chance of a lifetime "King's Ametyst"

I also fitted a lazy jacks system
I first fitted the line to the lower spreader this was a waste off time.
So I had to run it to the top spreader this made a lot of difference.
Up and down the mast a dozen or more times; was exciting since she is on a swinging mooring.
I had to make quite a few adjustments’ before I got things working, and I have no dought I will make some more.

Evening all
I had an exciting weekend
I tried out the lazy jack system in anger
I was out Friday’ after sailing to the Sovereigns just outside Kinsale; I returned to Chrosshaven
Just off fort Camdon’ a boat came across me blowing a horn .
Since I am fairly new to this; I came about.
It turned out he was looking for a TOW and me in full sail.:eek:
.
Anyway to make a long storey even longer; I tried to furl the head sail even though the wind was to high,
I had to use a winch; something I had been told not to do; I got it in most of the way in and then lowered the mainsail. The lazy jacks worked a treat.
All this was done in a bit of a hurry.
I got back into the cockpit’ only to hear a mighty crack; the forestay had snapped, and the furling gear forestay and everything attached; lashed the mast’ right where I was standing only moments before .
Panic stations; the Genoa had unfurled and spread across the spreaders’ furling drum swinging wildly,
And sheets in the water ’ backstays flapping around as well. Ohh s***t this is all I need.:(
I had a quick look around to see how much room I had to work with; tide had turned, and I was being pushed in the harbour’ so no worries’ there as long as I kept an eye on things.
With the furling drum flying around the place’ I need somehow to secure this; as if I got a slap of that then lights out.
I managed to tie it down somewhat .
Next thing try and save the mast as by this time; I could see that it was leaning well back .
I had a spear halyard set up since day one; and I used this to secure it to the bow cleat’ and winched the mast forward enough’ to take some of the strain off the lower shrouds.
Pulled in the sheets and tried to secure as much of the Genoa as I could, it was still caught up it the spreaders flapping and making a hell of a racket.
All this done; I made my way into Chrosshaven at 1 ½ half to 2 knots’ the Genoa acting like a wind break.
My plan was to drop the anchor’ as soon as I was in the wind shadow of curraghbinny headland.
As I made my way towards this headland; I decided I was closer to a mooring then the anchor spot; so I went for this; about ten to fifteen metres from the mooring’ I promptly went aground and stuck in the mud .
I could not have got stuck in a better place’ out of the wind and stable not swinging around the place; how lucky can I get.
I took down the Genoa and secured the mast properly .
I made myself a cup of Coffey and had a Fag; and I could not tell if I was either very unlucky’ or blessed with luck, as I intend to sail around Ireland starting next week . Better something like this happens now then if I am off shore.
So Tuesday I bought a new forestay 7/16 316 8mm wire and fitted it and repaired the other shrouds so all ready to go
Ohh your man passed me as I was stuck in the mud not even a wave :mad:

i had another cup of coffey and a fag and chilled what else could i do while i waited for the tide

I got the smartrooler working ok now it seems I had the drum turning the wrong way and this led to the forestay breaking .
It’s a bit temperamental if I have the sail to tight then it wont furl properly .
I’ve convinced myself that I need a boom break however since I properly wont be using it to often.
I wait and see if I can come across something that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
On of the mountain climbing shop should have something.
In the mean time I tried out a couple of things I had lying about
The first effort kind of worked if the steel was more rounded it would have offered less resistance.
The second effort worked a treat it can be set up fairly quickly.:P

Some good news
I got the mast back
While there’s some minor damage there’s nothing that I cannot repair
I even got the sails back undamaged I had cut the foot of each louse so they would move freely maybe this helped save them
So news shrouds and fittings and I should be good to go hopefully:)

Evening all
I got the mast up yesterday no real problems except the Crain caught the vhf aerial
I have to replace it a soon as possible I need to go up the mast anyway as dumbo here fitted the wind vane the wrong way round .:o
Wired up the electric’s everything works ok anchor light tricolour and deck and streaming light
I still need to fit four toggles as the originals were to small
So all in all I should be back sailing during the week if not tomorrow evening depending an how well
Everything goes when I fit the sails tomorrow

Evening all
Well I turned the wind vane lowering the steps made it easier to work around the mast head
Fitted the roller drum fitted and raised the mainsail everything seem to work ok
I have to run one reefing line and that should be the mainsail sorted I was not able to examine the mainsail as it was to blustery I did do some repairs during the week so maybe everything will be ok
So as soon as the weather improves I take her for a trip around the harbour.

Evening all
The journey has begun
Left the mooring last Monday the 22 of may by 6.
I had the sails up and was off
Weather was not great heavy fog and mist just past kin sail the tablet that I had navionic on packed up
I opted to head for Glandore heavy fog made it difficult to locate Adam’s however I found him I almost bumt into him
Picked up a mooring at 10 pm not much time to spear
Next day I headed for Crookhaven got there at a respectable time 9pm picking up one of the visitor moorings these or a joke you would want to be Hercules to be able to lift one.
Left next mooring bright and early and headed off I was now only using compass bearings maps headings and anything else I could think off to make do.
Just after Clear island there was heavy mist and low cloud cover so I was sailing blind so to speak just a compass bearing when the fog came down I motored sailed in order to keep a heading to the bull island
I was about a mile from it before it appeared delighted with myself I took a few photos only to find out ten minuet’s later it was the cow I had rounded set a coerce for the skelligs then onto dingle harbour fungy was there to greet me it was almost 9.30 pm by the time I tied up went up the village for something to eat everything was shut so had to settee for a Chinese.
Next morning I had to walk a kilometre or more carrying two twenty litres of diesel I could scratch my knees without bending after;
Off again early heading for killbaha or carragaholt bay instead I ended up in killkey as the wind was just right picked the best looking mooring late in the evening and headed off next mooring for the Arran islands again with good winds I ended up in Innisboffin; difficult enough harbour to get into very narrow like derrynane harbour all this time my speed log was not working so I decided to lean her against the pier next day to see if I could see what the problem was
So next morning at 6am with the sound of corncrakes lifting the mooring an no phone rigging as this too has packed up; I heeded for the slip there was very high winds in the harbour so just before I got to the slip I took the engine out of gear just to get my bearings about forty feet from the slip
So decided to tie up ¾ off the way up the slip so into gear went forward about ten feet and promptly went aground stuck fast onto a hidden shelf I had drifted in a minute or so off the line
I tried everything to get her off but the high winds kept shoving me back on tried the dingy with the electric motor only to lose the battery overboard
So I had to send a distress call Pan Pan as the tide started to drop
While waiting I had a chance to walk around and could see no other rocks around me so put her into reverse as the is a fierce prop wash to starboard and this might turn me into the wind; shore enough it worked and I mortared and bumped off the ledge blessed I was
After all that it was the connection into the display unit was the problem with the speed log
At least I got a chance to inspect for damage and give her a wash down
So yesterday evening I headed for either Achill island or Blacksod bay and ended up in broad haven
This was my first night sail and I will not do it again without some form of chart plotter.
Although my bearing were spot on up to now by night it’s totally different red light look yellow from a distance and some lights you would be nearly on top of before you would see them
A case in point was the bearing I had to an AIS buoy north off Clare island just to the west off this there’s bills rocks not light up so on a bearing from the AIS I headed due west to avoid bills rocks with a lot of room to spear this I duly done for an hour or so only to glance at the depth sounder and it was reading 10 meters twenty minuets before it was reading 95 meters of water
I immediately hove to and scrambled for the maps coerce plotter and notes I had made all the time the depth was varying between 10 and 5 meters this was at about 1.30am
All checked put me twenty miles from bills rocks so nothing for it but wait for the dawn
So on with the kettle and while having some Coffey and a fag I put a fishing line over the side after 80 meters I ran our of line still not convinced I got a GPS fix from the radio it placed me in 110 metres of water after reading the manufactures’ literature I was convinced that when the sounder went over 99 meters it went back to 0 so I headed off shaken by the experience and a little nervous the dept sounder still reading very low numbers so I changed coerce to a shallow bank of 70 meters and sure enough it started reading correctly after a few miles again over 100 meters of water it went back to single figures
So this has been an eventful week I hope the next week is better