Tag: Hilary

Not always a Favourable Wind

Anyone out there unkind enough to think that these Sea Change trainees should not always have favourable winds and beautiful sunshine; that they should experience some PROPER ruffty-tuffty barging weather to give them a realistic experience, might draw comfort from Hilary’s most recent “Cambria Watch” posts on Face Book. On the 22nd, she posted that they had had “A frustrating sail yesterday as we had the wind on the nose and a foul tide for what seemed like forever. I never want to see Sizewell again as we spent a long time either just stemming the tide or going backwards as there was nowhere safe to anchor! The wind died about 11 pm so our intention to carry on to Brightlingsea died too and we anchored on the shelf at Harwich. There is an up side to everything though and we have all had a good nights sleep. getting under way again soon and this time hopefully we will get to Brightlinsea although there is little wind. We’ve had rain this morning first time in ages and my berth is soaking wet!!!!”

Oops – we may need to sort out that deck caulking again.

Today, even worse, she posts “One word. DRENCHED” and then “I hear Southend pier is flooded, rain not due to stop until tomorrow morning….hmmm…..”

Rachel from Sea Change coiling warps

Rachel from Sea Change coiling warps on a nicer morning than those described here. Picture by Hilary Halajko

Oh Dear, you Sea Changers. I hope the weather improves for you soon.

Barnacles, Fish and Chips

It’s not all sailing around in the warm sunshine enjoying yourself, even when you are a volunteer, unpaid, sail trainee with Sea Change. We don’t want to be spoiling them now, do we?

 

Barnacles

Barnacles scraping, Zeb and Ben take one for the team; Picture by Hilary Halajko.

Hilary sends two trainees, Zeb and Ben down under to scrape the barnacles off while Cambria is up on Pin Mill Blocks. Good job lads! At least they have these very nice roller trolleys to lie on to keep them up out of the worst muck. I say ‘worst’ – I’ve done this job and no matter how careful you are, you always get some of the debris on yourself.

As Hilary says, “Zeb and Ben hoe off barnacles from Cambria on Pin Mill Hard using the Webb Brothers’ patent wheeled trollies”

Hilary, yesterday, also has this Cambria Update.

“A cracking sail from the Stour to Brightlingsea today. Hard work on the wheel and the foredeck busy with rolling vangs, but just the one gybe. A small crew allows everyone to get real hands on experience. All a bit sun burnt but happy (and tired) a row up the creek for fish and chips soon (no we’re not allowed to use the outboard!!) A fair wind back down the creek though!”

Our good friend Nick Ardley responds with “Wonderful… Fish & Chips eh, whatever is the barging world coming to … boiled pots and a bit of ham knuckle was good fare once…!! Well done SCST crew and good luck at the weekend.” Hey Nick. Should we tell them about your plush new carpets in Whimbrel? OK. Maybe not.

Finally from Hilary, “Our Youth Sailing Scheme is working hard to make Cambria match ready for the weekend. Why? here’s why” and she posts a good link to a story about the Ship Owners P+I Club decision to sponsor the 150th Thames (Mark Boyle Memorial) Match this year – details on….

 

http://isiscommunications.co.uk/2013/07/08/shipowners-pi-club-sponsors-thames-sailing-barge-match-in-its-150th-year/

Thank you for all that and for all the comments now coming in to the website.

 

© 2024

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑