Dylan,
I have you to thank for reminding me why I loved sailing so much as I grew up, and for lighting a fire under my behind to do something about it. Not to me mention quietly syphoning small quantities of the household budget into a salty slush fund.
I now have a quite spectacularly short fat boat sitting happily on it's rented patch of mud in Chichester harbour. Whilst you are winding your way around the isles I will be doing my very best to navigate the mud banks and sand shoals of the Solent harbours.
Thanks again for the inspiration
Dave
I wonder how many of us have the same tale to tell… its down to him that I too have a short fat boat in Chichester Harbour on the mud… we should start a secret society :)
Our boat and location also fits the description.
Dylan has soooo much to answer for!
Will Dylans “Readers Boats” blog be re-instated at some point? If so I may send an image……
It’s all your fault Dylan! Locking out of Island Harbour Marina this morning in a hailstorm. Having an exciting time dropping the sails in a late afternoon squall (must save up for furling headsail sail). Plus spent all day yesterday crouched in the cockpit locker fitting a hatch as part of a fridge conversion. That’s why we simply had to get out on the water today. Anyway tonight we have a working fridge so no need to buy bags of ice. All your fault Dylan, but are we having a great time, you bet we are!
Well I don’t have a short fat boat on any patch of rented mud,I do have my Fin Keeler in a field beside the Deben.
The need to go sailing has arrived Dylan,and the duck punt on the Deben,has become dinghy,then a day boat,trailer sailor,Hunter Horizon,Westerly Griffon,Dehler,it has shrunk back to a Medina swift 18,First 18,Shamefully I even looked at a motorboat on Apollo duck.
We have done Rutland,Hull,South Ferriby, Newark alas not good boat amongst them.
We have seen twin,keels,fin keels loose keels,trailer wheels
We have lifted hatches,peered in bilges,poked things pulled stuff,tested bunks alas to no avail.
We know that dogs can not sail at Rutland,Fossdyke is no place for a fin keeler.
As a crew we now realise that James needs a flat screen telly and x box,
Val wants standing head room and a saloon table,and guest cabin .
I have looked bigger smaller newer,older upped my price,men in suits have shook my hand,but no new boat.
I have my chart plotter ,compasses,GPS packed ready and waiting!
Last week my contract looked like ending,so I was headed down to the Deben,to fettle Kiwa for a month.
Damm,I told somebody,and today they extended it.
May as well use the shore power. Thought you would have said what’s wrong with tea lights! All part of keeping Gill happy, and it does mean more space in the cool box for beer, although Gills says she can bring more pre cooked food from home. The red wine is essential.
I agree with D on the red wine. Needed a double measure (would have been a treble but I was spotted) after this springs full frontal assault on the blessed trailer bearings and brakes. Two jobs left and then we can throw her (I had better add the word boat) in the water!
Another Chichester creeky here!
Mind you at 7 foot 6 inch beam I do not consider myself too fat!
If we ever get a summer we could arrange to ram the beach and have a barbecue at East Head.
Mind you I often prefer it there in less Clement weather when you have it pretty much to yourself.
Perhaps we, the small band of happy followers of KTL need a small, understated burgee to discretely fly from the starboard spreaders to identify us to other M.O.B.’s?
If I remember, the red-and-white burgee that Dylan flies is a good candidate. He once told the story of it, but now I have forgotten other than it’s an accidental reverse.
Dylan is also responsible for my own sailing endeavours starting sooner than I had even dreamed. I had bought an overwhelming hulk in a field in Weston-Super-Mare and Dylan convinced me to flog it and get something sail-able now.
Dylan sent me links to likely boats and we went to see a few of them starting with a £500 Mirror Offshore, Newbridge Navigator Junk, a Galion 22. Throughout this period I bombarded Dylan with newbie questions and his response was almost always instantaneous and informative.
Eventually we were lucky enough to settle on a Centaur right about the time that Dylan was re-considering a Centaur for the next leg of KTL.
Even now I am considering moving up to Chichester at his excellent advice and videos of the area and as it happens plan to check out the area in the camper this weekend.
I’m up for a KTL burgee – perhaps that could be an extra revenue stream Dylan?
As always – thanks for the inspiration, information and inclusion!
I’ll buy a KTL burgee……
I would fly one for sure, that will go nicely against the RN Sea Scout one :)
…..and so would I. How about it Dylan. P.
Another one with my first short fat boat in Chichester Harbour. Was seriously swayed by this Blog to stick with a smaller (23ft) and groundable (Cat) boat and am finding out why. Now to just add water… soon!
If you buy the “Answer Code sign flag”, don’t forget to remove the first red-panel at the hoist-end….
Here in the US it’s more common to fly the burgee from the lower starboard spreader-arm….and the Gin Pennant or signals from the opposite port spreader, like the water taxi pennant. The owner’s private pennant flies on starboard under the burgee or alone if the burgee is on the masthead. Apparently most sailboats’ burgees, signal flags and National/Courtesy flags are undersized(!). It’s recommended that their length be approximately 1/2-inch per foot from the water to the masthead, or the next std. size larger. The National Ensign or Flag on the stern should be 1-inch per the boat’s length, or the next size larger.
When in foreign waters, once-cleared the visited-Nation’s courtesy flag flies on the starboard spreader, and the burgee shifts to the port or to the masthead.
Every boat should have a Gin pennant.
I agree with your general sentiments but red wine doesn’t stop the milk going off. I’m fitting a fridge to our new to us boat but am worried about amps, I don’t want to be a slave to amps.
I’m on the opposite side of Hayling Island to you Chi guys. More workmanlike over here… No expensive gin palaces making huge wakes but you do have the dredgers and only 2 channels up the harbour. We have plenty of mud, but the best bit is the mooring is 5 minutes from the harbour entrance and it’s closer to the Solent.
It’s all very well having a gin pennant but at least in Scottish waters one should be apropriately dressed. A visit To Islay caol Ila distilary would set the pennant question.
How about us MOB’s designing something suitable?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Gin A traditional and popular cocktail of the Royal Navy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gin_and_tonic Only tp prevent Malaria, of-course.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Gin 83-proof and 94-proof, Special Royal Navy-strength 114-proof.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gin London Dry Gin 80-proof.
Taking inspiration from the gin pennant:
http://www.sailing-free.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ktl-burgee.png
It’s a rough knockup…!