Showing posts with label on. Show all posts
Showing posts with label on. Show all posts
Wednesday, 19 April 2017
An update from Alec Jordan on the Ayles skiff
This came in yesterday and after I had posted on the Ayles skiff the day before, so please now read Alecs updated story. The pictures are from the Skiff World Championships at Ullapool 2013.
Roy
Hi Roy
Thanks for putting this up.
First point – the pic at the top of the two man boat is the Wemyss Skiff. Attached are a couple of new pics from Skiffy Worlds to replace it.
The text below is now slightly dated – please replace with what is below.
Click on the pictures to view in a larger size.
Photo credit, by Steven Gourlay Photography, taken 10th July 2013, at 9.54 am.
Ullapool Harbour, Scotland.
Thank you for showing an interest in the St Ayles skiff. Your life may be about to change, hopefully for the better, as you discover the joys of boat building and being on the water as part of a community.
Those of us who were involved in 2009, at the start of what was then the “Scottish Coastal Rowing Project”, under the auspices of the Scottish Fisheries Museum, had a pretty good idea that building and rowing the newly designed St Ayles Skiff would be a very rewarding and sociable experience. We knew friends in our own community and some in neighbouring areas might well catch on and get an enthusiasm for the concept too. However, we have been somewhat taken aback by the speed at which the fever spread, not just around the Firth of Forth, which we might have expected, but initially along the coasts of Scotland, then down into some lovely parts of England, and then around the world.
Therefore, it is worthwhile trying to look at what is so special about this boat, and the way it brings communities together.
Perhaps most importantly, the St Ayles is not something you just buy off the shelf. It is supplied in a kit form, which means that the basic hull shape and dimensions will be the same for each boat. However, a great deal of work goes into transforming sheets of precut plywood parts into the graceful shape of a St Ayles skiff. It’s that work which is enormously rewarding, and can be done by you, in your community, with your friends, some of whom you will know already and some of
whom you have yet to meet, but all of whom you will have a special bond with. You and your community will be very proud of what you create, and it will have touches which make it unique.
whom you have yet to meet, but all of whom you will have a special bond with. You and your community will be very proud of what you create, and it will have touches which make it unique.
Then you and others will start to row your community skiff. Many of the rowers will have lived beside the sea for years, but never looked at their community from seaward before. Just as you discovered the rewards of teamwork when building the boat, rowers will discover the joys of teamwork in making the boat sweep gracefully through the water, and making her ride purposefully over the waves. During the build some experienced woodworkers will have shared their knowledge with learners, a rewarding experience for both. Now on the water the same thing will happen, with experienced rowers and mariners sharing their experience with newcomers. Some of those newcomers will be youngsters, some will be pensioners, but all are discovering that joy of working together with others to achieve a goal.
Loch Broom, Scotland.
Apart from being pleasing on the eye, the St Ayles has proved time and again to be a superb seaboat. They have been raced in everything up to Force 6 winds, and in three years of regattas, there have been no capsizes or injuries. Their stability has been a big factor in bringing hundreds of people who have never enjoyed water based recreation into the sport, and while racing is a big part of rowing the St Ayles, there are a very large number of rowers who partake simply for the exercise and camaraderie of working closely together.
Coastal rowing is a very accessible sport. You do not need huge resources or specialist knowledge to become involved. All the rowers have a contribution to make to the propulsion of the boat, and all share the same rewards.
We recently welcomed 800 St Ayles skiff rowers from the USA, Australia, Netherlands, England and Scotland to the first St Ayles World Championships in Ullapool in Scotland’s Northwest Highlands. The Worlds has attracted further interest from around the world as well as from Scotland; when the next Worlds is held in 3 or 4 years time, there will be many more countries represented – we hope that crews from Southern Africa will have discovered the joys of coastal rowing and will be present for it.
Alec Jordan & Robbie Wightman
Bravo, bravo to this idea, Hout Bay harbour and Hout Bay itself would be the perfect setting for a South African event!
Roy
For more information, please go to www.scottishcoastalrowing.org, or download the St Ayles brochure from http://scottishcoastalrowing.org/files/2013/06/PDF-Final-Full.pdf.
Tuesday, 18 April 2017
Updates on Old and Ancient Canoes
Back to the subject of birchbarks, here's a fine video illustrating their construction in great detail:
Sunday, 16 April 2017
Update on Design 2678 46 Sloop
We received a nice note from the owner of the 46' sloop built at Walsteds. He and his family have cruised north of the Artic Circle this summer. Here's a nice shot of the boat in a small fishing village in Norway. I note he has replaced the furling boom with a Park Avenue style carbon boom. Please also see my posting dated August 1.
Saturday, 15 April 2017
Useful skin on frame kayak plans
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Tuesday, 11 April 2017
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Sunday, 9 April 2017
Cheapskates on the Move Swimmers Ear
Today's public service announcement: A simple way to prevent swimmer's ear (one of the most common reasons for Dr's visits while in the Caribbean), with items you have in your bathroom cabinet:
"...If you know you don't have a punctured eardrum, you can use homemade preventive eardrops before and after swimming. A mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 1 part rubbing alcohol may help promote drying and prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that can cause swimmer's ear. Pour 1 teaspoon (about 5 milliliters) of the solution into each ear and let it drain back out. Similar over-the-counter solutions may be available at your drugstore."
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/swimmers-ear/manage/ptc-20201568
Beach Bumming on Brampton Island
14-15 November 2016
After an extended period of friendly northerly winds a change to south easters was finally approaching necessitating a move from our home for the last two nights on the southern side of Goldsmith Island. We left reasonably early to take advantage of the last of the following breezes and had a very relaxed ten mile sail across to one of our favourite anchorages near the currently closed resort on Brampton Island. We have sheltered from strong southerly systems here a number of times and have always felt very secure. We also enjoy the island’s glorious beaches and national park walks.
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| We sailed across from Goldsmith Island to Brampton Island ahead of a south easterly change. |
A pod of dolphins welcomed us as we dropped anchor near the remnants of the old resort jetty. Within minutes we were also visited by a large turtle that seemed curious enough to come quite close to the boat. We have often seen dugong here as well.
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| Goldsmith Island to Brampton Island – 9.7 Nautical Miles – 2 Hours 27 Minutes Average Speed 4.0 Knots – Max Speed 6.4 Knots. |
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| The Brampton Island anchorage has always worked well for us when the south easterlies blow. |
After lunch we took the dinghy around the Pelican Island, the small islet laying off the old resort, and went into the beach for John, our guest crew member, to have a look at what we described as an ‘Eerie ghost town in Paradise’ when we first anchored here and saw the state of what was once a vibrant tropical resort. The resort itself is off limits from the high water mark with many signs everywhere prohibiting entry.
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| Karen and John wadding ashore after we anchored the dinghy well out from the beach at Brampton's resort. |
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| Carlisle Passage virtually dries at low tide. |
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| You can walk from Brampton to Carlisle Island when the water recedes. |
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| John checking out the pool and main resort building. |
A few caretakers rotate time on the island to keep an eye on things and are happy to have respectful cruisers visit as long as they observe the limits. One of these guys, Steve, often brings his catamaran over from Mackay and beaches it by the pool. He has even set up some beach lounges and umbrellas for cruisers to use and will happily chat for hours. When we arrived there was no sign of anyone but we still limited ourselves to wandering the beaches and extensive sand banks that appear as the tide drops. Carlisle Passage between Brampton and Carlisle Islands is very much miss named as it is far from anything like a passage for anything but extremely shallow draught boats on anything other than a very high tide. It virtually dries on the low.
With a much publicised full ‘Supermoon’ scheduled to appear soon after sunset, we underestimated just how extremely low this day’s tide would be. Despite anchoring our dinghy far out from the beach it was left very high and dry. Even with wheels fitted we really didn’t feel like hauling it a quarter of a mile over the sand so our stay on the beach was extended quite a while until the water returned.
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| Our dinghy ended up well and truly beached due to the 0.0m low tide |
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| Karen amused herself wandering the sand banks and writing in the sand while we waited for the tide to come in. |
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| Carlisle Island reflected in a tidal pool |
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| That's a little too far to drag the dinghy. |
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| It was late in the afternoon by the time we were able to head back to the boat. |
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| Our Dreamtime at Brampton Island awaiting our return for sundowners. |
Sundowners that evening was amongst the most spectacular we have ever experienced on Our Dreamtime as the setting sun appeared determined to put on a show to out shine the much vaunted supermoon. In our opinion it was no contest with old Sol winning by a knockout in the first round. We celebrated another great day in paradise with a fantastic rib roast cooked on the BBQ and some very fine wine. John was REALLY enjoying the cruising life by now,
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| The sun's spectacular light show lasted hours in it's various forms and easily beat the so called 'Super Moon' for appeal |
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| The super moon's eventual appearance over Carlisle Island was anti-climatic after our brilliant sunset. |
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| Great food, fine wine and fantastic company are all ingredients for a brilliant night afloat. |
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| Karen cools off on at the resort beach in the very high tide. |
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| Yes, Brampton Island provides a pretty good image of a tropical paradise. |
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| Not much beach left with the king tide reaching its peak. |
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| We had a strenuous day on the beach while John did the national park walk to the island's summit. |
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| The king tide provided a much needed change of water for the old resort beach pool. |
John eventually appeared around the point well ready for a cooling swim after his climb to the top of the island. The views of the Cumberland Islands from the lookouts are truly remarkable and well worth the effort. The national park walks are reasonably well maintained and provide great outlooks over all sides of the island as you wind your way to the peak.
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| One of John's photos from Brampton Island's summit. |
This was our fourth stop at Brampton on Our Dreamtime and we enjoyed it just as much as all the previous visits. We had planned to stay an extra day but we had a crew change scheduled for Friday in Mackay with John leaving us and our eight year old grandson, Kristian, flying in from Canberra for the trip the rest of the way down the coast with us to Brisbane. The forecast showed Wednesday would be a less crappy day than Thursday for the beat southward so we would be upping anchor in the early hours and heading for the Mackay Marina for a couple of days.
Below is the evolution of a sunset. Goodnight from Brampton Island.
Below is the evolution of a sunset. Goodnight from Brampton Island.
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