Sailing anyone...?

[andyoxon]

Yeuugchh...I've just discovered that my fleece has got some dried puke on the sleeve...

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hey FF – yes I’m due to go again with older mini ao in early September.

I may have made the mistake of having a flapjack and cup of coffee at the wrong time... but out on the Saturday once I was in an advanced state of greenness, I couldn’t even look at any food, well at one point all I could do was crouch on the cockpit seat and feel like death warmed up – anyway I look on it as an initiation... I also missed out on a couple of pints, sitting in the sun on the Mary Mouse 2 marina (lightship) restaurant sipping my bottle of mineral water... On the first night in the boat in Haslar marina, I didn’t get to sleep for about three hours because of the sound of lapping water against the stern of the boat – the foam earplugs were useless.

On day two - different story. Taking the helm was great... doing a port tack in F5 SW wind, westwards down the Solent passed Cowes, into some decent waves. On occasions for some reason I just didn’t see the ‘steering’ as like a car and corrected movement the wrong way – all good fun... Actually I was kept at the helm during the rougher bits on purpose – part of the skipper’s strategy for a puke free ride... When we turned around, the mainsail went down and with just the foresail up, and the wind behind we had a leisurely sail back in the bright sunshine... and I was eating rolls, crisps and apple on board - no problem. Had a beer on return to the marina this time... Then got swabbing the decks with brush and hose.

I’m fair skinned and I tell you what – I’m glad I smothered myself with factor 50, because the odd bit I missed went very red. You feel nice and cool out on the boat, but with a clear sky you’re definitely being cooked by the sun.

I can tell you're hooked!
Sea-sickness is a terrible affliction, Mrs FF suffers badly and the kids are variable (North sea ferries I spent most of the nights ferrying sick bags around!). I'm lucky in that I've never suffered and for me the rougher the better, regardless of boat type. Maybe why I end-up rolling around in the galley! It's funny, the sound of water lapping against the hull and the ting-tinging of the rigging in port is like a lullaby to me. I do suffer the same problem when helming, everyso often I seem to get it all back to front much to my mates amusement! I helmed a Thames sailing barge half the way from Tower bridge to the Thames barrier last year, really shallow draft, 4'max, but amazingly responsive for such a big heavy girl.
Here she is!
http://www.thamesbarge.org.uk/barges/barges/gladys.html

I agree though, after crashing around in the bubbles, that leisurely trip back to port is great. I have fond memories of the whole crew chilled-out chowing-down on Bombay Bad Boys!

I hope ypu manage to find a good solution to the puking though, it must be such a pain.

Happy Daze...

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I used to race dinghies (Lasers, Hobies and Kestrels, things like that) but I haven't sailed anything for years now. I also lived on a canal boat for a while, but that wasn't really boating, more like living in a tin can in a ditch.