After my last rowing practice with my mate, I realised that it was going to be extremely difficult to row or scull my Folkboat in any wind over 10knots by my self. I should and can sail in much lighter airs than this, but small rivers( like the one in which i moor) make tacking up them nearly impossible. So to expand my sailing time and give the boat more capability's I have decided to fit an outboard bracket!
I Know I Know I was hoping to sail everywhere with out an engine!!! I think for the start of this trip it is a good idea, it will help with mooring around expensive boats in stronger winds But..
So I cast off the lines and sculled out of my mooring smoothly as usual. I switched to rowing when in mid creek, then raised the jib when the wind permitted and sailed down wind till the next turn in creek. This put the wind on the bow and I had the jib lowered before the corner and was rowing again. It was a struggle to keep in the middle and I got blown over the short distance (15metre wide creek) onto the side of the mud bank where I went aground. This is not a problem as I always tow my dingy (I have assisted close to ten boats aground near this same spot and got most of them off) and I always have a couple of anchors ready!! But having an outboard engine now I decided to motor off. Engine in reverse I quickly got off the side of the bank before the engine clonked out. What engine problems already!!! GREAT.
So I continued to row out, struggling to keep the boat in the middle of the small creek. Constantly looking over my shoulder for the buoys and trying to work out the best position for optimum leverage with the oars. sculling is better for watching where you are going but I can't get as much power as rowing. Rowing facing forwards is also good, I use this for mooring, but also not as powerful. So almost out of the creek I rounded another slight turn and came into the expected stronger wind. Instantly Battling to keep the bow into the wind, as to present the lease amount of windage, in order to make it the 100 metres till i could start sailing. I knew that this would be a massive challenge to row this 100m in about 10knots gusting maybe 13 by myself. I was not making much headway but get pushed onto the lee side of the channel. It seamed like about 30mins of trying to keep off this mud bank, rowing then quickly trying the engine and hoping it wouldn't clonk out. If only the wind angle was a little more favourable or I could get to the opposite side of the channel I could sail out. Every time I tried the engine and It failed I was pushed very close to the bank. I gave up on the engine then.
Rowing it would be. But soon enough, the wind caught the bow and pushed me 180 around to face straight back at the bank I was trying to get off, and fast approaching it. I could have trying to row the boat backwards, but have not tried this yet. Or row back up the creek, but I was sure I would of ended up on the bank. With little time I quickly ran forward raised the jib ran back sheeted in and sailed narrowly off the lee mud bank, back around the corner, up the creek back safely into my mooring.
It was a good exciting trip, with a few lessons. Maneuvering in creeks to small to sail up, in stronger winds than I can row against, with a malfunctioning engine, may best be avoided single handed. Had I of had someone steering and helping row, we would of had no problems at all!
