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    What Are You Wearing Today (WAYWT) 2026

    Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure

    Iron Heart Meet Ups & Travel
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    • BridgerB
      Bridger
      Raw and Unwashed
      Joined:

      She's a badass

      last edited by Bridger 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • GilesG
        Giles
        IHUK Crew
        Joined:

        Paula and I went to Smoking Lobster in Cowes last night. Stayed over and sailed back this morning.

        Nothing really out there until I spotted the Daring class Destroyer "Duncan" on the AIS with tugs fore and aft.....

        Green AIS objects mean that I am in no danger of colliding...
        IMG_4756.JPG

        So I altered course, and upped the speed, red AIS objects mean there is a danger of collision...
        IMG_4757.JPG

        Once I got close enough, I backed off. I've had one to many run ins with the military police :(as @goosehd and @neph93 will testify to)-)
        IMG_4761.JPG

        IMG_4762.JPG

        The a bloody cross channel ferry came and joined in the fun (at which point one of the police launched decided it had bigger fish to fry)
        IMG_4763.JPG

        IMG_4764.JPG

        IMG_4765.JPG

        IMG_4767.jpg

        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

        last edited by Giles 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 10
        • gazza61G
          gazza61
          Raw and Unwashed
          Joined:

          on the way back from the mainland managed to sneak on the bridge of the st claire and saw this navel vessel as well.
          20260128_123709.jpg
          20260128_123753.jpg
          20260128_124050.jpg

          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 7
          • GilesG
            Giles
            IHUK Crew
            Joined:

            How did you manage that 🙂 ?

            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

            last edited by Giles gazza61G 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • gazza61G
              gazza61
              Raw and Unwashed
              @Giles
              Joined:

              @Giles I sold a motorbike to a member of the crew.

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • GilesG
                Giles
                IHUK Crew
                Joined:

                Well done indeed.....

                "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • ROmanR
                  ROman
                  Haraki san Prodigy
                  Joined:

                  @Giles A lot nicer than the one I was on.
                  0593325.jpg

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                  • GilesG
                    Giles
                    IHUK Crew
                    Joined:

                    hahahaha

                    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • GraemeG
                      Graeme
                      啓蒙家
                      Joined:

                      If the Dale falls through, can I suggest Jenny? She's a 1933 motor yacht built by W.G. McBryde in Helensburgh, currently available on eBay for a quid. The restoration might cost a wee bit more.

                      Jenny

                      More details at Silodrome.

                      last edited by Graeme 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                      • goosehdG
                        goosehd
                        Mod Squad
                        Joined:

                        Looking at maps…on the surface it looks like you could sail Sakura to London. Possible? Worth it? I could imagine overnight mooring could get pricy, but could you drop anchor?

                        “…hope that somewhere there's a hobbit with a ring on his way to a volcano.” - Nic

                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • GilesG
                          Giles
                          IHUK Crew
                          Joined:

                          Yeah, it's easy. Take a couple of days from here to the Mouth of the Thames, and a day or 2 to get up to London. St Katherines dock is the obvious place to moor. I suspect it is super pricey, evidenced by no published fees 🙂

                          We are going half way thet later in the year to go to a party in Ramsgate, I have no desire to go further.

                          Just planning the Paris trip in June. It's been quite difficult to get info. But I had a chat with someone who has done it, and he has helped me a lot. I think we will go from here to Honfleur in one hit, that's about 100nm, most of which will be offshore. But once we are in Honfleur, the rest of the trip is up the Seine (so just point into the current 🙂 ) Eight lock systems to pass, but apart from that should be easy. I'm thinking 3-4 days each way Honfleur/ParisHonfleur though we may amble back slower and enjoy rural France.

                          But of course, navigational aids on an inland waterway are totally different to those at sea. So we need to learn those, and take an online course

                          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                          last edited by Giles goosehdG 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                          • goosehdG
                            goosehd
                            Mod Squad
                            @Giles
                            Joined:

                            @Giles please remember you need extra time for cider sampling. 🙂

                            “…hope that somewhere there's a hobbit with a ring on his way to a volcano.” - Nic

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • GilesG
                              Giles
                              IHUK Crew
                              Joined:

                              5-6 days each way

                              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                              last edited by goosehdG louisboscoL 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • goosehdG
                                goosehd
                                Mod Squad
                                @Giles
                                Joined:

                                @Giles much better 🙂 🥂

                                “…hope that somewhere there's a hobbit with a ring on his way to a volcano.” - Nic

                                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • louisboscoL
                                  louisbosco
                                  啓蒙家
                                  @Giles
                                  Joined:

                                  @Giles 5-6 days of cider sampling each way?

                                  "Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."

                                  • Harvey Specter
                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                  • GilesG
                                    Giles
                                    IHUK Crew
                                    Joined:

                                    Unless we decide to stay in Paris, or go all the way down to the Med, which is possible (though I would need to check whether SAKURA could do it - I spoke to a guy who had done it in a 47' boat, so I think it can be done.)

                                    The speed limit on the Seine is 10knots. So say, we average 8.5knots, dicking around with locks and getting caught behind slower boats. It's about 160nm from Honfleur to Paris. So about 20 hours of motoring each way. 3 is easily doable, even 2. But part of the adventure will be taking our time and enjoying the ride, booze, food and part of France I have never seen, certainly not from a river. Taking let's say 3 or 4 to get there, then 5 or 6 or 7 to get back.

                                    In both cases how slow or fast we have to do it depends to a great extent upon our channel crossing. For 100nm across open water, we need the weather to be kind....And we have a had have-to-be-in-Paris date, my sisters birthday party.....

                                    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                    last edited by Giles 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                                    • GilesG
                                      Giles
                                      IHUK Crew
                                      Joined:

                                      Planning is well advanced and Paula and I are getting super-excited. Let's hope the weather is kind for the channel crossing.....

                                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
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