Having spent just
over a week on the good ship Harmony (Dylan's Centaur) I thought i'd pass on
what i've learnt from this experience:
Night sailing no longer holds any fear as the seven days we had on
the water gave us pretty much every variable you could imagine, i've concluded
(on the East coast at least) your way is pretty much lit all the way along on
account of all the wind farms we passed not to mention the general level of
activity out there.
Lobster pots are what gnats are to a camping holiday, we
affectionately nick-named them 'minefields' such was the density of
distribution - it seemed every tack i put in there were another half dozen on
the bow.
Dylan has ADHD (is a constant fiddler and cant sit still) The Centaur (I know .......yawn) is a great boat to cut your teeth
on in such a caper such was the feeling of security in the cockpit whilst
surfing at 10+ knots down waves in the dead of night (we even have photographic
proof of some 14.7 knots on the clock yet none of us know how we got it).
The watch system of two hours on four off was easily maintained
although on a couple of occasions i appeared a bit incoherent when getting set
up for the early morning shift but like an old telly once i'd warmed up i
worked pretty well.
Did I mention I think Dylan's got ADHD...............
There’s some truly magical pieces of coastline along these eastern
shores, Flamborough Head and the Farne
Islands
Scarborough: our time in what was the oddest place i've
experienced for while was something to behold (and i've lived & worked in Weston-Super-Mare for six months) such was the plethora
of very odd shops and not to mention the sheer number of motorbility scooter
outlets.
But i couldn't find a more hospitable bunch of people to talk to
all things boats and sea except for a couple of what turned out to be crazy
ladies who earlier in the evening i'd said 'hello' to as i walked along the
esplanade only to have them screaming at me some six hours later when i went to
use the sailing club loo's (they were a little bit past drunk imo). I recall one of them slumped by the loo door and the other about to fall
off the quayside, i spoke to a copper at the road-end of the quay who didn't
seem in the slightest bit bothered.
The Harbour View cafe in
What else?............Oh yes Sturgeron works. We got back to the
sea after our stay in Scarborough only to be
greeted by no wind yet a curious swell that pitched the boat about to such an
extent that both Dylan and I conducted several experiments around the boat
involving where you could sit most comfortably without retching and how many
Sturgeron is too many Sturgeron? Curiously John was unaffected by the boats
motion.
3 is the magic number of people on a Centaur for any long range
adventures so its with a certain degree of curiousity that i'll be watching the
upcoming films Dylan makes of his family as there will be five of
them aboard.
Dylan doesn't sit still for long, i think he may have ADHD.
I found it very easy to fall asleep down below in howling winds
despite all the noise, strange as when i'm asleep at home i always wake up a
couple of times a night, i think the boats motion and the leeside helps to
knock you out.
Dylan keeps a boat pretty spotless for i've never seen a shinier,
more lemony-fresh heads in my life.
We didn't eat half the food we bought for the trip relying on
energy bars, biscuits and various homemade bites instead.
Dylan's coffee is on another level. Now i like strong coffee but i
fear a month sailing with him would have me in casualty such is the strength of
his brews - it could take down an elephant, John and i drank mainly cup-a-soups
pepped up with chilli pesto although John downed alot of lesbian (peppermint)
tea.
Pot noodles are the fifth wonder of the world, they have magical
curing powers as my sea-sickness faded very quickly after digesting one whilst
medicating on Sturgeron.
Always always travel with a great cook; John Roots is that man, such
is his ability to cook food many dished at any angle of heel all hours of the day and
night and is a great helmsman and wit too. Although rather annoyingly
he'd always record staggeringly high boat speeds after taking over on the helm
from me, i'm sure he had the engine running.
I would do this trip again in the blink of an eye, modern
technology has made this kind of passage stress free and i know all the
arguments about relying on tech and yes we did have sheafs of paper charts,
almanacs as well as looking to the skies constantly for information but cant
beat glancing at the gps in front of you and seeing all that info in real time.
I must also congratulate 'Nanny' the ST2000 Autohelm Dylan bought along as on
more than one occasion it took the ball ache out of the night shift and quite a
few windless day time ones too.
Overall the trip was some of the most exhilarating sailing i've ever
done and Anstruther Harbour truly a picture postcard place to visit yet the
shower / toilet facilities were run in the most bizarre fashion as every time
you used them either you had to present your paper receipt at the door even though
to get there you had to leave the marina through a gate using a wireless fob
which you received on receipt of payment, ...........answers on a post card i
think.
In Dylan and John I couldn't have sailed with two more pleasant blokes ( I
nick-named them Waldolf and Statler from the Muppet show) there were genuinely
no raised voices, plenty of laughs and more than a shot of adrenaline. what
more could you want in an adventure?.............................
cheers
