Thank you very much for these beautiful and educational videos. His seamanship is admirable and his tranquility in the maneuvers that he almost always performs standing up. The conditions are very similar to those of my sailing site on the north coast of Spain. Thank you very much again.
Hey, Steve. I enjoyed watching your movie from start to finish. I have a similar sized boat and also use it alone. I highly recommend having 40-60 kilograms of ballast, this gives inertia when moving against a short steep wave and somewhat greater stability. Thanks and sorry for my english.
Thanks - I'm glad you enjoyed it! I've heard people talk about extra ballast but I've never tried. The boat must be about 400 - 450kg and is kept on a drying running mooring in a harbour that can be exposed to swells and I'm keen to keep the weight to a minimum. Maybe I'll take a crew one day - but they'll complain being kept up front in the spray! I looked at your channel and like the balanced jib concept!
0:00 Downwind to Cove 0:14 Time to take down spinnaker 1:16 Gybing 1:50 Rolling away the main 3:20 Motoring in to Cove 4:43 Leaving Cove 5:45 Setting sail 7:57 A nice beat to windward 9:10 Heaving to 9:45 Putting a reef in 14:15 Sailing with that reef in
Cheers for the video Steve. I'm learning a lot from watching you and am also being inspired to get on the sea myself. The Lake is no longer big enough for me or Lulu!!! Can I just ask, did you sail from Stonehaven to cove (75miles roughly)? How long did the voyage take and how big do you estimate those waves were coming out of Cove, they looked quite big!?
Hi Dave, Cove is just 9 NM north of Stonehaven. If I'm route planning without too much info I usually plan at 3knts. The trip downwind probably took me ca. 2hrs, but coming back into the wind was more like 4 hr! If you're beating into the wind at ca. 4 knots, tacking through 120 degrees and have a 1 knot tide against you that 9NM might take a lot longer! Wave height is always a tricky one! I'm guessing less than 0.5m significant wave height with the occasional 1m rolling through - but these are long waves, a steep breaking 1m wave would be very different. Just a jacket on downwind to keep warm, full wet gear required when sailing into the wind and waves - spray only, no solid water from the waves.
@SailingWithDave I mentioned Lulu needs the main lacing to the mast and you can see how it's done clearly as Steve furls the main early on in the video. Should help it set better! I have a feeling your Mirror might be the same, but it's a long time since I sailed one!
@@steveporteous3157 cheers Steve. I see it now!! I googled Cove and it only found one 75 miles south near Dunglass. Thought you'd sailed to there and back. I'd love to sailed a few hundred miles around the coast at a time, camping aboard, maybe even working towards a UK circumnav eventually, so very interested in trips people are making on the sea right now.
Hi Kevin. Thanks for your kind comment. Wind speeds are always difficult to estimate! I'd guess at 9 - 12 knots on the way there down wind and then 12 -15 knots on the way back - but maybe that's the classic under-estimate whilst running downwind and over-estimate whilst beating! Sailing by myself (and therefore with limited movable ballast!), I usually reef early. I also converted my jib to roller reefing a couple of years back - I find that a couple of rolls in the jib takes a lot of the "aggression" out of gusts / squalls when the main is reefed.
You must need a reasonable amount of sea room to reef! It does look a little precarious working by the mast, do you ever clip on? She certainly seems to chonk along to windward quite happily with that wind though, looks very seaworthy.
Hi Robert, Yes I like a good bit of sea-room when hove to / drifting! Best of course to reef whilst still in harbour / on the mooring. If at sea I’m always looking to windward and if anything ominous head a bit further offshore. I do have a tether to tie myself on but find it gets in the way or forms a trip hazard. I always try to be holding onto something “solid”, ie mast, shrouds or part of sail when moving about or working at mast. I don’t have to stand on the side benches, but find if I tie off the furled main lower down there is a very high chance it unfurls higher up - usually when entering harbour or very little sea room! Big boat strategy is that the tether stops you from falling over the side. On the small boat its use would be to stop you getting separated from the boat. I feel a DA discussion coming up!
Steve, I notice you have a second twart between both sides of the centerboard. What is the purpose? I have my Lugger rigged as a Smack like Sanderling . th-cam.com/video/9uXYzG5tkyg/w-d-xo.html Thank, Norm Lugger Eloise, West Cost of Vancouver Island, BC PS: I single hand all the time, it's my alone time.
Hi Norm, They were already installed when I bought the boat. I imagine they were put in to stiffen the centre plate casing. The original webbing stiffening shows signs of delaminating and detaching from the floor. I’ve beefed that up as well but think the additional thwarts was a very good idea. Regards, Steve PS I have to admit to stealing your design for the boarding ladder!
@@steveporteous3157 Thanks, I had to reinforce the bolt holding the centerboard as I had a leak. I now need to make a tabernacle to raise and lower the mast easier by myself. Cheers, Norm
A tabernacle for the main mast does make raising and lowering a lot easier. I put a crutch in the hole for the mizzen mast to hold the end of the mast when trailering. Also good for supporting the winter cover - although I do remove the main mast and replace with an old windsurfer mast. Supports the cover well and never have pooling rain and even heavy snowfall isn’t a problem.
I wonder if, after heaving to, and lowering the main to move the halyard on the spar, whether it might be easier and maybe safer to just sit down on the windward side with the mainsail in your lap while tying the reef in? Love the video. I just picked up a Longboat and love it.
Steve's running commentary is as delightful as it is educational. Thank you!
Thanks Anastasia!
Thank you very much for these beautiful and educational videos. His seamanship is admirable and his tranquility in the maneuvers that he almost always performs standing up. The conditions are very similar to those of my sailing site on the north coast of Spain. Thank you very much again.
Glad you enjoyed it Pablo.
Used to sail a drascombe up on Kielder water way back. We had the use of two. Fond memories thanks
Hey, Steve.
I enjoyed watching your movie from start to finish. I have a similar sized boat and also use it alone. I highly recommend having 40-60 kilograms of ballast, this gives inertia when moving against a short steep wave and somewhat greater stability. Thanks and sorry for my english.
Thanks - I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I've heard people talk about extra ballast but I've never tried. The boat must be about 400 - 450kg and is kept on a drying running mooring in a harbour that can be exposed to swells and I'm keen to keep the weight to a minimum. Maybe I'll take a crew one day - but they'll complain being kept up front in the spray!
I looked at your channel and like the balanced jib concept!
I didn't think your boat was that heavy.
And trust my experience, after many years of solo sailing, it is extremely unlikely to suddenly find a team.
0:00 Downwind to Cove
0:14 Time to take down spinnaker
1:16 Gybing
1:50 Rolling away the main
3:20 Motoring in to Cove
4:43 Leaving Cove
5:45 Setting sail
7:57 A nice beat to windward
9:10 Heaving to
9:45 Putting a reef in
14:15 Sailing with that reef in
Cheers for the video Steve. I'm learning a lot from watching you and am also being inspired to get on the sea myself. The Lake is no longer big enough for me or Lulu!!!
Can I just ask, did you sail from Stonehaven to cove (75miles roughly)? How long did the voyage take and how big do you estimate those waves were coming out of Cove, they looked quite big!?
Hi Dave, Cove is just 9 NM north of Stonehaven. If I'm route planning without too much info I usually plan at 3knts. The trip downwind probably took me ca. 2hrs, but coming back into the wind was more like 4 hr! If you're beating into the wind at ca. 4 knots, tacking through 120 degrees and have a 1 knot tide against you that 9NM might take a lot longer!
Wave height is always a tricky one! I'm guessing less than 0.5m significant wave height with the occasional 1m rolling through - but these are long waves, a steep breaking 1m wave would be very different. Just a jacket on downwind to keep warm, full wet gear required when sailing into the wind and waves - spray only, no solid water from the waves.
@SailingWithDave I mentioned Lulu needs the main lacing to the mast and you can see how it's done clearly as Steve furls the main early on in the video. Should help it set better! I have a feeling your Mirror might be the same, but it's a long time since I sailed one!
@@steveporteous3157 cheers Steve. I see it now!! I googled Cove and it only found one 75 miles south near Dunglass. Thought you'd sailed to there and back. I'd love to sailed a few hundred miles around the coast at a time, camping aboard, maybe even working towards a UK circumnav eventually, so very interested in trips people are making on the sea right now.
An inspirational video Steve - many thanks. What was the max wind speed ?.
Hi Kevin. Thanks for your kind comment.
Wind speeds are always difficult to estimate! I'd guess at 9 - 12 knots on the way there down wind and then 12 -15 knots on the way back - but maybe that's the classic under-estimate whilst running downwind and over-estimate whilst beating!
Sailing by myself (and therefore with limited movable ballast!), I usually reef early. I also converted my jib to roller reefing a couple of years back - I find that a couple of rolls in the jib takes a lot of the "aggression" out of gusts / squalls when the main is reefed.
You must need a reasonable amount of sea room to reef! It does look a little precarious working by the mast, do you ever clip on? She certainly seems to chonk along to windward quite happily with that wind though, looks very seaworthy.
Hi Robert,
Yes I like a good bit of sea-room when hove to / drifting! Best of course to reef whilst still in harbour / on the mooring. If at sea I’m always looking to windward and if anything ominous head a bit further offshore.
I do have a tether to tie myself on but find it gets in the way or forms a trip hazard. I always try to be holding onto something “solid”, ie mast, shrouds or part of sail when moving about or working at mast. I don’t have to stand on the side benches, but find if I tie off the furled main lower down there is a very high chance it unfurls higher up - usually when entering harbour or very little sea room! Big boat strategy is that the tether stops you from falling over the side. On the small boat its use would be to stop you getting separated from the boat. I feel a DA discussion coming up!
Steve, I notice you have a second twart between both sides of the centerboard. What is the purpose? I have my Lugger rigged as a Smack like Sanderling . th-cam.com/video/9uXYzG5tkyg/w-d-xo.html
Thank, Norm Lugger Eloise, West Cost of Vancouver Island, BC PS: I single hand all the time, it's my alone time.
Hi Norm,
They were already installed when I bought the boat. I imagine they were put in to stiffen the centre plate casing. The original webbing stiffening shows signs of delaminating and detaching from the floor. I’ve beefed that up as well but think the additional thwarts was a very good idea.
Regards,
Steve
PS I have to admit to stealing your design for the boarding ladder!
@@steveporteous3157 Thanks, I had to reinforce the bolt holding the centerboard as I had a leak. I now need to make a tabernacle to raise and lower the mast easier by myself. Cheers,
Norm
A tabernacle for the main mast does make raising and lowering a lot easier. I put a crutch in the hole for the mizzen mast to hold the end of the mast when trailering. Also good for supporting the winter cover - although I do remove the main mast and replace with an old windsurfer mast. Supports the cover well and never have pooling rain and even heavy snowfall isn’t a problem.
@@steveporteous3157 Thanks for the help Steve, Norm
I wonder if, after heaving to, and lowering the main to move the halyard on the spar, whether it might be easier and maybe safer to just sit down on the windward side with the mainsail in your lap while tying the reef in? Love the video. I just picked up a Longboat and love it.