It was a grey day with light winds but there was a buzz of excitement all round as crews prepared for their first venture of the season.

The usual mad dash to the marina before the lock gates closed 1 ½ hours after high water.

We were made very welcome by Dick from the marina office; ten boats made it in time: Rice Pudding VIII, Weasel II, Denial, Moonshine, Wild Child III, Sea Dancer, Hydeaway, Yassou, Ali-M and Micro.

For Rice Pudding VIII, Weasel II, Denial, Moonshine, Wild Child III, Sea Dancer and Hydeaway it was their first outing with their new owners. 3

One of the first boats to arrive was Moonshine. Photographer Jennifer Johnson was crew on this boat,with Peter, Adrian, Jeff and Lynda (who appeareed later by land). The picture opposite is Jeff Pebbles, Rear-Commodore Facilities, posing for his new web site picture. photo by Jennifer Johnson

 

One of the next boats to arrive was Denial, crewed by Christine, well up front as usual, and Alan (Captain Panic). Alan’s first cruise with his newly fitted saildrive, well it’s been in for some time but not used much. photo by Jennifer Johnson

 

Weasel II arriving crewed by Dennis and Patrick. The tide already ebbing fast. Patrick was all keyed up and excited. Why? photo by Jennifer Johnson

 

Inside the dock Dennis is easing Weasel, fenders out, up to the pontoons with Patrick, in dynamic pose, sorting out the bow mooring warps. photo by Jennifer Johnson

 

Norman’s Flying Machine, Rice Pudding VIII, approaching the pontoons, for the first time under her new skipper. Rice Pudding had sailed all the way from Basil Point. photo by Jennifer Johnson

 

Rice Pudding nearly there, how did all those crew fit on the boat? Dave ZaZa, David Aeolus, Norman and Malcolm Kittiwake. Dave didn’t stay long, he cycled back to Glasson on his folding bicycle! photo by Jennifer Johnson

Yassou, crewed by Danny and Eileen Leahy followed by Micro, crewed by John and Jack Broadhead, arriving. You can tell by all the gear that it wasn’t very warm! photo by Jennifer Johnson

Micro preparing to throw mooring lines. photo by Jennifer Johnson

 

Jim Cruise bringing Sea Dancer alongside. This is Jim’s new Hunter Horizon 23. photo by Jennifer Johnson

Sea Dancer safely alongside, Moonshine’s crew, Peter, Jeff and Adrian assisting. The other crew from Moonshine is taking the photograph. photo by Jennifer Johnson

Sadly David Wild Child lost his hand held VHF overboard.

A lot of fine tuning was found to be necessary, which is only to be expected on a shakedown cruise, rigging was tweaked, various degrees of spring cleaning undertaken and all the usual adjustments and paraphernalia of the first cruise. Peter Moonshine was hauled up Rice Pudding’s mast to install a new aerial. Jeff Walker was marched ashore and ordered to buy a new pair of trousers by Linda so that he would be properly attired to dine in his Fish and Chip shop on Lord Street.

Patrick, formerly of Risky B, who had sailed over in Weasel, had taken possession of his new boat, a Sabre 27 to be relaunched as Twang (something to do with playing a guitar?).

He was giving conducted tours of his new boat and getting the feel of it out in the dock.

Mid-afternoon naps were taken, remember it had been an early start, and The Glasson Sailing Club tradition of making ‘brews’ was well and truly under way.

In the evening drinks were taken in the British Legion. Dennis Weasel took to the dance floor with Christine Denial, formerly Joanna.

 

Cinnabar, Patrick’s new boat a Sabre 27. Here Patrick, Big John, Malcolm and Jack can be seen trying it out. this was Patrick’s first sail in it. photo by Jennifer Johnson

 

Patrick looking less than happy? Jeff’s obviously spotted something worth looking at. Who’s hidden behind the boom? Big John Micro photo by Jennifer Johnson

 

Computer aided renaming. when Patrick’s boat is re-launched it will be named Twang. Patrick plans to sail off into the sunset later this year after he has got Twang shipshape. photo by Jennifer Johnson

The return was a hard dash back to Glasson on Sunday. It was a grey cold day with a NE force 2-3, all boats making it back in time to get into the ‘dock’, those that had to that is, Moonshine, and Micro had more time to get to their moorings in the river.

Denial, Wild Child and Yassou were recovered there and then, Rice Pudding, Twang and PennyForum were recovered on Wednesday, Weasel staying on the old jetty preparing for a sail to Piel on the following weekend.

Attola and PennyForum had preferrred to spend the weekend at Piel, Atolla only just making it back into the dock before the gate closed.

Attola, Sea Dancer and Hydeaway are berthed in Glasson Yacht Harbour.

Norman Whewell, Commodore - 2000 04 03