Weather!!!! Too Bloody Much Of It I Say

Woke up to yet another day of high winds and cool temperatures and looking out over the harbour it is a mass of white again! Must say that I am heartily sick of it after experiencing an awful Northern Hemisphere Spring and then to return home to a carbon copy!
Now I realise that you expect to get the equinoxial winds at this time of year but fair go a man can only take so much, especially when he is itching to go sailing and fishing.
And to make matters worse the fast approaching Labour Weekend holiday is not looking too flash either.

A very sad sight for an ex Finn sailor

FINNISHED!

Bloody Big Storm

"Thelma" Mahurangi Regatta Jan 2012

Now this is what I call a usefull app

Oh! Happy Day

The weather over the Christmas/New Year period has been, quite frankly bloody aweful with rain and high winds. Fine for the farmers to grow grass but not much use to someone itching to get their recently renovated trailer sailer in the water!!!!

That is until yesterday when surprise surprise the weather gods decided to give us a reprieve and open a tiny window of fair weather.

The tides, coincidentally also came to the party with a morning/evening high so the scene was set for the maiden cruise to Big Bay and back.

Suffice it to say I had a great day with the mornings North Easterlies conveniently changing in the afternoon to a South Westerly to bring me home again!

Anyway I now have a list a mile long of little things that need addressing after being field (water) tested so to speak on the water – Buy hey isn’t that why we do it?

Into The Dark Side!

I have taken a small deviation from my normal tried and true brews and ventured into the realms of the Dark Side!. I have successfully brewed four batches of beer,larger and pilsener since starting home brewing again after a 20 year hiatus. So now with some confidence under my belt not to mention a beer or two I thought I should try something completely different as they say. Coopers of South Australia have in my view always produced great beer as a commercial brewer so why indeed when it comes to home brewing would you not have faith in their kits for the home? Since taking up the hydrometer again I have utilised the technology of the day and gone for enhancers to replace the old school white sugar of old. Enhancers are specially formulated mixes that replace sugar in the fermentation and improves the body, mouthfeel and head retention without altering the flavour. So after discussing things with my local brewmaster I ventured for an English Bitter enhancer - I can hardly wait!