First Sail

Before I could go sailing I had a few things to take care of. I had changed the bearings in the trailer, found some drain plugs and tested that I knew how to rig her, and that all the rigging worked ok. But, after several weeks of preparation the time had finally come to get Providence wet for the first time under her new crew.

The day was absolutely perfect for a first sail - light winds in the morning building to a nice steady fresh wind in the afternoon. The water was still and the ramp wasn't too busy, so launching went without a problem. It was very pleasing to see my little ship bobbing at the end of the painter.

Soon we had the sails up and set off on to the Swan. The light winds may have been a bit too light and we struggled to make way, but this gave me a chance to get used to all the lines and to test the Yuloh (sculling oar) that was my alternative propulsion instead of an outboard.

Eventually we cleared Pelican Point and the wind picked up a bit. Then we really started to make some head way. My 3 year old daughter was a bit upset by the wash from the large stink boats and hid in the cabin, snuggled up on my wife's lap. My 7 year old was having a ball though and was happy watching the waves and the other boats. She also snapped a few pics of the occasion.

Before long we were across the river off the shore of Applecross. We thought about going ashore for a play at Heathcote, but thought that 3YO might not want to get back on board, so we kept sailing - heading back to the ramp. It was a nice shy run back across the river and then a bit of a beat in to Matilda Bay. A little way from the shore the wind died again and I had to whip out the yuloh to push us to shore.

All in all a very successful first trip.

How I Acquired Providence

I have only had Providence for about two months now. Previously I owned a Heron sailing dinghy which I had bought in a delapidated state for $100. I'd spent about a year fixing it up, but even before I had finished it I knew that it was going to be too small for me and my family - even for day sailing. What I really wanted was something like a Hartley TS16.

So, after a few attempts to fit the family in to the Heron, I reluctantly listed it for sale. The president of the Heron association assured me that there was a huge demand for Herons, so I expected the boat to sell quickly. I was going to take the proceeds and start saving the difference towards the price of a Hartley, but after 3 months I still had not had a single serious enquiry.

Then, out of the blue I got a call from a chap who was interested in the Heron. He was looking to downsize from his current boat. "Oh," I said, "what boat have you got now?". A Hartley TS16, and yes, he was going to sell it, and yes we could look at doing a swap. He said he'd be happy to bring it around that very evening for me to have a look at. I prepared my wife by telling her that this was exactly the sort of boat I wanted and we might have to find some extra cash from somewhere to be able to pay the difference - but when the guy arrived he was happy to do a straight swap - Hartley for Heron.

I didn't take much convincing - we signed the paperwork to transfer his trailer to me (mine was unlicenced so we didn't have to do that). Then he drove away with the Heron and left me with the Hartley.

And because of this lucky way I acquired the boat I have decided to rename her 'Providence'

Welcome

Hi, and welcome to the ships blog of my newly acquired Hartley TS16 - named Providence.

Here I will record all the trips that I make aboard this intrepid little as I explore the coastline, rivers and lakes of Western Australia.