Petrella: pretty colours

Just had a call from Dad, worrying about the boat and the forecast for the week. It's one of those weeks when I'm very happy she's in a marina, both for the shelter and the fact that you know somebody will be keeping an eye on things. Weather, of which there is a lot of at the moment, looks like it's going to peak late Wednesday, early Thursday. Happily, the wind direction all stays in the south and west, so we should get plenty of cover from the headland and breakwater.

I was going to race the Albacore with Amanda at South Cerney this weekend coming, then head back down to Brixham the following weekend; Dad will be away, but my mate Mark and our mutual friend (another) Amanda are around, so I'll have crew and the possibility of a sail, if the weather looks kind once all this muck blows through.

My ambition is to get to the point where I'm perfectly happy taking Petrella in and out of her berth single-handed. But for now, if the offer of crew is available, I'd be silly not to take advantage of it.

Complete aside; last week I watched an elderly gentleman shortening up lines and preparing a spring on his gorgeous 37' Hallberg-Rassy, berthed opposite us. A shock of white hair and that careful, considered posture and gait that comes from, well, long experience, I'd guess he was Dad's age, or a little bit older, and of similar mobility. I offered to hold a line for him if it was of any help, though observed he was obviously very practiced and clearly had everything under control. He cheerfully declined, as I expected he would, saying he always sailed single-handed and had done this a thousand times before.

So I just watched as he powered gently ahead on an aft spring set up from his midships cleat to the cleat on the end of the the finger pontoon, and released his bow and stern lines. The boat held snug to the pontoon against the spring.

Then he clicked the gear into neutral to take the weight off the spring, lifted the spring off the pontoon cleat and went astern to back out of his berth. All text-book and beautifully done. I did compulsively think "cheat" as I heard the buzz of a bow-thruster briefly engaged to correct the drift of his bow towards his neighbour caused, I guess, from the initial prop-walk, but in fairness, it was a perfect demonstration of how much and how to to use a bow thruster if you happen to have the advantage of one.

Anyway, I am planning to race at the Lake this Sunday coming, but if the weather's really rotten I might instead take a trip down to Brixham with Lottie just to check on Petrella.