I like Hammocks.

No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
On my way to meet them...

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Left the boat on the beach and found a good spot to do what I do best while the kids went paddling....

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I love this place....

Warm, quiet - except the kids, beautiful....

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No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
Things sort of went downhill during the night....

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The wind reached force 8.

This camera is fast enough to stop helicopter blades....

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The kids were really worried.

They found this buoy and tied it up in a tree to use as a swing....

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It was really cold and wet...

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Hadnt occurred to me that putting to sea in that might not be the best move I have ever made...

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No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
We tied the windsurf boards to the back of the boat, and set sail for home.....

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We only had a mile left to shore, but by then, we were clinging on to the hull, only one sail still up, and the hull full of water

The wife was waiting as the waves heaped up....

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The water was crashing over the sides and washing out again where the boat was swamped.....

They do tell you not to set sail in too much wind.

They never actually tell you what too much wind is....

Er.......

We found out.
 

No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
Lol....sorry Robbi, we all died at least twice, so we couldnt possibly tell you what happened next....

Lol Sanji, my hammock had a bit of a mishap yesterday....but thats a story for another day.....
 

No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
......I wasnt sure we could make the turn towards the slipway.

The boat wasnt sailing very well. Most of the power comes from the back main sail, and the wire that holds it up had snapped and dumped it into the cockpit - thats the dish shaped bit we sit in - or today, use as a paddling pool.

We had to stop just being blown downwind and start to go across it to get to the beach. I shoved the steering thing across and hoped.

On the bottom of the main big sail, there is a metal pole called the boom. Its that, because thats the noise you hear when it swings across the boat and smacks you in the head.

Luckily, I ducked.

Unluckily my little one didnt. I lunged after him and missed.

The steering stick, the tiller smacked me in the head and split my lip.

He went straight over the side.

Not often I end up praying.

He came up flailing and hit one of the windsurf boards. How he ended up on it, I dont know

I grabbed the tiller steering thing and yanked the boat round

The waves were getting bigger here as the water got shallower. It was about 7 or 8 ft deep plus waves.

The wind almost turned us over as we felll off a wave

As it came up, it sort of jumped forward and started moving again.

I just hung on

It wasnt much further

I looked back to where my little one was.....
 

No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
ok. ok....

... I looked back to where my little one was....

huge grin! He was enjoying himself!

bleedin kids!

Im shaking and terrified!

As you aproach the slipway, you have to keep to the right as there is a lump of rock just under the surface.

I made sure I had loads of space.

Until the wind blew harder.

Our boat has 4 big air tanks to keep it afloat - even if its full of water.

THey dont stop it tipping though.

It tipped enough that the rudder steering thing came completely out of the water

It was going to roll

I was trying to get a grip on my biggest, who had managed to tangle himself in the ropes

I didnt have a knife

The side went under, so did his head.

There was a huge crunch as we hit the rock and tore a hole through the hull.

The whole boat shuddered

The next wave picked us up and threw us over the rock into the water on the other side

The boat spun round and tipped the other way.

I was fighting to drag my kid up

I was losing

the next wave hit me in the face

I went over the side and hit the bottom with my face

I could feel my skin tearing.

the boat hit me

it pinned me under the water

I reached the stage where I didnt even care anymore.

No more struggling...

My little one dragged the boat off me

we were on the beach.

"Can we do that again?", he said.
 

No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
I wasnt even strong enough to hit him.

Wife arrived.

"You are late. Ive been waiting for ages!"

Took ages to stop choking out water.

It sort of burns your nose.

We dragged the boat out and got it on the trailer.

Biggest was grumpy because the last couple of pies got trodden on.

My little one took one look at the boat and said "His turn to fix it this time!"

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No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
All I wanted to do was go curl up.

Oh, thats after a shower. I stank.

Had to go to McDonalds first.

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It really takes something special to actually wear out my little one.
 

No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
Hi Robbi

Keel.

Thats that center thing isnt it?

See told you I was a brilliant boatist!

Thanks for the applause
 

No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
Just noticed Im now a Nomad.

I guess that must mean Ive posted 250 times

No - Mad.

I like that

Sounds like its saying Im not insane.

Oh well...

Bed time, then fixing the boat stuff.
 

No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
On reflection...

We did learn some stuff on this trip.

Its a Good Idea to look at the weather forecast before setting out.

Hammocks arnt waterproof, either when hung in a tree, or when in the bottom of the boat.

Sleeping bags wont insulate your back against heat loss - even if you are sleeping in it in your waterproofs

Er....a hat is probably a Good Idea in the hammock as well as in the boat. One with a string for when you go swimming

A first aid kid is a must, even if its a gentle weekend out. You never know when you will need to wrap up your bleeding nose. It dripped everywhere. It broke. Bandaging it with pvc tape wasnt very successful. The kids and wife didnt stop laughing for days. Miserable toads.

I suppose I should get a nose sling for my first aid kit too.

The tarp is the noisiest thing Ive ever tried to sleep under, and ive slept in some really strange places. It may be fine in a forest, but not next to a beach in that much wind. Need to rethink how its set up.

I thought those hanks of rope I hung inside the boat made it look good. They are now gone. Too easy to get tangled in them. Boats only got the rope it needs now, the spare is stored where it cant trap feet.

Need to seriously look at the windflow over the hammock. It chilled us so we ended up sleeping with our sleeping bags pulled over our faces, which I dont think is very good, especially after eating beans.

I decided that Im not going sailing if there are white streaks in the sea in future.

Cant help wondering it that litle pipe thing James Bond used to breathe underwater actually works and if i could get one.

It took nearly a week for me to stop coughing out the residue from the water I tried to breathe.

I also decided that Im a really good boatist as I made it back in one piece.
 
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ex-member Raikey

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 4, 2010
2,971
4
you are my favoritest boatist ever.

do you know Richard Branson?..he was supposedly a good boatist too,..

Please tell me the Idea's dont plan moving onto hot air balloons at some point...
 

No Idea

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 18, 2010
2,420
0
Dorset
Hi Raikey

Thank you!

Richard Branson? Nope. Does he sell pickle?

Funny you should mention ballooning....

Little Idea has decided he wants to make a flying bucket so he can use it to get to school......

I wasnt quite brave enough to ask for details.

Hmmmm....

Perhaps Id better go check see what he was hammering in his bedroom at 4am this morning.
( I know it was 4am because the neighbour told him so. Luckily my kid has good manners and stopped hammering long enough to shout "Thank you Mr Neighbour" back)
 

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