Rowing and sailing

Well, I've now been rowing and sailing this little boat for a few months (when the weather is good)

Rowing at Oatley Bay in Sydney. Nice little boatramp and beach.

 There's plenty of boats moored in the river, so plenty of incentive to learn how to tack!

As I'm really learning how to sail in this little boat, I bought myself a Garmin Vivoactive sportswatch with the tracking GPS in mind. There is no setting for sailing/rowing, but I just set it to 'walking' so it tracks and then go out.

I also tried making a new sail (sprit sail) with the idea being that a sprit sail, additional bowsprit and job sail would allow me more control and better sailing close into the wind.

Unfortunately, my first attempt with just a loose-footed (boomless) sprit sail was less than awesome....I just drifted around....so it was back on with the lug sail, and an instant smile on my face as the boat took off across the bay!

Below is 40 odd minutes of sailing in Oatley Bay from yesterday, with a fairly constant and strong breeze. Tacking into the wind (from S-SW) on the way out, then plain sailing with the wind behind me on the way back. there must be a bit of offset with the app mapping, as I certainly didn't run aground that often!

Below is my boat beached again - I've used double sided tape to fix two 10litre plastic petrol containers (from Mitre10) to the underside of the middle seat, in the hope that the boat can be bailed out next time I capsize it!!

 (The yellow box is a water proof safe, lashed to the front seat, for my iphone and carkeys - it paid for itself within 24 hours during my first capsize here a few weeks ago!)

My method now is to mount the amst and sail (bom lashed up), push off and row far enough from shore to put in the dagger board (custom made 300mm longer than the original), and rudder, stow and tie the oars as shown, then drop the boom and start sailing. If I hit a lack of wind, I just lash up the boom again, loosely lash the tiller, drop out the oars and get going! It is surprisingly good for rowing.

Back down to Oatley Bay on the Queens Birthday weekend, and the conditions were very gusty.
I managed to short-sheet the sail, and was able to potter around the Bay happily without capsizing!