I gave my old'un a coat of paint on Saturday.
Left the cover open and also found my errant sunglasses behind boat.
Took a few pictures [posted onphotobucket, see link,and chatted to Pete and Lee.I am taking over our website so will put a link on it, regards to all Gavin.

If you are updating the Ardleigh SC web site, please can you make sure the latest results are on there.

When deciding which events (Winter Series / Frostbite series / Open Meetings etc) to attend, looking at previous results to see who was there is very important!

Yes Chris, agreed, we have a new Commodore and many commitee member changes so things are up in the air..

I went down yesterday, partly to find my sunglasses, left after painting my boat Saturday.
also to watch the last 2 races.(took me ages to find a host for those pictures, and to upload them ) but as I;m gonna be lumbered with the site it may help.

The last guy did a really good job, but stopped sailing and kept the site updated-now they desperately needed someone as it hasnt been lately. so yesterday I agreed I would do it(as long as it is accepted by the commitee)
 
Assuming they give the go ahead, of course my priority will be to correlate the results-our members like to refer to them too.

Obviously I am doing this voluntarily using my own equipment, so for no personal gain at all, and have said I'd do it long term. As long as people dont start giving me grief!

GavinT

Hi Gavin, thanks for the pics taken yesterday and hopefuly we shall be back next winter with more troops from brightlingsea i reckon.  Ardleigh from my view is a good club for all different levels of sailing with well run racing.  Also any club with tea or coffee for 40p is a winner.  Cheers.Pete.p.s.brightlingsea open in may!!

And oohh, look, a vintage N12 too!

Yes and there is usually a classic Firefly out too but her owner was trying out a Solo for sale-not so Vintage or Classic-good news Pete, look forward to may, its a while since I sailed at Brightlingsea.

If i can find a crew and some motivation then i'll try and bring my Ghost Rider along to something local this year, hope to get her out on the Deben at some stage

Well I feel motivated to either crew, or maybe take my old bucket, a bit leaky last time out-so needs bailer attention-to the Brightlingsea one Pete mentions, (but not single handed).
Maybe even crew on the Deben-lovely river, except in late November/December helping take a friends Sabre 27 from the RHYC round to winter storage at Woodbridge, Brrrr

Hi all

Glad to hear stories of East Anglian Merlins.

For what it is worth, we are currenty growing a vintage fleet at Walton and Frinton Yacht Club (in the Walton Backwaters). We were sick of handicap racing across vastly different classes, and the older boats offer huge kicks for not much cash, and seem the most appropriate class for our creeks and estuaries. There are currently four boats, two NSMs (one ply, one plastic), an NSM II, and a Proctor 11. There may also be a couple more on the horizon. We are all furiously repairing/refurbishing our boats for the start of the season proper, and hope to be on teh water at Easter.

We have several open races throughout the year, and it would be great to see more Merlins around.

Also, agreed, the Deben is a lovely river.

I'll be at Walton on 4th June, with my NSM1 probably (or maybe another clinker boat of unspecified design and vintage!) so I look forward to some good competition that weekend...?

Yes, justed added the Swallows and Amazons race to my calender. Will make a change not doing it in a heavy clinker gaff.

Another great venue, we went round there on a friends Dutch Barge from Pinn Mill on one occasssion.
Every time I sailed round there, we seemed to be followed by stormy looking clouds, which never actually materialised into the wet stuff.
Last time I went tho, got wet deliberately swimming off the back of a wealthy friends new Bavaria leadmine. Will try and attend one way or t'other too.

Rain may be threatened but oddly does not fall much at W & F and Brightlingsea due to physical geography.  The Deben is a lovely river and one can catch a disease from it called Debenitis and once caught it is very tricky to get shot of.  you get it by sailing along the Deben on a warm summer evening as the sun is setting. You never want to let that go and you keep going back for more. Sometimes a whole family catch it and they find it impossible to sail their boat back out over the bar.

Gavin, just posted this vid on youtube to encourage you to get your boat ready for the season. Hope the link works (first time trying) Lee

Yes Lee it works fine, bet that water was kinda cold

The Deben is probably the prettiest of the Suffolk rivers although parts of the Orwell and Stour are stunning, sailing from DYC is great a really friendly family club which would be made even better if we could get rid of the streakers!!! will try and find a crew and come to a couple of local events this year.

Are Streakers a local attraction? Or a type of boat...

depends on the weather

depends on the weather

So it all depends on the weather then SM, only kidding, but having stayed over on a mooring near the Ramsholt* Arms, one weekend, can vouch for the lovelyness of the Deben and their*/ sea food platter, when going ashore. No longer owning a cruiser(had one on the Crouch) I am very lucky with friends generosities and get to crew on various rivers on various craft.
We actually overlook the Stour from the Essex side of the catterwade(White) bridge. Actually got restated in dinghies again down at Wrabness.

ps SM, See Lee's UTube in above link, to view a hard charging Winder Solo -bloomin' things, we have an infestation,lol, and OK take full advantage of an unfortunate MR spill. Your better half may enjoy it also.
I had a brace of Streakers, the first went to the Broxbourne Club, the second to the Deben YC-blame me, but I think it got sold on, have to keep a balance against the Solo sickness.
Despite being 4-6 stone above the max recomended weight, depending on which health dietry regime I'm pressed into, I think they are wonderful little boats. I still had one well into Solo ownership and got a third in one series despite alternating. Before, The Nationals were at Ardleigh, the first year I put that one back on the water, so interesting seeing the pucker sailers, in swifter craft, from a safe distance toward the rear of the fleet. 
A a Tempo scow (followed by 2 Fireballs-and a Pacer for luck),+ near knackered trim, dictated it eventually going elsewhere.The guy wanted another to restore over that winter, so i got a new computer instead. 
 Sadly the last of the 3/4 Streakers, once at ourclub, a plastic job got sold last October, and I was helping its former owner put the mast up on his spanking new Solo,last Sunday, so he has got the bug.
I found my antidote, when my 1968 one got written off with me not even aboard,, but a composite Solo owner at the Club now has,'The salvage'@ his garage in N market.
My great Nephew was sailing in the DYC regatta last year and my niece was in the box/galley for the duration.
He now sails an RS Fever but has moved to a club near Alborough.
His dad used to have a Hunter 19 on a mooring off Ramsholt but after a  Jaguar 27 has now splashed out on a 30 something feet long Beneteau moored at Levington, looking forward to trips out from there again.
Also our X Commodores-Father and Daughter,+ Mum and Brothers 2, sisters same, have a racing one they sail out of Titchmarsh in.
Trineka and Sister(Zoe?)were doing the Winter Frostbite in a Wayfairer.
They usually sail a Lark.