First Sail

[Silkie]

If you can call it that at 5 miles!

Made a right erse of leaving the marina berth in what is now becoming a hallmark of my first time taking the helm each season. The breeze was a lot fresher than I had anticipated so started with a reef as I headed out across the top of the Firth of Lorne. As the wind increased it quickly became obvious that the rig was too slack and even the diy backstay tensioner was unable to stop the forestay waving around like a demented banana (slight exaggeration.)

Turned back and rolled away the genoa just to be on the safe side but still managed over 5 knots with just the single-reefed main.

On the plus side nothing actually broke.

[Silkie]

On the plus side nothing actually broke.

In some ways I'm pleased that no-one has replied to this but really the longer it sits here the louder it demands to be ridiculed.

tempt fate so foolishly.

tempt fate so foolishly.

tempt fate so foolishly.

tempt fate so foolishly.

tempt fate so foolishly.

tempt fate so foolishly.

[DaveS]

Mmm, breakages...

As well as messing about with Sikaflex (and, not having either baby wipes on board or knowing that particular trick - thanks Nick -, still with black fingers a week later), last weekend I also replaced the side cheeks of a Spinlock rope clutch which was a casualty of my somewhat "boisterous" trip to the Clyde. This is the second time I've burst one of these, and it seems to be a known problem since replacement sides (£13 a pair from Duncans) have extra material over the axle just at the point where the original ones break. "Evolution of design in light of experience" is, I think, the technical term...

[Aja]

Mmm, breakages...

"Evolution of design in light of experience" is, I think, the technical term...

Or learning from previous mistakes......

Or customer led development....

Take you pick