Ep22. Sailing SOLO to PORTLAND and MESSING UP the DOCKING! 

Day 3 of my adventure! Heading from Totland Bay to Portland marina. I stuffed the docking up, but survived! Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/3319919691654921/ Email: Bumbler@thebumblingsailor.co.uk MERCH! bumbling-shop.myspreadshop.co.uk/ 'SUPPORT ME' links; Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=72355785 Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bumblingsailor GoFundMe: gofund.me/69fab23d Buy me a beer: www.buymeacoffee.com/BumblingSailor Amazon wishlist: bit.ly/3uVm0kx CashApp: £BumblingSailor

it takes a lot of balls to go to sea single handed! you're smashing it. also, looks like your boat slips down those waves very lovelyly

"Tossed about like a turd in a pisspot" . As Admiral Lord Nelson once said.😂

You do realise that this sailing stuff is addictive, and there is no rehab treatment 😊

I don't blame you for getting a bit emotional, you are starting to see your dream come to life and realising you are living in it ! You are a quick learner too which is absolutely crucial and also refreshing to witness ! Keep it up lad ! 👍

Love that you include your cockups, really helpful to see for us who are just starting out or interested in sailing. Bravo mate, you're doing it :))

Nice to see someone discover the joy of sailing and being out in nature. I started out 30 years ago but still like to keep it simple and minimalistic to stay in touch with the elements.

Ship Happens sent me over to your channel and wow you are very entertaining and a smart bloke in my opinion. Love your humor.

Been following your adventure since the beginning. Very funny. You actually know some shit, getting as far as you've gotten; starting the engine by joumping the starter. You are very funny and I'm sure you will succeed in your plans. Thanks for sharing.

Something that would really help a boat like yours is a 'flopper-stopper', easy enough thingy to make from a bucket. I know it's early days for you but maybe have a go at getting sail up in all conditions and relying on it rather than the stinkbox. Once you're moving your sails will damp the movement and a Contessa is a well handy boat to sail in most conditions. Oh yes and.....one of the most important things to learn for downwind sailing is to tack downwind instead of running - it's often faster and a lot less roly poly.

The brain and inner ears get used to the sloshing about. I always wondered about couples living the life with chronic sea sickness.

A midship cleat is almost essential equipment for singlehanded docking, it makes things so much less frantic. Good improvisation using the winch.

Im so proud of you for living your dream! So your allowed to be emotional! ❤

I like to think that popeye is the bad guy and this is bluto's show 😊

You’re slowly infusing me with courage enough to untie from the dock!😮 I am very proud of you for some strange reason. 😂

Your really getting,it on.Mans stuff.ya proper Sailor.Your pub tough guys don't do this.F well done.

15:40 pull on some kicking strap to take out most (not all) of that of that massive twist in the mainsail then let the boom out.

Spot on mate, your arrived and tied up that's the main thing. Check out Harry Dwyer BTW, 1700 miles round Britain, his film editing is a work of Art.

Yes, a series of unfortunate events will be shared with a series of awesome events while sailing your own boat on a path of adventure. It’s a hoot to me, that your sharing many of my old own past worries of learning in a small boat on open water.❤️

Just started watching and enjoying your videos. Maybe you've already figured this out but the trick to overcoming the prop walk in reverse is to give a blast of throttle in reverse to get the boat moving and then shift into neutral, Repeat as necessary to get where you need to go.

Keep going Bumbly!

I love it. I did offer to lend a hand but you're already well on the way! nice job squire!

I took the plunge like you after watching every vanlife video and converted a van to live in, now on second bigger van and been vanlifing for 4 years!! Thing is I've been watching sailing videos for the last year and am saving for a boat!!! 😁 Gonna follow your journey closely 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Looks like a great day.

Awesome mate. Takes a northener to say how it actually is lol. Well done.

Hey nice job dealing with the pitching & rolling, I see now just how hard putting a sail up in those conditions is. 😎

Damn. You're good at this! Good call to come around again. You did a great job docking!

Gemma is why I am here and I'm loving your channel. What you lack in experience you make up for with practical common sense. Well done. Oh! and I lived in Bolton for about fifty years.

You are going to need a summer hat? Not sure if that beanie is going to be comfortable in the Caribbean.

Blinking Great Episode again ! Thanks for sharing

I have no experience but I’ve dreamed of buying a sailboat for over twenty years. Your videos are both entertaining and inspiring. Thank you.

I got battered at St Aldhelms Head, a beautiful spot but not to be messed with.

Experience is a real teacher. You are learning quick. Glad to see some real English Sailing.

Your totalling smashing it. Don't be so self critical, we're all learning all the time.

The coolest boat in the marina 👌

I heard you put on your posh telephone voice when hailing the safety craft 😂 But jokes aside great communication, clear as a bell and your intensions confirmed! Inspiring to see a man living his dream and making it reality, fair play to you Sir!

It's really great watching a novice learn to sail. I've recently started learning to sail, having bought a classic sailing dinghy, but I have aspirations for something bigger one day! Keep going, and good luck!

Another great one. Once again no one died and the boat still fliats so succesful trip. Loving the way the sailing malarchy is starting to come naturally now. I hope to sail the south coast some point this year. Im east coast atm.

Looks like you are enjoying this sailing malarkey too much despite what you said! lol 😂 Another great video and nice to see your little buddy turning up to make sure you arrived safely and were settled into your new dock 😊

Hi Terry. I’m in awe mate. You are kicking its ass. One question please. What are you navigating by? Is it an Ap or, are you using charts/pilot book?

Well done sir. It is good to see someone learning to sail from scratch and handle it.

The freedom to faff about. Awesome! Enjoying the journey with you. Fin.

Keep going nice to watch your learning well thank you for supporting Mark on wilding sailing it means everything to him as it does to rock on Terry

Great viewing mate, you remind me why I have a motor boat! 😁

Reckon you held a pretty good account of yourself. Well done big fella! Good vid.

Hi Buddy, just came across your “Bumbling Channel” don’t know why but episode by episode I’m really beginning to love it and look forward to it. Your my kinda a guy. Krgds. from an old retired Irish Ship’s Captain, now living in Australia. Fair winds & following seas my friend. ☘️🇦🇺

Well done, looked fun. Glad you spotted how useful those winches can be when mooring. It's warming up now, enjoy the rest of the trip.

Contessa 26 is a lovely yacht that'll take you across the Atlantic, one day I'll have one too. Love what you're doing.

The more experience you get now will come in handy later .Very nice to see you getting used to the quirks of being aboard your boat . Really enjoyed this episode .

Just brought my boat and I have all this to learn! Thanks mate for the videos they give me hope🎉

You got me thinking that you should set up some clutches on the cabin top for halyards and a downhall for the main. you could also rig up a preventer that would stay in place for when needed. Lazy jacks would be a huge help as well. You could for very little money rig that boat so you'd never have to leave the cockpit. Consider having enough bow line to go around the outside of your stays and back to the cockpit. When you get to the dock you'll have both lines in your hand. Step off with the two lines and you;re completely under control. you got this. Early on, a downwind run might feel a bit uncomfortable, but in the future you'll be hoping for a following sea. Just watch that boom for an accidental jibe. (Preventer) Fun video. It was like you were on a rollercoaster of emotion. Add a bit of sea sickness and sleep deprivation and you're well on your way to being a seasoned pro. As always, fair winds and best wishes.

I would jumped straight in with that dolphin! Rare to see them by themselves. Good work look forward to the next video 👍🏻

A good landing is one you can walk away from . You're still walking ... 🤗

I wish I had the bottle to head into the open sea by myself 100% respect to you I have a 16 ft speed boat and I get the willies even hitching it onto the car 😂lovely video

good improvisation with the docking ,as someone said below for solo docking step onto the pontoon with a line from midships and from bow or stern depending on where the wind is coming ,from tie of midships first ,makes the job easy.

You have the best fans!! Beer on arrival?! I need their number 😂😂

Downwind days are great. Glad you are out there and loving it. Keep at it! ❤ There is no shame in sailing with no main, especially downwind.

So glad l was introduced to you by Ship Happens your a bit like l am when l go sailing on my mates yacht lm now 72 and lve only just experienced motion under sail wow what a game changer. I'm realy enjoying your experiences especially encountering a dolfin eating what was under you mooring bouy evan us blokes can get realy sentimental about situations like that. Looking forward to your next vlog 😎😎😎

Legend!!

Just love watching your progress, but I feel so nervous for you at times. You're a brave guy. Take care, good luck and good sailing

Awesome stuff Terry. Well done all round and thanks as always for sharing your experiences and adventures aboard. You are getting there!

Your boat slips along beautifully. Interesting videos mate. Good luck.

Thanks!

Nice job! Even with 2 km of empty dock ahead of you..! 😂

Just started watching your channel and really enjoying it. I was given a good tip for coming alongside when solo sailing, if you don't have a midship cleat tie a rope around the base of the mast instead

You are doing spectacular, love watching you living your best life. You will get use to the docking thing. I always ran a line from the bow down so I could tie the stern, then jump off and pull the bow in by hand.

That wasnt you getting towed after mechanical probs to poole harbour today was it😁 I remember you said somefhing about scooting off this weekend. Sorry i couldnt get down for a beer i was stuck doing solar gear. If youre back here sometime ill be sure to get down

Another great Video and the explained the reason of the emjo (hiding a Crack) on arrival at Portland was 😂.

I spent a night at anchor at Totland Bay last summer and it was just a mess of rolling all night. I'll skip it next time I up that way but the beach was very nice with the dog and kids so worth a stop over. In a South Easterly it may be fine.

Excellent and interesting video! You make me jealous. I'm returning to the boat in a couple of weeks and can't wait thx to you ;-) Keep up the good vibe!!

Smashing it and your thought processes is spot on. A few pointers might help up out. Always set up a centre line if you’re on your own so much easier to dock. Then do the standard bow and stern. Wait till you try a med park (stern to) on your own, doing anchor and stern lines and driving backwards. Get the main up at anchor, having it up and tied to the centre gives you much more control and it’s easier to balance than a head sail. Especially if the engine doesn’t start. If you want to sail on the jib downwind then keep the main up but centralise it, gives you a lot more options and stops it stealing the wind.

Cool video bro! You got another subscriber 👍🙂

Very impressed mate, well done. Really well done.

ROLL THINTRO Well done, great achievement! Keep up your reading, learning and sail training 👌the more you practice the easier and more effective your skills will become. If your staying on the long pontoon for a bit, keep practicing, you’ll get to be faster and most importantly be safer for it. One of the most important lessons to learn on a yacht of any size, is how to “Heave To” ….. I.e. stop the boat! it’s very simple to do and buys you time to rest, sort a problem out etc. Yachts can respond differently when you Heave to, based on size, amount of canvas up, wind and tide, keel type etc etc, it would be good for you to know how to do it as an” instant second nature thing” or as you would say thingy 😂 Really enjoying your vids and being with you on your journey 😃👍

Growing big RU-vidr ❤

Great to see ♥by the time you get back home you wont be saying "no experience" anymore as you will have had plenty of it by then 👍I gave you a tip on mooring in an earlier video of having a line back from the bow cleat to the cockpit so once you have secured the stern you jump off with the line from the bow and pull the bow into the side to secure it ,can make things a bit easy and controllable👍 ,at least your weather is getting better now for the next stage's ❤.

You are doing great! Totland to Weymouth is quite a passage for a coastal sailor just starting out! With regard to the main. It is possible to raise it when sailing downwind although not ideal. Go on broad to beam reach ‘bream reach’ Topping lift on. Kicker right off. Trice the boom up high (25 degrees at least). This will de power the sail as you raise it. You might get the whole thing raised if you are lucky but even if only part will be better than nothing. You could also see if she will heave to by backing the jib and lashing the boom to leeward temporarily. It might calm the motion sufficiently for you to get some main up using same method just described. Be careful though as being on deck in rolly conditions offshore is risky and requires vigilance. If in ANY doubt don’t do it. Really liking the videos thanks :)

great video Terry don't forget you are still learning so you're bound to make mistakes so don't worry you cant learn if you don't make mistakes your videos are improving your confidence has massively improved I really do hope your channel takes off massively I am doing as much as I can by keep watching your videos or leave them running while on another channel so that your hours mount up so all the best from John from Rugby.

No shame in going around for another go. Nice job!

Mast head jib. Yes they go quite well without the mainsail. You could get a genoa.

No experience and solo sailing you are doing great.

When you tired again with the mid line you almost had the trick. I always have a mid spring with both ends tied to a cleat or the winch, then come along side and flick the loop over the cleat securing the boat. My other Trick is to have a length of thin rope or string to hold the tiller over. This way you can leave the boat ingear and it holds itself against the pontoon. No need to rush then to secure the other lines as this can be done in your own time. This is the only way I have found that works well on my hustler 30 when solo.

Wow dude! You're sailing. So impressed

I’m just really happy for you.

Love your vids!! Great stuff! An inspiration. Stay safe and be well. Look forward to more.

It's been a little while since I tuned in to you you're doing great remember we learn by doing and you're coming along just marvelously thank you for the content blessings to you and yours coming at you from Southern Oregon

Hope to see you next week when I visit Jon on SV Pamela C

Nice one mate ! I love Weymouth ,Portland area , I have been going there once or twice a year since the early seventies . I started because my brother was based at the helicopter base there doing SAR . I just fell for the place . I think Weymouth is a fantastic area to bring up a family ,it has everything .🍺

I watched every episode of flipper when i was a kid and that dolphin was trying to warn you about toxic waste being dumped in the cove 😯

I visited Fleetwood Marina today looks like lots of mooring berths are available! You have a very posh radio voice lol ( Great Episode )

Take a look at Duncan Wells mooring short handed

Epic mate. And that docking wasn't bad at all. I've done worse plenty of times

Your not bumbling at all shipmate , it’s an epic watch each time, fare winds and safe seas fella 👍

Where I sail you could come up to a dock and find you only have rings to tie on to, thats funny being alone, having to thread the end of the rope through while the boat is drifting away from you... Love the content though, fun to watch someone as clueless as me :)

When there are whitecaps ya need to say, "The sheep are in the field!!"

Love it. Like your style. Great stuff Kind regards mike and Fenna. Sv Falcon Holland

Shame I have only come across your channel as I would have come and given you a hand when you were at newhaven. Best of luck with the rest of your journey. Fair winds

I found your channel on a whim, going down the same rabbit hole you did to get started on this dream. Hoping to follow in your steps one day! Just saving up for the right ship!

Wahoo! Loving your channel. I too bought a boat (last summer) with no experience at all( probably less knowledge than you😅)BUT I’m doing it. Still not ready to do it in my own but your vids are adding to my motivation. Thanks

Thanks