There follows a description of my first two years of dinghy cruising (actually day sailing) which may be of interest.

Having moved to Northern Ireland from Scotland, I was looking for an activity to take the place of skiing, and decided to reactivate a boyhood interest in sailing boats. This coincided with acquiring a weekend cottage on the Antrim coast, so that was my sailing area; not the obvious choice for open boating, but there you go.

I got the loan of a Mirror for one summer, but found it rather too lightweight for the shores of the North Channel and decided I needed something around the 14’ mark. An elderly wooden GP14 became mine, largely because it was the right price and I had heard it recommended as one of the more stable dinghies. I missed the lightness of the Mirror at launching and recovery, but it certainly felt more secure on the water. I spent the next summer getting used to it, pottering about in the bay in light weather. I made a robust set of oars and rigged up an anchor from a fisherman’s grapnel, a length of chain and an old 11 mm climbing rope. My chain locker is a large white home brewing bucket. Buoyancy bag attachment screws did not look as if they would hold much of anything, so I replaced them with bolts through the frames. I toyed with the idea of ballast, reduced sail plans etc., but always came back to thinking that the boat was designed to be the way she is and that I would only be trading disadvantages. One point about the ‘racing’ set up is that it makes the best use of really calm weather. By the end of the year, two things were on my mind: the weight of the wooden mast, which made stepping and unstepping a pain, and the inadequate reefing system.

First the mast. Following an article in an early DCA Bulletin (The GP14 — Philpot), I obtained a metal mast which had broken at deck level, plugged the bottom after filling it with polystyrene chips, and made a base for it so that the base sat above the level of the mast gate, and the mast was ‘deck’ stepped on the base. The original standing rigging was used and an old Fireball gooseneck was filed down to fit the old wooden boom.

Next, reefing. The roll-around-the-boom set-up is clearly very unseamanlike and difficult enough even on shore. I fitted a downhaul to the jib and decided on single line jiffy reefing for the main, using Len Wingfield’s version of the Ian Nicholson set up. While at this, I cut the roach out of the sail as well and retired the sail battens. Initially I put in one reef one-fifth of the way up the luff, as I did not see myself being out in anything like the conditions which would require more than this, at least to start with.

May 1990 Solo: short trip to test facility of rigging changes. Wind moderate SW (out of the glen). Circumnavigated Black Rock. All gear OK, although I reefed before sailing as I tend to do on my own, and did not use the jib.

16 June 1990 Proposed trip round Garron Point to Red Bay and back. Wind S, strengthening (effect of sea breeze) and increasing gusting. About force 4. Swell from SE. Set off downwind under jib with mainsail halyard as topping lift. Lost wind at Straidkilly Point (as ever) and decided to raise the main. Had some difficulty transferring the main halyard to its proper position and decided to fit a proper topping lift asap. No sooner was full sail made than the wind returned again with many white horses. Started to feel nervous so doused the jib and reefed the main. Was pleased that the single line reefing worked well under ‘real’ conditions. My gooseneck arrangement (held to mast with shock cord), while OK when sailing, showed signs of collapsing during reefing operations. Made mental note to beef this up. At this point, decided that the planned day was over-ambitious. After missing stays a couple of times (due to the swell, I think) we tacked back into Glenarm Bay, anchored and had some lunch. The effects of the swell were far less here, although the wind was more gusty, coming down the glen and over the cliffs of Path Head. Spent the next hour or so broad-reaching and close-reaching about the bay, still under reefed main only. Considered trying in the direction of Carnlough again, or a trip to the salmon cages, but the white horses beyond the shelter of the bay and the sight of a yacht plunging heavily in the distance as it set off to the south from Carnlough deterred us.

31 July 1990 Wind S 3-4. Set off for Carnlough under main only with one reef in. As we left the shelter of Glenarm Bay the swell was more apparent, and by the time we reached Black Rock we were surfing down the odd wave. Felt very much the part until we were visited by a wind‑surfer from Carnlough Beach, clad in swimming trunks only. Crossed Carnlough Bay, but decided not to enter the harbour or try for the beach due to the swell. Turned for Glenarm and found things much more boisterous. The wind had a westerly component, due to the effect of the glens, while the swell was coming in from east of south, so the starboard tack was directly into the waves, while the port tack took them more or less beam on. We estimated the swell at about 4’. While never in any real danger, I was glad of the company. The wind seemed to rise slightly throughout the trip, and there were now not a few white horses. Cleared Straidkilly Point and found another water back in Glenarm Bay.

1 August 1990 Wind S 4-5 but moderating rapidly in the evening. Reefed main and jib. Sailed about the bay. As the wind continued to die, decided to take the reef out of the main and was pleased to find how easy it was; although with a topping lift it would have been even easier.

24 August 1990 SE 1-2. Drift round bay in rain (heavy now and again). Unreefing a doddle with topping lift. Sailing in these calms verges on the tedious.

Throughout the past year I have both acquired much experience of open boat sailing in coastal waters and have acquired a more seaworthy boat. Much of the latter is due to the many articles in the DCA Bulletin, especially when written by those who, like me, have adapted stock dinghies. For example, Elizabeth Baker’s description of her Mayfly dinghy. These articles, together with those describing cruises in detail (for example, Elizabeth Baker again in the Mull trip, or the Welsh cruise by the Mirror Little Mischief) can be read again and again as one gains experience of one’s own.

I realise that an old GP14 is many peoples’ idea of a death trap, but I am on a tight budget, so its either that or nothing. If I had the money I would probably rush out and buy a Drascombe Lugger; as it is I have a sound boat I am proud of and which has so far not let me down. The next step is to get the tent organised and try an overnight trip.

As mentioned before, the Antrim coast of the North Channel is not perhaps the best place for open boating, but, as compensation, it does have an epic quality lacking in more sheltered areas, with a clear weather panorama of the Antrim hills, Islay, Jura, Kintyre and Ailsa Craig.