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How to make a cupful of diesel go a long way! Posted by Thomas Kirby
I'm quoting my host of last Sunday, one John Kinsella who kindly invited me to assist him navigate his 27 foot Albin Vega masthead sloop from her home base in Dromineer to Mountshannon & back. As a guest I fully expected him to fire up the motor and drive us as the crow flies straight over there, but he had other ideas..... His very words were: 'I've only a cupful of diesel to last me until October', so we had to rely on that alternative method of propulsion, and I don't mean rowing! As soon as we had cleared the breakwater up went both sails, and as the force 4-5 was right on the nose we indulged in long tacks, beating into the strengthening wind, working our way upwind towards our goal. For a time we were accompanied by a 30-odd footer also beating, but every time we crossed his bow we were further ahead, which says something for Skipper Kinsella's sail trimming and his able first mate Linda's helming.......I was just holystoning the decks! Eventully our playmate gave up the chase and headed off down to Killaloe or Carrigaholt or wherever and we soldiered on with a reef in the main, arriving at Mountshannon in good time for a serious pub lunch which we were more than ready for. Our return to Dromineer was wind-assisted to say the least. Not far out we abandoned the mainsail and roared across the lake under Genoa (foresail) alone. We had force 6 starting, and by two-thirds the way across we were getting 30Kn windspeeds, which is a good force 7 in £ Sterling and making up to 7.3Kn over ground on the GPS. To keep things stable we kept the following wind on alternate quarters by altering our heading either side of the intended course, gybing the foresail to either side. This makes progress downwind more comfortable in a blow. To assist in the roll-furling of the foresail; before getting into Dromineer we turned briefly to windward and the ship's motion could be described as 'boistrous'. We motored in to her berth and had a welcome 'cuppa' and sticky bun, which was just what the Dr. ordered after a great day's sail. Mr. Kinsella succeeded in showing an ould salt like meself that there's plenty of excitement to be had under sail on the Shannon!....& he used only a drop or two of that cupful of diesel the whole day. Tom K.
Hi Tom, thanks for the kind words but you are too modest. You were on the helm at least half the time - your experience definitely showed. I think we all three enjoyed the day. Here's a photo (taken by Linda with your camera) of yourself after we arrived back in LDYC. (Tom is the good-looking chap on the left.) Of course I now have to get back to the serious business of converting Mobo Drivers (and Bargees) to the Path of Virtue.. :-) (Memo to self; check with PJN how the Sailing Course for Bargees is coming along.) All the best, John
Ah the oft heard words of the Ancient Mariners-----Sailing the purists form of water travel  . I suppose you still use the stars to guide you by and a sextant to find your location on the Shannon. I must admit the attraction of fighting the wind and current to get anywhere is not for me. My idea of relaxing on the water is turn a key move off in the direction I wish to go and use sat-nav and depth finders to get to where i'm going. Then again if the engine conks out (as happens) I can drop anchor and watch the Ancients sail by with nothing to worry them but the callouses on their hands.  MickIt takes all types to enjoy the water and I do have respect for the Tattered Sail brigade just dont think i'm up to it(seems too complicated).
I was in the British Merchant Navy when young and fit and at Gravesend Sea School we had to get a number of tickets before being allowed to pass out into the wide blue ocean. 1 of these was the Sailing ticket when we were taught the basic's(and i mean basics)of how to rig the sails on the life boats. Not as advanced as the tickets used by yachtsmen on our waterways but just enough to get us away from danger then to deploy the sea anchor to keep us in the general area of our last radio call. Think i'm a bit old now to try out sailing but I did understand about tacking and such but from what I gather you have to be able to sail in the dark or foggy conditions using charts and reading depths etc before being passed for your masters ticket. Think i'll stick with my 30hp(have a 4hp backup) and trolling L-Erne for pike and leave PJ in L-Derg hoping for following winds. Mick
Quote: Cheers Mick. (A sailor is as young as his yacht - mine is nearly 40! So never too late to give sailing a try if you want. ) Just curious, do lifeboats on big merchant vessels still have the capability to set sails? Maybe someone decided engines were a better idea? I ask cos the Scouts in Tinnerana Bay on Derg have, I think, a retired merchant lifeboat that (I think) is powered. John
The life boat in sea school didnt but that was back in '74 and it was to show us what to do if we needed to use one, also how to turn a life raft over if inflated upside down. When I was with BP the life boats were motorised but we only done a drill once weekly and all that entailed was going to our station and lowering them on the derricks so people could board at the deck not in the water. The engines as far as I remember were never started at these drills. Although we did use them in Puerto Rico and New York when we lay off shore at anchor to get ashore for sight seeing while waiting for our next cargo. Mick
Dermot, I was fascinated that you had a personal 'Yole' at Mountshannon. I saw these for the first time 10 years ago in the Mobihan estuary in France. They seem to be able to transport wetgear and a picnic as well as able to cope with mobo washes &c., and would exhibit much more versatility than any of the examples attached. 1/ shows 4 touring quads 60 feet down in the Upper chamber during the 'big drop' on our way to Limerick (I'm at bottom right in blue with my hands behind my head).. 2/ shows our 1904 Traditional Thames Double Skiff....a real Jerome K Jerome 'Three men in a boat' craft. That has of course no sliding seats, and two people can sit in the stern. 3/ shows TJK racing at Tullamore in a time trial for single sculls (which I've won Masters' class 3 times over the last dozen years)...Boasting as usual....looking for adulation &c &c. No picnic, that! Tom K. Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2012 20:54 by Thomas Kirby.
Tom, While I raced 4s and 8s with Neptune for 3 years up to 1970, I never reached your sculling proficiency. When a friend was emigrating to New Zealand, he drastically dropped the prices of the "Boys Toys" he had acquired over the years, and I became the proud owner of a Yole. Unfortunately some scumbag who broke into a lockup at Blessington Sailing Club stole my lovely lightweight oars as well as other items. The quote for new oars from the UK dealer was as much as I paid for the boat, so I got a guy in Cavan to make me a pair, and I further planed and sanded them down to make them as light as possible. They are still a bit heavy but they do me for early morning rows in Mountshannon  The yole can handle waves and wash, where a lightweight scull would not. Dermot.
Tom, I am in Kerry at the moment, but will be back in Dublin in a few weeks - or sooner if this weather keeps up  It would be great to get back to lightweight sculling again. I was going to contact Mick Desmond last year, but just got the wooden ones made instead. It would be great to find a lightweight pair of sculls. Mine were known as "Standard 265" Presumably 265 is the length. They had aluminium shafts and had what I would call "normal" size blades. If you hear of anything, I would be interested. Thanks, Dermot, Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum. Online UsersGuests within the past 30 minutes:
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on 08 December, 2012 |
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