Emsworth Cruising Association. April 2016

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Clinton Williams
5 years ago
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1 Emsworth Cruising Association April 2016

2 Commodore s thoughts I have to report that I am now under a curse. Mentioning high winds in a frivolous way in this newsletter means that I am now pursued all over the place by shrieking winds of Old Testament proportions threatening to blow me into the oggin the minute I so much as set foot on a boat. The boat in question was (yet again) dear Badgie Two and the place was Shepard s Wharf. We had a good amount of interest in the Easter Rally, in spite of it being so early in the year. Duly, Good Friday dawned sunny and the wind down to a nice 3-4. However, this was not to last. Very bad weather was predicted. It was called Katie this time, a short, charming name that belies the strength of the wind strength it designated: they should have it something like Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (actually the wife of George III and probably not all that stormy). Anyone who had to be back by Monday evening to somewhere that wasn t called the Royal Clarence Marina wisely cried off. The rally was down to Badgie II and Tringa II and their gallant companies who were woken at regular intervals by groaning lines: it sounded as if we were down below on a wooden man o war off Ushant. We can t blame the poor ropes for groaning as there were 100kt gusts recorded at the Needles in the small hours on Monday- which is enough to make anyone upset. As we in the ECA are carefree optimists we have the Bembridge Rally organised for 23 rd April (hope the walks will not be quite so bracing by then). And in May (21st 22 nd ) we have the Raid with Terror. No, no Officer, really it s not that sort of raid. It s a small boat cruise in company on the creeks of Chichester Harbour. Terror? Yes, it is a somewhat unusual name for a vessel. Um, she s a unique 125 year old local oyster boat. Really she is! You can book a sail in her to go Well er, Raiding. Well look, Officer, actually you can find out all about it on the ECA website. And so can you. If you have any boat suitable for sailing (or rowing) on the Harbour do come along. We would also appreciate help on the day marshalling the event and welcome all Viking sympathisers not sailing to take part in the socialising at Itchenor Sailing Club on Saturday night. Charles Harrison Witch Hazel The brave adventurers on Badgie II s bridge, at Shepard s Wharf: photo DE

ECA Fitting Out Supper (FOS) and Horse Racing The Fitting Out Supper was a bit different this year. Rather than simply go through cruising plans we decided to introduce a change and do a Race Night.

Dick and Alice got into the spirit, (above) dressing up in their racing finest, lovely hat Alice! Dick in his finest tweed just needed the deerstalker to pull off the John McCririck look.

Each team had 250 of virtual money to start. The first race set the tone for the evening being the Panto Stakes featuring horses with names such as He s behind you, Oh Yes he Is, and Oh no he s not.

3 ECA Fitting Out Supper (FOS) and Horse Racing The Fitting Out Supper was a bit different this year. Rather than simply go through cruising plans we decided to introduce a change and do a Race Night. This was held at Emsworth Community Centre (well organised by Suzy) (below) which has great facilities with an enormous projection screen, with excellent projector and sound setup. Dick and Alice got into the spirit, (above) dressing up in their racing finest, lovely hat Alice! Dick in his finest tweed just needed the deerstalker to pull off the John McCririck look. There were some excellent picnics and hampers on display. After a brief introduction by the race committee (yours truly) on how it all worked racing got underway. Each team had 250 of virtual money to start. The first race set the tone for the evening being the Panto Stakes featuring horses with names such as He s behind you, Oh Yes he Is, and Oh no he s not. This makes for great amusement when teams are urging on their horses. Race form for each race and horse was presented as a pre-recorded commentary spoken by me. I only managed to say 4 furlongs correctly about 50% of the time to much amusement. With the form done teams filled in their race cards and bets were logged with the bookies helper (Karen). With bets recorded the race was run, this time with a professional commentary. After an exciting finish, with the winner coming from the rear at the end, results were recorded and handed back to the teams. Full Astern made a good start being the only team to record a profit. A further 4 races were run before the break for food with a very mixed bag of results, including one race where no team won a thing. At this point only Moondance were ahead of the game with 260. Golden Ibis and Thorney Invaders were bringing up the rear with 150 left each. Before we started race cards were handed out and 9 teams of 2 or 3 organised. These were: Filley Tarts, The Horsiculturalists, Golden Ibis, Cats, Full Astern, Thorney Invaders, Mad Moment, Moondance, & Old Gits Anne & John Baldwin Golden Ibis After 5 races a 45 minute break was taken.

John and Anne of team Golden Ibis took the fish and chip option with a quick dash to Mother Kelly s.

currently based out of Plymouth so would meet up with Derek when he came past.

The last race was win or bust for most teams with the inevitable result that 4 teams ended the evening with only the clothes on their backs.

Filley Tarts were a distant third Once everyone one was fully sated a presentation of the ECA s plans and Badgie II s West Country trip was given by Neil and Derek.

This was followed by a round table of other plans, with Dick and Alice covering their planned trip to The Netherlands and beyond, as well as mentioning the upcoming

4 John and Anne of team Golden Ibis took the fish and chip option with a quick dash to Mother Kelly s. The kitchen was available to use so a few goodies were microwaved and tea and coffee was available. currently based out of Plymouth so would meet up with Derek when he came past. Once all plans had been discussed time was getting on, it being 21:45 so it was decided to run a further two races before prizes were awarded. The last race was win or bust for most teams with the inevitable result that 4 teams ended the evening with only the clothes on their backs. Two teams triumphed, with Moondance taking top honours having won big at the end and accumulating 945. They were closely followed by Cats with 812. Filley Tarts were a distant third Once everyone one was fully sated a presentation of the ECA s plans and Badgie II s West Country trip was given by Neil and Derek. Derek mentioned there were berths available for various parts of the journey on Badgie II and anyone interested should contact him. This was followed by a round table of other plans, with Dick and Alice covering their planned trip to The Netherlands and beyond, as well as mentioning the upcoming cross-channel cruise in company he would be OODing at the end of May. Tony outlined his plans of a continuation of his Dutch inland waterways foray of last year. with 100. Prizes of bottles of wine were awarded to the winning teams. Unfortunately the cups for first and second did not arrive in time and will be awarded later. All in all an entertaining evening which finished at around 23:00 when everyone helped to tidy up and put things away. Neil Fuller Koto Wendy (above ( R ) w i t h J u l i e ) and Graham mentioned that Ruahine is now (above Graham our webmaster and Mark Dorset, left)

Not the Easter Rally Report I had not realised it had been called off until Derek phoned to say that Tony had officially cancelled the Easter Rally but Badgie II was still going so asked if we were

5 Not the Easter Rally Report I had not realised it had been called off until Derek phoned to say that Tony had officially cancelled the Easter Rally but Badgie II was still going so asked if we were still coming. We were still up for it, as were Nicky and Charles, so on Friday at 11:00 in lovely weather we all convened on Badgie II at Royal Clarence Marina, ready for the off at about 13:00. Well, that was the plan but Badgie s Starboard engine decided it did not want to play ball having recently been refitted after a sail drive gaiter replacement. It had been working following the refit so it could not be something serious. Derek did what all good mechanics do and disappeared into the engine compartment wielding a hammer. Unfortunately some judicious tapping around the starter motor did not resolve the problem. Next to look at were the connections to the starter. As this involved working draped over the engine half upside down I gallantly volunteered to do the job, as we could not afford to have the skipper injure himself. Dismantling the contacts and cleaning with a wire brush soon had us going some 30 minutes after we had intended. It was a lovely motor over in bright sunshine although there was a distinct nip in the air. The wind was from the southwest so we did not try and sail. All this time Tringa II had been in contact with us by radio to let us know how they were progressing and saw us emerge from Portsmouth Harbour. Dick was making sure he actually got a sail in, but despite having his red yankee flying we managed not to spot him and in fact thought he was an entirely different boat, also flying a red sail. Storm Kate building up on Sunday night (DT) 90 minutes after leaving RCM we were tied up in Shepherd s Wharf, right on the very inside in a nice sheltered spot (and here we remained for the whole weekend as for Badgie to get into Island Harbour they would have to remove the steps from the lock sides as it would be so tight a squeeze). The marina staff did have to get the odd boat to move so we could squeeze in. We were soon joined by Tringa who also moored in the same sheltered spot by the crane. In the evening it was fish and chips on board ably ordered and collected from Corries by Derek and Sheila. I would like to say we then hit the nightspots in Cowes, but for some reason we were all absolutely shattered and everyone was in bed by 21:00. We must be getting old. Saturday was a day when we all went our separate ways to explore. Karen and I decided to do Osborne House as we had not visited it before. We decided to walk via the chain ferry. It was a bit of a slog up the hill. We spent most of the day at Osborne. The house is wonderful and well worth a visit, but we were definitely Victoria d out by the end. We also walked to the Swiss Chalet and down to the beach and back so were pretty much done in by the time we got back to Badgie. That evening dinner was provided by Alice who had come prepared with a load of lovely slow cooked lamb shanks. They were great.

6 Your Committee also met on Sunday evening, here they are in deep thought over the RAID, while the rain lashed down the cabin windows. Afterwards Derek broke out the drinks locker and we sampled several spirits. I seem to remember Benedictine being involved somewhere. Karen and I also broke out the games and we all proceeded to play Boggle for a couple of hours. There was much discussion on several interesting words, of which acceptance came down to a consensus in most cases as we did not have a dictionary on board. After the early night the day before, we managed to last to midnight this time. Sunday started with an enormous brunch, which was Badgie s attempt at the Morecambe and Wise The Stripper kitchen sketch, starring Nicky, Charles, and yours truly. Using an oven, a wok, a saucepan, a microwave, George Foreman Grill, and a toaster, of which only one of the last three could be used at a time, we managed an intricate choreography to produce bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, sausages, eggs, and toast for 8. As Karen had won at Boggle she was responsible for the washing up. By the time breakfast was over it was afternoon. Apart from breakfast we also managed to work our way through a fair bit of chocolate as everyone had bought along Easter chocolate goodies. After all that food Karen and I went for a walk round to Gurnard, but with the wind now getting up, once we got a certain way round it became somewhat too blowy and cold, so we turned around. Then the ECA committee met, to progress the Raid planning, see picture above (Ed). That evening was a pasta/chilli/rice/stew concoction produced by Sheila which was delicious. This was followed by a couple of hours of I- Spy as this was about as much as anyone s brains could cope with by this time. It must be said this became more competitive as time went on. Eventually we were all Spied out and went to bed to listen to the howling gales now raging about us and wonder if we would have to wait until Tuesday before we could get back to RCM. As it happened the wind moderated to a

Not the Easter Rally Report, (cont) F5/F6 gusting F7 during the Monday morning, so after a late breakfast we left Shepherd s Wharf at 13:00 and had a fast run back under half a genoa, again in

7 Not the Easter Rally Report, (cont) F5/F6 gusting F7 during the Monday morning, so after a late breakfast we left Shepherd s Wharf at 13:00 and had a fast run back under half a genoa, again in sunshine. We were met by Tim at RCM, he came down to say hello and help us dock. We also ate a cold collation before finally saying our goodbyes and heading off back to Koto to spend the rest of the week getting her ready for launch the following Monday. As far as non-rallies go, a good time was had by all. There was not much sailing involved but it made for a great Easter break. Neil & Karen Fuller Koto Dressing Overall-or what to wear on the Nautical Scene. You can tell we ve reached the freezing start of a new spring. Clothes shops have started sprouting sinister white headless dummies clad in swimsuits and translucent beach kaftans hopefully labelled cover-ups. Their websites exhort women everywhere to consider their Spring capsule wardrobe which sounds as if we re all planning a quick visit to the International Space Station. Falling for this pitch as useful, I dutifully assess my own boating capsule wardrobe which lives in a waterproof bag under my side of the double berth in Witch Hazel s forepeak. The garments can be summarized thus: 1) old clothes (fugitives from the rag bag) for cleaning/maintaining boat. 2) middle aged clothes for sailing plus every thick thermal vest known to science and festival t-shirts dating as far back as I like a versatile colour palette of grey, black, navy and curry-coloured. Maybe I should try thesecomplete with cloche hat? 3) relatively youthful clothes for shore leave mostly unworn and creased like the face of an elderly orangutan. All these, in spite of the bag, smell of pine floorboards- a bit like a Habitat store in the late sixties. The locker under younger son s bunk holds a load of supplementary attire: road menders oillies, and Charles old sailing jacket which is high quality but was sold very cheap as it has..white SLEEVES. It is not happy being worn during engine checks and has also acquired a stylish indelible mildew patterning through the years. There is also my old padded jacket which make me resemble a dead whale about to explode all over the beach

8 but is the only garment that wards off hypothermia in an awful July. Witty accessories are found in the middle starboard saloon locker and consist of gloves (sailing and skiing), hats (woolly), that make their way off your head by the time you reach West Pole, hats (fleecy) with flaps that make you look like a depressed cocker spaniel and balaclavas (biker) functional but sinister. There is also a selection of colourful bandanas (some courtesy of R. Tyrrell &Co, Outfitters to the Sussex Gentry), the odd orphaned sock and a tube of rancid mascara. At this point, I just give up, shove it all back and get on with scrubbing the bilges. Let s face it, gaffers may have a slightly piratical air but it never pays to sail em Armani-ed to the back teeth. Nicky Harrison Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the articles in this Newsletter are those of the individual only and not necessarily those of the Emsworth Cruising Association. No responsibility can be accepted for any inaccuracies or omissions. Recipe below for Mini Quiche Muffins I also usually add in leftovers from the fridge... ham, bacon, sweet corn, basil, rocket, peppers etc etc Ingredients: 300g fat free cottage cheese 4 large eggs 1 small onion finely diced (you can use red onion for extra colour) Cherry tomatoes Mushrooms Asparagus spears Low calorie cooking spray Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas4 Lightly spray 12 muffin cases with the low calorie cooking spray (or use silicon cases) In a bowl, mix the eggs, cottage cheese and onion, salt and pepper (I usually add red and green pepper too). Mix well Spoon the mixture into the cases Top with the diced tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus... maybe ham/chicken too etc etc Bake in the oven for minutes or until golden brown Enjoy!!!! Sheila xx

the little boy 1 a good boy 1 then you give 1 is about me 1 was to come 1 old and new 1 that old man 1 what we know 1 not up here 1 in and out 1

the little boy 1 a good boy 1 is about me 1 then you give 1 was to come 1 old and new 1 what we know 1 that old man 1 in and out 1 not up here 1 good for you 1 down at work 1 with his cat 1 it was new