Delivery cruise - AmiLy

Almost bit Rod the Mod's arm off when he asked if I fancied joining him on AmiLy [clicky] for a little delivery trip round from Portsmouth to Chichester..

Rodder's is in the process of getting her ready for sale and she had a little glass fibre damage as a result of life on a pontoon in the middle of all the winter gales, so was taking her round from her usual berth to Chichester, in fact Northney marina just across the way from Sparrow's domicile, for repairs..

So an early start was in order so as to be able to do some bodging on Sparrow's tender and launch trolley before I met up with him; the trolley is old and is beginning to succumb to terminal rust, for the time being I angle grinded off the worst bits, and bolted on a new block of wood as a nose rest..  I then added a few extra screws to the tender to tighten up the block that the rowlocks fit in, and also tightened up the bolts that had worked lose from the last fix in on the transom [clicky] - finished up with a coat of wood preservative and all was good for a return to the pen in time to meet up with Rod..

Left my car at Northney - we then went to pick up Dave - on the boat and leaving by 12 in what looked like some boisterous conditions. Heading out of the berth a decision was swiftly taken to put a reef in (just the one but it turned out to be a good call) before we headed off down harbour..

Big Lizzy was in...

..and that was largely it - we then had the most fantastic downwind/very broad reach to the West Pole via the outer gate in the submarine barrier - getting windier as the afternoon went on, but with tide behind as well it was a glorious sail in a Solent at its very finest; a bit pitch'y and roll'y because of the aforesaid wind tide combination, but the sun shone, the water glittered, and visibility was as clear as a bell all the way to Cowes and beyond...

Gybed (remarkably easily and controlled) at the West Pole and then had a broad reach into and up the harbour before arriving Northney, tying up, and collapsing for a beer and a snooze in the sun...  three old men content with the world!

Superb day..

Log:

Distance: 18 miles (13.91from start of track - added a few miles from their to Whale Island)
Wind: F5 gusting F6; SW going SWxW
Sail Plan: One reef in the main, full jib.
Speed: 7.1 / 5.6 (!)