What they thought of our taster sails in 2010!
CSSC's Five Kingdoms Sailing Club is based in Liverpool and provides opportunities for sailors of all standards. Click here for more information on CSSC Sailing and here for the 5 Kingdoms Sailing Club website
The shipping forecast - report from 09/10/10 by Emma Shanks
Force 4 to 7, fair. Well, that's paraphrasing it a bit! With the landlubbers having set the trend two weeks earlier, we couldn't let the side down. Andrew, Sue and Emma took to the water like ducks. Jacqui wasn't quite as keen though, being particularly unhappy when the boat started "tipping" - we did try to explain that heeling over is how the boat is meant to sail but she wasn't having any of it!
Fortunately, Jacqui's preferred location was in the galley below decks preparing tea, coffee and pizza for everyone, which worked out well in the end as neither Andrew nor Emma were any use below decks due to motion sickness! Sue was pretty at home wherever she was on the boat, helming, rope hauling or just taking in the scenery.
Although not a blazing hot day, 't was most pleasant and great sailing conditions. We did manage to break one of the genoa sheet cars (plastic and metal thing holding rope in place on deck)! Re-entering Liverpool marina was quite interesting with a fast flowing tide on its way out to the Irish sea coupled with the force 7 going in the same direction. Paul and Dave were fantastic. It was never about learning to sail, but everyone got the chance to try every job on the boat including helming. Fingers crossed we can do this again. Highly recommended.
Lesson of the day: S.O.S = Solids On Shore
Four landlubbers a-feared of Davy Jones - report from 25/09/10 by Paul Johnson
Four landlubbers a-feared of Davy Jones' Locker and carrying more spare clothes than any one person should own is how the day began.... but we were soon in the capable hands of our hosts for the day, Paul and Dave on board the 5 Kingdoms Sailing Club's 33-foot Westerly Storm, the "Artful Dodger", and sailing out of Liverpool Marina. The sun was trying and the wind was friendly as we learnt to tack and gybe up and down the Mersey. The pizza survived our tacks (always let the galley know before carrying out!!) and our heads survived the boom on the gybes (though it was close!!). We winched, hauled and reefed in the sails. We swung port and starboard and brought the sails in and put them out again 'til the tide decided we had to go home and finish a great day out.
So we be landlubbers no more, but salty old sea dogs. Arrrrr.
For more information on Sailing visit http://www.cssc.co.uk/Activities/Sailing.aspx
