More sail problems (9.0nm 31.2 nm total)

Went to check boat after this appalling weather. Took my little dinghy on the roof to try her as a tender as well. Found that the top of the mizzen had come loose and had flogged and chafed until there are several holes in it and the leach is damaged. Now I am down to just the jib. There is also a mysterious line of holes across the bottom of the mizzen. It looks like a burning ember from a fire has landed on it and burned through. I am just jinxed this year. My wife thinks she can make the repairs if I can find out what cloth was used, so I shall be contacting Jeckells sails on Tuesday.
Motored to Brownsea Island and after a walk motored and sailed, very slowly to Shipstal Point for lunch. I can sail across the wind with just the jib, but only about 1.5kts. Motored back to mooring, with the engine cutting out intermittently. Seems to be hard to get the fuel through.
I rowed out in my dinghy. The skeg wheels worked perfectly. She is quite tender, leaning quickly if I move. She is so small that she settles surprisingly deeply when I get in. Easy to row, but she really needs longer oars, I have just got 6ft ones. The bow is so sharp that she doesn't run up the beach, she just stops dead when she hits it. She tows beautifully, much more steadily than the inflatable. As she stands, it is hardly worth taking her down just as a tender, but if I can get some better sized oars, she would be a pleasure to row.


I met the new owner of Baycruiser no.3, who is going to keep her on at Poole on the neighbouring mooring, so there will still be two down here. He was just rowing around having a look at the moorings when I came back in. Very big spring tides, 0.3m- 2.3m which is big for Poole. Sunny by the time I left, but still very cold.

Daisy G anchored off Brownsea Island