Taking Soundings

Although I did have an afternoon sail at Shoal Bay in Tilman a week ago, I've mostly been working on his big sister Misty my Hunter 19 trailer sailer. She's my preferred craft for school holidays and once again they're upon us.
By work I mostly mean modifying. Well, there was the broken tiller from last holidays that needed repairs. It was a job that kicked on way too long as it happens. I harbour bigger plans for Misty and I've taken the time to add a Samson post and collision bulkhead, some new deck treads over the anchor well and installed new ground tackle; a 12kg CQR and 40m of 6mm chain.
Anyway ... a few nights ago a fellow on the "Dinghy Cruising Australia" FB page invited all comers to a raid nearby and I'm keen to join in. Unfortunately because it starts on the last day of the holidays I'll miss most of it. But, what I plan to do is begin cruising a few days beforehand and then catch the start of the raid. The Myall Lakes, where the raid will be is challenging for the dozy navigator like me, mainly due to the risk of running around.
So this morning, as the weather does its best to end the drought and down us I'm thinking about making a sounding lead. I fell for the sounding lead while reading "Sailing for Fun" by A.C. Stock. and its more recent manifestation "Creeksailor" blog or FB, I'm really hooked on the romance of swinging the lead. But whether I'll be feeling so relaxed  swinging the lead while singlehanding into a strange anchorage in the dark, is yet to be seen. But perhaps adding a traditional sailor's wrinkle will see me slowing down and enjoying the moment.

Hiscock in "Cruising Under Sail" provides full detail on making a sounding lead. For example:- at 1m, 11 and 21m [sew in] one step of leather". After the each subsequent metre is marked with "two strips of leather" and then bunting in blue, green and white, white, green, red, blue and white, red and white, then at 10m leather with a hole in it. Following this the above sequence is repeated except at the 10m interval, where leather strips are added to the leather with a hole in it, 20m add two strips, 30m three strips and so on.

Eric recommends using athree kg. weight attached to 25m of 6mm braided line,  wound on a short board with v cuts in ends for stowage. Of course being only a tiny sailboat, Misty will carry a scaled down version.
The benefits of such a sounding lead are obvious to me; no drain from my tiny solar-charged battery, no need to diagnose and repair electronic malfunctions (even if I could), simplicity and reliability and a more direct relationship between sailor and the elements.