May 20th Sunday Sail

Sunday morning and the forecast was for light North Easterlies with a 2.5ft swell, dropping away. After the poor weather that we've suffered in Dunbar over the last two months I grabbed the chance for a sail.

Six Dunbar yachts had headed for Anstruther on Saturday. Unfortunately I couldn't make the cruise due to other commitments but I was able to head out for to meet them on the way back. 

The harbour looking very empty and very calm.

Leaving Dunbar. It's an 'interesting' entrance to a harbour.

The Heron settled into a steady 3-4knts. After a couple of miles things got surreal when I spotted something in the water. I made a point of treating it as a 'man overboard' and managed to sail on to a bundle of balloons.

I picked them up on the lee side which isn't strictly correct but I was quite chuffed at managing to get them in the tide, wind and drift. No idea where they came from.

About five or six miles out I met with the Dunbar boats coming back. The heron tacked around and as usual everyone caught up with me and soon started to pass. The Ambition is fair fleeing along in the next pic although the lack of foresail and the outboard in the water is a bit of a giveaway. Stuart is grinning, Alan and Scott were asleep on board.

As the wind strengthened I powered it up a bit and got the Heron to lift her skirts.

Not the most efficient way to sail but its a lot of fun. 

I tried to get the toe rails in the water. I've done it before but an Alacrity is not really designed for this sort of sailing. If I played with the back stays to adjust the weather helm...hmm?

I was out for around three hours and enjoyed the space. When I motored back into the harbour I spotted a Fulmar hanging from one wing by a tangled fishing line. I couldn't take the Heron in close enough so after tying up I went back out in my dinghy with a knife taped to a boat hook. I managed to grab the poor bird, got my hands pecked, and cut away the line. The Fulmar was not particularly grateful but I got a wee cheer from the collected tourists at the harbour entrance. I enjoyed the sail but saving the Fulmar meant a lot more. I used to get that sort of satisfaction from my work..