My first single handed sail in Valmik

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!

sailing under new rig

                                     WELL THE NEW RIG FITS VERY WELL!!
                                          I'm  so happy to be at this stage now!!

Ive taken Valmik out now twice, both times staying out over night and doing a couple hours sailing all days. She sails so beautifully and the rig and sails are a joy. Rowing and sculling a 2 ton long keeled boat is hard work! I am going backwards in any wind over 10 knots. Although this is only done in a small creek where tacking is not possible. All of the close maneuvering in and out of the pontoon is going really well with the oars! But this has all been done in favorable conditions so far.

          

              So to date, I've nearly finished restoring a 26ft 1961 Nordic Folkboat.
              Making my own set of sails and splicing my own rig.

              I now need loads of electric equipment as well as safety gear and lots more,
              Yes this is all very expensive, Yes I am also nearly broke and in dept!!!
              So I guess a job is in order.

              My face book page has been updated with loats more photos click on the face book albums link


              

Splicing my standing rigging

                                                        Splicing wire is difficult!

I spent the first two weeks of April trying to get my improvised rigging vise working efficiently, as well as waiting for materials and practicing the 7x7 eye splice. I did 10 splices in 5mm  and 5 splices in 8mm all 7x7 construction with galvanised wire. It was quite easy to pick up with a little study, and much easier once I had made up the right tools, and I was producing very tidy looking splices by the end of the two weeks. I took some to get tested and they broke at just under the wires breaking strain, proving my work!!

A very welcomed visitor

Practise done, I got my measurements, cut the wire to length, and begun renewing my whole rig. I had 12 splices to do in 5mm and 6 in 8mm, and decided to do over sized eye splices. This way I can repair any damage to the thimble or service. I did it all in the traditional method, worming, parcelling and serving the wire to protect it from corrosion.

Costs,
Wire £170.   Bronze bottle screws, £500.   Tape,twine,tar,lanolin £100.
Time,
2 weeks prep/practice.  2 weeks renewing rig.
So it is worth it cost wise, but not time wise.
But I have learnt a new skill.

                                                    So lets hope it all fits tomorrow :-)

snug and homely

Well I've been back now for about six weeks and I'm glad I came back a month earlier than first planed. It got down to 0 degrees for a few nights but inside the cabin stayed at about 5 degrees with no heating, and much warmer under the covers. I have now owned Valimk for just over 4 years and have only recently built a proper bunk. This means that I now don't have to assemble and dismantle temporary supports every morning and evening for my bunk. I have also built my Hanging locker (for wet clothes) right beside the main hatch, to limit the amount of water in the cabin. I built a nice sturdy nav table (out of Thick plywood that was being giving away, score) I will be cutting and sinking a bucket into the corner for a sink with a covering top. Nav table/sink, I know it sounds like a messy nav table but, my navigation is messy and so is my cooking, so these two should cancel each other out and make for a smooth clean operation.. right?? well I'll work it out, whats the worst that could happen.. hmmm? I have also built a v berth up front, for crew and storage underneath, with a chain locker also underneath that should fit about 30m of chain and 100m of warp.

I am approaching nearly 2 years full time work on Valmik and she is starting to look very lovely inside. Everything is painted or varnished to an okay standard. I don't care much, for wasting too much time trying to get a perfect paint finish, I can improve on this later at my own leisure. I'm looking forward to replying to people that bring this topic up. I want to go sailing not spend a life time thinking about it!! So I've halted work on the fit out. I will improve as I go when necessary. I still have a big list of things I will do at some time when I've plenty of time.





Funds have hit low again (it didn't take long I know) but I did fork out a bit extra for a really lovely paraffin cooker. I went all over the northern coast of Kent looking for work at docks and marine related businesses. I got a few maybes but nothing solid. So I have decided to replace my whole rig, hand splicing galvanised wire. I tried getting work with some riggers but they had nothing, they very rarely splice wire rope anymore. So I'll have to teach myself again, I've got the book for it and it looks okay so I've ordered the materials. I'm thinking it should take me 3 weeks to have it all done max 4, so it all wire splicing for April.. :-)

"life is too short to splice wire rope"  -Bernard Moitessier,   Circumnavigator and author.

I disagree! I'm looking forward to it, also time is what I do have lots of money is what I don't have.

Why Galvanised??? well for a few reasons, apart from a little stronger and cheaper, If properly looked after it will outlast stainless, and I really like the idea of  parcelling and serving , it will look more traditional and add to my skills , win win in my book.

After that I will definitely need a job to afford some 12 volt electric equipment as well as safety gear and loads of other stuff I will need for the trip. And I will not be able to be as picky. A few months work should cover the essentials (or a donation of over £4000 or a sponsor) and I can order everything and install at nights and on weekends. So that should be all done by end June, but we shall see on that one. I will still have a big wish list of equipment, which will get added to as I get some more funds!

My plan has definitely not changed, I still intend to sail my 25ft folk boat Valmik back to Australia via Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Extensively cruising the coasts of many countries and having no time limit.

Feel free to comment if you like but you do have to be a member.

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I have added some new pics, of the inside of the cabin, to my public face book page. You don't have to have a face book account to see this, but if you do please LIKE the page while you are there, thanks.

Well that's pretty much it for now.

Update

Well I will be returning very soon to my boat, having spent about five months in AUS.  I have my UK visa for five years this time so that is a massive relief!!!  I am sooo excited about this stage of the restoration because Valmik is almost finished. I Predict about three months max, of work left before she is ready to go cruising and for me to start "learning the ropes" as I sail Valmik around and about the UK.
Work left to do...
Build a bunk, attach cooker, put a sink in, storage and hanging locker, nav table..
All electrics need doing!! I will start studying my 12volt bible very soon. In between Nav study.
A new rig! I hope to splice my own wire, with a riggers supervision. We shall see
Then the fun part  :-) SAILING :-)
You will have to watch this to find out where...

She sails

 Yes this is Valmik finally sailing with full main and Genoa. It felt sooo amazing to finally have Valmik sailing after all this time. It was such a joy. This pic above was the third time that I,ve taken her out, the other two times were with  jib only.

We were rowing and sculling against the tide with a slight head wind here, it was hard but enjoyable. We could probably do this for a few hours, but with more wind or tide we would be going backwards. I have no engine and  am not to keen on getting one. I love the space where the engine was.

Well my plans have all changed once again, I have learnt that these sorts of things should not be rushed, especially since my life will be depending on this little boat.

Most of the big jobs took as long as I thought they would to do. It is all of those little ones that you don't think of, or that take a little longer longer than you thought, which draw the whole process out. But the planks have "taken up" nicely, there is still a little water coming in but not a lot. I still need to do a little bit of a refit and some work on the rig.

But am returning home for six months to see friends and family, do a bit of yacht cruising related study, party a bit and relax.

finally in the water

I bought Valmik in march 08! The old owner was trying to give the boat away, but no one would take her! I had wanted to learn how to sail for some time, here was a old wooden boat that the yard would be burning if no one took her, this was my chance. The local shipwright convinced me that sailing a little boat like this home would be the trip of a life time. He also volunteered his tutoring and mirror dingy for practise.

The restoration has taken way longer than expected and is still not finished. Out of the three years and two months of owning her, one year and three months have been spent full time on  the reconstruction and one month making the sails for her. My whole life, since buying this folkboat, has be devoted to this cause!

And now she is finally in the water where she belongs. Valmik has been out of the water for over seven years. The planks were mostly in good condition for a 50 year old boat. But the heat was really starting to open them up. It is so good to finally have her in the water :-)

When she was lowered in I quickly jumped on to check how much water would be coming in, (An old wooden clinker built boat, that has been out of the water for a while, will need to soak for a few weeks before the planks take up and all of the leaks will stop) I was expecting lots but was still shocked to see water coming in everywhere along every plank and filling up quite quickly. So I did the best thing I could think of" go for a swim IN my boat".