Impromptu Mid week - Wednesday 24th July.

With the weather remaining bright and sunny, when it became apparent there wasn't much at work to keep my attention I grabbed a day and set off to join Chris and Meryl Briggs-Mead and their mid week sailing plan to Hayling Island Sailing Club.

Leaving home early and stopping at Tesco as usual for supplies I was leaving my berth by about 11.00 and using the steady F3 to take me down the harbour.

The wind picked up to such an extent that I wasn't making any ground as I reached the Thorney Channel entrance so down came the sails and I motored the rest of the way to East Head.

Quite a group had gathered - Chris and Meryl, Jeff Lander, Bob, Roger and Anita, Richard Goldsmith in his Cornish Coble and the Fergusons in their very smart motor launch.

I anchored a little way off from the main group and watch as a Crabber 24 came in, circled through the anchorage and dropped its hook a few metres astern of me. Two other Shrimpers were anchored quite close by. When lunch was over I waited for the group to disperse before hauling up the main sail, retrieving the anchor and then gybing through the anchorage, letting the jib unfurl as I powered through the moored boats, straight between the two Shrimpers - it did feel good.

Richard in his Coble

Sailing past later

Three of us ended up having a cracking sail up the harbour and I explored the top end of Mill Rythe which definitely looks worth a closer look sometime.

We then made for Sandy Point, a small drying creek behind Hayling Island Sailing Club, which is reached up the Sparkes Marina channel.

When we arrived there was still about 1.4 m of water in the bottom channel.

Mudlark and Little Dipper - before they dried out.

The water rushed out and swung me round with it. Almost as soon as I touch bottom the phone rang -could I be in for 08.30 the next morning ...???!!!! (I had planned on a quiet drift up the harbour and getting to the office for the planned 14.30 start - best laid plans.....

Dried out in Sandy Point

Still not to be put off we had a BBQ in the dunes and a walk up to the Lifeboat Station which was busy getting ready for its open day at the weekend.

The crews of Mudlark and Little Dipper

View from the Life Boat Station

I settled down for a couple of hours sleep before the tide came back and lifted off at about 23.30.

The tide was rushing back in so I was making about 6 knots up the harbour under little engine with a nice full moon to light the way.

Back at the marina I called up early, expecting to wake someone up but no, they has been watch my lights come up the channel. They gave me the offer of a lock in or to use the first part of free flow, although they did caution that the current was about 3.5 knots. I decided to go for it...... I think I slowed down about half way up the marina such was the flow of the current helping me along. It was like being on a fair ground ride.

Safe in my berth I got my head down again before rising early to tidy up and get ready for work - I arrived at the office with time to spare - not quite the quiet get away but good fun.