Klaus Harris

First sail in the RS Vareo

Published on Jan 18, 2017Apr 7, 2017 by Klaus Harris2 Comments

I learned to sail in Picos, moved up to Lasers, had a Solo for a year and recently acquired an RS Vareo, a boat which I took for its first sail recently.

img_20170118_103443789

Continue reading “First sail in the RS Vareo” →

Automattic, in 2016, in Whistler

Published on Sep 18, 2016 by Klaus Harris1 Comment

Thanks to Donncha for the photo!

Source: Automattic, in 2016, in Whistler

Winters in Germany

Published on May 4, 2016Dec 11, 2017 by Klaus HarrisLeave a comment

I lived in Germany for thirteen years mostly near Munich and some years we had really great winters. Now back in the UK it’s basically always wet, cold and windy, it’s winter with none of the good bits.

I remember a lot of snow clearing, the endless fight to get a parking space, clear a parking space from snow and prevent the car being buried by the daily passing snowploughs. And how after a few days of -10 to -20, a temperature of only -3 or -5 then felt relatively warm. Of scraping ice off the insides of car windows, handbrake turns and drifting around corners, the woods looking like Narnia, that wonderful sound of snow crunching underfoot, snowball fights and sledging. Decent winters.

Houses in Germany are built and insulated really well and cars have winter wheels with a set of winter tyres, the country is well set up for winter conditions. I miss decent winters but, when it’s mild that’s good too.

Solo 3251

Published on Apr 20, 2016Jan 18, 2017 by Klaus Harris1 Comment

My Solo dinghy no. 3251 was fixed up by Chris Somner , she feels very solid now and looks lovely.

Edit 1st Sept 2016. Fond as I was of the boat she’s sold now and I’m back on lasers, for my next boat I’m thinking of an RS Vareo. Fast and fun downwind which is something that can get really tedious in single sail boats.

Edit: 18th Jan 2017. I have an RS Vareo now and took it for its first sail recently.

Morning nature safari

Published on Apr 10, 2016Sep 1, 2016 by Klaus HarrisLeave a comment

So much plastic in the sea

Published on Feb 13, 2016 by Klaus HarrisLeave a comment

After a few days of onshore winds it’s sad to see so much evidence of so much plastic in the sea. So many tiny pieces.

plastic

https://www.youtube.com/user/PlasticPollution
http://www.mcsuk.org/
http://www.marineconservationresearch.co.uk/
http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/
http://www.theoceancleanup.com/

RSPB Garden Birdwatch 2016

Published on Jan 31, 2016Aug 31, 2016 by Klaus HarrisLeave a comment

The Big Garden Birdwatch organised by the RSPB. We had:

two or three robins
a blackbird
a wood pigeon
a family of six or seven long tailed tits
a number of sparrows
two dunnocks
a starling
two coal tits
two blue tits
one great tit
a crow

I haven’t seen any thrushes for ages, and the chaffinches, greenfinches and goldfinches were missing. We turned the car into a bird hide and felt like real naturalists, speaking in whispers.

https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdwatch