Brightlingsea - Aug BH

[Mercurial]

Hi All

Anyone up for going to Brightlingsea. Am planning to take the Mercury and camp out if the weahther is OK, b and b otherwise.

[DavidC]

I am sure the weather is going to be perfect and the campsite crawling distance. I think Pat and Sandy are coming?

You will be very welcome and we look forward to seeing you.

Cheers
David

[Pat]

Yes we're going, and a week early so we can do Pyefleet week too. We always have good sailing there.

We're piling up the double stacker with the Merlin as it's our favourite boat and the modern Lark as reserve if we break something or the weather turns Netley plus bicycles plus ..... Just got to persuade the camper to pull it - at least it's fairly flat M3, M25!

[roger]

Could we have a volunteer for a write up please.

[ACB]

I'm going to be there but somewhat differently - its also the venue for the Albert Strange Association annual meet and I'm going to be crewing aboard NIRVANA. Hope to meet a few people and will take camera along anyway.

[roger]

Please can we have a write up and pics. It doesnt need to be a work of art just something to tell how great the microclimate is.

[ACB]

Yes, "all going well" (as we say in the trade when discussing port arrangements for ships!)

[roger]

Oooh was that a volunteer?

[jonathan]

The microclimate has wavered just a bit I must admit but all looks well for the weekend. I can muster a couple of old boats for those not wishing to tow so please ring me or email. Numbers would be handy as Sunday is the clubs day of rest following Pyefleet Week.

I have acquired an oddish suit of cotton sails for MR578. Not too sure if they fit yet as mat and boat are in packed mode. They are by Elvstrom and are cut quite wide for a Merlin and have been made with very narrow panels. They have come with a cotton spinny which Roger might like to note is not a damask tablecloth. I have to say that up until last week when I collected this batch of vintage spares I was unaware that the Danes made Merlin sails. The main had 221 on one ide and 1 on the other so to confuse Mervyn Allen I have reduced the numbering to 1 on each side! No-one tell MA til I have the chance to raise them in his sight!

[chris]

Hi Jonathan,
As I said it was a very close call between your microclimate and the macroclimate on Crete for this week- guess which won! Sorry!

By the way the cotton sails I was given a couple of years ago which now read 507 but used to read 578 (some co incidence) where made in Holland (not Elstom) so what was the link in the fifties early sixties with sails from the low countries and merlin then?

Thanks again for collecting all the bits.
Chris

[jonathan]

Hi Chris. I think you might need a bit of sun cream for the bonce whereas I may need a bit of dubbin for my boots.

I think this area had close ties with the Low Countries through maritime links; packet boats to The Hook, Hamburg and Esjberg running out from Ipswich, Felixstowe and Harwich/Parkestone ie The Haven Ports. Elvstrom wa or course a sailing star in the 50's so his sails would have been in demand by the aspiring Merlin sailor. I have to say this one I have here could have come off another boat and relabeled. Maybe it a cut down Finn sail. Who knows. If it doen't work then so be it. Tjhe jib might not as the early cotton ones were cut for side deck mounted fairleads. I may have to sort out a temporary sheeting arrangement with smoke and mirrors(glass not the boaty type).

Anyway, the forecast is better than expected for the weekend and there may be some Spitfire as well as Adnams at the bar that if Pat and Sandy havnt drunk it all.

[roger]

Jonathon,

Hope you have a great weekend and the microclimate behaves. Have to attend family barbecue(no excuses are accepted for being absent)this weekend. All the best

Rog

ps Angie isnt in the galley at Shearwater any more so the tablecloth may not be available.

[Garry R]

Merlin 221 was a Holt built Charm design called Tiptoes built in 1950. Wonder if the sails had been on her?

[chris]

By the way no 220 is up for grabs free-to-a-good-home-if-you-can-restore-her. Contacct ben Marshall via the vintage merlin wing.

[jonathan]

Garry

I will take a closer look at the sail when I pull it up ther mast to see if there are any outlines of other numbers or class insignia but when Chris takes delivery of the pile of cotton and dacron (4ft 6" high) of folded mixed cloth he will no doubt let us know where they may have come from. I just feel sorry for the poor folk who have to sit in their camper van for 6 hours breathing in the smell of mildew!

As a matter of interest can you let me know the approx distance your fixed fairleads are from the bow which will give a guide as the where I can tie a temporary fairlead on my boat.