January P B O Camelot

[Fred]

Great read page 86 well done

[Camelot]

Yes my article about sailing Camelot home from Bangor has been published this month in Practical Boat Owner.

The article was edited and shorted by about a third, probably due to my habit of waffling! Anyway a couple of bit were left out, most importantly my thanks to Martin who took almost all the photos that they used. As a result he didn't even get his face in the magazine (neither did Allan, but that's more to do with him not being photogenic!). Also edited out was my thanks to Allan, Martin, Vince and Uncle Steve for their help and companionship, and to the Wives and girlfriends for the baked goods sent along.

Their was one other ommission worthy of note I feel, about our initial trial sail in Bangor the day before leaving, my original draft read:-

We had a little less than two hours to get used to Camelot, so Uncle Steve, Allan and I ventured out accross the Bangor Flats, keeping an eagle eye on the fishfinder as the depth slowly increased. We set the sails in the deeper waters of the main Menai Strait channel and practised a few tacks. Before long it was time to put the sails away and motor back accross the Bangor Flats. Luckily the depth read as more or less the same as our outbound trip. As we approached the harbour the depth suddenly increased to 30m+! That couldn't be right?? Time for some hurried button pressing, and the sudden realisation that the display had be flashing 'Sim' the whole time we'd been out. The whole time the fishfinder we'd placed so much trust in had been in simulation mode!We'd even been discussing how we reckoned we were over certain features we'd seen earlier in the day around the dried out bay, as the display had fluttered up and down!
Once inside the harbour I decided to get a solid depth reading using a measuring tape to measure to wetted length of the kedge anchor warp after it was given a dip. Some quick tidal calculations to confirmed we could use the Bangor harbour wall to dry out. I worked out that we would float with 25 minutes to go before our departure, which seemed acceptable as the depth would be increasing all the way across the Flats. This avoided having to row the dinghy across the Bangor Flats, without the discarded outboard....

[ishtar]

I have the magazine, too. Well done Huw. I'm not at all bothered about the acknowledgement. I notice they used my dolphin video on the main site, but not my 'video diary' of the trip. I wonder why.....?

It was a great trip. I think we'll all remember that for a long time. I'll never forget Vince's face when he tried his first pot noodle.

Oh, and Huw, when you said it wasn't as cold as you had expected. I thought it was I was freezing, especially the night crossing of Cardigan bay. It is a very cold boat.

[Camelot]

I don't think the video diary was on the disk you sent, or maybe they would have used it!!! I think you should re-post it here.

[ishtar]

;D

[Viv]

Still as handsome as ever ?
Canot open Video just as well i suppose ha ha

[Camelot]

Video opened for me, very funny. Cue more cold boat gags though!

[spidercrab]

Congratulations Huw. That was a really well written account of your trip and an interesting and inspiring story. Great photos as well and the video is priceless.

[Matt]

Priceless :-)