At home weekend.

[Gordonmc]

For anyone suffering withdrawal symptoms from the Clyde S'butt cruise, you are invited to point a prow into Loch Riddon this weekend for a bottle of Shepherds and Neame's finest as I will be on board, but not moving far from the mooring.
The plan is to beach Flap for a bit of careening, prompted by the injurious cutting remarks from Pete Cooper in Tarbert about the garden growing around the waterline. The tides are right with high water shortly after sun-up on Sunday which will allow me to take the boat across the loch to a bit of sand and shingle near Ormidale.
All being well my cunning plan to drop the fishermans anchor as a kedge should let me pull off at around pub-time.
Of course, if all goes titz up you can all naff off.

[Aja]

I feel a photo opportunity coming on.....

Donald

[Clyde_Wanderer]

The plan is to beach Flap for a bit of careening, prompted by the injurious cutting remarks from Pete Cooper in Tarbert about the garden growing around the waterline.

Thats awfull Pete.
Would this be appropriate then?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3k_CgzdR2s" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Gordonmc]

Well, it turned into an interesting experience.
It started on Sunday morning, an early start as high water was at about 06:00 according to the UKHO on-line tidal predictions with the next high water at 19.30. On the Saturday I did a recce in the dinghy and found a gently shelving part of the beach with no rocks in the lead in.
The approach was gentle and although I hit large gravel rather than sand the only contact was with the cast iron and bilge plates. She settled in about half an hour so I got the waters on and started scrubbing.


Only the six inches or so top and bottom of the boot line were hard work needed scraping. The rest was slime which came off with a deck brush.

There was plenty of time for odd jobs like drawing the log impellor. Then a beer and a wait for the returning tide.
Which is when things started going wrong. Instead of gently lifting the boat the water barely came half way up the length of the hull!
I had no choice but to sit tight and wait for the next high time at 07:00 the next morning. What with the rising wind and worry about not getting her off I didn't get much sleep and by dawn I was making a pot of coffee taking occasional peeks at the worsening weather.
I had placed markers on the shore to check the progress of the tide and it was an anxious time as by then the swell was rising. The previous day I had dug in my heavy Fisherman anchor as far out as I had line for and in driving rain I started cranking with a sheet winch with the engine in astern, the tiller lashed mid-ships.
I could feel the boat rocking, but she wasn't moving, then the anchor started to drag. I had no choice but to get into the dinghy, recover the anchor and drop it back out. When I got back to the boat the tide had reached the last of my markers. Engine in astern with the exhaust water black with the mud disturbed by the prop... another worry about overheating with a blocked strainer... back on the winch and she was free.
I was soaking wet, shoulders aching from grinding with about a foot under the keel but it was a relief.
I don't know what went wrong with the tidal calcs which were based on the Tignabruich predictions. Next time... and there will be one... I will ground a good three hours after high water. It might shorten the working time, but it should avoid the drama.

[Aja]

Gordon

Bear with me - but I will check the data for the area next weekend - it's on the boat. There is a tidal difference between Tighnabruaich and Rhubodach. Can't remember exactly what it is - but I suspect you may have been caught between the two in L Riddon.

As you will be well aware, tides in that area are peculiar - I have seen boats drifting one way through the north channel whilst going t'other way through the opposite channel!

Regards
Donald

[Gordonmc]

Gordon

There is a tidal difference between Tighnabruaich and Rhubodach. Can't remember exactly what it is - but I suspect you may have been caught between the two in L Riddon.

As you will be well aware, tides in that area are peculiar -

Regards
Donald

Ah....
Quite right Donald. It serves me right for going with the first set of predictions I looked at.
UKHO high water times today are:
Tighnabruaich - 09:13 and 22:13
Rubha A' Bhodaich - 08:58 and 21:55
That's quite a difference. The height above chart datum at Tigghnabruich: 3.2 and at Rubha A' Bhodaich: 2.9 metres. There is likely to be further variation up the loch which is out of the main stream
A lesson learned.

[Aja]

You got away with it and no harm done.. I have to admit I'm not that brave!

Donald

[Mark]

Interesting to see "Flap" below the waterline so soon after sailing on her.

I'd taken it for granted she was a long keeler.

Nice looking boat.

[Clyde_Wanderer]

And all that for getting slagged off about the cling on's on the, well both bows, aye she is a lovely boat gordon.
Well done.
C_W

[Pete Cooper]

Gordon - what can I say? I am really sorry that a casual comment has ultimately caused you so much grief. Still, you must be comfortable in the knowledge that Flap is now a good half a knot faster!
To add weight to my apology I'll buy you a beer next time we meet up.
All the best,
Pete

[sahona]

I know exactly how you feel Gordon.
I had occasion to use our drying grid a week or two ago and went aground approaching high tide (on the lower tide of the day, according to the curve on the plotter)
It was 21.00 local, and I was aground about 10 feet away from the wall.To fall over would cost the mast...
I walked from bow to stern and pulled on shore lines, inching in as the tide reached as far as it was going to go.
Then an announcement from over the wall "P&O apologise for the late arrival of the ferry......" accompanied by a gentle 2" swell, which slowly bumped me over to the wall. Was I relieved!! High pressure had robbed me of some depth.