Bristol Avon.....

[davidh]

Hi!

in another string on the topic of rudders and rudderstocks, I asked rupert if I'd be okay with a fixed rudder at Bristol Avon. His answer was interesting enough to make me wonder how deep is it there? After all, I had to write and warn Supercrewjon that if he was thinking of sailing the NLC, then he'd better buy a leadline so that we can take soundings - I'm not saying that the centreboard is deep, but it is the only dinghy I know where an echo sounder is allowed in the rules, nay..is compulsory!

So how deep is it at Bristol and how uniform is the depth? For example, would a bigger dinghy be forced to stay out in the stronger stream whilst the smaller boats sail so close to the banks that they can pick daisies as they sail aorund?

I guess it should also be asked if there are any restrictions on the size of boat you sail there.....Supercrewjon - who has experience of the Broads (I've experience of some broads too but not those where my rudder will drag weed!) says we'll be okay and that I'm not to worry - when he says that, I start worrying!! Chris or Pat - have you sailed Iska/Spriteful or Half cut there and did you run aground at all - apart from coming back into the shore after sailing??

D

[JimC]

I'm not saying that the centreboard is deep, but it is the only dinghy I know where an echo sounder is allowed in the rules, nay..is compulsory!

Longer than the 5'9" boards on 60s Cherubs?

[roger]

David, the biggest problem with getting close to the bank at BA is not the depth but the trees.... oh and the cows

If it helps we sailed the geep there and I am sure Chris has sailed sprite ful there.

ps if the NLC is heavy you may have trouble recovering her.... launching should be ok though.

[PeterV]

There's no problem on depth, there's very few places you can touch a Mercury centreboard down and as for length, in the first of Andrew Thornhill's vintage regatta days, the father events of the CVRDA we had several Jollyboats racing, although I cannot pretend they're the best boat for short tacking up a river.

[davidh]

Peter

I'd have thought that the danger with sailing a Jboat there was getting the rudder caught in one bank whilst the bow is jammed in the other!! But if you say there will be enough depth under the keel then we'll aim to be there!

Roger...good point! If we sail the NLC, then I'll stand in the boat in a full sou'wester, whilst Supercrewjon gives the whole thing a goodly shove down the ramp in true RNLI launch style.

As well as the cows, are there any sheep on the riverbank - I don't want to get distracted!

D

[Pat]

Launching and recovering is a pain with anything Lark size or larger as the slipway is just a bit of concrete bank with a drop of about a foot into the water. Sailing is tack..2..3..4..tack...2..3..4..tack but it's OK.
This is the start line

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and the first sorry top mark

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[davidh]

Pat...

if you were in a Lark and it was tack 2, 3, 4, Tack, 2, 3, 4 then I'm not sure about Tack, 2, Tack, 2...

At least the banks may be soft....

D

[Rupert]

Depth isn't generally a problem, David - it was just the thought of a very deep fixed rudder and what would happen to a slightly suspect wooden transom if you ended up getting it wrong on the reedy side of the river. The Mercs have no trouble, and old 14's have raced there very successfully in years gone by. Chippenham it isn't.
Jollyboats were mad, though - you'd be beating back down and there would be 3 of them, goosewinged, coming straight for you. Safest place at that point was the reeds...

As for tacking, generally, the beat will be biased, so you end up with one long tack pinching up the shore, staying out of the current, and then a very short tack back out when you run out of water - maybe only a boat length or 2 before tacking back. Fantastic place for a Firefly! I suspect I'll bring the Minisail for an outing, though, and be used as a mark of the course!

[davidh]

Rupert,

tahnks for all the insights - I'm up for this now! If you think the Jollyboats were bad, then the NLC could be even worse.... on a dead run the boom will be in the bushes on one bank whilst the spinnaker pole will be dasiy cutting on the other. Think the Merlin might be a better idea!

Have to learn this inland windshift business - will leave that side of things to Supercrewjon who has form for knowing about these niceities....

I take it that coming out of the line at the pin end, then making a long tack out on to one wing of the course 'hitting the corner' to pick up the layline is out of the question....

D

[roger]

Did team racing there once.... my team mate was so keen to get a good start he put me and another team mate into the brambles

The race was then to beat him bu**er the team thing.

We won anyway.

[Ed]

Yes, the Jollyboats at BASC was a right gas....

I was in J3.....(shell no 2) and one of the very first batch of Jollyboats ever made and Sean (who used to put on the event at Corus) was in J365, one of the last ever batch of Jollyboats made. Then there was another white decked one - not sure of the number. Rupert says he remembers it being scary watching 3 Jollyboats come downwind towards him......well I can tell you it was pretty scary being at the helm of one too...as if you were in the middle there was just nowhere to go. I only tried to overtake down the middle once, but it was so scary that I always took the safe option afterwards and slowed myself down in the reeds.

In fact the Jollyboats were not that 'mad' on the river, they are great boats to roll-tack, even better maybe than the Merc, so if you got in the rythm it was great fun to roll-tack them up the river.

I seem to remember one other day being practically becalmed.....and I am afraid getting rather into trouble for not taking it seriously enough.....my crew sat in the bottom and rather noisily and read the Sunday Times, and in the second race we broke open a bottle of Chablis. I was trying.....honestly.....but hey this is the CVRDA after all.

But anyway.....I reckon the Avon must be dredged.....I certainly can't remember ever grounding and the Jollyboat board is pretty long.

Anyway, have fun, I will be thinking of you all

cheers

eib

[Rupert]

I remember the wine being drunk, but had forgotten it was you...

My most vivid memory was of being in a tacking battle with my brother, and my toestraps pulling out and by foot being wrapped up in them with my head in the water. Kathryn in the front, not looking round, going "Where are you going, where are you going" over and over again, before turning to look and just cracking up laughing... well, I guess I didn't drown!

[Nessa]

Back in the days when I was a non sailor (shocking but true) I used to sit outisde the pub in Saltford looking at the dinghies and wonder what on earth they were doing....

The date of my op is 4th May, which although inconveniently far off, does not preclude the possibility of a red lilac moth appearing at Bristol Avon. Any excuse to go west.

[chris]

A narrow merlin is good there. Some shallow rocks to watch in one place and trees above.
Launching and recover is interesting... shove your boat over a 2' drop.

1,2,3 tack 1,2,3 tack 1,2,3 tack 1,2,3 avoid the novice narrow boat driver. etc

Very nice spot for spectators.

[Nessa]

I did sail my 470 on the river at Bradford on Avon once. Once and never again!