So the holiday was amazing. Sailed, windsurfed (badly), water skied (terribly), drank beer (like a professional).
Only one thing. The false advertising.
There wasn’t a lobster in it.
So here are five reasons why sailing the midweek regatta is not such a good idea.
1. Its sunny, so a force 5 looks TOTALLY do-able. Its a force 5 – of course its not. Especially when you are sailing with your husband from whom you had a sailing divorce some years ago.
2. Having put this aside – after a capsize and a blood injury the honourable thing to do was to retire gracefully.
3. Hearing the phrase ‘I can’t move as fast as you can talk’…. Well yes, but that just means that you need to move faster…
4. Realising that the second best thing about sailing is retiring to watch sailing with this.
5. And being able to nod sagely and talk about it when everyone else is doing this.
And this
And being recovered in bits by the safety boat.
Sometimes the better part of valour… is retiring and talking about it!
So everyone runs these competitions. Where am I?
Well I don’t think many people will get this, but I am here –
I know!!!!
And look at this!!!
Mwahahahaha!!!! I can do little other than cackle at the moment.
(there is no point to this post other than to let burglars know we aren’t at home… but just for the record my tall, muscular brother is dog-sitting at ours – good luck…!)
Filed under: the Captains Cabin | Tags: boat, castles, Dulux, Ecobuild, holiday, knitting, scarf, South Shields
So its been a while!
Since I last posted I’ve been to Ecobuild – great fun as always, and I even got to get there on the new Emirates cable car – its amazing so go visit if you get the chance!
You too could live in a house like this
Meet the Dulux dog
It spelt ‘WOOL’!
Arriving by cable car
I survived the dual of the gennakers at the Spring Splash, primarily because I never got mine up. The third week at South Shields was glorious. The sun was out, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky -in fact it turned out the weather was so good there wasn’t enough wind to sail against the tide. Racing abandoned. So we all tinkered instead!
Apparently no wind and tide are a bad combination
I fitted my new thinner main sheet, an extension to my outhaul and in a final touch of knitterly excellence some fine laceweight camel hair yarn to my shrouds – excellent tell tales and super attractive. I discussed this as I was doing it with my rival Vareo sailor. He seemed a little disinterested….
New outhaul for actual sail adjustment
Thinner main
Blue camels donated this beautiful tell tale
After a cup of tea I emerged from the clubhouse to identify why. HE WAS LEAVING! I literally chased after him only to discover that he was finished and heading back to his home club – despite there being another 3 races.
I was – quite literally gutted. And therein lies a lesson. Don’t tell people how you are making your boat better – you will only scare them off.
The week after, everything changed – the wind howled, it rained, it was freezing. Racing was abandoned.
Week 5 I couldn’t go as I was at Kielder for a committee meeting, and sailing did take place – damn!
Week 6, well between the snow and the sub zero tempratures and the artic wind… racing abandoned.
So effectively I sailed two races. On the plus side? I beat a topper!
On the downside? Everything else beat me!
So not a roaring success, but holding up there with last years significant development (not being last).
You might be wondering what hardy geordies are doing wimping out of sailing in too much wind. Honestly – the weather has been horrific. It’s been across from Siberia and basically meant everyone is sitting in their house eating chocolate (ok, maybe that last bits just me…)
In other news, the NSRC (Non Sailing Rear Commodore) has bought a boat.
He’s even sailed it (once!)
It’s a Supernova. Think he thought it came with champagne.
We went on holiday in the middle of the worst weather for as long as we can remember to north Northumberland. It snowed every day at least a little and we used the time to tour lots of castles. We came to the conclusion that not building these any more was why Britain is not so great anymore. Couple of castles would sort it out.
Lindisfarne – so much colder than it looks here
Bamburgh
Tank Defences
I also did some knitting, finished a shrug, knit a headband to keep the wind off and knit and then pulled out a hat. I don’t want to talk about this too much though as you will identify that they are essentially all scarves that I have sewed together….!
My own design and everything
There’s a lot of other stuff gone on in the world, the Boston marathon, factories collapsing in Bangledesh, earthquakes in Sichuan. I’m not qualified to talk about any of that stuff, other than to say that it makes you appreciate what you’ve got.
So I’m off to reknit that hat, and polish my boat ready for the May Open. It won’t change the world, but it makes me happy – and life’s too short to not be.
Filed under: the Captains Cabin | Tags: beer, boat, holiday, owl, wool, yorkshire
Ten reasons why Yorkshire is great
1. No parking restrictions
You parked it where?
2. A somewhat relaxed approach to Health and Safety
Is that really safe?
(That right – giant saw, no helmets, glasses, gloves, shirt hanging out, and I was too scared to photograph when he was stood on top with one leg either side of the blade pulling the wood through – while it was still running)
3. An inclusive and welcoming approach to people from all across the globe
I wonder if they paid them in fruit
4. Great night life
Just a normal Saturday night on Pickering High Street
5. Wool Shops
Fortunately they have plenty of multi coloured sheep in Yorkshire
6. They support the traditional British holiday
Don’t worry – it did rain later
7. Enthusiasm for the local wildlife
It’s OK – I checked and it wasn’t nailed there
8. They have pride in their inventors
Not seen a one of these on any of the Olympic boats – are we going wrong somewhere?
9. They can make you walk on water
…almost…
10. And most of all… they serve great Beer! (Really? You need a photo of it?????)
Go visit – and tell them I sent you!
Filed under: the Captains Cabin | Tags: boat, burglar, country, holiday, olympic torch, terrapin, wool
I haven’t posted for a while as I have been away on my holidays! We went here –
Foreign Place!
(Bonus points for anyone who can ‘name that place’ from a photo)
We saw some boats that looked like this –
Posh Boat
And had a resident terrapin that looked like this –
Note my claws rather than flippers and that I am not drowning tortoise-like
I know it’s a terrapin because when we got home I spent hours on the internet to try to identify what it was.
And on coming home we got to see the Olympic Torch –
Keep Looking – it’s just there – really small in the middle????
(How exciting – I have to say I am feeling super-patriotic at the moment)
And most importantly I got to employ my new favourite toy – the YARN WINDER – to turn this –
Into this –
It’s been a busy break.
I didn’t tell you I was away because I have an irrational fear that burglars in hand knit balaclavas will find out and come and rob my house while I am away sunning myself. This is somewhat laughable as I have little of value or interest to anyone else – other than some lovely yarn and a somewhat smelly wetsuit.
What do you mean it’s just what you always wanted?
