Another quick jaunt 13th - 15th September

Thursday

Chris has to go back to Uni soon and having had only one short trip way back in May we thought we'd take advantage of the fine weather to get out for a few days. So, for a teenager, it was an early start (06.30) departure from home to get down to the boat before the traffic sets in on the M25.
A good run saw us in Tesco for breakfast, which is becoming a regular ritual, before stocking up with a few stores to see us through. The plan was to use up some of the tins on board but as you will see this was a forlorn hope.....

We set out from the marina by about 10.00 and had a plan to r/v with Nick Payne in Portsmouth. Nick had sailed there from Warsash the previous day in order to have a day sail on a friends 50 ft classic Thalassa ( http://www.thalassa06.co.uk/index.htm)

Old picture of Thalassa

(Nick tells me that Thalassa's new owner has put an 11' bowsprit on her and a taller mast, increasing the sizes of the mainsail considerably. as well alterations to the mizzen. Unfortunately our r/v plans didn't work out and I didn't get any good pictures of her under sail.)

The weather was great, sunny and warn with a F3/4 south westerly. We set off out of the harbour and made our furthest distance around the back of the Isle of Wight to date, turning back just past the Bembridge Buoy.

Lunch was had heaved to off Bembridge before we set off between the forts towards Portsmouth. On the way we made contact with Nick who was travelling up the Solent from Cowes in Thalassa and we headed out again to try and get some pictures, but will all that sail and a spinnaker they shot past us in the distance and I could only snatch some long range shots .

Thalassa in the distance

We headed into Gosport for the night and tried to r/v with Nick but he was engaged so Chris and I caught the ferry across to Gun wharf Quay and had a few beers before going to see the new Bourne film - not as good as the trilogy but entertaining. A few more beers and a visit to Wagamama's saw us back on the ferry and into bed.

Our route - Day one (click for larger image)

Friday

Windy and grey it wasn't that inviting to get up and about but Wetherspoons beckoned for breakfast and so I managed to get a teenager up and off we set, meeting Nick on the way.

We set an 11.00 o'clock departure heading for Cowes. After the sun, warm weather and great sailing of the day before this was more like being in a washing machine and we thrashed our way across to Wootton, leaving Nick who had decided to travel the north shore for a distance before cutting across.

Picking up a buoy in Wootton was like a different world, calm, sunny and quiet. We stayed as long as we could but eventually set off for Cowes, motoring up the lee of the island in much better conditions, passing Nick who was still out in the middle intent on sailing the while way.

Chris fell asleep just prior to Cowes, well, it had been an early start for him (09.00......) and, once in the river, I had a lovely sail up to the Folly where for the first time in ages we managed to tie up on the Folly pontoon itself. Nick joined us but decided to cook on board so Chris and I adjourned to the pub which was getting very busy. After a good meal Nick joined us for the live music, Chris thrashed me at pool and also showed me how to drink a Smirnoff Ice in 2 seconds - why?????.

This probably accounted for his late start the next morning....

Saturday

Tied up at The Folly

The day dawned fine and without a breath of wind. We were under pain of death to be back by late afternoon and Nick needed the height of tide at Warsash to haul out so at 08.00 we set off motoring down the river.

Folly Reach

Nick - motoring though Cowes

In spite of the diesel chugging away inches from his head - thump thump thump - Chris didn't stir util 10.30 or so just after I passed Ryde.........

Nick set off across to the North Island and I had a delightful motor towards the forts.

It was so calm that once Chris was awake we cooked breakfast on the move on my recent mod of a bridge deck table over the engine cover.

Breakfast on the move

  The wind never got up enough to sail and still keep our deadline so we opted to motor to East Head and use the time saved to have a break before setting off to the marina where we got buzzed by a Lancaster bomber that we saw link up with to smaller planes in the distance , no doubt a Spitfire, Hurricane combination doing an appearance at Goodwood, up the road. Very loud and impressive skimming across at mast head height it seemed.

Lancaster over Chichester marina

We set off for home and made it in good time, in fact as I walked down the garden, guess what flew over - yep, a Lancaster, Spitfire and a Hurricane - now I not saying I drive fast but I have got to attend naughty boys driving course next week.....