We wait a little longer

The plan was to get Warrior home this weekend but once again the weather is not on our side and Warrior must wait alone in Plymouth. We need the boat home next weekend as the racing starts the following weekend (Sat 27th April).

Looks like more favourable weather next weekend (Sat 20th April).

 

All going well we will be home in time for the start of season RIYC Spring Coaching Regatta on the 27th and 28th April. This is organised by the Royal Irish Yacht Club supported by the Dublin Bay Sailing Club. Starting with a skipper and tactician briefing at 8.30am on the Saturday (27th) there will be a number of practice starts (10.25) followed by two practive races (11:30 and 12:30). The first race of the season then starts at 14:00. There is a video debrief at 17:00. I hope we will not have embarrassed ourselves ! Sunday then starts again with briefing at 9:30 followed by a downwind slalom at 11:25 and two more practive races at 12:30 and 13:30 with the Video debrief again at 15:30.

The White Sails pre-Season briefing is next Wed at 8pm in the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire.

So it is all starting to become real.

Update 14 April 14:00 - Lucky we didn't go this weekend - latest Met forecast for today is Storm Force 10

First Attempt to get Warrior Home

Well the forecast wasn't great with 5-6 gusting 7, but the direction was good as it was all Easterlies. The crew consisted of 2 well experienced and 2 with less. I flew into Southampton with my brother on Thursday evening last (March 28) with a plan to sail on the Friday midday spring tide from Port Hamble Marina. All going well we would be spit out of the Solent with a 3 knot tide pushing us along. We provisioned for a 60 hour sail back to Dublin which meant we arrived at the boat late - 10pm in the dark.

Next morning we started to familiarise ourselves with the boat. We had a few hours to pack away sails and get to know the boat before heading to sea. The life raft was stowed, life jackets taken out and lifelines fixed. The cruising sails were fitted - we could find no battens for the main. We checked out reefing points and cut lines to secure the reefed sail. It was blowing a steady F5 as the other two crew arrived at 11.00am. I was having problems getting the engine to engage. The throttle lever is a winch handle and it seemed to be pushing in the pin that put the engine into neutral. Eventually some WD40 seemed to do the trick. We motored to the fuel dock and filled the tank (86 ltrs). The forecast was now for a gale.

We were using a great iPad app iGrib over the past week to monitor expected wind speed and direction. We decided to head out as the wind was Easterly and sea state still slight. As we would be on a run we put a single reef in the main. This proved a little too much so after about a half hour we decided to put in a second reef. This was a challenge as we bounced about and the luff decided to pop out a few times. The reefing lines were also a challenge. At one point the jib halyard went and the jib dropped (all seemed in slow motion as I ran forward and caught her before she immersed herself in the water). All part of getting used to the boat ! After all before last night I had seen her for only an hour on dry land. It was bitterly cold and the sea state was getting agitated. After a few hours with the wind in our back blowing mainly F6-7 with gusts of F8 we decided that although the boat was handling well we should not take her through the night. Forecast was for F8, moderate to rough, and temperatures of minus 2 (feeling more like -7). I called up Portland Marina and booked a berth for the night. Portland is easy to enter - faces east but a major port and easy to gain access even in this easterly blow. It was dark when we arrived and we again struggled with engaging drive, with the boat going into neutral as we tried to go head to wind. We managed eventually but not the tidiest looking sails as we entered the marina and my hands and fingers took a bashing. Portland Marina is pretty new and pretty empty so we had our choice of places to tie up which was great given this was our first time to dock her and it was blowing hard. A few pints of Guinness in the Green Lantern and we were like new. 55nm of 400nm in the bag.

We headed out the following day into a F5-6 gusting F7. The forecast was for the winds to lighten later in the day. A good sail and the weather eased throughout the day. At one point we were joined by two dolphins for about 15 minutes. The forecast was for gales again overnight so we headed for Darthaven Marina in Dartmouth. Hard to believe that heavy weather was due as the sunset was beautiful as the seas flattened out. We arrived in the Marina about 9pm in flat calm - just as well as once again I could not engage gear as we entered the marina. All hands required to manhandle her into position, the a quick exit for food and a glass of wine. Another 52 nm completed.

The forecast for Sunday was not great with F6-F7 and F8 later in the day. We got up early and checked the weather again. The sea state was rough to very rough. We decided to head off at 6am for Plymouth as this would take another 40nm off the trip home next time out. We booked flights home from Exeter leaving 18.50 and expected to be tied up in Plymouth by 12.30. Again under fully reefed main we headed off and with a bumpy start we soon had the wind behind us and started to enjoy the surfing. John held the record at 11.6 knots until with a fine gust of 33kn I managed a 12.6 kn. Great sailing. We arrived in our berth in Mayflower Marina just after midday. We cooked up, washed up and then cleaned down the boat - she will remain here at least two weeks as this weekends weather is all Northerly - so maybe the weekend of 14th/15th but at the moment it looks like a major low moving in. I will know better in a few days time.

So to summarise, warrior was fantastic, easy to sail and well capable of the conditions we sailed through. A good start to getting used to her - and her to us.

Still have 280nm (80nm to clear Lands End and 200nm north to Dublin) to go to get here home to Dun Laoghaire.

Warrior - She has a name

Preparations for the boat are going well. Hamble Yacht Services (Roger Marino) are looking after everything. Liferaft and jackets have been sent for a service. The gas system is being pressure tested and the hoses and bottle replaced. There are also a few small tidy up items (catches. latches etc.). They hope to have the furler fitted this weekend and Elvstrom (Jeremy White) has the sails in for service/valet (and change of sail number). The sails will need to be recut once the firler is fitted.

I received my sail number during the week IRL8478 and then it was just a matter of coming up with the name !! - I had a long list but in the end of the day you just have to pick one. No good asking opinions as it simply makes your long list even longer.

So I went with Warrior (it was going to be Celtic Warrior, but I thought I would shorten it to Warrior and add in a Celtic Warrior Tattoo symbol).

I have passed this early draft to Ben in GrapefruitGraphics to see if this can be improved upon, and to make up the lettering for the boom cover, wheel cover, spinnaker pole cover, hull and transom.
So why "Warrior". The boat, from now on affectionatley know as "Warrior", is a member of the team and will of course carry the boat and team name. Warrior is now the second member of the team (myself being the only other member), so we are a bit short handed at the moment. I thought the name fitted with the overall journey we have to take. A successful warrior has to :

- be fighting fit (physically and mentally)
- be properly equipped and prepared for the battle at hand
- be a force to be reckoned with (eventually)
- know when to engage with the competition and when to stay clear
- watch and learn
- train, train, train

Next step it to get Warrior home. Ideally she will be ready next weekend, but I think that may be a bit tight. I am away in London the following weekend (although that would have been ideal as it is a 3 day bank holiday weekend - St Patricks Day) - So the most likely date of departure is now the weekend of the 23rd/24th March. I need to find someone to travel with me as it's too long for a solo run (60-70hrs). Heres hoping for a Southerly that weekend.

Well now I have the boat

A pretty successful trip to Hamble, Southampton in the UK. I viewed four J109s and a Beneteau 34.7 (10R). After much number crunching and soul searching I settled on the 34.7 and put in an offer on Monday and we did the deal subject to survey today.

The boat is a 2008 model, launched in 2009 and dry sailed since new, so in superb condition. Sails are racing Elvstrom from 2011 and lots of add ons such as upgraded winches.

So now I need to get the boat home - about 450nm. So a fair weather window required and some free time.

Have sent the liferaft and jackets for servicing. Antifoul will be applied next week - first time - seems such a shame. A furler is being fitted so that we are eligible for Dublin Bay White Sail racing this and next season as we build the team and sails cut to fit.

Now to get her home (need at least one other person aboard particularly if I come direct without stop - a long 48+ hrs trip at best).

... and the previous owner wants to keep the name so I need to think of a new one - that can be harder than the boat search !

Progressing to plan ....

In search of the right boat

I am currently sitting at the Airport in Dublin and will board in a little over an hour for Southampton. I have such fond memories of sailing around the Solent (where I did my Yachtmaster some time ago now).

Today I head for Hamble to view a 2009 Beneteau 34.7 (10R) which has been dry sailed since new, and three J109s (one from 2005 and two from 2006). I am also meeting a rigger from Hamble Yacht services to discuss fitting furling gear to the 34.7 (a requirement for white sail racing in Dublin Bay) - the J109 already has furling as standard.

The 34.7 has a good set of 2011 Elvstrom racing and cruising sails, so I am meeting the Elvstrom rep to discuss options for recutting for a Furler.

I land at 11.30am, should be in the car by 12.00 and in Hamble by 12.30-13.00.

A busy day but Always fun looking at boats.

Day 1 (ish) of 8 year PLAN

So I love sailing but have not been on the water near as much as I would have liked and now as I near 50!! have decided to put a race boat and team on Dublin Bay. Maybe a little mad, and I am not sure if it's possible but thats all part of the adventure.

I have been away working for the last 3 years and am now back in Dublin. Before I left I sold my cruising boat, a Bluewater 58. I want (and need) to get back on the water. My challenge is that I am still as busy as ever. My plan is to get a somewhat smaller boat (about 34-35 foot) that is competitive and to try to get a team together that will work together over the coming years to become one of the top 10 teams in the bay.

I am not a racer myself, but I am competitive and I love a challenge so I am going to try to build the team from scratch and with people who want to learn rather than experienced sailor/racers. I believe that good teams are generally more successful than loose teams of talented individuals.

So today I have no Boat and no Crew - Just Me !

The PLAN : get a boat (good start) and build a crew over two-three seasons (2013-2014/15). Over this period we will learn to sail together, understand each other and know the boat. We will white sail for this period as learning to crew together and depend on and know each other will be key to our success in later years. By the end of the 2-3 yrs we should aim to be in the top 30% of the White Sail fleet. We will move to High Tech and Spinnaker when we have learned how to sail well without them. Within another 2 years I would like be be in the top 30% of the high-tech fleet. We will then start ISORA and the likes of Cowes or Cork Week. Over the next 3 years we will become a boat to watch on the circuit. Well you need a plan !

The BOAT : At the moment I am thinking either Beneteau 34.7 or J109. Both boats will need driver, pit, genoa, mainsail and tactician for white sail and them some weight for weather.

The TRAINING : No one succeeds without practice and a thirst for bettering themselves. I have shelves of books on sailing and racing. Recently I have purchased the NorthU Sail Trim and Sailing Tactics books and Videos. They are fantastic and will form the basis of our education and training.

So now to get that boat ...