Sahona Holed

[sahona]

- are we being gently led to believe that the dastardly dolphin almost caused the demise of Sahona?

Oh, no. Dolly's not dastardly, she's a dancer.

The villain of the piece, unfortunately, lived up to it's name - It does what is says on the tin....



We ploughed across the 100-acre field during the nightshift.

It's a 40 pounder, I guess the ground was just too soft (though it felt good when we dug in) or I didn't have enough chain out - 75 feet in a recorded depth of 8. Or both. There was wind funneling down the valley, but I've anchored (successfully!) in far worse.

And I don't want any comments from owners of nasty colonial-made anchors thankyou. I still like mine, I just need a little more practice.

[claymore]

Oh God - an anchoring thread is looming....

[sahona]

Tee-hee

[sahona]

This is the reason we lost 1.5 knots off the hull speed on the way home.





probably exascerbated by this (it was just folded over, but it broke off when I tried to straighten it)




One good thing to be noted - possibly, is the fact that the "dizzy barnacle" method of prop antifoul
(ie- SFA) seems to be effective in the Clyde this year.

[ash]

Some pics from me maybe (once I recall how to photobucket), but you will be amazed by Dolly the performing dolphin as (hopefully) captured by Ash. Unfortunately our box brownie went battery-hungry just at the good bit.
Thanks again for the company Ash and Joan - welcome to the salty Clyde. I bet you won't get a show like that again for a while!

Our pleasure. Thanks for bringing us Dolly, our first Clyde dolphin. We certainly know the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise now. I must try towing the Avon rub a dub more often - I think that Dolly must have fell in love with it. After we left you, and diverted to Lamlash, she stayed with us until within a nm of the north end of Holy Isle. Nothing so spectacular, but she did a final close pass before she turned back. She must have stayed with us for over 15 nm. I take it that the tail slaps that she demonstrated are normally used to stun fish. Do Dolphins have a territory? Would she have gone back to the Cock of Arran? or would she just continue her travels?

I managed to get one video of her spectacular leaps between Mistral and Sahona - Joan and I have lots of pictures of disturbed water - digital cameras are just too slow for capturing
dolphins.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to post to photobucket - I'm away working in London from Sunday to Wed.

Ash

[ash]

This is the reason we lost 1.5 knots off the hull speed on the way home.
.

I assume that Sahona has an encapsulated long keel, with the ballast taking up only part of it, and that the rock has caused a split in the 'hollow' bit. When you consider that the yard will sit a boat on boards which only sit under a small part of the keel, then you must have been very unlucky with position / sharpness of the rock that did the damage, or was there an element of pounding involved?

The primary damage should be relatively easy to repair, but the water damage to the interior must be heart breaking.

Best wishes with the repairs.

Ash & Joan

[ash]

you will be amazed by Dolly the performing dolphin as (hopefully) captured by Ash.

Found a cable but not the patience / ability to edit - this is one video on PB - I have a couple more.



Note that it's about 26 meg, in case you're on a slow connection.

Ash

[aquaplane]

Good show! We have seen dolphins swimming alongside but never leaping about, that looks wonderful.

[sahona]

Thanks for that stuff Ash, photobucket did something funny when I tried to download that clip. I got girly ads and messages and my anti-nasty soldiers in the computer got very agitated. beware everybody!
It's just that bit of photobucket, as I've been logged in to my account all day.
Looking forward to the other clips when you've got time.
And no - there was no bumping and grinding as Sahona settled, in fact I was tempted to ignore the slight noise.

[ash]

Good show! We have seen dolphins swimming alongside but never leaping about, that looks wonderful.

She only did it between the two boats - once we had left Sahona, she would swim alongside and come to the surface but never the big leaps. She did that same move quite a few times - we just couldn't record it. I swear that she did one last close alongside swim by to say goodbye before she turned away as we entered Lamlash Bay.

Thanks for that stuff Ash, photobucket did something funny when I tried to download that clip. I got girly ads and messages and my anti-nasty soldiers in the computer got very agitated. beware everybody!
It's just that bit of photobucket, as I've been logged in to my account all day.
Looking forward to the other clips when you've got time.
And no - there was no bumping and grinding as Sahona settled, in fact I was tempted to ignore the slight noise.

Sorry about the girly ads - I won't mention 'smart google ads'

Ash

PS - Largs wifi seems to have taken the huff with me trying to upload so much - will post more links when I have the speed / patience to upload the t'other vids.

[Booby Trapper]

Bill
Obviously a very effective repair but how did you do it when she was sitting on her keel?
Did you have to dig away underneath and leave her sitting on either end of the keel?

[sahona]

Yup.


That part of the pier is lovely hard shingle/pebbles (same thing!!) We had already dug the rudder fitting hole and started working, when Eddie started another dig (Has he ever been on Time Team?) 'cos he didn't believe so much water could come through the skeggy bit - he was right! So Sahona ended up sitting on two piles of pebbles - absolutely no problem at all and I would do it again if neccessary (but please not too soon...) This is where long-ish keels can be useful.


For reference: We're talking about the angle of pier between where the ferry berths at night and the road.
You MUST be clear (to the left/West) of the mooring bollard which the ferry uses (and usually has a white rope left on it) and should have made contact with the local authorities. Apart from wake during the day you will have a good place to effect repairs.

[Nick]

.
That's very interesting Bill, if slightly worrying . . .

Fairwinds also has a long keel with the aft third hollow. We have clouted the bottom quite hard (fishermans' passage from Castlebay a few years ago) but we hit the front and just had a long score which I filled in with plastic padding several months later when we took her out of the water. It shows though that the hollow bit is potentially very vulnerable.

If you want to hear my views on anchoring you will have to buy me a pint - not going to discuss that on here.

[SteveN]

I'm surprised that the encapsulated keel wasn't sealed over at the top, beneath the cabin sole?

Our longish encapsulated keel is also part ballast and part void, but the whole lot is glassed over and any water entering the keel won't compromise the safety of the boat.
Under her previous owner she sufferred major damage to the leading edge which would have sunk the boat had this not been the case.

[Nick]

.
Hmmm . . . I'd never seen this as a potential weakness n a Vega before, but I guess it is - although our void is at the back, so less likely to be damaged than if it was at the front of the keel.