An Robin wanted to have a go at boating. He asked me if I would take him out.

The wind and tide was about right for an easy cruise. Gave him a ring. He was here in about 10 mins.

The boat was loaded on the car ready to go. Pulled it to the slip.

He seemed somewhat surprised that the boat needed putting together before it would go. Pulled up the mast. Fitted the rudder. Tiller and stays. Discovered he had worn leather loafers. Handed over my size 12 wetsuit boots. Seems they were a lot too big on his size 9 feet.

Pushed it in and noticed Id forgotten the pigging flag. Considered pulling it out to put it on. Tipped it over in the water instead. Feeling a lot more confident now I know it wont just sink. However, the look on his face when he saw how easy it was to tip the boat over…..I think that could have been a mistake.

There were buildings around the slip and the wind was coming directly over them. As we pushed off there was virtually no wind and no waves. It sort of wallowed a bit as it moved out. He was astonished by how fast it left the shore (it was doing about ½ walking speed – 2mph). As he was looking worried I didn’t have the heart to tell him it would go quite a lot quicker and rock a fair bit more.

Got out from under the buildings and into some clear water and started to pull it in. He spent some time hanging onto the hog. I thought about telling him that it was running really flat compared to how I used to run it.

Explained how the front sail worked to give him something to do. Most of the time he was too busy looking around to sort the sail and didn’t even seem to notice when it would start flapping.

He settled down as we went behind an island and the wind dropped, I let him sit wherever he wanted. It was a weird sensation sitting on the leeward side pulling in both sheets and handling the tiller watching him taking pics of the scenery.

As we rounded the other end, the wind picked up but was sort of swirling and in gusts. It seemed to keep pushing us all different directions. Noticed I had forgotten to push the rudder down again, which is probably why I couldn’t steer it around a buoy. All that space and they go and stick a buoy right where I was going. It made some horrible noises as it ground itself along the side of the boat. Noticed he was hugging the hog again.

Suppose it would have been easier if the cross channel catamaran car ferry wasn’t trying to run us over while we were trying to tack. Its amazing how much noise the horn on that thing makes. He sort of went white.

We got round the island. He seemed to be a bit nervous. Id left the bailers open. There was about 6 ins of water in the boat. Turned on Little Ideas pump and it soon threw it out. However, he wasn’t concentrating on the puddle in the boat any more. Id had to ask him to get on the right side and sit out a bit as it was blowing hard enough to need both of us to balance it.

I was a bit worried as the highfield lever couldn’t have been set quite right. The genoa was backwinding itself as the forestay was slack enough the mast was moving back and forward in its slot. As it would straighten out, the boat would accelerate and then lurch and heel as the edge turned over again. Luckily, he was too worried about his rear getting damp from the waves that were running along the deck to notice the problem.

Sitting out, enough wind I was actually having to spill some, reaching towards the setting sun, spray drifting back from the bow, I remembered this is why I do it. Told him "This is what dinghy sailing is about." He looked at me like Id totally lost the plot.

Managed to get all the way back on one tack. Just as well as this was causing us all sorts of problems as he wanted to stay aft of the main thwart and we kept colliding. Im not sure I really understand how to keep control of the boat with a crew in it. The kids move about in the front like monkeys. Two adults are a completely different headache. I just hope I didn’t put him off or wreck any idea he had of learning to sail.

He looked delighted to get himself back on the slip. I suppose I cant really blame him.

Going to build a pulley system to tighten up the forestay to stop the front sail messing about. Going to sort out some form of adjustable hole for the genoa sheet. Forgotten what its called, so I can sheet it in nearer the middle like the Mk3 and 4 boats do. That might keep it on the wind a bit longer too.

Sitting here, thinking about it, Ive just realised that a year ago, I had as much Idea as him.

Looks like Im on my way to being an expert boatist.

Memorable trip