Poole Rally and feeder cruise - 2nd to 10th July 2013

Tuesday 2nd July

I managed to escape the office quite early and following a brief supplies stock up at Tesco, continued onto the marina. It was nice to have time to pack food and clothing away properly - normally I am rushing to catch the tide or meet with someone so I sort it out as I go - much better to build in time to sort it all out before departure - Adrian arrived a couple of hours later and we soon decide that to depart into the harbour and sit at anchor or on a buoy in the quite strong wind was not so much fun so we called Richard and arranged to meet him at CYC for supper.

Adrian and I repaired to Torridon to sample some of his Speckled Hen and before we knew it we had to rush round to the club where we had a very enjoyable meal with Richard.

Sunset at CYC at the start of the cruise (Photo - iPhone)

We agreed to meet at East Head the following morning before we set out westward with Hill Head being our intended objective.


Wednesday 3rd July

As I have come to expect, departure is a moveable feast and so to encourage activity I set off at about 09.30 down the harbour. Richard was late getting out of his creek and so we met in lumpy conditions at East Head. Adrian called to say he was just leaving the marina so we decided to cross to Mengham Rithe to gain some shelter. As we crossed the harbour entrance it looked quite reasonable but rather than break up the flotilla I stuck with the plan and soon Adrian joined us on a buoy.
We eventually departed at about 16.00 and only made it as far as Southsea Marina which was well short of our intended destination but nevertheless we had a great BBQ in a lovely sheltered, warm corner of the marina.
I declared my plan to leave at 07.30 the following morning and we retired for the night in anticipation.

Thursday 4th July

A bright start and away just after 07.30, followed shortly by Richard and more latterly by Adrian. They both opted for Cowes but I decided to press on. The wind was on the nose but the tide was with us for about 5 hours. I headed straight to Newtown Creek for lunch with the wind increasing steadily and the tide eventually turning against me making the conditions pretty rough. Even in Newton, up the right hand arm, just before the oyster beds as were, the wind funnelled down the valley making lunch a quick and uncomfortable stop.
I headed out under a double reef and called up a few of the Ashlett fleet who had also set out that morning. Out of the 5 boats that had left three seemed to either have turned back or made for Cowes. The sails were soon put away again and I motored steadily into Keyhaven where Peter T was already tied up, having set sail earlier in the week. Soon the rest of the fleet assembled with all the Ashlett crowd bar one making it to the quay.

Peter in the drink (Photo - Andy Cooper)

Here we had our first bit of entertainment for the week, when Peter tried to assist a boat coming alongside me and took hold of the new halyard arrangement I have installed, well almost - the cleat does really need some longer screws, as Peter found out when he used it to hang onto and the screws pulled out.......

What happened there? (Photo - Andy Cooper)

No harm done, apart to pride, but nothing a beer couldn't fix.

 We then had Adrian using his centre plate as a handbrake and then rowing his Coaster alongside....

Torridon coming alongside (Photo - Andy Cooper)

Torridon (Photo- Andy Cooper)

We relaxed for awhile beside the quay, once the dramas were over and I had a beer whilst Peter washed out his clothes.

Relaxing (Photo- Andy Cooper)

The evening was spent at Barry and Pauline's, where the BBQ this year was outside in the sun .....
The band soon started playing and a very enjoyable evening was had by all.

Photos - Andy Cooper

Friday 5th July

Friday arrived in glorious style. gentle winds and blazing sun and we enjoyed breakfast next to the quay.

Breakfast in the sun (Photo - Andy Cooper)

We set off for Poole at about 09.30. The wind enabled us to close haul across the bay.

Departure across the bay (Photo - Andy Cooper)

The main fleet arrived during the afternoon, but Marcus and I decided to head to Studland Bay for a hour or so before heading into harbour and the ubiquitous Drascombe raft.

Drascombe raft (Photo - Andy Cooper)

The raft broke up before we retired for the night to prevent too much starin on a few anchors and an tangle of lines in the morning.

Saturday 6th July

As the sun rose it was obviously going to be a very hot day, but the morning mist created a nice atmosphere in the anchorage.

Misty morning (Photos - Andy Cooper)

Blood Alley at dawn (iPhone)

Many of the raft stayed put and took the opportunity to explore Brownsea Island,

The raft from Brownsea Island (Photo - Andy Cooper)

others, including me, decided to explore the backwaters en route to Shipstal Point and ended up going aground several time -a rising tide of course.

The afternoon was spent trying to establish a suitable location for a BBQ ashore - after several failed explorations we settled on the area known as Shell Bay, just inside the entrance, where historically Drascombe rallies in Poole began.

Shell Bay (Photos - Andy Cooper)

Sunday 7th July

The next morning I repaired to the Haven Marina for a wash and brush up and to re-stock. Breakfast was taken in Wetherspoons and I rejoined the diminished fleet at Shipstal for lunch. About half the boats had had to depart, either to trailer up the Frome towards Wareham or back across the bay to the Solent.

We returned to Shell Bay again for another evening of conviviality, and also because it was near the entrance for our departure the following day. Unfortunately Andy Cooper had also departed so it was back to the iPhone for me.


Monday 8th July

We made our preparations to depart, including Milo, the terriers' quick visit ashore

Milo's ferry (iPhone)

On the way across the bay, Brad and I stayed offshore by about 5 or 6 miles and I was approached by two very polite Marines in a fast Rib who advised me that the C130 Hercules that had been circling over head was going to make a drop and could I keep and eye on it in case it got close......

The plane came round and dropped a Rib and several marines, which, as you can see by the quality of the photos, landed nowhere near me...

C130 drop (iPhone)

After the drama of the military exercise ended we motored into Christchurch Harbour and saw Gannet moored up near the beach, obviously visiting from Chichester, and the rest of our motley crew further up the harbour. Brad and I decided to go up to the town to get fuel and see what was about.
The Yacht Club kindly let us moor up and we trekked of in search of fuel. We were forced to halt our route march at a pub fro a replenishment of fluids, and then again on the way back, eventually arriving back at the boats about 2 hours later....
That wasn't the end of fluid replacement ...oh no.. into town to a nice little pub where we discovered .....

well, after a meal and a failed attempt at the pub quiz, exchanging promises of Christmas cards with the landlord etc etc we got back to the boats at about 23.30.

The beauty of a chart plotter is you can just retrace your steps, which duly saw us tied to a buoy near the rest of the fleet. There was a slight incident with a rope around the prop but it was soon resolved.

Tuesday 9th July

We left Brad, once there was water over the bar and set out on a cracking sail into the Solent through the North channel. Stewart needed to get on so continued up to Ashlett whilst the rest of us stopped off in Yarmouth for a run ashore.

Egret, Torridon, Siesta and Daislebee in Yarmouth (Photo - iPhone)

We walked up the eastern side of the River Yar to the Red Lion at Freshwater where we enjoyed a very nice lunch before following the path though the fields and woods that brought us back along the western side of the river and back to the harbour.

Red Lion  - Freshwater

That afternoon we set of on the tide for Cowes, mooring up in East Cowes Marina for the night.

Wednesday 10th July

The fleet dispersed from Cowes, Siesta made her way to Ryde and the to Ashlett for the weekend. Torridon, Egret and Daislebee returned to Chichester where Adrian and I enjoyed a final supper in CYC before the journey home the next day.

Sunset at CYC (Photo - iPhone)

A great rally, no doubt enhanced by the superb weather but nonetheless good company, good food and quite a lot of wine/beer.