Saturday 5th
I got down to the boat in leisurely style and spent the afternoon fixing and attaching bits that I'd planned during the last cruise. For example I was fed up with the VHF radio mic coiling itself back, just out of reach, inside the boat. It was almost as if it knew I'd need one hand on the tiller whilst trying to locate the mic to call the marina, harbour master or whoever. So a secondary clip fixing is now in place where the mic remains handy at all times.
Another example of ingenuity that I blatantly copied from Stewart's boat was a loop of thin bungy lashed to the shroud, with a medium sized button lashed in a similar manner below it - just far enough apart to fix the Drascombe flags in place - saves a lot of issues with thin flag halyards being mistaken for a shroud when being helped by some enthusiastic person on the pontoon, with the accompanying twang as they realise it isn't a robust stainless steel wire.....
I helped a couple get their boat, a McGregor 26, onto the trailer at the slip and joined them later for drinks at the new cafe at the marina - Toby and his wife proved good company and having intended staying for a quick drink, several rounds followed on.
I also met Mandy, who together with Ben, are the new 'Marina Hosts' - things are looking up.
Sunday 6th
I stayed in the marina over night and was woke to find Peter Tiplady rigging his boat. I left him to it as I needed to catch the tide and beach the boat - a scrub and anode change were on the cards.
I beached at East Head on the last hour and a half of tide and soon had the water line and adjacent area clean and scrubbed. The prop had some barnacle growth which was easily removed with a sharp blade. I had bought a new anode at Force 4 the day before but the old one was looking remarkably good so I left it unchanged - no harm done the anode was almost half price for a limited period.
I sat on the beach watching the world go by and had one of those moments where there is no need for a crystal ball - you could see what was going to happen an age before it actually did. A small Rib with Mum, Dad, two 10 - 12 year old children and a large dog landed on the beach - Dad leaps out and goes to pull the Rib further up the beach so the rest could get out dry shod. Terse instructions sent the woman towards the stern to 'lighten the load' - you've guessed it - before she could sit down near the transom the man pulled the boat sharply forward and she tumbled gracefully head over heels over the back into 3 - 4 feet of water. She took it remarkably well, considering her hand bag, containing her phone, purse, car keys - no doubt electronic, and other items, can obviously hold about a gallon of water, judging from what she tipped out.
It didn't seem fair to laugh out loud ... so I simply cried until it hurt.
Peter came swooping through the anchorage and once I floated I joined him in Mengham Rithe. Our original plan had been to make for Ryde and join Nick Payne, but the wind and tide put paid to that but after a little rain there was a lovely sunset
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| Rainbow over the harbour |
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| Sunset in Mengham |
Monday 7th
We set off bright and early for Ryde - about 06.00 - but it was lovely and the breeze filled in to give us a sail across before motoring into Ryde Harbour at about lunch time.
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| Peter, tending Siesta, in Ryde Harbour |
I took a leaf out of Dylan Winter's book and at low water we walked out across Ryde Sands with a hand held GPS to pinpoint the edge of the channel and in particular the turning point for the channel from the main Solent. Very useful.
Tuesday 8th
Another early start but a good sail as the breeze filled in and we headed of Cowes.
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| Dawn across the Solent Forts |
The journey up the river to Newport,had some interesting sights. The old Hampshire Police boat 'Earl Mountbatten' was tied up, stripped of her livery and looking quite sorry for herself.
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| Earl Mountbatten |
The rain came down as we reached Newport and we took shelter in the Wetherspoons I had visited the week before.
There was no music at the Bargeman's Rest that night, but we had a couple of pints before retiring to bed.
Wednesday 9th
We set off from Newport on the tide and made the best of the westerly flow to sail down to Newport -with wind and tide we set a cracking pace - nearly 10 knots over the ground.......
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| Feeding the gulls in Newtown |
Thursday 11th
The next day Peter and I sailed to Yarmouth for provisions and to make the most of the good wind and tide . We walked up the east side of the Yar to the Red Lion at Freshwater and enjoyed a good lunch before wandering back along the west side, waiting for the tide to takes us back the Newtown.
The fleet began to grow whilst we rafted in Newtown - we were joined by Marcus Niner (Salicorne) and later by Andy Peter (Blue Peter) ready for the journey the next day.
Friday 12th
The mini fleet set sail the next morning in glorious sunshine and the five boats made their way across the Solent where we managed to sail most of the way until we reached Calshot Castle and motored the last couple of miles to the entrance to Ashlett Creek dodging the racing fleets heading west down the Solent.
There the rest of the crowd were waiting for us and the preparations for the Ashlett regatta began with the 20 or so Drascombes dressing overall
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| Daislebee and Skua dressed overall (honorary Drascombe) |
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| The pontoon |
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| Pirate who was at one stage wearing a bra??!!!! |
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| Ashlett Mill |
We ate in the Mill that night and retired quite early to save ourselves for the next day.....
Saturday 12th
Another sunny day dawned and the beer started flowing adjust after breakfast (never invite Marines to a party...) There was a day of canoes, sailing and even an umbrella race but the party really got going in the evening with a BBQ and three bands playing - The Drascombe band, the Ashlett band and then a very good semi professional band who played with out break for over two hours - the crowd got behind them and many sights were seen on the dance floor - no photos to save blushes.
One surprise was winning second place for Daislebee for her flags, slightly tempered when it was announced I'd won due to my shirt and boxer shorts drying in the rigging when the judges had been doing their rounds.
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| My Second place rosette |
Sunday 13th
A later breakfast the next day but enough time to get ship shape before most of the fleet set sail for Keyhaven. Terry had sorted his rigging and set off with us - getting the sails up and getting Skua going pretty well.
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| Skua under sail |
The wind was strong enough to have a single reef and all was going well as the fleet progressed down the towards Hurst ....until the wind got up and with tide against produced a lumpy short sea, typical of the Solent. One of the boats stowed sails but was having engine trouble so I turned back to see if I could assist only to find I had misheard or misinterpreted his position and lost a couple of miles in doing so. He headed for Newtown and I heard on the radio that Terry and several others were doing the same to wait for the tide to change.
I plugged on with two reefs and joined a reduced fleet arriving at Keyhaven. Douglas has taken John in tow and brought him in shortly afterwards. We fixed his engine that seem to be a combination of a low fuel tank and dirt which we managed to forced through and get the engine running evenly. Terry had followed but had managed to go aground on the falling tide and was sat on the mud at the lower end of the Keyhaven creek. (There he remained until the following morning when John and Steve ushered him back to Ashlett.)
A very pleasant BBQ at Barry and Paulines's finished the days activities and we wandered back to the creek tired but happy.
Monday 14th
Check, check and check again ..after a quiet morning during which we presented Tony with a cake to mark his 60th birthday we set off to Hurst to go through at slack water and head to Poole......well half the fleet turned back due to the rough water and the other half regretted not doing so for most of the next 4 hours......
I ended up with double reef and having a very exhilarating sail, but not in the direction I wanted...so I gave up about half way over and motored. I had gone out 5 or 6 miles to try and get the angle but as the wind rose it also swung round to head me (I'd have been better staying inshore). I did see another Shrimper out with me No 752 and I managed to get some pictures of him which I'm glad to say I was ablke to send to the owner when I got back.
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| No 752 battling the wind |
I headed for Studland Bay which was a sheltered position to wait for the flood into Poole. Sheltered...it was like a different world, calm and peaceful and I was soon joined by most of the others, bar a couple who had gone into the harbour against the tide but came out to join us on the raft. We opened a couple of bottles of fizz to celebrate both Tony's day and the successful crossing......
Marcus and I adjourned to the pub for a very pleasant meal, rigging up both anchors on Salicorne to enable us to pull her in to get back to the raft later.
Tuesday 15th
We all headed into Poole for the day and played around the islands before rafting in Shipstal for lunch where we decided to use Studland as a jumping off point for the journey back the next day. We were joined by Jim Hopwood, who had come across by himself from the Solent and together we used the ebb to leave the harbour in the early evening. So after 10 - 15 years of Stewart planning to spend a night of the Poole Rally out at Studland, this year we managed two.... in fact all the nights of the Poole rally.
Wednesday 16th
The sail back could not have been more different - the wind slowly filled in and we had a great sail back to Hurst. I took the Needles passage and coursed through the narrows with wind and tide.
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| Panorama of Old Harry and Studland Bay on right of pic |
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| Old Harry rocks |
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| Isle of Wight and the Needles lighthouse |
We set off at about 19.30 ish and had a good sail until the wind dropped away just past Gurnard and the engines came on. I don't know what was going on in the Solent but Yarmouth was almost full when we left and Cowes was similarly busy when we arrived in the twilight before dark.
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| Sunset in the Solent looking towards Lymmington |
Thursday 17th
I left Peter and Tony, who were going up to Newport, at about 06.00, heading out into a glassy Solent where I had breakfast anchored off Osbourne House.
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| Glassy Solent looking towards Calshot |
The wind got up and with the tide under me the sail to Chichester was great. I anchored off East Head and watched the anchoring antics for entertainment. It's amazing how many boats come in and drop their anchor while still moving, some times and some speed, forward. The result usually means the anchor hasn't set or is one case it set some distance behind where the boat eventually rounded up and as he drifted back he placed himself directly over my anchor. When I point this out he couldn't see the problem until I pointed out that my bowsprit would hit his stern if I decided to up anchor and go. He scowled at me and was last seen heading out of the anchorage towards Hayling Island - a blue ensign flapping in the breeze from his stern ............
I has snooze but was woken up by a 40' yacht using me as a fender - apparently the bowman had let the windlass out in reverse dumping chain into the water rather that pulling in to retrieve the anchor.....
I decided enough was enough and set sail for the marina.
Friday 18th
A quiet day, tidied the boat and sorted a few things out before heading for home and the family. A great cruise, ;learning a lot about the boat and me - already planning more adventures for next year hopefully with some left to come in 2014.
