first solo mission !!!!

Friday the 23rd of april i launched pandemonium once again !! but on Saturday the 24th of april 2010 . pandemonium and i embarked on my first every solo voyage !! i was a lengthy 5 and a half hours. we set off at about half past nine , quarter to ten and thought i would do everything very slowly and gently but when i got out there i had to get the sails up straight away and turn the outboard off because i was so exited (and a little nervous) to get going. i started with full main and no.2 jib as it was only slightly overlapping so i could get used to tacking upwind . there was a steady breeze and the sun was beginning to shine and everything felt a little warmer :P i was tacking upwind happily until i got closer to felixstowe docks at this point i decided to do a headsail change !! i was quite impressed i managed to do it and not drift in to the bank or hit anything !! go me !! after this we were flying . as i entered the docks the was an Oceanis 310 alongside sailing in the same direction as me ... the race was on ! we were tacking upwind (the oceanis completely oblivious that we were racing) and by the time we go to harwich shelf i was leading , by quite a long way at this point i felt quite at home on my boat. but in all previous crewed voyages we hadn't ventured past fagbury which is at the start of the docks . i was determined to make it to a significant navigational mark .. so i decided to go to languard i was now properly at sea once i got there i took a picture on my phone for proof that i made it there (unfortunately i cant get it on to the computer)but once i got there it was a lovely day and i didnt want to go in yet so i had a quick scan left and right .. on my left a massive ship on it way to felixstowe out to my right i spyed a red and white striped buoy .. this was pye-end .. this was to be today's voyage (Sunday) but i thought why not go now . at this point i had rigged my spinnaker and really wanted to launch it so i plucked up some courage and pulled on the halyard and sheeted in .. and the it was i had launched and was sailing with my spinnaker on my own !! getting it down hadn't crossed my mind yet but anyway . i decided to put some gybes in . as it an asymmetric cruising chute it was quite easy .. after this i met up with my brother and his friends who were racing . i decided to head back in as it would take me a while ... on the way i met up with my dad and eldest brother and sister , and done some up wind sailing to show them i could do it . on the way back through the docks i put the spinnaker up again and goose winged it to go dead down wind and it worked surprisingly well . i then parked up to end an amazing day !!

winter sailing on pandemonium !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5mdvdXdl24

the first ever video footage of pandemonium