Start of the First Long(ish) Sail Trip

[nigel1]

Hi all, and a happy new year.
Spent the last week on the new (to me) boat, at Shotley marina (UK). First couple of days was full of apprehension, this boat was a big step up from the previous 26' Colvic, but now getting used to her.
Spent the time getting provisioned, and stored, some minor repairs, and today was spent getting the inner forestay rigged. Not been helped by the freezing weather conditions.
Plan to set sail on the 6th, and hope to make a passage to Liverpool non stop with a couple of other guys. Weather is looking pretty good, may even be looking for more wind, but the cold will probably be the worst.
So wish us luck, and I'll hopefully let you know how it went.

All the best

[barnakiel]

Good Luck and have a warm sail!

I would not swap places though,
barnie
Las Palmas

[nigel1]

Made it back to Liverpool OK, 6 days with 3 stop overs, Gosport, Newlyn and Carnavon.
Good trip, but very cold, but worked well as ashakedown trip. Found a few problems, house batteries we're goosed, and had also been connected somehow to the start battery, had to stop and replace the two house batteries. Both the fwd hatches leak when taking waves over the bow. Also found the filling hose to the fwd water tank">fresh water tank not connected properly, intersiting in a force 8 gale to find the fwd cabin awash, but relief to find it was fresh water and not sea water.
All in all a good trip, and it was my first time through the Menai Straits, pretty cool stretch of water, particularly as we had to go through against the tide.
Mainsail definetley needs a third deep reef.So have enough jobs now to keep us out of trouble.