The Lake District
Coniston 2024
Coniston Water is famous for being one of the largest lakes in the Lake District. It sits at the base of The Old Man of Coniston and boasts beautiful scenery of the surrounding fells. It was the inspiration behind Arthur Ransome’s celebrated children’s novel, Swallows and Amazons. Donald Campbell’s doomed world water speed record attempts took place here in 1967.
I have sailed here twice, the last time in September 2024. A very interesting sailing experience, to say the least. The first time was dead calm not much movement on the water. The second time exactly the opposite. Very strong catabatic winds at the north end where we launched my boat and I was in company with the 1929 one-design Blue Moon.
I was sailing single-handed. Once we were away from the north end things calmed down a bit and managed a nice sail in the top 3/4 of Coniston. A quick bit to eat on Peel Island was necessary (well worth the journey, I thought). Rain came down quite heavily on the way back (not quite downwind). I could see the 'bad' bit coming up ie dark streaks of wind fingers coming down the mountains and across the lake. After a few near misses the boat finally went over - just shear wind power there was nothing I could do. I did manage to right the boat and get in fairly quickly and after getting a few buckets of Coniston water out headed for the nearest shore. That unfortunately was the furthest shore where I was hoping to land the boat. On the way to the shore another gust took me on a 180 spin and my rather nice ash wood tiller stick broke away from the universal joint I was immediately rudderless- this caused another capsize. Again managed to right it and get to the shore (still wrong side of the lake). There and with my trusty bucket started to get some of the water out. Being without a rudder was a issue so in the end took the sails down and broke out the oars. Normally my boat handles under oars quite well, unfortunately this time it was into a strong head wind. This was very hard work and often the wind took me round in a circle - eventually I got into the shore at the Water Sports Center. There the weather was completely different - sunny and a gentle breeze - glad to get back in one piece and especially being able to all this this myself. I was quite tired!
The next day was sunny and a gently breeze I manage to find a mop handle in a skip in the boat yard and fashioned a new tiller stick - which worked quite well actually.
Coniston 2024
First visit here in 2023 regetta meeting with the GP14 cruising section. Bit calm, nice a sunny can't complain - but I will - not much exciting sailing . After three hours still not half-way down the lake so needed to turn back
Ullswater
Ullswater.... is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being approximately 9 miles (14.5 kilometres) long and 0.75 miles (1,200 metres) wide with a maximum depth of sightly more than 60 metres (197 ft). Many regard Ullswater as the most beautiful of the English lakes. It is a typical Lake District narrow "ribbon lake" formed after the last ice age when a glacier scooped out the valley floor, the deepened section filled with melt-water when the glacier retreated, and it became a lake. The surrounding mountains give Ullswater the shape of an elongated "Z" giving it three separate segments (or "reaches") that wend their way through the surrounding hills.
Ullswater 2011 - GP14 Cruising weekend , 4 boats launched from Sailing Club. I stayed at Caravan site opposite and launched from there. Good facilities and excellent sailing area with magnificent views
2014 - returned for a long weekend and still not able to get the whole length - the winds just fell away approaching Glenridding. Same again 2016 this time with York SC but this time excuse was the winds were too strong!
The village of Glenridding, situated at the southern end of the lake, is popular with tourists of all kinds but especially mountain walkers who can scale England's third highest mountain, Helvellyn, and many other challenging peaks from there. The village has ample accommodation including two Youth Hostels and camp sites. The village of Pooley Bridge is at the northern extremity of the lake. Its narrow 16th-century bridge straddles the River Eamont as it flows out of Ullswater, it is overlooked by Dunmallard Hill which was the site of an Iron Age fort. For much of its length Ullswater forms the border between the ancient counties of Cumberland and Westmorland.
Sir Donald Campbell set the world water speed record on Ullswater on July 23, 1955, when he piloted the jet-propelled hydroplane "Bluebird K7" to a speed of 202.32 mph (325.53 km/h). That’s is nearly as fast as I got in 2016!
Windermere
I have been sailing out for the Royal Windermere YC three times now. This is the club that my GP14 '28' Aeolian first made its maiden voyage in 1952. The Vintage Section have always been very welcome here and it is a lovely club surrounded but absolute tourist chaos. Why would anyone want to live there!
Bassenthwaite
Have been here a couple of times - nice club but getting a bit worn around the edges. Amazing water to sail in (a lot of it, for a start) but just be wary of potential down-draft winds.
