Pit Stop

Stargazer reels to the first gusts of an Atlantic storm . Its arrival has been foretold by the relentless and rapid drop in the barometer. We are in for a wild three or four days.

Glad to be in port, for our pit stop, between cruises. The timing of my second Covid jab, which brought us in, has fallen well.

Stargazer needs no attention, beyond re-victualing, after her shakedown cruise. 

Greta, my (new, over the winter) electric car, too, coped well with our month away. The battery was at, the optimum for storage, fifty percent, on our return. A successful test run for my programming, of the charging station.

The only weak link, in the chain, turned out to be me. Not my back, on this occasion . Investment in a nine inch orthopedic combination - foam mattress, for the forward berth (immediately on return from our summer 2020 cruise, but untested due to lockdown restrictions) seems to have had the desired, transformational, effect .  Instead, my cavalier approach to dental care caught up with me. Remedial work has now begun, ashore.

I am also using this pit stop to plan ahead, for this autumn. By then Stargazer's rigging will be twelve seasons old. The rule of thumb is to change it at ten. So we are overdue. Her mainsail will also need replacement. The question is: who should do the work, and where? The answer will have a bearing on our cruise plan, because it will determine where we need to be in September.

Whilst in Levington, on the Orwell, I visited OneSails for a discussion . Richard, the rigger who helped us out last year, is based there ( see Learning Curve 1  Learning Curve 2 for that story). . . . .

. . . . as is Brian, sailmaker to Pip Hare's Vendee Globe Challenge**. 

I am exploring a Kent based option, next week, with Wilkinson Sails. Based in Faversham, they are my local sailmaker and already look after our winter sail repairs and valeting. They may also be able to carry out the rigging work.

Still another option, is a late summer pit stop on the Hamble, home to a number of riggers and sailmakers, with an autumn return to the Medway, once work is complete.

Meanwhile, Patience, a sixty foot Oyster, based in Chatham, sailed from Falmouth, on the day Stargazer got in. She is now anchored off Islay, after a three day, non stop, passage. The west coast of Scotland is a cruising ground which we would dearly love to explore. It is within Stargazer's reach too, if we started early in the season and hopped our way up the scenic west coast of Ireland . Its not for us this season though, with our, jab dictated, late start and our, rigging pit stop dictated, early finish.

Dream Catcher is beguiled by the English Riviera. Still in Brixham, but considering moving round to the Dart. Perhaps upriver, to the idyllic hamlet of Dittisham. Pictured here, from the comfort of the Ferry Boat Inn, with my old Goblin (with the beige canvas work, just astern of the yellow boat) in the background.

Where will we head, when we leave, at the end of next week (or thereabouts, according to weather and jab after effects)? The plan is to head down Channel, along the UK shore - due to the current amber travel rating for France. We will keep an eye out for any changes to the Channel Islands entry restrictions, as we sail. If the winds are south westerly, a long tack out, from, say Poole and into Guernsey; followed by a tack back into, say Plymouth, can be an enjoyable way to make progress west.

** If you would like to know more about the Vendee Globe, this is the story of the 2020 to 2021 race: