Shortest day passes. .... hurrah!!!

Yes folks, the shortest day has been and gone. We can look forward to longer days, more light, increasing warmth.... Bring it on. I know we've got to get through Christmas, endure January, February and early March but it's all downhill now. Talking of Christmas, what's on your list this year. Well typing this on a tablet I have put a waterproof tough case on my list. Whilst I sometimes took my laptop on board to 'work', and still make great use of my iPhone for news, weather, email as well as Google Earth info, Navionics apps and tidal info I am looking forward to using  to date as I go. Also on my list a new handheld VH sprayhood. Will start to draw up the rally details this month and also one of my favourites at this time of the year, start to put details of events into the calendar, it's amazing how the days fill up. Another busy summer ahead. Hopefully you have some adventures to plan for the months ahead so Happy Christmass and enjoy all the New Year has to offer.

End of 2011 season

I thought I'd finish off the season's 'log' with a resume of the last two trips Daislebee undertook.

Friday 7th - Saturday 8th October


The original plan had been to sail to Southsea marina on the Thursday so that I could attend the RYA Diesel Course and then sail back over the weekend. Sadly due to work commitments and the weather I ended up  driving to Southsea. I would highly recommend the course -I was lucky - the other students had cried off so it was one to one tuition and very good to (see the link for details).
I got the boat by about 4.30 dogging a couple of heavy showers that produced stunning rainbows over the marina.

I met up with Richard G in CYC for a very nice meal and good company, before retiring for the night on board.

The next morning I was up and about, getting ship shape. I had a visitor who wanted to see a Shrimper and discuss it's pros and cons, who left just before Jeff L arrived for a day sail in the harbour. The tide was extremely high and gave us plenty of water to sail down the Itchenor reach, looking at the dinghies in the dinghy park almost afloat on their trailers.

We lunched in Thorney Reach, sharing Jeff's sandwiches and local beer and my mussels in white wine - a very pleasant time.

After a sail down past East Head we cracked on back up the channel and saw an unfortunate X boat marooned on the mud - there was still an hour or so of ebb to run and they were high and dry by some margin already - I suspect it would be about 3  hours before they would float again (20.00 ish)

I think Jeff enjoyed the day and we planned some creek crawling adventures for the next season as we made our way back to the marina.

Wednesday 26th - Friday 28th October


A last fling.....

Jeff H and I decided to go for one last sail - so Wednesday morning found us breakfasting in Sainsbury's on the M27 and getting supplies in. By mid morning we were motoring briskly down the harbour to meet up with Nick P behind Hayling Island.

I phoned him en route and he was surprised that we had left the marina - we were in bright sunshine so it seems odd, before he explained that it was pouring down where he was and he had had three inches of hail stones in his cockpit minutes before........

Sure enough, over the trees came the darkest clouds you can imagine and the heaven duly opened above us.

We rendezvoused with Nick and between showers and his leaky spray hood grabbed a cup of tea. The decision was made to head for Portsmouth and we headed for the entrance - boy was it rough- we'd left it too long chatting and paid the price.

The world levelled out once out at sea and in between heavy rain we made our way via the submarine barrier to Gosport marina. After a wash and brush up we hit the town - ending up in Wetherspoons  (Brad and Bob would be proud of us...) where we had a bit of banter with the staff.

Next morning was dull but dry and Jeff and I returned to Wetherspoons for breakfast - coffee was the order of the day but event at 09.00 there were people drinking beer ..... too early even for me.

Back at the marina we set off for Cowes and had a good sail across, being entertained by the Navy and a fleet of landing craft, military hovercraft and helicopters training out in the mid Solent.

Supper at the Folly was good and we turned in reasonably early to catch the tide in the morning.

Friday was dark when we got up but as we left Nick and motored down towards Cowes the sky brightened and it turned into a lovely day. Fortified by boiled egg sandwiches and tea we had a good, if gentle sail as far as Langstone, before the wind gave up and we motored back to Chichester.

Back at the marina we stripped out the cushions and electrics etc.- the plan being to return in a couple of weeks and winterise the engine before pulling her out for the winter and giving her good wash and polish before next season.

So 2011 season is over -  with 43 nights afloat - not bad considering the summer was nothing to shout about . Roll on 2012.....

Season so far.....

Just looking back over the season (which hopefully isn't over yet, although work might get in the way) - I have spent 40 nights afloat.
Although we haven't travelled great distances this year it has been one for firsts -

• Ryde Harbour
• Newport by boat
• Top of Clamerkin
• Top of Western Haven
• The Oak
• Shalfleet Quay and pub
• Eling Tide mill
• Portchester Castle
• Hardwick SC
• Fareham
• Creek crawling
• Christchurch
• Hengistbury Head

My thanks to Richard G and Adrian K for introducing me to many of these and the other Drascombers who join in these adventures and add to the fun.

A great time - looking forward to next year already.

Pre - Marchwood cruise and Marchwood rally

Monday 22nd August -

Ian C, Adrian K and I joined Richard G at East Head, once Richard had cleared his creek at about 15.00 and made our way over the shallow sands and out into the Solent.Wind and weather were fine and we enjoyed a good reach down to the submarine barrier and then shaped up for Cowes. The only drama being a large tanker that thought we were too close to it's intended route, but it passed between us as we held our courses parallel to it. East Cowes had room for us and we spent a quiet, if wet night, on their pontoons.

Tuesday 23rd August -

Set sail by about 10.00 bound for Newtown - great sail down and we anchored in the Western Haven. The original plan had been to get across to Christchurch in one go , but we thought this may prove a little far so the compromise of Newtown with some exploring seemed a good one.

We meet up with Marcus N who joined us on the raft and then took us off on a guided tour of Clamerkin, where we got right up to the end by the rifle range. En route we were joined by Andy P in Blue Peter.

 Torridon in Clamerkin - drifting with style

Rifle range at the top end of Clamerkin

Adrian and I sailed up and as a result promptly lost the others as they came back and disappeared up another arm. We assumed they had taken the Shalfleet finger and set off after them - me trusting Adrian to know where the famous oak tree was - big mistake.... went aground having slid over a bank into a deeper pool with only 10 minutes of a very neap tide to run. Lots of reversing got me back into deeper water, only to discover we had over shot the tree by 200 yds or so.........

We r/v'd with two or three of the others just past the quay and were linked together in a floating raft sipping wine, when we saw Ian being approached by the Harbour Masters dory - talk about bomb burst - Drascombes running for cover left and right... he came along side me and all he wanted was to offer us guidance on a good place to anchor up for the night. Eventually his idea was deemed unsuitable for the combination of walk ashore/ pub and get back without getting muddy so we went along side the quay, with the fervent declaration, mainly for the benefit of Adrian and Richard, that we would move off at 07.30 and anchor back in the Western Haven.

So happy but tired we set off to walk to Shalfleet and had a good meal in the pub - on the way back we came across a glow worm in the bushes - another first.

Wednesday 24th August - Newtown to Christchurch

Shalfleet Quay

Shalfleet pontoon

We awoke at 07.00 and moved away from the quay back to the Western haven where we anchored for breakfast.

After breakfast on the raft, we set off by about 10.30 to get the best of the ebb through the Hurst narrows and out into the bay.

Moshak passing Yarmouth

The weather remained bright but the wind got up and the ride became increasingly bumpy, until sailing was abandoned and it became a motor into the wind to get into harbour.

The entrance to Christchurch is well buoyed but bears no relation to the information on the charts, and is some 200 metres east of what is shown. The shallows banks are close in, certainly on port side and you need to keep in the narrow channel. Turning left into the famous Mole Run you suddenly pop out into a large expanse of water- shallower than Poole with a channel running almost up the middle to the town of Christchurch itself.

We anchored, with some difficulty, in the lee of Hengistbury Head  and spent a wet and windy night as the storm passed through, waking to a bight and sunny morning.

Thursday 25th August  - Christchurch - Yarmouth - Newtown

We rowed ashore and took a walk , under the guidance of Chief scout leader Richard, up to the top of the Head.

The view from Hengistbury Head

In the warm sunshine the view was superb, a panorama from Swanage in the west, round past Poole and Bournemouth and ending with the western end of the Isle of Wight. Well worth the walk.

Returning to the raft we set off up the channel to look at Christchurch.

 A lovely town from the water and some members of the gang soon found the Sailing Club pontoon, and took quite a lot of prising off to get under way back to the Solent. On the way down the channel a small tripper boat caused confusion and my attempt to sail under jib down the channel ended by getting quite firmly blown onto a shallow bank - with jib furler stuck I had to be quick to get off before the ebb left me high and dry but I managed it, getting some stones and mud stuck up the rudder plate for my trouble. I motored down the harbour and picked up a buoy so that I could lift off the rudder - remembering to tie it on first- and sort the problem out. The tide was ebbing fast and I just got off the buoy in time before heading out of the harbour to catch up the others.

A good sail to Hurst followed by a short stop in Yarmouth to stock up and shower soon had us sailing gently along the coast into Newtown creek where we met up with Nick P, Andy and Annie and Barry and Pauline.

 Drascombe at Hurst narrows

Egret under jib and mizzen coming past Hurst

Friday 26th August - Newtown to Marchwood

Barry and Pauline, Andy and Annie set off at about 07.00 to get the most of the early tide - Andy needed to get to Ashlett in a narrow tidal gap to sort his engine out. The rest of us had a leisurely morning and the weather that had been decidedly damp got better and better.

Marcus took three of us - Nick, Adrian and myself up the Western Haven that the others had been exploring while I was aground looking for the oak tree.....

This part of Newtown is an absolute gem - quite, full of wild life and only navigable by Drascombe types or smaller.

Here is a selection of photos - be sure to click on them to get the full 'picture'

About 13.00 then main fleet set off, parting company with Richard and Adrian leaving a little later to go directly to Chichester. The weather got better and better and the sun followed us all the way along the Solent, up Southampton Water to Marchwood Sailing Club who were hosting the rally for the weekend.

Many familiar faces on the pontoon and drinks truend to BBQ...turned back to drinks.

Saturday 27th August

The following day the fleet visited Warsash, sailing down with a favourable wind. On the Harbour Masters pontoon we renewed acquaintance with Richard Dykes and his family, before setting back to Marchwood - this time battling against the wind. Most gave up and motored make it back in time for the meal in the club house.

 Marchwood pontoon - Coffee in hand

to watch the show

Liners turn around under their own power

Sunday 28th August.

The fleet set sail up 'river' towards Eling where we rafted up just off the park. I took the dinghy ashore and walked over he tide mill into the village to re-stock with important things like the newspaper and beer.

We returned to Marchwood later in the afternoon after a well deserved snooze and watch some more container ship billiards.....

Monday 29th August.

 With many having pulled out the previous day a reduced fleet departed Marchwood for the sail to Ashlett. We were made very welcome on the pontoons and soon adjourned for the BBQ at the mill.

More Drascombers departed after lunch leaving Nick, Ian and I on the pontoon. Nick and I took a walk along the foreshore to Calshot and did a bit of land side research into the potential of Owers Bay

Owers Bay - showing the deep water at low tide

On the way back we feasted on blackberries and a lone apple tree, where the New Forest ponies had left the fruit on the higher branches - problems with short necks apparently..... but very much to our advantage.

We felt lazy that night ( or about normal I suppose) and adjourned to the mill again for supper - very good it was to.

Tuesday 30th August

The following morning the three of us set off up the hill to the village after breakfast - discovering a Chinese, Indian and a take away sandwich shop that does breakfasts from 06.30 - all in a small village. After a coffee at this shop we wandered down the hill to discover the boats afloat - it was time to go.

 Moshak leaving Ashlett

Moshak, a tanker, three tugs and a speed boat 

Nick separated and went over to look at Owers from the sea before setting off to his home port of Warsash.

Ian and I motored, sailed, motored and sailed again past Portsmouth and Southsea before finally motoring into Chichester harbour in the late afternoon. Ian pressed on so he could be away early - (that didn't go to plan) whilst I spent a last night out in Mengham Rithe.

Wednesday 31st August.

After breakfast I motored quietly across the harbour in very still water, up the channel and back to the marina, where, after a tidy up I set off for home... until next time.....

Solent 9th - 11th August

Chris had been away on his European trip so had missed out on sailing trips. We decided to take a few days out on the boat, leaving younger brother to his drums......
Setting out from Chichester to Ryde, we planned the journey with more attention than normal - the idea was to try and show Chris that it is not just a question of coming out of the harbour and turning right so tides, weather, wind, currents, engine checks, headings, clearance bearings etc - all the things I tend to do myself without the crew getting involved became shared tasks - working towards the day, no doubt, when I get the 'Can I borrow the boat ?' question.......

After all the prep though the wind let us down after about a mile out of the channel and it became a motor with the wind on the nose.

We were due to r/v with Nick P in 'Virginia', who had come out of Warsash but with the lack of wind arranged to meet at Ryde. For some reason I assumed we would be there first and made arrangements with the Harbour Master for two small yachts to berth - only to find Nick tied up and waiting - no wonder the HM sounded confused.
After a few beers we adjourned to the town for quite a good curry and an early night.

The following day we had choices - stay in harbour and take the bus to Cowes to watch the sailing or go over to Portsmouth and show Chris the bits of the harbour Adam I and I visited last time out.

Portsmouth won and we had a great sail across - just the right amount of wind, sun and some spectacular racing yachts heading east.

We made our way up to Portchester Castle for lunch and tried to anchor in the lee, without much success - too much westerly in the wind. So, after a quick snack, we made our way back down the harbour and across to the Hardway SC pontoon where we spent the night and shared a meal with Nick - Chris invented the perfect method for producing garlic bread on board - just the job with a bit of pasta - butter both sides of slices of a baguette with garlic butter and then place them into hot frying pan, turning a few times until it starts to brown.

Hardway Pontoon

The next day Nick had to leave about 09.30 to get the best of the current to sail back across to Ryde to r/v with Peter T who was coming out of Chichester.

We left just after 10.00 against the last of the flood down to the harbour mouth - hoping that this would give us the right window to get across and into Chichester before the ebb began to run too strongly against the wind. BIG MISTAKE.

I should have gone earlier - never mind a little adverse current. By the time we got to Chichester entrance the seas were big and piling up. We made it in but it wasn't comfortable and it was a marginal decision whether to head back towards Langston or across to the lee of the island. Moral of the story - don't be constrained by train times and travel plans - they tend to force your hand.

The sun came out and in the much more sheltered harbour we sailed up to the moorings at Itchenor before the strength of the tide defeated us and we motored back to the marina.

Exploring Portsmouth 26th - 29th July

Adam and I grabbed a few days on the boat and together with Richard G in Egret had a look around Portsmouth Harbour.

We had a slow start, spending the afternoon of Tuesday showing a friend who is interested in buying a Shrimper,  around the boat - hoisting the sails and looking at the engine - that sort of thing - there was no wind to take her out for a sail but I think he found it useful. That evening Adam and I adjourned to CYC for a meal and spent the night in the marina.

The next day was sunny and warm and we got away after a quick coffee and anchored off East Head for breakfast and to wait for Richard to get out of his creek. As it was we stayed there for lunch to get the best of the tide for the run to Portsmouth.

 Crew - general lookout

We took the inshore passage over the Winners - getting down to 0.5 m at one point, but with the plate up we skimmed across and took the inshore route through the submarine barrier

Egret - approaching the submarine barrier

We hugged the shore until the hovercraft came in behind us and then crossed to the small boat passage at the entrance to the harbour.

Watch out for passing traffic

HMS Illustrious was in port - it turned out she was due to escort the yachts at the start of The Clipper Round the World race on Saturday.

HMS Illustrious

Further up the harbour in the beginning of the Fareham Channel was evidence of the post navy cuts tied up and looking very forlorn - not quite the majestic Royal Navy turn out - HMS Exeter, Nottingham, Manchester and Southampton

Forgotten and rusting

We picked up a buoy for a cup of tea and then made our way across the shallows to the area just off Portchester Castle were we spent the night - we had a chat to the Police launch who had come up following a report of some lads in a dory paying a lot of interest to some yachts on the far side of the moorings - unfortunately we hadn't seen a thing.......

Sunset over Portchester Castle

The next morning the sun shone brightly, quickly burning off the mist and revealing Portchester Castle in a different light.

View up the harbour

Later Adam and I went ashore and had a look round the castle - coming across the local Hell's Angel chapter

Later that day we slipped back across to the Fareham channel and made our way up to the top , being buzzed by Chinook and Sea King helicopters along the way.

Lunch was taken at the Fareham Motor and Sailing club pontoon where we were made very welcome  with telephones numbers being exchanged with a view to a potential rally location.

We then took the flood down the harbour and out to the Solent and headed towards Langstone.

On arrival we tied up outside Southsea marina until the cill was lowered and we could moor up for the night. A very convivial curry at the restaurant and an early night.

The next day we took the inshore passage back to Chichester and home to the marina - another good cruise with Adam doing most of the boat handling, including reversing into the berth - coming along nicely.

Feeder cruise and Poole Rally 30th June - 5th July

With the Poole rally having being brought forward this year - to try an get some decent weather, and also catch some of the Dart rally attendees on their way back, things were looking decidedly dodgy - No-one ended up sailing back from Poole and the week before the weather looked ominous.

What a difference a few days makes - although plans changed and the intended r/v in Mengham Rithe on the Wednesday night was only partially successful - Peter and Richard made it, Adrian got delayed drinking 'coffee' on someone else's boat in the marina, and Adam and I only got down early Thursday morning, all four of us left the harbour by about 10.30, for the long, tide assisted run down to Keyhaven. Unfortunately the wind was on the nose and it was a motor all the way, but the weather was great, and apart from getting a load of green water over the top just past Cowes at Gurnard we arrived together off Keyhaven and made our way up to the quay.
All was going fine until I went to help Marcus, who had come across from Newtown, tie up along side - slipped - and was suddenly swimming over the side - complete with iPhone in pocket ..... however I pulled it out quickly and handed it up to Adam. I then discovered that I was grazing my knees on the bottom so stood up and walk round to the stern ladder to get back on.
A good wipe of the phone and some WD 40 and no harm done - thank goodness.

The rest of the crowd were already there, Barry and Pauline, Andy and Anne, Dave Q, Nick and Vernon and we adjourned to the pub for grub.

The next day - Friday - we left the quay to catch the 11.00 slack through Hurst - not before I got wet again - only this time is was planned - well sort of. a rock of the boat and a poorly position frying pan meant that I had to wade out to retrieve it from under the boat - the things I do for a cooked breakfast......

The Solent Fleet departing Keyhaven

Some of the fleet off Hurst

Hurst Castle from the North Channel

Dave Q

The sail across the bay was very good with the wind getting up to a low F4 and the Rally gathered in Blood Alley as normal. After a BBQ and drinks the raft which was about 20 boats wide broke up slightly for the night.

Sunset over the western end of Brownsea Island

The following day, after a stock up from Tesco Extra, we joined the fleet out in Studland Bay. There was a Shrimper rally in harbour  over the same weekend and with the Drascombe gang out in force, for once there were more tan sails on view than white.

Marcus off Old Harry

The fleet returned to Blood Alley, although we were sometime behind them having adjourned with Brad and Bob to The Banks Arms - followed by a BBQ on the beach.

The sing song on the raft was a robust affair, brought to a halt at 11.00 for the sake of the neighbours - Bolitho was the chosen party boat, a move which I was to regret until at least lunchtime the next day ........

Sunday was a quiet day, with a short sail over to Arne where we spent the day in the sun at anchor. We made our way over the the haven for the night, intending to join Brad and Bob for a Chinese but following problems with their rear lights on the Jeep, Adam and I ate alone and met them for a drink later on.

Monday saw an early start with a fleet r/v at the entrance of the harbour at 07.30,

Brownsea Castle

The fleet split up at Hurst and we joined Adrian and Richard in Yarmouth for the night.

Sunset in Yarmouth IOW

The next day we set off early again to catch the tide back to Chichester were we left Adrian and Richard and pressed on for the marina - the end of a great rally and a wonderful trip in the sunshine at last.