Log Entry 10th March 2008

Lara has sat patiently for more than a fortnight now, waiting for us to take her out for an inaugural sail. Unfortunately the weather has not been kind over the last two weekends due to blustery 25 to 30 knot south-easterly winds, not ideal for us as inexperienced sailors on an unfamiliar boat. However Saturday the 8th March seemed promising with a 10–15 knot south-easterly tending to 15–20 knots later in the day. Arriving at the marina around 9:00am we loaded Lara with food, water and other odds and ends after which I finalised the transfer of the berth into our name and had her launched.

Moored to the pier we removed the sail covers, familiarised ourselves with the rigging and prepped and started the outboard, (a reliable 8 hp 4 stroke Mercury). It was then we experienced crises number one. Lara’s large rudder, permanently mounted through the cockpit floor just aft of the shoal keel doesn’t “bite” and provide steerage until there is reasonable forward movement. Moored on the port side with a strong SE wind blowing across our starboard bow, Lara would not initially move away from the pier, turned to port instead of starboard when she finally did move and ended up perpendicular to her starting point facing a cul-de-sac bounded by moored boats. Feeling like an idiot and expecting to look up and see a couple of hundred boaties gleefully enjoying our predicament, we were rescued by the marina hands who sympathetically commented that a SE can make casting off difficult.

With a helpful push of the bow, we finally made it into the harbour channel and motored at a gentle 2-3 knots to the beacons at the harbour entrance. Motoring well clear of the entrance we turned Lara into the wind to raise the sails. Crises number two! Whilst I was attempting to raise the mainsail Helena pointed out that the lower mainsheet block had unmounted itself from the traveller. Returning to the cockpit it was clear a retaining shaft had worked free due to a missing split pin. After reattaching the block and inserting the locking pin I returned to the mast only to find the mainsheet halyard had wrapped itself around the shroud spreaders. Ten minutes of juggling, swinging and swearing finally saw it free and with the main up Lara took off on a starboard reach towards Green Island.

Given the strength of the wind, we decided against raising the jib, particularly as nearly every other yacht we saw had either a main or a jib or a reefed combination of the two. Approaching the lee side of Green Island we decided to turn north to take look at St Helena Island, where the ruins of the former penal settlement are still plainly visible. With Lara now running, the apparent wind speed dropped substantially as we gently rocked and rolled towards the southern end of St Helena.

Of course there is always a price to be paid for an easy sailing leg, as we were to find out. After passing the long jetty and admiring the ruins from a leisurely distance we decided to head back. Rather than gybing I thought it safer to go about to reverse our track, which is when of course we experienced crises number three! Lara would not turn through the wind, each time stalling as we came about. After three or four attempts I decided that the boat probably doesn’t tack well without the jib, so I coaxed her around using the outboard.

Returning south proved to be quite uncomfortable as we were now beating into a wind blown chop, particularly as we crossed the passage between St Helena and Green Islands. We could see rain from several showers crossing the open bay towards us however we were spared a drenching from these, having only to contend with a sray as it whipped over the bow. Helena had the helm for almost the entire trip back and did a very good job of keeping us on course. Yolande, Johanna and Freya sat below deck, as the combination of wind and spray showering the cockpit was actually quite cold. The jib we had left flapping in the pulpit threatened to blow overboard so I bagged it, crawling on my hands to and from the bow, not particularly graceful but certainly safer than walking without a harness.

Approaching the lee side of Green Island from the north we decided that we weren’t travelling quite quickly enough and so I again started the outboard, which we used to gently push us along at a more constant 2-3 knots. Entering the outer beacons we dropped the main (after struggling with the halyard which I had mistakenly cleated in such a fashion it took me a good five minutes to release) and continued to cruise in using the motor. By this time a lot of skiffs were leaving the harbour with their crews out on a trapezes, one passed us on the port side and I watched with some amusement as it recovered from a near capsize by way of some impressive gymnastics by the crew.

Motoring back thought he harbour proved uneventful, as did our jetty approach and mooring. The marina staff were most helpful in retrieving and berthing Lara after which we flushed the outboard tidied the boat and had coffee in the marina café before heading home, (satisfied but very tired)!

What did we learn? Check the running rigging thoroughly before a departure. Decide to steer the boat under power using the outboard or ship’s rudder but not both, learn to tie off sheets and halyards properly. Overall though, I am very happy with the way Lara handles, at no time did I feel that we were in danger. The boat felt solid and sure when we were sailing her and heeling was gentle and I suspect predicable when we are more experienced.

Can’t wait till our next trip.