An early start from home (05.30) in order to get down to the marina in time to beat the queue for the lock on what promised to be one of the best days of the summer. I met up with Adrian and Lawrence and by 08.00 we were out of the lock into the Itchenor Reach.
Adrian stopped off to sort his boat out whilst Lawrence and I pressed onto East Head where we both anchored in shallow water. I needed to take a look at my propeller as power was down and fuel consumption was up. So with face mask and snorkel I braved the water which actually turned out to be quite warm.
I was amazed - the prop was almost 2 inches thicker over the blades and had a great horizontal stalactite about three inches long coming from the boss/shaft made up of encrusted barnacles. No wonder performance was down.
I got to work with the scrapper and they were soon removed - it just shows what can grow in 4 or 5 months afloat.
Lawrence's prop was the same so I scrapped that for him whilst I was in the water.
Meanwhile Adrian caught us up, Richard came out of his creek and Steve M joined us in Spray, together with Chris and Meryl. Lunch was taken and we then set off for a first for me, a night in Wootton Creek.
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| Wootton Creek from Royal Victoria SC walkway |
We arrived in good time and Richard and Adrian picked up a mooring. I elected to anchor - buoying it as recommended due to old ground tackle etc.
Lawrence decided on the Royal Victoria SC pontoon, after each attempt to come alongside me caused us to drag.
I dinghyed across to R&A for a BBQ supper but with all the fresh air and the early start bed was soon beckoning.
I awoke at about 03.00 am feeling movement and shouts from Richard got me out on deck to find myself gracefully drifting down the harbour......
I re set the anchor, as well as the GPS alarm, and settled back down for the night.
Monday
The next day dawned bright and fine (see top picture) and as we didn't need to move until lunch time I made my way round to Lawrence on the pontoon for a wash and brush up. Richard and I then walked to Wootton Bridge for supplies.
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| View from Wootton Bridge down the creek |
By the time I reached Newtown I had had enough and downed sail to motor to Keyhaven.
There we anchored in the bay inside the entrance and enjoyed a BBQ watching the sun set.
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| Keyhaven anchorage - Daislebee in foreground |
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| Some of the fleet - dawn at Keyhaven |
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| More of the fleet - Photo Nick Payne |
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| Keyhaven bay - Photo Nick Payne |
Tuesday
We got under way the next day and headed out on the North passage for Poole. The wind increased and it became quite a slog across the bay.
Friday
An early 06.30 departure was called for but our rude awakening was rewarded by the sight of several dolphins or porpoises swimming around the boast as we crossed the bay towards Hurst.
Andy and Judy peeled off for Keyhaven and the rest of the fleet made for Newtown - I pressed on trying to catch Lawrence who had been waiting in Yarmouth for the fleet to come though the narrows.
After a long sail I got into Chichester Harbour and made my way up to the marina. Typically it decided to belt with rain as I sailed up the last reach so wet and tired I tied up in the marina.
Supper was in CYC were Adrian, Richard, Lawrence and I were joined by Steve who told us his tale of daring do around the south of the island.
Steve's tale
Evidently having had an early start Steve and Tom had arrived off the Needles in good time. Having checked the tides and times Steve left Tom to carry on the Newtown Creek and set of southwards. The weather and wind were set fair for this passage.
He arrived at the new harbour of Ventnor, describing it as small, full of small fishing boats and very smelly.
having waited 5 hours for the turn of the tide he set off again and tried to sneak into Bembridge, only to succeed in bending his rudder, forcing him to anchor off Sea view until the morning.
The next day back in Bembridge he was able to released, recover and repair his rudder and the sailed across the Chichester.
Saturday
A day of tidying up and drying out before setting off of home.
Once in the harbour the water was rapidly dropping so I went round to the shelter of Goathorn and had supper before making my way round the islands to join the rest of the fleet behind Furzy Island.
In hind sight I should have stayed were I was - the dinghy dropped off it's short leash and the painter wound itself round the prop - in doing so it the dinghy was pulled hard into the stern of the boat and the port sponson rapidly deflated.....
Bed............
Wednesday
It got worse in the morning - trying to sail off my anchor the main sheet got caught around a cleat and I manage to sail broadside across the main raft...... thankfully Tony was up and about and pushed me off so I could sail into shallow water and sort the prop out. I had also knocked the throttle leaver off and had to fix that as well.
Later it transpired that Lawrence had an engine problem as well - red charging light on and a very lumpy tick over - eventually diagnosed as air in the fuel but no matter how much we bled it it only improved marginally.
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| Fleet off Furzy Island in the early morning |
As lazy day followed where we were joined by Brad - large bass in hand and then Marcus caught one which decided us upon fish and chips for supper and introduced us to Marcus's culinary delight of refried chips from the Fish and Chip shop - ok but I wouldn't leave home for them. Tescos Extra doesn't do a great line in fish so I had to make do with salmon fillets.....
Having purchased the supplies during a visit to the marina I joined the fleet at Shipstal Point for the feast. Perhaps it should be called Shipstal rocks - beware the area just off the beach to the left of the house - there is an area of rocks and boulders which the fleet landed on - no damage thank goodness but we pulled back onto a nice flat area of mud once we re-floated.
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| Rocks at Shipstal Point - Photos by Brad |
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| Deeper water anchoring at Shipstal |
Thursday
Tony and Lawrence had stayed in the marina and set off about 09.00 to use the good forecast to get back into the Solent - Steve M and Tom R set off earlier from Shipstal where they had stayed in deep water. It transpired later that Steve went round the south of the IOW and had a catalogue of adventures himself.
The main fleet set off at about 13.00 and had a great sail to Christchurch - Stewart B caught himself 5 mackerel and had a lesson in filleting from Marcus as we lay at anchor in the lee of Hengistbury Head.
Nick and I decided to walk up to the Head and test his new dinghy at the same time - much to the merriment of the raft - it may be a two Nick size dinghy but not a Nick and Dick size....
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| Nick's rubber ring with floor |
Friday
An early 06.30 departure was called for but our rude awakening was rewarded by the sight of several dolphins or porpoises swimming around the boast as we crossed the bay towards Hurst.
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| St Jovhill |
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| Bolitho on a charge |
After a long sail I got into Chichester Harbour and made my way up to the marina. Typically it decided to belt with rain as I sailed up the last reach so wet and tired I tied up in the marina.
Supper was in CYC were Adrian, Richard, Lawrence and I were joined by Steve who told us his tale of daring do around the south of the island.
Steve's tale
Evidently having had an early start Steve and Tom had arrived off the Needles in good time. Having checked the tides and times Steve left Tom to carry on the Newtown Creek and set of southwards. The weather and wind were set fair for this passage.
He arrived at the new harbour of Ventnor, describing it as small, full of small fishing boats and very smelly.
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| Ventnor Harbour - Photo Steve Maynard |
having waited 5 hours for the turn of the tide he set off again and tried to sneak into Bembridge, only to succeed in bending his rudder, forcing him to anchor off Sea view until the morning.
The next day back in Bembridge he was able to released, recover and repair his rudder and the sailed across the Chichester.
Saturday
A day of tidying up and drying out before setting off of home.
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