It was a cold and wet Sunday morning. The Temperature was 8C, and the wind was light, falling from 14mph in the early morning to nothing in the late afternoon when there might be some sunny intervals. Today was the day of the A-Rater 9-mile race and a handicap race for other boats. We were going out for some fun sailing, but Paul got talked into us entering the Race.
The A-Rater Race
Rain and light winds coming directly from upstream at 8 mph decreasing with a river flow of 1 mph.
Tacking: I get plenty of practice
With the wind coming directly downstream, going upstream against the wind required much tacking. The wind was also variable, so sometimes, when we turned the boat with no wind to push us, we drifted back downstream with the river's flow. It was like one step forward and three to ten steps back.
Everyone else in the race seemed to be going up and down the river. We seem to have opted for a more across-the-river and back race. We indeed managed to cover some 3 miles but only managed to travel at best 250m upstream. We are not sure due to a lack of data from other boats, but we may now hold the record for travelling the longest distance to have made the least progress.
We watched the first proper race of the season, and then Paul and I went to the water. It did take us a while to get ready, being the first time we were in the water this year. We needed to tighten the shroud lines and haul the boat from the car park across the railway crossing to the river. With advice, we turned the boat into the wind and set the mainsail. Because this was effectively my first lesson, Paul decided to use only the main one and get me to practise moving from one side of the boat to the other to keep us balanced.
The RS Toura is quite a heavy boat, so we needed to use the winch to lower the trailer down the slipway into the water, then tie it up whilst pulling the launching trolley out of the water and putting it out of the way before we could set sail. Then I discovered we had to raise the sail to the correct side of the gnav so we could connect the downhaul rope.
Off we go
Once aboard and we we off. The thrill as the sails filled with air and pulled the boat along. Winds of 10mph gusting to 25mph gave the boat a bit of speed. This is what I had waited 6 months for.
With Paul at the hem, I sat by the mast first on one side then the other - I moved to slowly and found that on my knees in the centre worked well for a time.
We were doing so well that the crew on the safety boat came just behind us and gave us some instructions to improve the boat's handling. Paul quickly mastered pulling in the main to increase the power and apply some force to the rudder.
I was grateful for my decision to wear a helmet as the boom clouted me a few times as I didn't duck quite low enough as I scrambled past it.
All too soon, we were back at the club, taking down the sail and hauling the boat, two safety boats out of the water, and other boats from the field where they had been stored away from the floods back down to the river. The Toura was moved back into the boat park, where we covered it up until we could get out on it next time.
We didn't manage to sail, as there was not enough wind for us, and the red boards were still up, but a couple of brave souls ventured out on their boats, along with a couple of safety boats, and worked on the RYA Powerboat 2 course.
Designing the logo for the T-shirts hats and Mugs to go with the sailing
Designing the logo is only the first part of creating T-shirts, Mugs, and other accessories. In-house, we can easily create T-shirts, cups, coasters, and bags using design software, a dye sublimation printer, and a heat press. The dye sublimation printer can then print out the logo at any size onto special heat transfer paper. in reverse.
The Paper the then fixed to the garment where the image or text is required.
The garment is then transferred to the heat press, and after 45 seconds, the image is copied to the T-shirt, Which can be worn straight away. At present, this is for the crew to wear and use on the boat, but later, if we need and decide to go down that route, it can be used for merchandising.
Mugs and Bags are made in the same way. The Mugs need a different mould, but are made in the same way, except the heating process takes a lot longer - about 3 minutes to heat the Mug to 200 degrees to take the transfer.
The Hats are made differently using a computer-controlled sewing machine which takes the design and converts the logo, etc, into a machine embroidery pattern, which is then stitched onto the hat. This takes a long time, typically about 30 minutes, with each colour being changed by hand.
Two of my crew, wife and son, attended an RYA First Aid Course to keep their skills up to date and learn some of the differences in First Aid in the water and on boats.
learning how even a small person can roll a larger person
The Winter is here, and we are making plans. The papers are advertising days of snow, thick, heavy snow, and transport chaos. Instead, we might get a slight scattering of snow and the traffic chaos.
With the heavy Autumn rains and the storms, the rivers have risen, and the water flow has increased such that it is unsafe to take the sailing dinghies out as the current is way stronger than the winds. So what is there to do? It is all about making plans. Reading books by the fireside seems the best idea, but for most of us, that really means sitting near a radiator, looking out on a grey day, wishing for the summer to come and days out in the boat.
Books, Boats and Catalogues
I look through the blogs and catalogues, making plans and dreaming of what might be. I am thinking about a small powerboat – probably a dinghy with an electric outboard to use to follow the Toura and get some external shots. This could be used as our own safety boat. This gives the other family members something to do whilst I sail with my youngest son.
My eldest son likes powerboats; my wife could drive one if I got one with a steering wheel. She has no idea which way to turn the tiller. So maybe it’s an RIB I need. But I still couldn’t get on the water even if I had one.
Making Plans: Choosing a boat
At present, even powered craft are banned from the river. I am looking at several different types of boats. So, this is one of my plans in the making. First, I looked at a Kayak. An inflatable one will fit in the car. It will be good exercise against the current, and a two-man version could see me cashing the sailing boat for some extra shots. Although this might work, a better solution might be a RIB. With a firm deck and a small electric motor, this might work. I don’t need a powerful motor for the river, and a silent electric motor might be just what I need. My son suggested a Rigiflex-style boat ( orange bathtub), and the Whaley versions looked good. My wife liked the version, which looked more like a landing craft. Virtually indestructible and easy to maintain – jetwash after use.
Making Plans: Boat Hooks
In my making plans and fireside reading, I have come across boat hooks and special ones that allow mooring lines to be attached. They are in the shop, but I am yet to buy one and try it out.
Model Sailing Boats
Making plans for filming. Other work goes on in preparation for doing some actual sailing and filming about sailing. We designed a model boat in CAD and sliced it into three parts so that they would fit into the 3-D printer. And now we have the mast, too, all ready to assemble. The boat’s idea is to sit on a device like a Lazy Susan to represent the river flow. On top of this will be a cradle to change the trim and yaw of the boat. This is now a job for New Year’s Day.
Still No Sailing
With the New Year’sDay Races cancelled because of the high river levels,
Paul worked on updating the UTSC website with River flow data. Paul spent most part of the afternoon researching where to get the data and then being able to display the data on the website. Now all the data is in one place to be found. This should be good for the club members. All I can do is sit here making plans and wishing for better weather.
The end of 2023 is drawing nigh, and the Annual Boxing Day Lapthorne Tankard (CPN) & Boxing Day Trophy (PHC) are up for grabs. However, as sailors, we are entirely at the mercy of the wind. On this particular Boxing Day, it was conspicuously absent. Paul and I decided that after our first Safety boat rescue perhaps volunteering to man the safety boat of Boxing Day was a good idea. We have experienced some strong wind the past few days. Storm Gerrit is due on Wednesday. In between on Tuesday (Boxing Day), the air was still, and hardly a flag fluttered at the sailing club.
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New Island
We did notice a new island had appeared on the other bank. A small log was sticking out of the water near to one of the jetties. Before any racing starts, these need to be removed, with four men gathering around Tigris V, willing the engine to life. After a five-minute struggle that felt like an eternity, the engine finally sputtered to life.
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Two members set off to examine the new forest island. We decided that two should go out and investigate, while the other two waiting safety boat duty crews should stay on the bank. This was in case the boat should break down and a second safety boat crew needed to rescue the first.
Not an Inch
Approaching the new island, it seemed to be a large tree firmly wedged into the riverbed. It was held there by a very strong current. The crew tugged on the tree, but it was very quickly apparent that it was going to need a significantly larger amount of Horsepower than Tigris had to move it. With one failure done, it was time to turn the attention to a much smaller log affixed to the jetty.
The Yule Log
The safety boat, Tigris, manoeuvred into position. The crew got a rope around one end, pulled, tugged, and heaved until the log came loose. After pulling the log around a circuit across the river to free it from the pontoon, the log was brought to the slipway. The team could have left the log to go, but that will cause more damage downstream. A six-strong-man team heaved the tree out of the river onto dry land so that it could be cut up and used as a yule log for many families.
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Now, with the course as ready as it could be, we awaited the opportunity to race. Alas, as had been the theme of this season, the day of racing fell on an airless day nestled between two menacing storms. Sailing can be unpredictable, but the unexpected challenges make each adventure unique and memorable.
But with no wind, there could be no race, so with a disheartened look, we returned home to cold turkey, gammon, and salmon.
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