Sponge Overboard!

Today I had some time due to a short working day, and so at 3pm I was rowing out against a F3-4 NE'ly wind to Kamala. I suspected that there was enough wind to keep me out of trouble so I decided to not even drop the motor into the water.

The first thing I found is that under just the mainsail Kamala will not bear away past a reach very easily. Once the genoa is unfurled a little the nose will pull round. The second this is that with her undersides scraped back to the gelcoat and a super-smooth layer of antifoul, she goes MUCH better. Last season I'd struggle to see 4 knots whatever the wind was doing. Today she seemed happy to stay between 4 and 4.5, at one point getting up to 4.7 knots.

The initial plan was to go to Elizabeth Castle Harbour. My mooring lines were still all messed up from the refit work last week and the fenders were all packed away, so in the end the idea seemed more trouble than it was worth for a short sail.

On the way to the Castle, the ship's sponge decided to blow off the coach roof. 'It's just a sponge', I thought at first. A sudden idea to practice an unplanned man-overboard recovery, coupled with the thought 'What if it was Edward?' (my son), had me spending 5 minutes trying to recover the sponge. After a few near passes I eventually got it back. More practice needed, but happy with the outcome.

After this excitement I decided a course change to Belcroute, my usual 'stop and rest' spot, would give a nice sail and a chance to tidy up a few things. So we arrived and I anchored on the lunch hook.

Time to re-jig the genoa. Always too slack in the luff, the tensioner arrangement made no sense as it was and an improvement had struck me on the way over. Too trivial to explain, I don't know why I didn't do it ages ago, but now my genoa luff is taught and can be adjusted.

Finally, a short close-haul back to the mooring. Picked up under mainsail only, first go!

Noticed the top link in the mooring chain is on its last legs, need to find a replacement beefy chain at Saturday's boat jumble.

Not a bad trip and all without the motor. Just as well, as that's next on the list for maintenance.


Other Boats....
Speaking of Jumble, the Wharram Tanenui, 'Jumble' was given away this week. Nearly to me! Having had a look at her today, I was spared. She's in quite a state. Be interesting to see what happens to her now.

Talking of states, as I rowed back along the first row to the dinghy pontoon, the boom of one of the abandoned hulks in St Aubins was out at right angles, just right for taking out the windows of the boat next door. I climbed on, managed to not fall through the broken decking, and lashed the boom amidships. Now there's a fixer-upper!