A fast trip to de Kreupel

Sep 16th, 2020

Andijk - de Kreupel - Andijk 11.8nm, NNE 4-5Bft, 1.5-2m

I've used the chance to go to the boat once more to try to solve the diesel problem I've noticed on the list couple of trips, since I've changed the fuel filter. The problem was actually very easy/fast to diagnose by running the engine for a couple of minutes and simply noticing what happens. The fuel lines were all dry, but there was a lot of diesel on the fuel filter mounted on the engine. It turns out both screws on the fuel filter and the screw on the fuel line leading from the fuel filter to the main block were leaking. Fortunately I was able to find a couple of gasket/washers at the Andijk Yacht Service shop nearby (for free!), at least for the to screws on the fuel filter, which solved 90% of the leakage.

Since the wind was blowing so nicely (17-20kn from east of N), I decided to take the boat for a ride. Getting out of the box was a pain- in spite of the NE wind, the aft or the boat turned to NE when coming out of the box, so I had to sail backwards all the way. Since steering backwards is such a pain, in spite of two rudders, I had to put the boat multiple times into fwd, straighten it up and put it in reverse again. There is a gap between the two pontoons, where I've tried to reverse the boat with no success - I've almost hit a pole, so I continued backing up all the way to the big open space in front of the gas station, where I've finally managed to turn the boat around.

Once on the IJsselmeer, I've set up the jib and the main with two riffs in it and experimented a lot of heave to positions. I've noticed that when the jib sheet is a little loose, the boat points higher in the wind. One mistake that I've done is to always keep the main tightly sheeted in - afterwards I read that easing it a bit stops forward reaching. 

The boat beat into the wind will the way to de Kreupel (what a difference in speed/time compared to last time!!!), I've tacked a couple of times to get as close to the island as possible, and then returned on a broad reach back to Andijk. There were quite steep waves, I had to change course a couple of times to get them on the right angle.

In front of the port entrance I've heaved to again, put the main down and noticed that I got quite close to the shore meanwhile. So I motored away from it, and took down the jib in the process. 

Getting in the box was a shameful experience - I've steered into it to late, and the wind blew the bow towards the next box. I've managed to get the line from the lee pole , while the whole boat turned 90° into the wind, touching the next pole. Thankfully the other boat(s) weren't protruding, so I didn't touch them except for a light anchor kiss. I managed to pull the boat into the wind up until I could reach the windward pole, and I continued pulling on the line in that one. Boat touched quite a lot of the pole, and the neighbor boat, but I hope/think it was only dirt I got from them. Anyways, it was quite an extreme experience - the first time when the wind was blowing from Northeast, through the open harbor and at full force. Lesson learned: steer the boat much earlier into the box, aim for the neighbouring windward box and try to keep the boat at an angle - the aft part will be blown by the wind anyways, while I'm tying up the windward line.

The good news is that after mooring was complete, there was absolutely no diesel in the bilge and only a minimal amount on the motor block.

Total: 1586nm, 198nm single-handed

A slow trip to de Kreupel

20200910 - Bft 1-2, Sea 0m, 6.3nm

We started off with a car trip from the current camping place Corfwater to Andijk, with the whole family. Since we had Eric (5mo) with us, I chose a day with an especially settled wind forecast. Around 12, we set sail on a mirror-like lake, with no special direction. It was a question of if the wind will pick up at all - it was extremely windstill, in spite of the current wind forecast of 2-3Bft. When we started to have a light breeze, I was very confused on where the breeze is coming from, and it took a while to realize the wind-kicker wasn't working properly, at least on some wind directions. It was coming from NE, even if the forecast was from NW. We set course to de Kreupel in a close reach, but we had to hand steer the whole way since the previous repair I did on Susie didn't hold. It took us a couple of hrs to come in sight and reach of the island. Dan got bored quite soon after, so we've sent him to the V-berth to set up his matchbox car paradise. This kept him busy for the best part of an hour, after which he started complaining that his tummy is hurting, then head, and we soon thereafter realized he got seasick for the first time of his life. So we arranged a temporary pillow bed in the cockpit and he slept it off. Eric was the whole time in the cockpit as well, in the basket of his stroller. Once we got close enough to the island, we hove to for a cup of tea and then started in the reciprocal course back to Andijk, this time on a beam reach. Eric started complaining - probably his tummy or his teeth - while Dan played the whole time with the pillows in the cockpit, forming all sorts of buildings out of them. In front of the harbour entrance we hove to again, out the sails down, and Dan motored us all the way to the entrance by bearing the middle windmill from the three. No problem mooring, but I discovered -again- a lot of diesel in the bilge. This becomes a real pain. 

All in all a real enjoyable experience and a nice day out sailing with the fam. Not sure how it'd look like with a real 3Bft or higher, tho..

Total: 1574nm, 182nm single-handed

A nice ride to Urk and an adventurous one back

Aug 1st, 2020: Andijk-Urk: 29.3nm, 9hrs, 3-4Bft W/NW, 0.5-1m sea, single-handed
https://boating.page.link/daTJodNLrv6usqHi9

Aug 2nd, 2020: Urk-Andijk: 30.6nm, 8:15hrs, 4-5Bft W/NW, 1-2m sea, single-handed 

https://boating.page.link/GyWcTVDcDRCYEWWw5

On July 31st, I've went shopping for a 10kg Rocna anchor, 50m of 6mm chain and 40m of 12mm lead anchor line, to improve on the existing 2 folding grapnel anchors with around 7m of rode each. One of the grapnel anchors also has 2-3m of 8/10mm heavy chain. I've tried to store the whole setup in the aft cocking locker, but the anchor is simply HUGE, so I'll have to improve on that. The initial idea was to launch the anchor aft and then drag it to the front - but more on that later.

Andijk -de Kreupel-Andijk

July 24th, 2020 - 9.7nm, 2h41m, Bft. 3-4 W/NW, Sea 0.5-1m

It's hard to get out of the new box with W/NW winds (from aft) - it's the first time I really notice backing with the Vega is really random, the steering doesn't do anything. As I once heard the guy from Sailing Uma saying, you have to be patient over all the time when the boat is random, before it starts doing what you want. As a result, I crashed into the post of my own box when trying to forward and "turn on the spot", and I broke the green/stb nav light. Thankfully it's only this. Other than tht, I had a nice sail to de Kreupel and back, without circumnavigating it. Getting back in the box was harder than usual, because I didn't slow the boat enough.

Andijk - de Kreupel - Andijk

 July 23rd, 2020 - 13.8nm, Bft 3-5SW, Sea: 0.5m

Feierabend-sailing. Left harbor with a lot of small problems: forgot to untie both aft lines, etc :) Setting the sails not a problem, then took course 42° targeting the W-corner of de Kreupel, with wind dead-aft. Wind was blowing around Bft 5 and I could fly wing-on-wing all the way to de Kreupel. Unfortunately, after rounding the island on the lee side, I got the wind right on the nose. I fought it for some time, but eventually I started the engine and motored home. It was the first time I've ran the engine for more than 1hr. I've even folded the jib and stowed it away, and put on the main cover on the way back. Easiest job back in the harbor - ever :)

Trip to Texel and back

 Andijk - den Oever - Oudeschild(Texel) - den Oever - Andijk

Andijk - den Oever (July 18th, 2020)

1-3Bft SW, 4h14m, Sea 0m

I've started the weekend on Sat July 18th with shopping and boat improvement projects: new 74Ah battery, double-swivels for bringing halyards to the cockpit and triple-swivel for bringing the reef-lines to the cockpit. Unfortunately the black reef-line (3rd reef) is too short, I'll have to replace it.

I left Andijk around 3:30pm and had a wonderful sailing weather all the way to den Oever. I could even read on the way, simply perfect! I reached den Oever around 7pm, too late to go through an unknown lock and spend the night on the North Sea. So I decided to spend the night in den Oever. I've entered in the marina after a Marieholm 26, they wanted to take a berth quite at the entrance - and a huge one. By the time I got in the harbor, the harbormaster was already there telling them to go to another box, and he also guided me to a suitable-sized berth. I got some help with mooring (single-handed flag does wonders!), after which I've helped another boat to berth right next to me. It turns out they were there just for the evening, got a grab to eat and then left again. Price for the night was around 12€.

den Oever - Oudeschild(Texel) - den Oever - Andijk (July 19th, 2020)

3-5Bft W/NW, 12.7nm to Oudeschild + 27.2nm back to Andijk, Sea 0,5-2m

Started my morning in den Oever marina watching how a guy wanted to get out of the box, got a line in the propeller (his daughter couldn't save it on time). He was able to get in his wet suit in 5min, took a dive, and was out of the box in 15-20mins, so really agile. I left the marina at 8am and met the same guy and his daughter in the waiting area in front of the den Oever lock, waiting to get inside. We simply moved back and forth up until the lock opened (didn't have to wait more than 20mins). In the lock I was able to 

Lids for the cockpit lockers

As part of the winter projects, I've decided to replace the cockpit lockers lids - the old ones look deplorable:

Hull restoration

I've started the hull restoration by scraping the whole hull with the ProScraper. I don't know how many layers of paint are there, but the last one(s) is very hard to scrape off and sort of "slippery" for the blade - I suspect some sort of epoxy-based paint directly on the gelcoat. So I will leave it on for now and try to get it off by sanding.

The process of scraping took almost 3 mornings, and I've managed to do it with a single blade.