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Fowey Rally Saturday 5th May 2012
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Friday :- Got fuel topped up with petrol, mixed 2stroke for little outboard, put rubber dinghy onboard.
Saturday :- HW 5:28 AM BST / 5.45 m LW 11:54 AM BST / 0.73 m
07:30hrs blew up inflatable and run up engine, brought hard dinghy ashore. Then took Paulene out with the last of the provisions. Waited till 08:30hrs. when Gallavanti called on the VHF to say that Kevin (Vixen) & Phil Magatha ) were at the Yelm and felt the wind was very fresh and was feeling that they may stay. Motored up to Looking Glass Point, which took some time as the tide was going out fast, to meet Tony in Gallavanti until it was decided what we were going to do.
10:00hrs with the last of the tide, we decided to go to Yelm and meet up
with Kevin & Phil who had come down from Torquay. Motored up to Rubble
and put the main up, then after Devils Point I put up the jib and we
were sailing. Tony kept up well but I noticed he was also using the
engine, this was to test the engine as he had just launched this week,
and it was his first outing. It was an Easterly wind and after the Mewstone I had to harden up
and had a beat, which was slow but the waves were no problem. Into
Wembury bay by sail then motored in around the bar with waves breaking
over it, in sight of Tony. We went right up to the last visitors pontoon,
where Kevin & Phil were.
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That evening Kevin was interested on how I flew a spinnaker, so with his little fireball sail and some line, we had a look at what we could do. The pole was not quite right as the down haul was elasticated and the uphaul was without any elastic where I felt we could do with some. But as the wind was by now a genteel breeze. we packed his spinnaker and pulled it up. Yes we were still tied up to the pontoon but he was facing down wind. It worked so we lowered it and on the second try it went just as well, a result.
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Sunday:- LW 12:17 AM BST / 0.64 m HW 6:14 AM BST / 5.63 m
We left about 09:30hrs for Fowey. I was first off and Phil maneuvered his Hurley 30 smartly under engine and was in the channel right away, slowly out with the tide. In Wembury bay it helped that Paulene could take the helm and we had the main sail up right away and then I tried the spinnaker which went up well. Here I made the mistake and looked round and saw we were going away from the others, and I took the spinnaker down. The others later told me that It's as well to have a good sail and meet up later in harbour as with this mixed fleet 2 Hurley 22, one a fin keel, Hurley 24 and a Hurley 30. there was no way we would keep together without holding back which doesn't make for fun sailing. We were to have meet 2 more boats in Fowey, they had come up from Falmouth Saturday. With this Easterly wind and the forecast to swing SW tomorrow they also sailed today but back home to Falmouth. 
From: BRUCE CARTER
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Fowey was full as there was a Salcome, Fowey and back to Plymouth race over the Bank holiday. We were offered a place opposite the Lifeboat, but only the Hurly 30 got alongside the pontoon. PennCirrus went on the inside of the pontoon but outside a large yacht with big fenders down. That evening we all took the water taxi in £4 return, and Kevin found we were just too late to do any shopping so into the fowey gallants sailing club where Paulene had a shower. Then we had dinner and we all also had the sweet course. The Harbour office had only Saturdays forecast up so no help there, back as it was getting dark.
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Monday:- HW 7:01 AM BST / 5.71 m LW 1:24 PM BST / 0.34 m
In the night it blew 35kts SE (we had been told by one of the harbour staff it was to be NE which was not expected at all) PennCirrus was well sheltered everyone else were on the Fowey side of the pontoon and had a rough night especially Vixen. But in the morning it was blue sky, the forecasts were very imprecise with lots of fronts and lots of small lows and highs. Squalls, gusty wind, and showers at times was mentioned!
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When after 2 hours we had Looe Island abeam we heard a yacht calling Gallivanti and called them up and asked them to relay where we were and that it was going well. We had the speed showing 7.5kts at times. I'd not calibrated the log yet and think it was reading 1kt high but we were making 4.5kts over the ground by GPS against a spring tide! Paulene was feeling wobbly and it helped her taking the helm. I had to go below to make a coffee as we had left without any preparations ie. making a flask of hot drink. |
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Coming into the Plymouth Sound Paulene was very happy to be inside the breakwater again. We tied up at Torpoint and I made dinner, a tin of potatoes, a tin of chicken curry and a tin of chicken in white sauce all heated up in a saucepan of boiling water and for afters a small jelly. Then I took Paulene ashore. About 18:00hrs I saw Gallivanti going home up the river to Calstock and called Tony up on VHF thanked him for a good rally and wished him a safe trip home. |
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Tied up in a little gap, but after a TMSC boats left there was lots of
room and it was suggested that I turn round to keep the wind out of the
cabin. This was a problem as I tried to pull the stern against the tide,
the rope went across the prop of the little outboard and I bent the
clamp screws, I should have used the tide and let the bow fall away!
I
was hoping to go back today but the tide was to be in our favour after
16:00hrs. With the forecast lots could have changed by then, I made the
decision to go. Now! As the visibility was great and we could always
turn back. The entrance had quite a set of waves coming in against the
tide from the
southerly wind. I tied Paulene on and I had my life line on, as we got the working jib up and headed out to Udder
Rock buoy there was a large sea but not rough. At Udder Rock I tried to
call Gallivanti & Vixen on VHF and mobile but no answer.