Maintenance
Steve had been doing some research, talking with James and Jim, about how to fix the engine. He returned to Suffolk in the Freelander on 13 September, then drove down to join Peter at the Southampton Boat Show.
Read more “Laying up: engine repairs & new dinghy”
Sailing
Catch up with what we did on the OGA Summer Cruise, 2024. There are also two posts telling the whole story in words and pictures.
Read more “OGA Summer Cruise, 2024: the movie”
Sailing
The second part of the Summer Cruise involved a couple of days exploring Walton-on-the Naze followed by a night at Stone Point, the Pennyhole Bay Race and a couple of days in the River Orwell. Find out what we did in the first part of the week here.
Read more “OGA Summer Cruise, 2024: Walton to Woodbridge”
Sailing
Given our late start to the sailing season, it was good news that the Cruise started later this year. We met the Gaffers for a couple of days in the Deben and sailed down to Walton for gin-tasting at the Sailing Club.
Read more “OGA Summer Cruise, 2024: Woodbridge to Walton”
Sailing
Once back in her berth, it was time to bend on the sails and the sun had started to shine at last! With help from Rick, Steve got the mainsail on, checked out the reefing lines and we consulted the weather forecasts and tide tables.
Read more “Out of the Marina at last!”
Maintenance
Bev realised she’d forgotten to book a survey on receipt of the insurance renewal this month. A condition is for an out of the water survey every seven years – it really is that long since the launch in 2017!
Read more “Bowsprit and a survey”
Sail, oar & paddle
We decided to join the OGA Rally at Southwold Sailing Club at the end of June, 2024, taking ‘Cachalette’ and the kayak.
Read more “Southwold Rally and a lost outboard”
Maintenance
Once again, Steve was thwarted in getting as much done as he’d hoped, dodging showers and rainstorms forcing breaks in varnishing the spars. At last the storms have abated and the mast was re-stepped on 25 June, 2024.
Read more “Mast, spars and brightwork”
Sail, oar & paddle
As Steve was restoring ‘Cachalot’, he was already thinking about a tender, so why not build one with similarly elegant lines?
Read more “‘Cachalette’: aka ‘the little boat’”
Maintenance
After our extended winter roadtrip to Spain and Portugal in Spring 2024 Steve decided there was just about time to lift the mast out for some overdue maintenance before going sailing this season.
Read more “Time for some maintenance”
Maintenance
With Storm Babet threatening, we retreated home after Bev’s second birthday party and returned to finish the laying up at the end of October.
Read more “Laying up, October 2023”
Maintenance
Once the OGA60 celebrations were over in September 2023, Steve started work on the double bunk, allowing three full length berths in the main cabin.
Read more “An extra berth”
Sail, oar & paddle
With nine miles of river downstream and another three or four upstream, under Wilford Bridge, the River Deben provides great opportunities at most states of the tide.
Read more “A new sail for ‘Cachalette’”
Sailing
Once again, we were thwarted in attempts to take part in the whole East Coast Cruise!
Read more “OGA60: Jubilee Cruise”
Sailing
Ben had agreed to crew with us again for the Jubilee Race but we were quite anxious about the weather.
Read more “OGA60: Jubilee Race”
Sailing
On Friday morning, bright and early, BBC Radio Suffolk arrived to record the first of three interviews broadcast throughout the morning.
Read more “OGA60: Parade of Sail”
Sailing
The weather doesn’t look promising for the OGA60 Jubilee Party and we have no crew for the trip to Ipswich.
Read more “OGA60 Jubilee: arriving in Ipswich”
Maintenance
There’s always plenty of jobs to do aboard ‘Cachalot’ to make life on board that bit more comfortable as well as improvements to her sailing capabilities.
Read more “Some more fitting out . . .”
Sailing
‘Cachalot’ is 125 years old this year and we’ve invested in some crew kit: t-shirts and caps made by Nathan at ‘Quiller’ in Matlock Bath.
Read more “Suffolk Yacht Harbour Classics, 2023”
Maintenance
‘Cachalot’ didn’t come out last year, and there’s plenty of weed on her hull so we booked her out for a week at Larkman’s Boatyard, Melton.
Read more “Antifoul, painting and varnish”