Published by the Open Canoe Sailing Group

Ullswater (EddieP)

Well, Ullswater always surprises, and this year, it was rain and high winds for most of Friday and Saturday, and little wind on the Sunday! The whole meet was made bearable by, of course, the Sailing Club's premises, and the meal on the Saturday night. Friday's weather was quite awful - I arrived halfway through the afternoon, and got wet taking my boat off the van, and wet again putting a tent up. Halfway through the night, the wind rose, as forecast, and dawn saw white horses on the lake. I did not see any of the intrepid dinghy sailors out until 11.00 a.m., and the first of our group went out at midday. The wind was 4, gusting 6, we agreed.

One feature of the weekend was the very welcome sight of new members - sorry I can't recall everyone, but I was pleased to meet DaveM from central Scotland, and RobinC from NE Scotland.

I stirred myself at about 3.00 p.m., and had a nice, and fast sail, up to Pooley Bridge with Robin and Wally. Others went further, down the lake to Howtown, for tea.

Left
Renate's superb water colour of the sailing on Saturday morning with ominous clouds behind the hills

Right
Ullswater looking SSW to Howtown

Capsize Practice (RenateW)

It all went very well but there were a few glitches. First I set out and had to turn back immediately because Ann shouted from the shore waving my buoyancy aid. Then after a pleasant sail watching everybody else capsizing it was my turn. It fills me with great confidence that I had to actually stand on my outrigger and jump up and down on it to make it go down and capsize the boat. Three cheers to the clever designers. I used Steve's trick to right the boat with the aid of the painter wrapped round the thwart. Wrapping it round the thwart before capsizing was not as smart as I thought because that painter took some finding in the event. It would have been easier to grab it at the bows and wrap it round the thwart after capsizing.

Climbing in was quite easy except that my boots wanted to fall off. I should have tied the strings at their tops properly. Of course I was madly proud of myself having got back in reasonably well. But then I realised I had forgotten the bailer. Of all the things to forget on a capsize exercise! My boat was only one third full of water, so I could easily paddle home. I still regret not having tried harder to put the mast back in and sail home. Now I think I could have taken off the kicking strap and folded the boom up against the mast, wrapping the sail round both. Then there would have been less wind resistance to put the mast back in its place. Still, it was all good fun and worthwhile, if nothing else it was good for gaining confidence. I won't ever again forget my bailer and I will always secure my paddle so I will not have to chase it.

More About Canoe Portage (NigelC)

Here is an old solution to the portage problem that I spotted in Coventry's Transport Museum. The bike and boat both look as new but the really interesting part of the display was the two contemporary photographs showing a canoe being used as a sidecar for an adult and child. Would a

rapid application of the drum brakes forced them into a seal launch of the canoe?

The other shot shows a motorcycle with a competition number strung on and a stern official with armband and bowler hat. Were they entered in a trial? How intriguing!

Cruising Off Mozambique (Eles Karlsonn)

A copy of page 128 from the book "Cruising off Mozambique" (Oxford Univ. Press, 1969). The narrative is about a large, well protected bay area about 12x4 miles.

On the calm water solitary fishermen sat in diminutive canoes - about half a dozen with in our vision, on both sides of the bay. We were unable to understand how their tiny craft kept upright, until we passed one fairly close; we then discovered that this canoe, a seven foot long dugout just broad enough to allow a man to get his seat into it, had two bars lashed across it, with two small

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