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Not Sailed For 30 Years

PastorsDayOff

By PastorsDayOff
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PastorsDayOff

PastorsDayOff

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As a recent joiner to this network, I introduced myself as an avid boater, which I am. Most of my boating over the last 40 years has been on numerous mobo’s (all hired), but in my teens I did enjoy a brief foray into sailing (all offshore), but that was 30 years ago. So what possessed me to think that it would be a good idea to by a sailboat? In this case, my newly acquired Pegasus 800, which my wife and I have renamed ‘Sovereign Grace’. 

Now, your initial response might be, well why not! Surely it's like riding a bike; you've done it before, it will all come back to you? But there's something else here I have to keep in mind; I'm not as young as I used to be! This fact was certainly not lost on my wife, who decided to buy me a little present to go with my new acquisition, a cap, with the words ‘Knackered Sailor’ embossed on the front. I love her dearly!

The truth is, that she’s right, not because I'm now 46 and on at least the third of my mid life crises, but that, for the last 5 years I have suffered with M.E. or as some would know it, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Ah, but things don't stop there either, because my wife, and first mate in this new hobby; well, she has Osteoarthritis. But neither of us are the type to let these things get the better of us; adventure / foolhardiness are in our DNA.

Even so; what you are going to read here, is possibly not the usual kind of we went here and there and back again, but a blog from two people who probably should have thought more seriously about buying a mobo, who instead, despite the difficulties, are going to learn to sail again.

So; here we go…

DAY ONE…

Well, I've kitted her out as best as I know how, and I have the reassurance of a thorough survey and professional engine test to be confident that the water will stay on the outside, and if all else fails, we can at least motor home. But here is where we learn to sail again; or at least we would have done if it had actually been windy.

Even so; not to be deterred, we bravely uncovered the sails, made sure all the lines were attached where I could remember they should be attached, started the engine, and set off to begin our new shared hobby.

The plan was simple, motor down to Somerleyton from St Olaves, trusting that this would give me better control through the swing bridge, and then to hoist the sails and see if we could sail the rest of the way to Oulton Broad and back.

Well, the plan to motor to Somerleyton proved wise, as we did have to wait for it to open, but the plan to then sail to and from Oulton Broad didn’t quite work out. For sure, we were not the only sailors who were finding the lack of wind a problem, and this was of some comfort to me, that it wasn't simply me doing it all wrong; but the engine never got switched off.

But, we did bravely hoist the sails nonetheless, and for those brief moments when the wind did pick up, the boat did move forward; which I will call a success, and consider proof, that this sailing lark is maybe like riding a bike after all, something you never forget.

Having managed to return to St Olaves, where we started the day, not having sunk, capsized, or crashed into the dock whilst trying to moor up again, I will count day 1 as a great success.

Visiting friends tomorrow, so day two will be the day after. Thanks for reading so far.

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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Did you hoist on Oulton Broad? Just that there was a Pegasus 800 on the Broad the other day, seemed to be doing everything right, despite the lack of wind. 

My wife has had rods put in her back as well as osteoarthritis in her hands, the curse of being a hairdresser, and I have it in my legs yet we both still get out there, just a case of doing what we can and not doing what we can't! 

The main on the Pegasus is relatively small, a full sized genoa might prove to be a problem for your wife so you might benefit from a smaller jib. 

Whatever, enjoy your new acquisition. At 46 you are still a spring chicken!

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PastorsDayOff

PastorsDayOff

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DAY TWO…

Ok; day two hasn't exactly followed day one consecutively. Apart from spending a day with some friends and then to see our daughter off to college, the reality is, that after day one, my wife and I were knackered! It seems that my wife bought me the correct cap after all! Sailing is hard work! But that which don't kill us must surely make us stronger, right?

But, I did say that this was not going to be a blog so much about us sailing here or there or back again; rather, a blog about two people, who should have thought more seriously about buying a mobo, learning to sail again, after a 30 year absence. 

What is to our advantage in all this is that we only live 7ish miles away from where the boat is permanently moored, so staying on the boat for consecutive days is not always going to be required. So, what did we do on day two? Well, in truth, much the same as we did on day one; but the big difference was, that this time, the wind was blowing; we could actually do some sailing.

And this we did; all the way to Oulton Broad, from Somerleyton Bridge, with the engine switched off!

Yeeesss! It's all coming back! Well sort of.

Our tacking skills do need serious brushing up, thus the return journey did get supplemented a bit. But we did it nonetheless. 

Now; as I write this, I am actually sat by Oulton Broad on a bench in the park, the day after day two. One thing that did happen yesterday was that whilst we were trying to tack on Oulton Broad my wife’s cap got blown overboard. 

Today however, on entering the park, I selected, long before getting to the bench itself, which of the twenty or so I wanted to sit on; and what should be in the water, right in front of the pre-selected bench, but my wife’s cap that she lost yesterday. If only I could get back my glasses that I dropped in the water at the end of day one!

No, this won't be a conservative day type blog, but stick with it, we have a lot to learn yet.

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