SCODs at the Folly
26/05/10 06:46
SCODs at the Folly
26/05/10 16:33
The first SCOD event of the season took place at the weekend when half a dozen boats and a few boatless skippers met up at the Folly Inn for an informal rally.
One of the warmest days of the year so far, coupled with F 3-4 easterly winds provided a very enjoyable sail to the Medina. An (extremely) early start allowed the crew of Simon Bolivar to anchor in Osborne Bay to wait for the tide - easy to spot, shining like a jewel amongst the myriad of tupperware around her (him?).
Instructions on berthing at the Folly had been provided, however these were completely unnecessary, as Marbella in her new ‘radioactive duck egg’ livery had arrived first, and provided an excellent visual mark (and would have done all night for any latecomers!).
When moored up, the fleet attracted a number of approving comments from other boat crews coming ashore via the pontoon, all the boats present were in impressive condition and belied their age, although the ‘bearded’ Black Velvet let the side down with her copious marine growth and ‘hobo chic’ cockpit and cabin, especially noticeable being moored between the immaculate Santiano and Lullaby. Having sole use of the step-ashore mooring allowed the assembled crews an uninterrupted 20 yard stroll to the bar and then, drink in hand, back outside to watch the sun go down behind the assembled wooden masts. This made for a very relaxed mood all round and even the frustrating ‘queue and pay’ method of ordering the grub barely provoked comment. Overall the meal was good, however, a bit more thought into the pre-planning wouldn’t have gone amiss. The conversation flowed and a number of private wagers were made on the outcome of the up coming Round the Island Race. The pub was very busy and the musical entertainment lively and as closing time approached, the pub atmosphere became more raucous, but remained good natured. The queue for the ferry to get back to the boats moored on the river made us all thankful that we could just step onto our boats, the accompanied singing of those waiting in the queue tempered this feeling slightly.
The tide allowed a leisurely departure in the morning and all left at an unhurried pace, not before lengthy discussions/demonstrations on spinnaker rigging. Unsurprisingly the only known incident occurred to Black Velvet who suffered engine failure whilst motoring down the Medina, fortunately Ardoyne was following close behind and a line was taken to stop any impending collision and then skillfully let go to allow mooring alongside a floating pontoon. The problem was traced to a faulty spark plug in the Dolphin - usually quite happy to run on one pot, but prevented from doing so by the aforementioned marine growth on the propellor. A special mention to the Cowes Harbour Commission who could not have been more helpful.
As this is being posted there are 7 SCODs entered for the Round the Island Race with a few hours to go before regular entry closes.
26/05/10 16:33
The first SCOD event of the season took place at the weekend when half a dozen boats and a few boatless skippers met up at the Folly Inn for an informal rally.
One of the warmest days of the year so far, coupled with F 3-4 easterly winds provided a very enjoyable sail to the Medina. An (extremely) early start allowed the crew of Simon Bolivar to anchor in Osborne Bay to wait for the tide - easy to spot, shining like a jewel amongst the myriad of tupperware around her (him?).
Instructions on berthing at the Folly had been provided, however these were completely unnecessary, as Marbella in her new ‘radioactive duck egg’ livery had arrived first, and provided an excellent visual mark (and would have done all night for any latecomers!).
When moored up, the fleet attracted a number of approving comments from other boat crews coming ashore via the pontoon, all the boats present were in impressive condition and belied their age, although the ‘bearded’ Black Velvet let the side down with her copious marine growth and ‘hobo chic’ cockpit and cabin, especially noticeable being moored between the immaculate Santiano and Lullaby. Having sole use of the step-ashore mooring allowed the assembled crews an uninterrupted 20 yard stroll to the bar and then, drink in hand, back outside to watch the sun go down behind the assembled wooden masts. This made for a very relaxed mood all round and even the frustrating ‘queue and pay’ method of ordering the grub barely provoked comment. Overall the meal was good, however, a bit more thought into the pre-planning wouldn’t have gone amiss. The conversation flowed and a number of private wagers were made on the outcome of the up coming Round the Island Race. The pub was very busy and the musical entertainment lively and as closing time approached, the pub atmosphere became more raucous, but remained good natured. The queue for the ferry to get back to the boats moored on the river made us all thankful that we could just step onto our boats, the accompanied singing of those waiting in the queue tempered this feeling slightly.
The tide allowed a leisurely departure in the morning and all left at an unhurried pace, not before lengthy discussions/demonstrations on spinnaker rigging. Unsurprisingly the only known incident occurred to Black Velvet who suffered engine failure whilst motoring down the Medina, fortunately Ardoyne was following close behind and a line was taken to stop any impending collision and then skillfully let go to allow mooring alongside a floating pontoon. The problem was traced to a faulty spark plug in the Dolphin - usually quite happy to run on one pot, but prevented from doing so by the aforementioned marine growth on the propellor. A special mention to the Cowes Harbour Commission who could not have been more helpful.
As this is being posted there are 7 SCODs entered for the Round the Island Race with a few hours to go before regular entry closes.