Spring is here!


Even Falanda is looking much happier sitting on her mooring now the mast is back up - thanks to Trout's Boatyard! - with her sails back on again. All the other exe boat are starting to be launched again ready for boating season so Falanda now has some company and the river isn’t looking quite so empty. 


For Mother’s Day I took my mum Topsham Wood Carver out for a sail, and we got her sailing nicely, I was really pleased to still know my boat enough to get her sailing on her own (without having to steer), after 2 months of being stuck onshore. I last took Falanda out in January!! 


I am also honoured to have been awarded the Jester Award for 2021 by Ocean Cruising Club, which came as a total surprise when I was invited to the award ceremony in the US! Unfortunately it was a bit too far to travel, and I was also stuck in the UK with school commitments so couldn’t make it over there!


I am also very excited to say that I now have a navigation buoy named after me, placed just slightly downstream from where I arrived in Topsham last August after returning from my trip around Britain! It’s weird to have the buoy there, and with my full name printed in thick letters right across it, there’s really no avoiding it! I’m sure people will be cursing me all summer.


Many thanks to Anna and Charlotte for taking me out for a sail on their RS200 in February, while I was otherwise completely and utterly deprived of sailing! It genuinely was one of the coolest things I’ve done (since sailing on a mini of course) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


The one last thing I want to say it that I am now a qualified powerboat user, having passed my powerboat level 2 exam earlier this month just for the fun of it! As much as I hate being associated with powerboats, it is a good idea to get as many qualifications as possible, as I am still to young to do many of the sailing courses needed and I need to try and prove my competence! Many thanks to sailexmouth!


https://www.gofundme.com/f/katie-mccabe-transatlantic-dreams


Falanda sitting on her mooring, with her sails finally back on.


Leaving the mooring, with crew!


Topsham's new buoy, named after me!





Falanda sailing beautifully, as always.








It was also great to get out to sea finally on
 a friend's powerboat, for sea trials.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Aborted Azores trip in Karuna

Image
On the 20th June me and dad left the Exe heading southwest aboard Karuna, his Rival 34, with a vague plan to sail to the Azores.  By sunset the tide was turning against us as we approached Start point, and after beating into the southwesterlies all day we pulled in and anchored off Salcombe until 3am when the tide turned. We then continued on to St Maws, where we dropped the anchor and caught up on sleep.  The next morning we set off, tacking out into the Channel. By midnight, we had reached the French shipping lanes so changed tack and headed more west. At this point me and dad had been cooped up on his boat together for 3 days and the novelty was begging to fade.  On the fourth morning the wind began to pick up and the boat set into a horrible slamming motion, making living much more difficult. Anything from cooking to going for a pee was horrible and we avoided going below unless to sleep.  By the next morning the wind had picked up and was accompanied by a relatively short, choppy
Read more

Across the Channel for Paimpol festival

Image
 In the last week of July, Falanda and I set off across the channel accompanied by my parents on Karuna.  The morning started out windless so we motored until torbay when the wind picked up and we started sailing, close hauled at about 4.5 kts. The wind increased and a few waves skirted over the stern, splashing the tillerpilot which in turn got wet and packed up.  We then had a few hours of perfect sailing, the helm so light that falanda was steering herself, under full main and slightly reefed jib. At sunset we hove to so that I could reef the main and get changed into some dry, warm clothes before it got cold.  Then it got dark, and we started approaching the shipping lanes, still sailing well at about 6 - 6.5kts.  At this point my batteries were getting low, and I needed the AIS on as we crossed the lanes so I tried starting the engine. I then discovered that the batteries were almost dead rather than low, so faffed around turning everything off, whilst also trying to steer the boa
Read more

Friday - Weymouth to Yarmouth, Isle of White

Image
  Not much wind this morning so had to motor sail untill it picked up in the afternoon. It was a bit of a grey, foggy day, and we passed the Militery Firing Range without being shot at or bombed! We had the tide with us at St Albans head, wizzing us staight round, and the tide stayed with us untill we arrived at Yarnmouth. No problems passing the Needles, although poor visibility untill the Lighthouse.  I slowed down before we got to the Needles, so Dad on Amaryllis could catch up and we could take some photos of the boats sailing. Hence why he was so close. The bad weather looks like its coming in on Monday night, so as long as it does't change, we're hoping to get to Eastbourne to shelter for a day or so. Its quite stressful trying to predict the weather when each forecast is completely different, and I need to let each Marina know exactly what time we will be arriving, a couple of days in advance. Sailing past the Needles Approaching lighthouse at the Needles Leaving Weymout
Read more