Joe Bainbridge Sailing

Following the refit and subsequent voyages of “Tarka”, a 1977 Jeremy Rogers Contessa 26.

Showing off Tarka’s solid glass construction.

Blog

  • This is it!

    At last! Tarka and I are ready to take to sea. The mast went up last Thursday, and earlier this week with guidance I managed to fit and tune the rigging myself.

    We then had a few days to, among other things, go sailing! To get familiar with how she handles, how to move around her in a seaway, reefing procedures and using the windvane. We had a great time!

    It was absolutely sublime getting to sail for the first time after all this, and I can’t wait to get out into some more open water!

    I’ve also been up the mast for the first time, fixing the dodgy vhf connection I had, as well as reinforcing the spreaders.

    We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning Fri 10th July at 0630 from Portland. I’ve chosen to take a clockwise route around the uk instead of the previously planned anticlockwise, as a great weather window of easterlies is forecast for the next week. The plan is to get out of The Channel, South of the Scillies and make for Rockall, a tiny uninhabited islet in the North Atlantic. Then I’ll take a right and head for the North end of Shetland before coming back down the North Sea and English Channel back to Portland. Roughly 2000nm.

    Although the plan is not to stop, I know there are plenty of places to take refuge if the conditions require it, if I require it, or if the boat needs outside support to fix issues.

    In terms of provisions to take me round safely and securely I have:

    • 28 days of dehydrated food, and a smaller supply of fresh and tinned stuff for the beginning and end of the passage.
    • 160L of water.
    • Comprehensive medical kit
    • Life raft, grab bag, Epirb, life jackets (+plb)

    Getting Tarka ready has been incredibly physically and mentally demanding, especially these last struggles. I’m so looking forward to the intensity and stresses of the past few months drifting into the past as we make our way out into the big blue.

    Use this link to track my progress!

    https://my.yb.tl/JoeBainbridgesailing/map-only/

  • The trials continue

    The trials continue

    Unfortunately I am still experiencing delays with the rig. I had hoped to be sailing by this stage, getting used to the boat and preparing for the passage, but here we are.

    It’s a very trying situation. Happily the boat’s otherwise very nearly ready: I’ve finished the woodwork, rigged all new halyards and reefing lines onto the mast and boom, stored all my dry food and am feeling more confident with the engine’s reliability.

    We are told to expect delays in this business but it makes it no less painful, and having the boat so nearly ready to go is making me feel somewhat aimless! It’s crazy to say but with this last element completely out of my control it’s difficult to keep up the momentum as I tread water with time and money slipping through my fingers.

    To combat this I’ve been taking Tarka out as much as I can. We’ve been spending time honing marina manoeuvres, streamlining anchoring, testing the windvane (which is working very well!!), and seeing how she behaves lying a-hull in the chop outside Portland breakwater. Ive also been doing lots of passage planning.

    I’m told the riggers might be able to squeeze me in next week. Fingers crossed…

    New and old friends
    Leaving the Windvane to it!
  • Splash!!

    Splash!!

    I’m just starting to come back to earth. After the launch, as well as everything leading up to and after it, my system felt shot!

    Everything’s changed. Overnight I’ve gone from green trees and birdsong to the sights and sounds of clanging masts and industry, the toils of the last 10 months quickly disappearing as Tarka joined the pack of hundreds of other plastic boats. I don’t think she’s a pack girl.

    She went in alright with no leaks, though we discovered the rigging was the wrong lengths so the mast had to come down again.

    Since then, I’ve been working my way through the last remaining jobs before taking her out for sea trials!

    • Organise gear into cupboards, lockers etc
    • Sort standing rigging
    • Bleed and do engine initial startup
    • Replace split fuel hose and re bleed.
    • Cut running rigging to lengths
    • Splice eyes into halyards.
    • Run running rigging through mast
    • Convert single line reefed boom to slab and run reefing lines.
    • Fit cupboard latches
    • Finish securing trim
    • Oil all woodwork
    • Solder pl259 to masthead vhf connection.
    • Finalise provisions for the passage
    • Gather medical supplies, spares etc.

    Once the mast goes up again and the rigging is happy, there’ll be a period of sea trials before going for it. Day sails, night sails, overnight sails to start to feel familiar and comfortable onboard, run through sail changes, check systems are working, make adjustments to the rig etc.

    Im hoping I might be out of here by the end of the month!?

    Thank you to everyone who has supported the project and helped me get to this point. In particular those who gave their time, energy and enthusiasm during the last push before the launch and as well as those who came to see her go in!

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Joe Bainbridge Sailing