Boat Info required

Rory Barnes

7th February 2011 at 11:56 AM

Hi all

I too have a similar request as I have recently purchased a lift keel Sonata TRINGA which needs some TLC and would like to track down some of its history.

The first thing I would to confirm is her number as none of the sails have similar numbers and therefore I am not sure if she is 8238,I cannot find a hull number on her transom either.

Any information would be much appreciated, I believe she might have raced at WBYC a few years ago?

Kind regards

Rory

Euan Aitken

7th February 2011 at 4:01 PM

Hi Rory

Extracted from a spring 1994 sonata association newletter So old now that the boat is now more than double the quoted 13 years old it was then But hey thought it might interest you.

T R I N G A ‘ S T R I P

I am enclosing a cheque (late as usual) for cruising membership for ‘Tringa’. Me, having

returned to university (I am an ex RN Officer retraining as a Naval architect) and ‘Tringa’

being 13 years old, we cannot afford/are not up to mixing with the racing fraternity!

However, I thought you might be interested to hear about our summer cruise last year to the

Morbihan. We left Studland Bay early July bound for France and after one false start because

the outboard packed up, had an excellent crossing to Cherbourg. We arrived in daylight

clocking 9 knots as we surfed down the waves.

From Cherbourg we popped along the coast to Omonville La Rogue (very pretty) where the

outboard packed up again forcing us to sail with no back up engine to Alderney the next day

in a force six. It was no problem, just a bit wet and the Mainbrayce organisation in Braye

finally sorted us out with a new stop button for the outboard. We continued on, through the

Swinge at slack water to St Peterport where the weather deteriorated and we sat for five

days. Then there was a window in the weather and we pressed on to Treguier (or Tregs as it

became known) where we were again stuck for five days but there is plenty to explore – the

estuary (and the supermarket sold gin!) so we were OK.

Itching to press on, we finally got the chance although the weather was forecast to

deteriorate and we continued west first to Ploumanac’h, then Bloxon (good for meeting crew as

it is an anchorage next to the Roscoff ferry terminal with an excellent duty free warehouse!)

and then on to L’Aberwrac’h. The weather had never settled and it was forecast to deteriorate

again later in the day as we rushed our of L’Aberwrac’h to get through the Chenal du Four

with the tide. In fact we ended the day having an excellent spinnaker run from the bottom of

the Chenal to Camaret and the weather broke overnight.

Two days later we sailed to Morgat through an amazing reef of rocks that look like dogs’

teeth and then had an early start to get through the Raz de Seine at the right moment. This

stretch of water (remarkably short) has a really menacing feel to it and although it gave us

no problems I would not fancy being there at the wrong state of tide. I’d hoped to get

further that day but the wind died as soon as we got through the Raz so we stopped off in

Audierne overnight and I had my first swim – it was just as cold as England!

We pressed on to Benodet on a glorious day (the first for ages) with the kite flying. Benodet

was probably the best place we went to and we stayed there a couple of days. The first night

there was a jazz band playing on the waterfront in Sainte Marine (where we were moored

opposite Benodet itself) and the atmosphere was brilliant. We were sad to leave but the

Morbihan beckoned and after a night at anchor off Ille aux Moines we stopped off in Belle

Isle as we were missing the next chart. I’d always dreamed of being in Belle Isle and Le

Palais was a charming little town.

The following day, 3 August, we arrived in the Morbihan on a gloriously hot day and

experienced the 5 knot rollercoaster tidal streams for the first time. We were there for

three wonderful, hot sunny days and loved every minute. One night we motored up to Vannes,

the others we lay at anchor or on moorings. Then we had to head for home and had a variety of

weather as we returned via Doelan, Concarneau to Audierne again. After a dawn start the

following day we had the most amazing sail, passing through the Raz de Seine, popping into

Camaret for bread/cheese/gin and then continuing up the Chenal du Four at 7-8 knots with the

spinnaker flying, arriving in L’Aberwrac’h at dusk.

8

Cathy, my girlfriend, and I had been alone up until this time but were joined in Bloxon a day

or two later by a friend, Caroline, who had been stormbound with us for most of her holiday

the previous year in Salcombe and Fowey. We went first to Morlaix (wonderful place) then to

Trebeurden and Port Blanc. We had originally planned on a short hop back across the channel

but now with three of us, an overnight sail wouldn’t be so arduous …and my parents live in

Fowey …and it was my birthday the next day.

On 17 August it was blowing a six at least but the forecast kept saying 4-5 and after lunch I

thought we should nose out and have a look – we could always come back and the wind must be

just a local one. In fact conditions did improve and by the 1750 forecast we weren’t getting

wet quite so often. The forecast said East 3-4 so I was happy to press on and so were the

others. We had an excellent sail and would have been in Fowey for a late breakfast! In fact

the wind died and our speed dropped to 2 knots – the ideal speed for mackerel. We’d been

fishing for six weeks with very limited success but today there was no problem and we had six

good fish in no time (and the one that got away was MASSIVE!)

We stayed in Fowey for the rest of the week and then headed home. The most interesting part

of our trip back was seeing a pack of pilot whales in Lyme Bay. We arrived back in Haslar

Creek, Portsmouth having sailed some 1200 miles and the boat had performed like a dream

(although she did leak a little!) We would do the same again, given the time… and Southern

Ireland is looking appealing this year!

Mark Martin ‘Tringa’

Rory Barnes

11th February 2011 at 1:03 PM

Hi Paul and Euan

Many thanks for information on the boat,she did go up to the north and now she is based in Christchurch where a fleet of lift keel Sonatas is slowly growing, 4 to date.

Regards

Rory

Andrew Smith

11th February 2011 at 6:03 PM

Rory

My Sonata (Frank Sonata – currently on Windermere) sail No is 8238N!!!

I think I might know where your 8238 sails come from. If you don’t want them, I might be interested in buying them.

Oh – and good luck sailing Tringa, I am sure you will get a lot of fun out of her

Andrew