.....(student drink) or pimms o,clock!!!! We are both agreed that should we get another bot it shall be called Red Snapper 2 or Waterfall (stone roses song).

So wind bound now in Falmouth (there are worse places to be!), we are surrounded by international boats that have racked up thousands of nautical miles between them with fantastic names...I wonder what and how and when they came up with those....Blue, Sherpa, Liona, Imagine, Lady Charlotte, Cygnet of Lymington, Tangaroa, Artemis and Ghost...to name a few.

Sat on deck watching the sun go down after supper aboard, scrumpy jack is going down a treat....great start to the hols.



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Location:Falmouth

Sunday, 5 June 2011

Let the holiday begin

Left a very drizzly Plymouth just after lunch today. Swooper supper last night at Jolly Jacks with my in laws, so a leisurely start to the day today.

Not any wind at all, so main sail up and motor on. Loads of boats coming past us on their way home back to port, but we were the solitary boat heading our way.

Very peaceful motor, sea flat and bar a merlin helicopter swirling around for some time hunting for a submarine no noise at all. Saw some seagulls playing tug of war with a gift left by a passing fishing boat which amused me no end.

So we are in a packed Fowey, picked up the last buoy and are sat watching the world go by, waiting for the maritime forecast to bring us good news. Lady luck will shine i hope as I feel good fortune could be upon us we are on a buoy behind a fellow yacht called langkawi and next to a boating author called mark eden. So forecast, then ashore for some supper.



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Location:Fowey

Saturday, 4 June 2011

Boat Stocked and Ready To Go!

Sat on das bot in the sunshine after a marathon packing and unpacking session. We thought we had packed leanly but it all adds up! Took us over an hr to stow everything way,but that's the great thing re das bot.....the cubbyholes.

Water tank topped up...check, engine checks....check. Steve due to French bureacracy has gone to fill the gerry cans with white diesel and then tomorrow it will be filling the fuel tank up and we.ll be ready to go. Passage plan at the mo is Fowey tomorrow, Falmouth Monday and then over to L'Aber Wrac'h from Falmouth on tuesday. I love Falmouth, it,ll be full of people either going or coming back from their grand voyage. Can't think of a better place to start ours.

As for the rest of the day....just chilling and winding down from work, with supper @ Jolly Jacks later with das captain and my lovely in- laws who will be waving us off tomorrow. Can't wait to set swail.

Thursday, 2 June 2011

The weather waiting game

Well the prayers worked.....well almost! The sun is shining, weather warmed but shipping forecast is still a tad too gusty to set off on Saturday. So das captain and I took the executive decision today to not go hell for leather tonight and go down to das bot tomorrow night but head off Saturday and then wait......looks like Monday could be the day.

That's sailing for you, always dependent on the elements...but after a hectic wk at work we can finish the big pack up in a more relaxed fashion.

The excitement absolutely kicked in today.....can't quite believe we almost off. Das captain has had sleepless nights this wk dreaming about the Raz De Sein.....I say good on as that means a good swail!

So all being well we,ll be off....the sun will be shining in the Marina so won't make the wait too painful, as we do the last min boat chores. Fuel...check.....water.....check....fresh food shop check......last min toast to the gods for a smooth channel crossing and then......extra prayers for the Chenal de Four and Raz de Sein....check! Happy hols and swailing here we come....tgi Friday will have a whole new meaning tomorrow.


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Location:Home

Saturday, 28 May 2011

A week to go

AIS fitted......check

Clothes ironed. and in the pile to pack.....check

Dry food shop ordered.....check

Charts aboard......check

Route plotted......check

Its going to be a frantic last wk at work and getting all the gear ready to go but it'll be worth it.  One last thing..........good weather forecast for channel crossing............still working on that.........check

Sunday, 15 May 2011

Not long til our grand voyage

What a rubbish couple of swailing weeks since Easter. Weather not grand and no nautical miles undertaken but its given das captain the opportunity to fine tune das bot. I cant believe our grand trip is almost upon us. The AIS finally arrvied and has been fitted............das captain looked like the cat that had the cream last night as he was playing around with his new gizzmondo. Today was spent chilling well for me anyway, das capatain contiuned to plot the way pints into the chart plotter, GPS and charts. I was knackered, our neighbours two boats up did not return quietly last night from their grand voyage and had been awake from their noisy arrival at 0300.........a snooze for me this afternoon after a quick trip out into town.

So two weeks to go and counting.............list city now........check, tick , check, tick.  I am so excited but also have aprehension, you never no what the sea and elements will throw at you but thats what lifes great adventures are all about.

Sunday, 1 May 2011

Halyards are clinking around us


What a difference a week makes.....last wk glorious sunshine...this weekend gale force winds and lashings of rain. We were gutted as my aunt and uncle were coming down for a much longed trip...postponement happened thursday night as we knew there would be no swailing this weekend.

Came down yesterday to lashings of rain....too wet initially to make the run down the pontoon with all the gear so had a late lunch in Jolly Jacks. A mildly uncomfortable night as the wind picked up....clink clink...was glad of morning and went of the showers in wind that was still blowing.

Have spent the day...well das captain has fitting the new arid for the AIS which we hope will arrive ASAP....the world is short at the mo but it would be the icing on the cake for our grand voyage as would give some additional comfort in addition to the radar as too who is actually who and how far away they r from das bot as I am on watch overnight when we do the initial long haul element of our grand voyage.

Tomorrow is spent doing more boat chores......down the stern locker I go to give it a spring clean....das captain will be fine tuning the rigging as for tonight after a swooper quorn chilli con carne cooked by the good galley wife that I am we went for a few drinks @ jolly jacks where they were celebrating a yr of being open..missed the great event das captain and his parents saw a seal pop up to say hello in the Marina.......he had been chasing the large bass that I had seen moments earlier.

So the forecast tonight at least an eight.....our halyards are tight and fastened.....not the same all around us......
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