February fast cruise - just one more to go

 

The penultimate weekend of the Fast Cruise season was another particularly enjoyable one.  While early 2012 was windy, early 2013 seems to be continuing the theme of late 2012: anything more than 10 knots of wind is beginning to seem like a dream.

 

As Avril decided that her crutches were not suited to marine use and another crew member claimed to have contracted SARS, the somewhat diminished crew assembled on Friday evening at the end of a day when I had briefly spent time in the cockpit wearing a T-shirt and no fleece at all. The sun had shone, but the night was cold and Saturday morning dawned bright and calm with Bramblemet and Chimet agreeing on wind speeds of 5 knots gusting 6 and the inshore waters forecast promising "variable 3 or less."  Clearly reefing was unlikely to be urgently needed.

 

Andy Ormsby, 18.02.2013 | Posted in comment

Ronhilda's Fast Cruises 16th February 2013 Light Winds and Another Long Day

First problem was Chichester Marina lock was due to be overhauled untill late on Friday on the 15th and could not be promised to be available for the16th. So Andy Chatterton kindly spent a Saturday with me  moving Ronhilda around to Port Solent earlier in the month. Actually it was a very pleasant trip in the sun with few other yachts or motorboats to be seen.

Brian Humber, 17.02.2013 | Posted in comment

Hello from Sydney

Sydney Harbour

Dear Friends and fellow club members,

Well, it has been 6 weeks since we arrived for our new life here in Sydney and much has happened. The weather has been variable to say the least, with a hot wet Christmas day and it then settled into what the met office says is the hottest January for 90 years. Didn’t seem too bad to us but there were a couple of days over 40 which didn’t last long as, when that happens, a southerly wind comes in to cool everything down.

If January was the hottest, February is starting out as the coldest and we have actually had the heating on and a duvet on the bed these past few days. People are accusing us of bringing English summer weather with us. Anyway it will warm up as it is still summer. Enough with the wevver.

Richard Williamson, 15.02.2013 | Posted in comment

Profile Gordon Oscroft

Gordon Oscroft  MSc  CEng MIET   Member 

Committie member of GWSC (Grafham Water Sailing Club) for 11 years 

Robert Oscroft, 06.02.2013 | Posted in comment

HPO DINNER

Those members who didnt get to the Club on Tuesday 15th January, missed the very successful annual HPO Dinner with13 HPOs attending for the evening.  Two new HPOs received their burgees and certificate of Appointment, namely Ronan Beirne, Dun Laoghaire, a member of The National Yacht Club of Ireland with whom the Little Ship Club has just exchanged pennants and entered into an agreement of reciprocity, and Angus Annan, Loch Lomond, this is sailing with a difference in Scotland. Two other new HPOs were announced, Jerome Renier, L'Aber Wrac'h, Brittany and Jane Harrison, St Maarten, Caribbean. 

Anne Le Verrier..., 17.01.2013 | Posted in comment

New Honorary Port Officers

I am pleased to report that we have 4 new Honorary Port Officers in very different locations around the world.

BRITTANY:  Jerome Renier, harbour master at L'Aber Wrac'h Marina, Brittany.    LSC members regularly sail around Brittany and Jerome looks forward to welcoming you.

ST MAARTEN:       Jane Harrison, Mega Yacht Services at St Maarten, Caribbean.         Jane is well placed to offer her services, be it for assistance or chartering.

LOCH LOMOND:        Angus Annan.     Sailing with a difference.  Angus looks forward to welcoming LSC members holidaying in Scotland.  Angus will receive his certificate and HPO Burgee at the Dinner on 15th January.

Anne Le Verrier..., 10.01.2013 | Posted in comment

FC 4 Ronhilda goes to Folly

I had an Alarm call at 5am. Got up and found its literally freezing, but dogs still interested in any early morning exercise on offer. Getting to the yacht found the crew were all up and about and grateful for the fan heater. Andy C and Di arrived as promised so the engine was started and we gently backed zigzaging out  of the berth. Major course alteration in ice has to be taken in small shuffles which I discovered and learnt many years ago when my tanker was rescued in thick ice by an icebreaker north of Stockholm and it took us  hours to get free and shuffle into the wake of the icebreaker ahead.

Slowly we crunched down to the lock and out into free water as dawn came apon us. The decks were very slippery so every movement had to be thought about before doing it and all the lines were like steel rods to handle.

Brian Humber, 03.12.2012 | Posted in comment

HPO NEWS - UPDATE

We have a vacancy at BELFAST AND STRANGFORD LOUGH.   Dr John Dunlop feels that after being an HPO for 27 years he wishes to retire from the post.  The Club wishes to thank him for all his support over the years and if any member knows his personally, do get in touch with him.  A couple of names have already been put forward for the vacancy.

 

Anne Le Verrier..., 28.11.2012 | Posted in comment

November's FC - Ronhilda's Quickest Ever

Due to LW springs 0.7M  this weekend being at the time I needed to be going over Chicester Bar, I had arranged to leave on Friday. Friday came with no wind and not a little fog so it was going to be mostly motoring towards Portsmouth. However on departing Chichester Marina I found I had no throttle control or engine power above tickover.  So we had to return to base with the Skipper at the Wheel (your scribe) shouting Half Ahead, Dead Slow etc at the acting Chief Engineer inside the cabin (Andy Chatterton) who then leant in over the fanbelt and water pipes at 90C to pull on the throttle the required amount. We thus returned to the berth and tied up, the FC for this weekend having lasted a little under two hours.

Brian Humber, 17.11.2012 | Posted in comment

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