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TAMAR HURLEY OWNERS GROUP
Last Floating Rally September 2009 - Yealm River

Another successful Rally was held by this group on Saturday and Sunday 26th and 27th September. With resident high pressure, the weather was very pleasant, the sea calm and a variable light wind. On the Saturday morning, David in Buffin and Tony in Gallivanti met at the Plymouth breakwater and sailed on to join Bryan, already anchored in Mistral in Cawsand bay for lunch.

At around 1300 we three set off to round Mewstone with the remaining eastbound stream and head towards Salcombe to meet up with Kevin in Vixen coming from Torbay and Geoff and his daughter in Shelduck, from Salcombe. What seemed to me to be a sea breeze, rather than the predicted offshore winds gave us a pleasant reach into Bigbury bay and we just kept going east towards the other two. Mistral, with her new hank on sails and attentive handling by Bryan was soon ahead of us but after a while, radio contact was made with Vixen and Shellduck and he hove to. We caught him up and all waited together until Vixen and Shellduck reached us. They had had a hard beat against wind and tide for a while, and used their engines to get to us more quickly.

The five boats, (4 H22s and 1H24) then set off together against the wind towards Membury bay. It soon became apparent that we wouldn't be able to make it before dark under sail, tacking. So we motored into a lovely sunset and arrived at Newton Ferrers in the twilight. We had to use the upper pontoon which doesn't get the evening sun, shielded by the hill and trees. It was on arrival here that we were very pleased and pleasantly surprised to find Bruce and Vicky (West Cornwall group) already alongside in Gala! They had again sailed from the Helford river to be with us. We now had six boats in the rally.

The harbour was packed. However, four boats used the pontoon and Mistral and Shellduck picked up moorings nearby. In the evening we again enjoyed the hospitality of Bruce and Vicky under their boom tent in the cockpit.

Next day, there must have been an engine virus in the river. I found my batteries too dead to start anything. A nearby Contessa kindly lent me a new battery, and another motor launch provided heavy duty jump leads to get me going. I then had to reach Plymouth without stopping it and hope the battery would charge. Then, a Moody on the pontoon couldn't be started and had to contact Sea Start. Following this, the Contessa who had lent me their battery could not be started and was towed out by a sister ship alongside which she was moored. Many thanks to Bryan for his knowledge and efforts to help all these boats!

On my return to Plymouth whilst motor sailing, the plotter failed, the Navtex went very pale and the VHF screen nearly disappeared. It had to be a failed alternator. This resulted in 2 new batteries and a second hand alternator. A somewhat painful and unexpected experience but at least everything works again now!

Many thanks to everyone for making it another successful and very sociable occasion. It's always nice to meet other Hurley owners but I have also learned a lot from sailing together and sharing experiences. The photos taken of each other whilst sailing have revealed that I need to tighten the leach on my genoa, which I had not noticed from on board!

Thanks also to Kevin for the bacon - it really livened up the omelette!

Our next meeting will be ashore, but doubtless just as wet………..

Tony (Gallivanti)

Buffin
Buffin leaving
Mistral
Rafting up