Veg Ahoy! - the sailing/gardening compromise?

[JennieAtkinson]

Those of you older members (as in long term members of the vine) will know the problems I have trying to keep the garden (flowers and veg) going in the summer when the sailing season beckons. We have just returned home from a sailing holiday on the Scottish Mainland (in our own boat!) and saw this boat at anchor.



There is even a small greenhouse on the coachroof!

I'd love to know where they keep their compost bins

[scarey55]

Yay Jennie, good to hear from you. What a great boat, Nice barbie hanging off the back too. Perfect for cooking up a storm

[Nicos]

Hi there Jennie!
Hope the holiday did you both good?!

Love the boat....no excuses now eh???

[Alice]

Thanks for that Jennie. I thought I'd seen it all but that does it Have you thought about it for your own boat ?

[squashysu]

now thats what i call cool!! hope you enjoyed your hols x

[SarzWix]

That's great If you can't be with your garden, take your garden with you

How are you Jennie? And how has your garden fared without you?

[Headfry]

Jennie, I have the same problem. Sailing v plot.
We have a little racing dinghy....there is never enough time! and this year its been bad bad weather here....strong winds :-( not good for boat or plot! hate the summer winds.

love your boat - happy days spent on her I bet.

We are over to Cowes (Cowes week - sail boat racing regatta) in a few weeks, First Saturday as spectators and the second saturday Mr HF is crewing on his company boat in the J109 class lucky lucky Mr HF! hope to go (as spectator) to watch them out and back home!

[JennieAtkinson]

This is our boat and the general angle of sailing - so not alot of prospect of a hanging basket from the boom or a plastic greenhouse for'ard!

I had meant to take a couple of salad boxes with me, but having now experienced some of the heavy seas off the Pentland Firth, it was bad enough having cushions, books, shoes and the odd coffee mug flying around the cabin - imagine a tray full of compost!

The garden just about managed to survive but it has taken alot of weeding these last few days. Still plodding on with that and the broad beans have been good since we've been back - I can't believe I planted so many!

It was a relaxing holiday (although some of the sailing was quite tough!). We were extremely lucky to have a school of about 30 -40 dolphins swimming alongside us for an hour one day - still waiting for the photos which are probably just of sea! We have had one or two dolphins swimming alongside for a short period before, but not so many as this and for such a long period. They were just enjoying it and coming right out of the water in front of the boat.

Then during our sail up to Orkney we were both looking at a lighthouse in the distance trying to get a fix when we both saw a very large fin in the water not far from the boat - travelling at speed. Then amazingly an Orca (killer while) lifted out of the water about a 30 foot from the bows of the boat - not completely but we could see virtually the whole of its body, fin and the white markings. It was enormous - probably as big as the boat iself. Thankfully they were on a mission and didn't turn back to investigate! Quite a heart stopping moment, but absolutely incredible.

So now its back to slugs and whitefly!

[Headfry]

Oh you are sooo lucky, this exact time two years ago Mr HF and I were on a 'competent crew' course in the Solent on a 37 footer! what utter bliss, I was in heaven.

your post above was lovely, thanks and more please!

Do you see phosphorescence in the water there? I loved it when I was kiddy sailing, but have not seen any for ages- Mr HF never has never seen it.....I so want to show him the liquid magic!

[Flummery]

Nice to see you back Jennie - I hope Mr Jennie is keeping well?

[Headfry]

Hey jennie, did you get out on the water this weekend. We had the funniest race so far this year.
4 boats,
NO wind
4 marks to round!
we did 2 marks then they finished us!!!!! came 2nd but we started 4 mins after our class start!!!! not bad I say - clever Mr HF (helm) I am crew.
but boy was it beautiful out there. silent, hot, joking comments with our friends in the other three boats! just lovely!
Had to be towed in! tee hee tee hee,

[JennieAtkinson]

Should have been here Headfry, it was the Skeld Regatta although we were not racing - our boat is too slow and needs a big crew to go fast! They did get a bit of wind and managed to get the spinnakers out on the run back (this is the big boats!). Good weekend though. You did well to get 2nd after losing 4 mins!

And OH had to get a tow too! He lost engine power about 20 miles out when the wind dropped. He managed to sail pretty well in to the voe and a fishing boat went out and towed him in. Problem was water in the exhaust - they had pretty rough seas on Friday. It was rotten luck though.

Oh this sailing lark is pretty good fun, but it just means another weekend without weeding etc!

[Headfry]

Weeding for me tonight also.....hey ho never mind!