How not to drop a mast - with a bang and a wimper

[dylanwinter1]

I have just been for an 84 mile sail up the River nene in the Uk

it involved dropping the mast at least 30 times

I thought I was getting pretty good at it so I got my wife to film the process

well wouldn't you know

its the last film on this page

KTL up the Nene « Keep Turning Left

all the films are availabe for freemans - this one is available full size for you to enjoy my discomfort

Dylan

[delite]

I cant believe you are sailing in such a narrow channel. Is there no other traffic on this river?

[dylanwinter1]

if you look at some of the other films on the Nene you will see what the sailing is like

you have to be ready with the engine - but the slug goes slowly

there are some snaps here for those who cant be shagged to download my carefully crafted films

Pix from the River Nene – absolutely sublime « Keep Turning Left

the technique - expl;ained in one of the other films - is to use the engine to help get around the corners - the river bends around all over the place so the wind shifts as well

we did 82 miles and used less than a gallon of fuel in the outboard - I reckon we sailed for 80 per cent of the distance


incidentally , I have been using a little Honda 2.3hp four stroke - cracking little engine

there are also some underwater shots in the films
Dylan

[DRFerron]

That looks like an amazing amount of fun. Not the rig crashing (glad you weren't hurt), but sailing those rivers. And you carry bikes!

[dylanwinter1]

Originally Posted by DRFerron

That looks like an amazing amount of fun. Not the rig crashing (glad you weren't hurt), but sailing those rivers. And you carry bikes!

the slug draws just over a welly and is narrow enough to take the locks on the UK inland waterways

there is a film of us taking the slug through one of the locks on there as well

it was always my intention to explore up the rivers a bit - I did the 82 mile trip up the Nene because the weather forecast was pretty lousy

and if you watch the last films of the trip - due to go up tommorrow - the wind did get up to 25 knots or so - slug was doing 5 knots at one point

and you are right - I have had great fun

wish that I had started the trip years ago

the bikes were with us because my wife needs to get off the boat and get some excercise - and we have some great l;anes and byways to cycle

I did attempt to blag some free bikes from Bromptons - they took one look at my films and decided that the image of the slug was not in tune with their market

pah!

I altered the rig to make it easy to drop and to clear the bikes on the foredeck

D

[CapnSantiago]

You got the life man...

[dylanwinter1]

Originally Posted by CapnSantiago

You got the life man...

this is the most fun sailing I have ever had

and I am really pleased that I decided to do it with the boat I could afford -

rather than being one of those blokes dreaming about the boat I thought I needed for the job and then dieing before I ever got it

I had been aware of Mirror Offshores for a long time

designed as a yacht for the working man

and the design of the slug has been perfect for what I want

as you have already seen - a mast that can be dropped

not always perfectly of course

but I did the maoever 29 other times without problems

but that is a short rig - maybe what I should do is to convert it to a gunter and get more sail area.

the hull form is pretty good in a seaway

this was really frightening

vlog 100 Wells to Wisbech « Keep Turning Left

the trouble is that the boat is 50 years old

and so bits do keep falling off

which is a bit of a bugger

the old volvo inboard has cost me a lot of heartache and money I don't have

But the boat has been perfect - sit on the mud, shallow draft, sails downwind fine - reaches fine - and you can beat provided the tide is with you

hardly ever have to use a dinghy to get to it - not now that I have a pair of waders

Dylan