Bar crawl redux

First time in four weeks of what we laughingly call "summer" here in the UK, where:

1. there's been a tide
2. it hasn't been raining
3. it hasn't been blowing a hooley
4. I haven't been otherwise occupied with family, holiday, or other calls on my time...

...better go sailing quick, then! 

So also the first time out in four weeks almost had to re-learn the basics it had been so long...(it had been so long I actually went out to the boat - in the rain - last week and bought the outboard tank back with me so I could empty it into the car and fill it with fresh fuel!)

Winds were westerly so just a blip of the outboard to get me away from the mooring before the main was up and I was pushing off down the Northney channel under sail - beautiful morning, warm but overcast, and with a cup of filter coffee accompanied by a fresh scone with jam it doesn't get much better!

Winds were light, but 1.5 knots against tide was good enough, and with a westerly it was perfect for my first trip up to Northney....  coming on to the reach up to Emsworth I suddenly realised that I had the full legs of the tide under me so we fairly whooshed up the channel - shame as there really were some very lovely boats about to gawp at (see following)

"Little and Large"..

..with enough west left in the direction (I knew it was forecast to go round more southerly) I aimed at the end of the Emsworth channel (one tack!) and then simply carried on down the harbour - seemed foolish not to, given the decent breeze, and the direction - I had it in mind to poke my nose out into the Solent for the first time in a while..

One for Julian [clicky]..  

...got to HISC (Hayling Island Sailing Club) at the entrance to the harbour, at just about high tide, and the wind was perfect for a continued transit - basically one long tack from Emsworth to HISC and out into the Solent - lovely trip down even given the adverse tide..

To the strains of Wagner and Gotterdammerung on the boat stereo (got to love Classic FM ) we ploughed on towards Eastoke Point, and the Bar Beacon...  the sun was now out, the sun cream went on, but the wind was dropping..  pausing at the Bar Beacon only to marvel at the complete twat'tery of some motor boat skippers (not all he hastens to add) I turned and headed back, but with tide against and a dropping breeze a little engine power helped me back until I switched off by the lifeboat station and with a growing breeze hared off up harbour and home...

Brilliant day out...

While out I was also testing the VHF reception [clicky] and can confirm that the radio is working with the stubby aerial, but when I attach the external big aerial to it via the connector (an SMA<=>PL-259 adapter) I get nothing...  either the aerial is shot or the adaptor - next weekend I'll bring the fixed VHF down to the boat, connect it up to the power, and plug the aerial into that...  hopefully that'll give me an idea as to whether its the aerial or the connector that's knackered... onwards and upwards!

Log:

Distance:  13.45 miles
Wind: Both ends of a F3; WSW going SSW
Sail Plan: Full main; full and semi genoa.
Speed: Max 4.6 knots, saw a few 5's when I turned into the Emsworth Channel with the tide under me; average speed 2.9 knots