Reasons For Sailing - part 2

[Nick]

.
More frequently than ever now I wake up in the morning and think – another day, where did yesterday go, where did last week go? I look in the mirror while shaving and desperately try to fix myself in time – this is now, I tell myself. THIS is now.This is NOW. I had the same thought yesterday, or was it last week? So much time gone, so much water under the bridge. Time is speeding up, days and nights pass in a flicker as they did in the machine for HG Wells’ Traveller.

To calm myself my mind seeks out points, beacons in the dark ocean of time past. Always the first ones to break over the horizon of this bleak moment are sailing memories.

~ Village bay more fifteen years ago when this was all new - an arrival dram in the wee small hours as the moon shone through a hole in the unbelieveable dragon silhouette of Dun

~ Hurtling madly through the foggy darkness down the Portuguese coast at night under full sail with the mad submariner at the wheel of Dave’s Moody

~ First charter from Troon as skipper and the excited, exhausted midnight arrival in Campbelltown

~ Screaming down the Solway Firth with the windows of the wee Cobra in the water and Kathy whooping with delight on the helm while I struggle under the chart table to silence the demented shrieking of the wet gas alarm

~ Beating wetly into the big bullying Blue Men of the Minch on that first trip to Stornoway and wanting to turn back but sticking to the plan

~ Seeing dolphins swimming in a wall of water above us on the trip up to Galway Bay

~ Sailing through a glassy swirling Cuan Sound on the apparent wind after the Volvo refused to start

~ The first beer in La Coruna after crossing Biscay – foreign sights, sounds, tastes, bright Spanish sunlight on blue water and the incredible sense of relief and achievement

~ The mad beat into Porto Santo after the storm, water coming over the coamings, wrapped in towels and being fed chocolate, eyes on the GPS, not giving an inch – then the overwhelming relief of the arrival

~ The surreal and spooky experience of finding the Hercules dismasted, abandoned and adrift in mid-ocean

~ Dawn coming up like thunder over the mountains of Gran Canaria after a dark and lumpy night, steel rays glinting off the hissing crests of the wind acceleration zone

~ Percy the passenger pigeon hitching a ride for two days, keeping us company on the careless face of the big ocean

~ Drama and contrasts - the grey, wet escape to sea from Santa Maria then the fog coming down just as we glimpsed the lights of San Miguel

And there are more, hundreds and hundreds more of these bright beacons shining to guide me through the darkness that is past and future for all of us. Right now I don’t even think about this Summer’s Norwegian trip most days, but I know that hundreds of wonderful images and memories are stored to be kindled when needed - memories that will never be overwritten or erased because they are burned deep into the very fabric of what I am.

I may not remember your face or name, or who I promised to phone today or what I said to whom – but these shining highlights will always float to the darkening surface, sailing memories that I will take to the end of time with me.

[claymore]

Feck's sake Nick- is it time tae up yer dose?

None of my memories are actually of sailing - one blasted wave seems much as another and rain is rain and wind is wind.
Its not where you are but who you are with that matters Nick, surely?

[Nick]

Feck's sake Nick- is it time tae up yer dose?

None of my memories are actually of sailing - one blasted wave seems much as another and rain is rain and wind is wind.
Its not where you are but who you are with that matters Nick, surely?

Surprised you can remember that far back at all - you haven't exactly been doing much sailing recently have you?

Time to pucker up and head for the horizon perhaps. Looking forward to seeing yer auld tub up here again next year - I'll even deliver her for you if you can't face all that rain and wind.

[claymore]

I say - how awfully decent of you. It would be so much more convenient than having her trucked up to Kilmelford.

Full team signed up tae dae the trip. D'ye think its a bit early to be buying the jaffa cakes?

[Nick]

I say - how awfully decent of you. It would be so much more convenient than having her trucked up to Kilmelford.

Full team signed up tae dae the trip. D'ye think its a bit early to be buying the jaffa cakes?

Mebbes aye, but caulis keep well in a cool place.

[claymore]

Been considering this overnight. Now that we have installed raymarine's finest SPX-10 autopilot, I wonder if I could just set her off in the right direction, link the autopilot to the plotter gizmo with the route done and then step off into a rib or something, come ashore, then set off the following day for a leisurely drive North. Croabh is probably the best place to intercept her - perhaps a couple of miles south of Ardluing?

TCM ought to be able to set up some kind of tracker thingy so that I could just keep an eye on her. Going at Easter will be really quiet so little chance of a collision. Could DaveS or one of you arrange transport out to the intercept point?
What do you think?

[Old_Glow_In_The_Deep]

Nick!... it’s just brilliant!

Keep writing like this, get it published & I will be buying one of the first copies.

Claymore….. to send her off on autopilot on her own is barking!

[Nick]

Nick!... it’s just brilliant!

Keep writing like this, get it published & I will be buying one of the first copies.

Thank you kind sir. It isn't often the muse strikes, but maybe there will be more. All the recent blog entries were of necessity written in haste and most entries could benefit from some editing.

I had hoped that my post would trigger responses in a similar vein from some of our more sensitive residents, but Claymore got there first . . .

[claymore]

Nick!... it’s just brilliant!

Keep writing like this, get it published & I will be buying one of the first copies.

Claymore….. to send her off on autopilot on her own is barking!

Old Glow
There are a few things you need to understand. The first concerns Nick and his drink-fuelled witterings. These crop up from time to time, particularly when the nights are drawing in. We have an unspoken agreement that its best to ignore them. To fail to do so gets the silly old sod thinking he can write and then we just get loads of auld guff.

Secondly - you fail to mention why you consider my rather clever plan to be barking. Could I impose upon you to give - should we say - 3 reasons?

[Old_Glow_In_The_Deep]

OK Claymore,

Insurance.

Collision avoidance.

Obviously under engine, so I won’t consider wind direction and changes in severity.… so that leaves equipment failure.

& don't you like her?.... I mean... sending her off on her own!

Also can some kind person point me at "Reasons For Sailing - part 1"

[claymore]

Insurance.

Collision avoidance.

Obviously under engine, so I won’t consider wind direction and changes in severity.… so that leaves equipment failure.

& don't you like her?.... I mean... sending her off on her own!

Also can some kind person point me at "Reasons For Sailing - part 1"


What a pedantic nitpicking attitude. Where's your sense of adventure? Anyway - its got more chance of getting there under autopilot than if Para steers.

There was no Part 1 - Nick isn't good with numbers

[Old_Glow_In_The_Deep]

Insurance.
Collision avoidance.
Obviously under engine, so I won’t consider wind direction and changes in severity.… so that leaves equipment failure.
& don't you like her?.... I mean... sending her off on her own!
Also can some kind person point me at "Reasons For Sailing - part 1"
What a pedantic nitpicking attitude. Where's your sense of adventure? Anyway - its got more chance of getting there under autopilot than if Para steers.
There was no Part 1 - Nick isn't good with numbers

Pedantic & nitpicking… I honestly cannot ever remember being referred to as this before…. I don’t race you know.

Yep! I know a couple of Paras who just can’t for the life of them hold a course, and my TP10 steers better than me.

Well Nick is quite good with code…. and I thought (don’t tell me I’m wrong again!) the two went hand in hand.

[claymore]

There's only wan Para Handy.

Nick is quite good at code - but he's still sheeite at numbers

Nitpicking and pedantic was probably a little harsh. I'd be happy for you to drop one of them.....

[Old_Glow_In_The_Deep]

There's only wan Para Handy.

Nick is quite good at code - but he's still sheeite at numbers

Nitpicking and pedantic was probably a little harsh. I'd be happy for you to drop one of them.....

You’re all heart C.
I personally think Nick’s a great person with good taste, as he seems to like Stilton with Apricot & Mango plus St Helier Cider… a good combination.
Too much of the St Heliers is probably the reason for a confused numerical ability …. as I should know!

[Booby Trapper]

I think the auto pilot thing is a great idea.
If the Yanks can send a drone over Iraq and back all on it's own I sure Claymore could send Claymore a few miles up the coast. As for interception just work out the distance, how much fuel she would need and just give her enough to run out when she reaches the final waypoint. A bit like hitler and his Doodlebugs.
As for collision avoidance, let the others worry about that if you think there is a chance of running into another unmanned vessel don't be silly know one else would ever do that.

Can't think why it's not been done before