Hi:

This is the website for Owen Carter, a British guy who has been living in Amsterdam for the last 11 years.

I'm afraid there is nothing earth-shattering here, no solutions for World Peace, no cures for peoples ills.. Just a few of my photos and ramblings.
Posts

Spinnaker

April 20th, 2011 |

Ghosting down the Gaasperplas with a spinnaker and no wind..

The sailseason has begun again, on Saturday we had a day of putting boats in the water at the sailing club; Coppelia went back in of course and is still making me smile, I did not do much to her this winter; only a few bits that are easier with her out of the water and some stuff up on the mast. I plan to work inside her in the better weather; plans include a small electrics system, new cushions and a general cleanup and rearrangement of storage etc.

Last night I got the spinnaker flying on her for the first time since I was sailing her almost 20 years ago.. It still flies and works just fine; if only I had had a bit more wind I would not have had to mostly paddle her back to berth.. :-) I want to practice with the spinny because this year I hope to race her in the club series.

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Season End

November 11th, 2010 |
Coppelia moored at the lake in Gaasperplas

Coppelia at her Mooring

I recently joined the sailing club near where I live, it lets me keep Coppelia on the Gaasperplas; I can just cycle down there and sail her when I want to. I managed to do that pretty much every weekend recently; had some great sails learning the lake (it’s pretty small really) and more about how Coppelia herself is working.

Last weekend we got the boats out of the water; end of the season and no more sailing until Spring for me. Just lots of little repairs to do on her!

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Hello Sailors!

August 24th, 2009 |

We sailed Coppelia for the first time in 20 years! A couple of lengths of the Gaasperplas and a big smile on my face…

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Rigged.

August 10th, 2009 |

I finally got the mast on Coppelia up yesterday, and the sails raised, really pleased!

coppelia-mastStill a way to go before first trip on the water:

  • Sail repairs: cleats on foresails, rip in spinnaker.
  • Mainsail outhaul (clew) needs strengthening.
  • Halyards need fittings splicing to the line.
  • Toestraps to be purchased and fitted.
  • Deck fittings need sealing in place, keel bolt needs sealing.
  • Rear lockers need lockable catches fitting.
  • Sort out the forestay bottom fitting, it’s a mess at the moment.

The list is growing shorter every day :-)

coppelia-sails

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Flying Boat

June 2nd, 2009 |
Coppelia being lifted

Coppelia being lifted

I lifted Coppelia  yesterday and removed the keel. A hundred kilos of cast iron, pretty awkward to handle :-) but lifting the boat was actually quite easy once I’d worked out the correct way of securing her.

The keel will now be renovated, it’s the last really big job before I can sail her for the first time in many years.

More photos in my gallery; here.

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Out and About near Amsterdam

July 14th, 2006 |

Recreatienoordholland.nl; is a good site to see all the major outdoor areas in the Amsterdam region (Noord Holland). I just discovered that my local area, Gaasperplas, is really just part of a much bigger area, the Groengebied Amstelland.

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Bird Brain

April 27th, 2006 |

So far it’s Owen 0 – Pigeon 1
I’m loosing a battle of wills with a pea-brain. Arrgh. Can’t persuade her to leave my balcony.

Update: I’d have preferred to solve this problem some other way than having her die on me, obviously exhausted or sick. Now I feel really bad.

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Some good news

March 14th, 2005 |

The carillon in Gaasperplas is now working again! Not everybody round here likes it, but I have always thought it was a really nice feature of the area.

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