Anyway, enough grumbling. The thing that really matters for the moment is that the very cuddly Nicola S has given us the thumbs up to travel to Scotland AND not be quarantined for a month at the border AND stay on the Brimble AND visit certain places ... awesome. You gotta luv her, one team GB ... go go go
Brimble's Blog
This Blog is a record of some of the adventures that family, friends and three ducks have had in a very small sailing boat called Brimble. Some of it's serious boaty stuff but most of it's just fun ... think Bill Bryson rather then Knox-Johnston
Who’d have thought it?
Who’d have guessed that a global pandemic was going to thwart our plans to head north to Greenland this year ... you couldn’t make it up or at least if you did no one would believe you! Hey ho, a postponement of our adventure but by no means a cancellation; some would say it gives us extra time to make sure the good ship is ready ... we say we are ready and we want to crack on!
Planning continues for the Summer
So, its the 2nd February and our idea of two years ago of heading north is slowly coming together. It should be an epic adventure. The current plan is to depart from Troon in mid July this year and head north along the west coast of Scotland. We will leave the UK with a 3 day hop up to the Faeroe Islands, then 10 days across to Iceland possibly stopping at Husavik and Isafjorour on the north coast where there is an excellent fish restaurant. Finally, and subject to ice conditions we will make the 3 day passage across the notorious Denmark Straits to either Ittoqqortoormiit or Tasiilaq, two of the remotest villages in the world. We will make the decision of which to go for when we get to Iceland and can get a picture of ice conditions. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think because although Ittoqqortoormiit is further north it is not necessarily harder to get into, so best to keep our options open. The end game with respect to coming home is not quite finalised and probably won’t be until midway through the trip. The current thinking is either back to Rejkavik for the winter or if time permits we will try and make it to Scotland. I have 6 weeks off work for the trip so getting back to the UK could be a push.
Crew for the trip is largely agreed with Rob P on board for the whole adventure. Selma will be with us for the shakedown sail in Scotland, Tom Parsons from Scotland to Iceland and Ella and Chris Perkins for the leg over to Greenland and back. We should be able to find some really exciting spots for the crew-changes that make the recent record of a 6 hour train ride and then rocky ferry trip look like a walk in the park!
Planning this trip has a number of special challenges. The most novel is the need to carry a firearm for protection against polar bears but there is a long list of other, rather vital, bits n bobs. Survival suits, Satelite Phone to pick up ice charts and weather en route, pilotage where charts either don’t exist or are of very limited use, learning about navigating in ice ... the list goes on. Thank goodness I got ahead and bought my new, Guy Cotton, non-breathable oilskins last year.
It is all very exciting and provides an extraordinary opportunity to make essential improvements to the good ship to make her ‘adventure ready’.
We have just been up to Troon to check that the good ship is OK and check on a few pieces of work that the excellent WCMS have been doing which include a new prop, two new winches and a new cutlass bearing. A new sprayhood has been made but I’m worried now that the new bright blue may reveal that the mainsail cover is really quite faded and so must also be replaced. Whilst not the most important issue, every detail counts. Watch this space.
Bangor to Troon and home (12th July - 14th July)
The last leg of the Four Nations Tour was from Bangor to Troon via the Isle of Arran
A few hours out from Bangor and Chris spotted what we think was a Northern Bottlenose Whale ... this photo shows what we saw ... |
This photo shows what we thought we saw! |
By lunchtime, we were sailing past Ailsa Craig. I don't know why I really love this island but I do. It's just charming. |
... and by early evening we were sailing up into Lamlash Bay on the Isle of Arran |
The good ship was soon snuggled up on a mooring buoy in Lamlash Bay |
A great supper and a few pints at The Pierhead Tavern followed a really great sail over from Northern Ireland |
The spinnaker up again and we stormed along. It was awesome and a very fitting end to a great 2 week sail. |
The approach to Troon. Last time we sailed in here it was at the end of the infamous Scottish Isles Peak Race - a monstrous affair. |
So, there you have it. An hour or so later we were tied up and moored in Troon Marina. The following day we caught the train home. 6 hours to cover what had taken us 2 weeks. An awesome little sailing adventure that puts us in a good place for next years passage north.
Caernarfon to Bangor, Northern Ireland (10th July - 11th July)
The reason our destination was set as Bangor was that we wanted to sail from Bangor (Wales) to Bangor (Northern Ireland) ... a small thing but something that appealed to those on board the good ship. We enhanced this by enjoying a curry in Bangor (Northen Ireland) at the Bangla Indian Restaurant thus allowing us to say 'we went from Bangor to the Bangla in Bangor. It is a moot point as to whether passage planning should be built ostensibly around a single amusing sentence but we say yes. No doubt the RYA will, in the fullness of time, add this approach to their excellent Yachtmaster Training Programme.
The strait is bridged in two places: the Menai Suspension Bridge and Robert Stephenson's 1850 Britannia Tubular Bridge.
The strait varies in width from 400 metres from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to 1,100 metres from Traeth Gwyllt to Caernarfon Castle. It then narrows to 500 metres in the middle reaches and then it broadens again.
The differential tides at the two ends of the strait cause very strong currents to flow in both directions through the strait at different times, creating dangerous conditions. One of the most dangerous areas of the strait is known as the Swellies between the two bridges. Here rocks near the surface cause over-falls and local whirlpools, which can be of considerable danger in themselves and cause small boats to founder on the rocks.
We left Canaerfon as soon as the adjustable sill in the entrance was lowered. This gives you enough time to carry the tide up the Strait past Bangor and out to sea. We left late afternoon, waving goodbye to Selma and Ella who promised to take pictures of the good ship as she went through the Swellies.
Timing is everything for a safe passage and unusually for us, we timed it right!
Approaching the Britannia Bridge and Menai Suspension Bridge |
Rob led navigation; Chris steered, and I made tea |
A medieval document quoted in the book 'The Menai Strait' states: In that arm of the see that departeth between this island Mon and North Wales is a swelowe that draweth to schippes that seileth and sweloweth hem yn, as doth Scylla and Charybdis - therefore we may nouzt seile by this swalowe but slily at the full see. Roughly translated this means 'it's a bit choppy'. Our pilot seemed more positive.
Eider duck, always the serious member of the team, advised that we should wear Wellies as we sailed through the Swellies ... we thought it was a good idea. |
We tried to stay icy calm as we approached the infamous Swellies but sometimes maintaining a poker face is difficult. |
As you approach the bridges you come across this statue of Nelson on the shore. |
The statue was erected in 1873, by an artist experimenting with concrete.
Art lover and sculptor Lord Clarence Paget, a former Lord of the Admiralty, lived at Plas Llanfair, up the slope behind the statue. He had used concrete to make statues for his grounds and noticed they were more durable than marble in this exposed area. He found that concrete was much cheaper than marble, bronze or stone and could be manipulated easily.
The Admiralty happened to be surveying the Menai Strait at the time, and Lord Clarence accepted its suggestion that, with only a small alteration to the statue’s planned location, the artwork would serve as a navigation aid for mariners travelling in either direction along this difficult stretch of water. The Admiralty had already marked the statue on its newest chart by the time of the ceremony
As promised Selma and Ella took a video as we shot down the Strait under sail. We did consider using the engine but, hey, we are a sailing boat!
Couldn't resist it ... play with sound ... and yes I know its the wrong Bangor!
The Admiralty happened to be surveying the Menai Strait at the time, and Lord Clarence accepted its suggestion that, with only a small alteration to the statue’s planned location, the artwork would serve as a navigation aid for mariners travelling in either direction along this difficult stretch of water. The Admiralty had already marked the statue on its newest chart by the time of the ceremony
As promised Selma and Ella took a video as we shot down the Strait under sail. We did consider using the engine but, hey, we are a sailing boat!
First Britannia and then the Menai Suspension Bridge |
Chris calmly sailing us through whilst Rob and I shouted instructions |
Just noticed this house on the shore of Anglesey and liked it. What a great spot. The sail out past Bangor was fun. Solent rig with a F5-6 right behind us and a strong tide made for a fun sail. |
Having passed Bangor we then headed out into the Irish Sea leaving Wales behind us bound for Northern Ireland |
Approaching Bangor the following afternoon. |
Couldn't resist it ... play with sound ... and yes I know its the wrong Bangor!
A well-earned pint of Guinness. We were practising our 'stern' look. No idea who owns the fourth hand? |
The award-winning Bangla at Bangor |
Falmouth to Caernarfon (6th July - 9th July)
Chris 'The Perk' Perkins at the helm as we leave Falmouth on a three day leg round to Caernarfon |
Falmouth is a great place but we were glad to leave. We were now behind programme if we were to make it to Scotland so had to get some miles under the keel. |
We left Falmouth at 1700 and flew the spinnaker until supper. We enjoyed a lovely sunset. Happy hour was filled with a spot of PG Wodehouse. What's not to like? |
We had a lovely sail around Lands End. It seemed so quiet as we did our 2 on 4 off watch pattern but when you look at AIS you can see we were not alone! |
The Navionics Plot as we rounded Lands End |
I'm not quite sure why but we enjoyed just loads and loads of visits by dolphins. Really lovely as ever.
I sailed into Nyer just as dawn was breaking. Rob and Chris were off-watch asleep so I picked up a mooring and then went to bed ... nice |
A drones-eye view of the good ship |
We left Nyer at 1113 for the few hours sail up to the entrance of the Menai Straits. |
The route into Caernarfon Harbour |
The tides were strong as we expected but Rob 'No Fingers' Parson's (navigator) timing was perfect and it was all very controlled. |
The marina is in the heart of Caernarfon. |
Brimble all snugged up and looking good. |
Plymouth to Falmouth to Mylor (3rd July - 5th July)
As Robert Burns said in 1765, whilst ploughing a field: 'the best-laid plans o'mice an' men gang aft a-gley (often go awry). How Robbie Burns knew about our plans on board the good ship is a mystery to me but there you are, he did, because otherwise why did he write about it in a poem. Our plan was to nip from Plymouth to Falmouth and having picked up Robert D to pop round Lands End and up to Skomer Island and then Milford Haven in Wales. This we did not do and so yet again Robbie Burns gets it right with his prophecy of a wryness. Mind you, as is almost always the case, we had lots of fun not doing what we planned to do so that was alright!
Having dropped Jeremy off to return to France it was just Rob and me setting off out of Plymouth Sound on a lovely sunny morning.
Looking back at QE Battery |
Heading out between the breakwater and Cawsand |
We decided that it was time to set up the spinnaker and so we spent a happy few hours setting up a proper grown-up spinnaker system. The good ship loved it. |
After a lovely sail, we moored up in the shadow of the excellent Falmouth Maritime Museum (you must visit) at Port Pendennis Marina. |
Take off was OK. The landing was scarier. |
Excellent aerial view of the three of us. It's great to get close-up pictures of the crew like this one that shows just why a drone is a vital part of the equipment on board |
Great detail ... makes a spin round the churchyard a real must |
A rather flashy yacht at Port P. The owners probably walked round to look at Brim but we didn't see them. |
That afternoon we visited the Falmouth Maritime Museum. It is double excellent and gets a triple Brimble Rating. |
The view from the drone-field was amazing |
On the way back we ran back past Port Pendennis docks. The Shipyard looks to be thriving which is fabulous. |
Shortly after our run we rendezvoused with The Perk and prepared the good ship for the next leg. Learning from our previous mistake of rushing off with a new crew we decided to give Chris a good couple of hours to settle in before we left!
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