Passage To Poole

First stop: Swanage Bay

In a comfy corner to windward of the wheel, I stretched and put the paws up. The perfect location to supervise André the owner, Bernard the RYA Instructor Magnificent*, and the Can Opener as he rocketed about as ‘Skipper-of-the-Day’. 

I’m a low key manager who likes to rule from behind by dint of a nuclear-radiating personality and the occasional swipe to the Achilles’ tendon. A kind of Chaircat of the Board, if you will.

Every minute you spend planning is repaid many times over. We knew this when we were doing the passage planning and chartwork the day before we set off to Poole. But seeing the plan executed really underlined Bernard’s message.

We were up bright and early, breakfasted and doing boat checks while the dew was still on the deck. Tidal calculations were checked and rechecked. The weather report noted and compared for continued compatibility with our plan. We were headed out the famous (and challenging) Needles Channel in a blow, so the plan had to be perfect. All was set to go. And so we went…

Through Needles, the sea state was ‘rough’. The Met Office defines this as about 8 to 12 foot waves. And this narrow channel is bordered on both sides by enormous pointy rocks rearing out of the sea to the east and jagged pointy rocks lurking below the surface forever to the west. 

Of course, you never think to take photos at the time (the Needles photo above is from another calmer day…). You’re riveted on the sailing.

 

The first night of the passage we picked up a mooring buoy in Swanage Bay (see leading photo at top) just south of our final destination. 

The second day, after skills drills allllllllllll day with Bernard, we pulled into the night-calm harbour at Poole. The glorious sunset made it all worthwhile.

 

Destination made: Pulling in to Poole

Could we have packed any more learning into our time with Bernard? I think not. 

Passage planning, berthing, anchoring and mooring practice, even some crew overboard work. It was a fantastic and very full training schedule. And much appreciated. 

The entire team has loads to think about and much to practice going forward.

 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

* Bernard Mitchell works with the Hamble School of Yachting. Ask for him by name. He’s in great demand. Plan ahead.

A Year In Pictures 2013

Best boats of the year!!

All the boats we sailed on in 2013: 

Baltic 35

Cap’n André’s boat!

Hallberg-Rassy 29

Cap’n Davie‘s!

Sigma 38

Sigma racing!

Reflex 38 

Junior Offshore Group racing!

J80  

Red Tabby team racing!

J122

Racing at Cowes Week! – Image Source

 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

 

Home Cruising Grounds

Views of the Solent…

Sooooooo good to be home…

–Captain Cat 

 (transcribed by the Can Opener)

It’s All About The Journey

In the Marina at the London Boat Show 2013

It’s All About The Journey…

Okay. So if it’s all about the journey… what are these things doing at MY boat show??

We’d get to wherever we’re going in these monsters in about two seconds, no – three seconds absolute max.  

No time at all to relax and smell the tuna. Or the mahi mahi. 

It must make sense to somebody, because these machines are here. It does not make sense to yours truly.

 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

At The Boat Show 2013

At The London Boat Show 2013…aaaaaaall day!

FanTAStic!  …And now for a restorative snooze…

I will require the Can Opener to capture my reflection, opinions and unparalleled genius on the morrow.

To the silk cushion!

Your humble (yet ever perfect) servant,

 
–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Sailing 2013 Begins!

Spring Events Schedule

What‘s on in Spring 2013?

We’ve scheduled ourselves for every lecture we can find in our area, some good courses, special events and even some brave-the-elements sailing! 

If we can find more, we’ll add to the list as we go along.

Here’s our list for Spring 2013:

• Boat Show lectures
• Cruising Association lectures
• 2 Cruising Association seminars
• Red Tabby lectures  
• Red Tabby’s Boat Show Cocktail Party
• RYA first aid course
• RYA sea survival course  
• Red Tabby Sailing Forum!
• passages with Cap’n Davie 
• Red Tabby J80 sailing?
• and, of course, the Red Tabby Cruising Committee dinners!

(OY! There’s research, organising and work to be done for the Cruising Committee too, Furrball! Not just mealtimes!  Speak for yerself, Oh Opposable–Thumbed-One…)

Great Bastet, it’s gonna be great!

 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Cruising Kitty’s Year in Review 2012

We passed a lot of milestones in 2012!

Cruising Kitty’s Year in Review 2012

Our favourite achievement
What are we most pleased that we accomplished in 2012? Quite a few things actually. 

We’re thrilled to get out nearly 50 days on the water. We were thrilled to have had the chance to sail on 9 different types of yachts. Thrilled to see a big stretch of the southeast coast, sail in 5 countries and film cavorting dolphins.

And we are very pleased with the Can Opener’s progress this year: he’s finished all the RYA navigation courses, hit all the physical training goals I set for him, researched reams of cruising and design topics – and wrote it all up and posted it on my blog. 

Didn’t really expect him to have time to hit so many targets actually. I put it all down to my outstanding planning and monitoring. But I still give him three big stars.

But most of all in 2012, we were thrilled to meet so many helpful, dedicated and inspirational yachtsmen and women to sail with and to exchange ideas, theories and info with.

Our best move in 2012
Our best move ever was joining the Red Tabby Yacht Club. That started it all. 

But our best move in 2012?

That’s got to be joining Cap’n André’s team. Great group of guys, as big on sailing as we are, and that all move with nautical feline grace – yet still know how to share out the smoked salmon at mealtimes fair and square.

We met Cap’n André at the Red Tabby Spring Sailing Forum at beginning of the year. So joining the Red Tabby really has been a great investment that keeps on paying out excellent dividends.

The biggest challenge in 2012 was…
...getting down to Solent every time. We are currently streamlining our assets as we save for the yacht o’ my dreams, so no car for the Can Opener and myself – we take the train.  

This means a 3+ hour commute to get down to the water’s edge before each passage. 

But this was okay as Cap’n André gave us the keys to his yacht practically from the first moment we met him – what a guy! So we‘d go down early the night before and stay over on the boat. 

This worked out well all round as it gave the First Mate and I the chance to prep the boat before everyone else arrived. Then we could all get off the dock pronto and have longer sailing days.

What we hope for next year
As discussed earlier this week with Santa, my biggest hope for 2013 is to: double our time on the water. 

This would mean 100 days. One hundred days. One hundred big ol’ days of wonder, joy and learning. But also a heck of a lot to cram into one year. 

That would mean every Saturday and Sunday all year. Or 3.5 months at sea. Or about 7 two-week passages.

However you slice it, 100 days is a LOT. 

But having a massive goal to aim for is inspirational. It gives you that extra get-up-and-sprint motivation that gets things moving and gets things done. 

At Wharton, the Can Opener says, they called this kind of goal a BHAG – big hairy audacious goal. 

Well big, hairy and audacious – that’s me. So a 100-day goal is the one for us!


2013 – It’s gonna be great!

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

A Year In Pictures 2012

Best boats of the year!!

All the boats we sailed on in 2012: 

Baltic 35

Cap’n André’s boat!

Hallberg-Rassy 29

Cap’n Davie‘s!

Sigma 38

Sigma racing!

Reflex 38 

Junior Offshore Group racing!

J80  

Red Tabby team racing!

J122

Racing at Cowes Week! – Image Source

Arcona 37

More Junior Offshore Group racing!

Fountaine Pajot 40

The Spain-Greece 2012 delivery

Eleonora

Eleanora, a 90 ft schooner and an exact replica of Westward that was launched in 1910.

 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Cruising Kitty’s Reading List for 2012

The Cruising Kitty’s Reading List for 2012

Here’s what the Captain snoozed on during 2012 
(and that were subsequently assigned to and read by the Can Opener too):

1. Maiden Voyage, by Tania Aebi
2. How to Sail Around the World, by Hal Roth
3. 20 Small Boats to Take You Anywhere, by John Vigor 
4. The Racing Rules 2008-2012, by Bryan Willis
5. Psychology of Sailing, by Michael Stadler  
6. Care and Feeding of the Sailing Crew, Lin Pardey
7. World Cruising Survey, by Jimmy Cornell
8. Sell Up & Sail: Taking the Ulysses Option, by Bill and Laurel Cooper
9. RYA VHF Radio text 
10. The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat, by John Vigor
11. Day Skipper for Sail and Power, by Alison Noice
12. Yachtmaster for Sail and Power, by Alison Noice
13. RYA Day Skipper course book
14. RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster course book
15. RYA Weather Handbook, by Chris Tibbs
16. The Reluctant Mariner, by Joana Hackett 
17. Come Hell or High Water, by Clare Francis
18. Come Wind or Weather, by Clare Francis
19. Cruising in Seraffyn, by Larry and Lin Pardey
20. Against the Flow, by Dee Cafari 
21. Taking on the World, by Ellen MacArthur 
22. The Racing Rules of Sailing, by Paul Elvestrom 

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

The Reluctant Mariner – Reviewed

Book the Captain has snoozed upon:  
The Reluctant Mariner, by Joanna Hackett   

Another book review from the Can Opener! He certainly has been burning the night oil. This one’s a gripping travelogue on the voyages of an Australian couple…

Topics Covered

This travelogue covers the circumnavigation of Joanna Hackett and her husband, Lindsay, through 37 countries over 5 years.
 
The Best Part
Hackett’s writing style is addictive. Her relentless dry sense of humour and determination to portray the mundane to the quirky from new angles makes you reconsider your assumptions about… just about everything. 

Her understated approach to what must have been insanity-inducing immigration and border control bureaucracies made us smile and smile. If we thought we’d already seen the most challenging, we clearly haven’t seen anything yet. 

Informative. Also balanced. Joanna was also quick to highlight moonlit nights aboard and truly magical meetings with people, flora, fauna and places.

Wishes

Perhaps we haven’t grasped the real purpose and meaning of a travelogue but we did long for some kind of red thread running through this narrative. Something to work towards so we knew how far along in the tale we were. We like a plot arc. We did get the feeling that new places unrolled endlessly before us. 

But maybe that’s what travelogues are about.

Conclusion
Been there. Done that. And glad we bought it. Would definitely buy it again. 

Are we gonna keep it? Nah. We‘ll probably donate it to the Red Tabby Yacht Club library so someone else can enjoy it too.


Ever read The Reluctant Mariner, by Joanna Hackett? How did you find it? Any good recommendations for other books for the sea library?

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

Previously: Cruising in Seraffyn

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