BLUEMOMENT

.. that on Sunday instead of spending the day rubbing down varnish in a cold shed, I went sailing. In a Bavaria, and I enjoyed myself oh the shame. This is by way of a preemptive confession, since I was spotted disembarking, oh the embarassment.

My friend Craig has just bought this remarkably efficient sailing caravan and what do you know, it all works. 6 Knots to windward, heaves to obediently and has central heating. The electrics require advanced training to understand, and the reefing lines were wrongly rove (nice aliteration there eh?) but what a nice day out we had. I'm almost tempted to pass my lovely wooden boat AKA 'the rotting hulk' to a new custodian.

Damn! I was hoping you would try and keep your shame secret so I could deflate you at some future propitious moment, probably when you were waxing lyrical (again) about the joys of pulling pristine copper nails from rotten wood. - I'll just have to fall back on the shameful secret of the quantities of Mr P. Padding's excellent product that you've secreted about your wooden classic. Not entirely sure how you got 6kts on Sunday as I seemed to spend most of the afternoon sitting with a limp spinnaker, stemming (or not) the tide under the bridges. By the way - alliteration takes 2 ls

Don't suppose you fancy a wee donner up to Clachnaharry (or maybe just to Peterheid) starting tomorrow at HW (21.21) while there's still some wind before high pressure and blue skies sets in for the next 2 weeks?

marisca wrote: before high pressure and blue skies sets in for the next 2 weeks?

Do you know something we don't

marisca wrote: By the way - alliteration takes 2 ls

Just fulfilling my role as foil to your pompous pedant sir.

marisca wrote: Don't suppose you fancy a wee donner up to Clachnaharry (or maybe just to Peterheid) starting tomorrow at HW (21.21) while there's still some wind before high pressure and blue skies sets in for the next 2 weeks?

Sounds deligthful, sadly I have much boat-fettling to do, also an eager doctoral student to supervise tomorrow and various other work-like commitments over the next few days.

Personally, I'm rather taken with Shard's fine lines, and prefer that sort of appearance (as well as those of Contessa 32s, Rivals and suchlike). But there is no doubting that you get a lot for your money with a Bavaria. I have never sailed on one, but have seen them do well on the Clyde in F6 and above. We have however enjoyed kind hospitality on board a Bavaria, and I must say rather enjoyed the luxury of its well appointed saloon (and whisky store).

The downside to more tradional lines is much less space down below, although we do like to tell ourselves that we sail much better. Is it really true?

Nick wrote:

marisca wrote: before high pressure and blue skies sets in for the next 2 weeks?

Do you know something we don't

Yes, summer will arrive next Thursday but probably will be over by the end of May.

Nick wrote: Do you know something we don't

Well if you had a wee keek at the synoptics you might notice a great big dod of high pressure about to settle over the UK. The west should get southerlies but the east coast is going to get bu88er-all until a big enough low eventually rolls in. I just don't fancy spending 36 hours under motor getting to the Caley.

marisca wrote:

Nick wrote: Do you know something we don't

Well if you had a wee keek at the synoptics you might notice a great big dod of high pressure about to settle over the UK. The west should get southerlies but the east coast is going to get bu88er-all until a big enough low eventually rolls in. I just don't fancy spending 36 hours under motor getting to the Caley.

Well, its only 1032 in the middle so we'll see - but a couple of weeks of warm gentle Southerlies over this side would be very pleasant.