Last weekend saw several jobs progress including a windlass cover, genoa repair, continued work on the electrical system and fitting the outboard bracket in the head. I went out for a quick motor round to charge the batteries and check things over but had a problem. Smoke and a weird noise starting emanating from the engine bay. I stopped the engine and sailed back on to my mooring. The positive cable from the domestic battery fell on to the prop shaft and was arcing over. Very easy to fix and no great drama but a bit alarming at the time.
Saturday 15 August 2020
First trip out of the river
The weekend before last was my first trip out of the river Medway in Louisa. We set off on the morning tide and made it out to Shimmering Sands Towers before the tide changed. The wind gradually increased to F5 from the South West and by the time I was passing the Kentish Flats windfarm the wind speed was F7. I put a reef in whilst hove to and all worked well despite it being a bit bouncy. I then sailed up to the Ham Gat buoy before putting the engine on. Motor sailing against the wind into the Swale from the east was a bit tricky but she made it in OK and we were anchored by mid afternoon.
We picked a calm spot in the lee of the Conyer Penisular and had a good rest overnight. The next morning we set off back the way we had come and with a SW F4 made it back to the Medway for early afternoon. As I was passing the gas terminal in the Medway I spotted another club boat entering the Medway. She gradually caught me and by the time we were entering Gillingham Reach we were alongside each other having a great to and fro sail back to the moorings.
A great first proper sail and hopefully a sign of things to come.
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