A Good Colour

'No good Horse is a bad colour', they say

My little junk rigged Coromandel ‘Butterfly’ is a good and willing horse. Well sea-horse! (So the title isn‘t totally nuts)
After several weeks of nail-biting (shall I? shan't I?) the decision was made and Butterfly’s white sail went to my local sail-maker to be duplicated.
Now the word duplicated doesn’t do justice to the immaculate object that came home with the battens and the old white sail on Wednesday.
It spent a day laying in state in the front room still in its bag, as I doubted I could get it folded up neat enough to go back in.
Good sail-makers like mine make their bags big as owners never fold the sails as neat, but I still chickened.
So today, with light winds and a promise of sun without rain, I started to dress Butterfly. Some JR people lay the sail out on the floor, slide in the battens and lace them up, then take the complete bundle to the boat.
 I don’t!
If I did this at home I’d never be able to lift the bundle onto the van roof-rack. At the marina all floors are mucky!
So from 10:00 until around 13:00 I laced the bits together. “I thought those Junk Rigs were simple! Said a fellow boater. “They are” I said leaving  him a tad baffled.
 At last it was done and we went sailing in a gentle F3. Now all sailors will tell you when they have spent (far too much) money on a new sail, how much better their pride and joy sails.
Well it’s true! As for the colour? Well my wife chose it to match the cream deck and be in harmony with the yellow hull.
Never argue colour with an artist, they know best! Anyhow, no good boat is a bad colour and I like it.

Everything in it's place

Everything in it's place?

On a small boat, like my 21 foot Coromandel ‘Butterfly‘ everything from sleeping bags to screwdrivers and even chocolate biscuits, must have their own special place otherwise all is chaos!
I cannot stand up inside my boat. I am 6 feet tall and the headroom inside is 4 feet 6inches. So, I’m either sitting or lying down when below decks.
This is fine so long as things are put back in order. (and I remember where that is?)
Now, after several months of sailing and organising, things are mostly sorted.
Except for where to store me at night?
The quarter berth is 7 feet long and wide enough for sleep, but so useful to temporarily stow spare jackets, a boat hook, the seldom used solar panel, cushions, sleeping bag, rope and other not-in-their-place-yet items.
The double berth up foreword, bisected by the mast, must be too difficult to wriggle into I had thought.
Today, after three months prevarication, I made the attempt.
Now the combination of stiff knees and middle age spread (ok old age indulgence!) was not in my favour, but with a few grunts and the odd expletive I was in.
Such luxury!
The mast became a friendly thing to cuddle (insulated so not cold) which stopped me falling out. There was ample space for legs (not more than two) and I could turn in both directions and still have room to breath. After a few minuets contemplation of this treasure I had a little snooze.
Everything in it’s place.

A stich in time

A stitch in time is a good thing they say.
I cannot disagree, I wish that someone had done just that on the white junk sail.

'Butterfly,' my little Coromandel, has the original professionally made junk sail which must be at least 33 years old.
The sail has been patched more than once, but not recently.
Now several wooden battens have burst, or are threatening to burst through the sun-rotted cloth so something must be done.

Sewing damaged sails is not a new experience to me (most cruising sailors have done it) but this looks like darning spider webs!
Fortunately there is something called ‘Heavy duty sail repair tape’ which is now a must-have part of my JR kit.

The trick I discovered was to cut a finger-length piece of tape and curl it around my finger (sticky side out) then slide into the threadbare batten pocket and stick to the inside. Then another piece was stuck to the outside and Bob was my proverbial.
Sewing this newly extended pocket to the leach was a bit of a battle, even with proper needles and a sail-makers-palm, but it was done and the results were sound.

The temptation to go mad and get a new sail (which I cannot afford) grows day by day!

Here we go again!

Here we go again!

Last year I had a little junk rigged Corribee called 'Trivial Pursuit' but having two boats was too much so I sold her. The following Spring I sold her companion the Twister ‘Shandie‘.

Total panic, I had no boat!

Curing this terrible state of boat-less-ness was not a problem as I had spied ‘Butterfly’ in the Autumn over at James Watt Dock, just a few miles away. Offer made and accepted, boat dangled from a crane and tapped for faults (nothing vital) money paid and a 1984 Coromandel (sister design to the Corribee) was mine

‘Butterfly’ is the Junk Rig version of the Corribee, almost the same underwater but with a total redesign of the cockpit and cabin. For me the most important change is an increase in sitting headroom. (making tea is now a pleasure) She has a 5HP outboard set in a well, so no more hanging off the stern trying to start stubborn uncooperative lumps of engineering.
The Galley has a spirit hob and reasonable stowage.
Forward is an almost double berth (if you discount the mast!) and plenty of ventilation including a hatch. Aft there is a generous quarter-berth.
Wonder of wonders, there is even an enclosed toilet area with a door!
Every time I board ‘Butterfly’ I thank the brilliant designer for all this and room for a fifteen stone sailor.