… sat outside and got talking with Fran about our lack of leisure time.
Decided we’d get back into sailing, nothing too time consuming, low maintenance essential. Just pack, go & enjoy.
So here am I a couple of days later 5k poorer with one of these sat in the drive.
God knows if we’ll get on with it, it’s 15 years since I last jumped into a dinghy.
Ho Hum, - the perils of drinking at home with the Mrs.
well, you live in the right place for it 
For me, it’s missing something :chuckle: A MASSIVE engine 
Aye, I take your point DT, somehow a Mercury 2.5 just doesn’t cut it :chuckle:
The plan was for absolute simplicity and zero maintenance. Providing we’re not too old & creaky to keep the bloody thing upright, it might just work out.
This evening we applied for a dinghy space at the YC so with a bit of luck we won’t even have to trailer it to the slipway or keep putting the mast up and down. :xfinger:
There’s a moral there, always go out for a pint
Looks like it could be awesome fun though mate 
when’s the maiden voyage so we can toast it, from teh pub in the warm and dry :chuckle:
It could be a couple of weeks yet - need to get re-kitted out with clothing, buoyancy aids et al. The YC has it’s own brand bitter (actually re-badged Ringwood) at a most excellent price 
If you want a laugh, why don’t you come down and join us.
http://www.pooleyc.co.uk/cms/index.asp?dir=27&Page=Facilities
I’ve got to drop one of the boys off for a Scout camp on the 22nd, nr Bournemouth, how good is your coffee :lol:
Not too bad but unfortunately you’ll have to make it yourself, we’ll be in Abbingdon for an MGs on Track website dev meeting 
Shame, would have been good to see you. Where is he camping.
http://www.butcherscoppice.org.uk/butcherscoppice/Butchers_Coppice.html
that’s the place, I’m taking a car load of kids down on the 22nd, and someone else is bringing them back on the Monday as there’s off-road at Avon Dasset
DT.
Ha, Butchers Coppice is about 10 mins from my door. Not a bad site but don’t park in the notorious nearby West Howe Estate (Poole Lane); you’ll likely loose your wheels - steel or not :chuckle:
Have a great time @ Avon Dasset.
Well we’re off this morning for a little play in the harbour. Virtually no wind so we might stand a chance of keeping it upright - but probably not actually manage to get anywhere :chuckle:
Never mind, it will be good practice for the various drills.
We’ve had the dinghy out a good few times now but Saturday in gusty force 4-5 winds saw the first testing of our buoyancy jackets and capsize drill :chuckle:
All went well with righting the boat etc until we discovered that getting back in was the province of those younger or fitter than us. The wood/GRP dinghies I used to sail were not so buoyant and basically sat low, half full of water. Being all plastic and with a self draining cockpit, this one bobs up and sits with the gunwales very high.
Before we go out in gusty winds again, there’s a few extra ropes to be rigged to help us oldies back in, also maybe a small masthead float. If you let it, the boat will tip fully turtle until the mast sticks in the Poole Harbour mud.
We’ve called the dinghy “In Klein” - klein as in little (and also the name of our favourite scuba dive site) - with the incline connotation of the whole name.
The better news is that we have got a dinghy space at the yacht club so no more trailing and mast rigging, just sails up, roll the trolley down the slipway and off we go.
I think I’d need a ladder to get back in. It’s been years since I went sailing and the old “ready about” and “lee ho” calls. Ahh! Memories…