Two beauty's and a beer..

Time to get out on Sparrow again.. but this time for a decent run as 11 year olds are not known for their delight at being away from electronic connectivity for three or more hours! 😏

Tides were still optimal (12:53HT) and we're firmly in the Springs (4.2m) period so once again there was a lot of water sloshing around, and all of it in the wrong direction as usual! 😀 Happily though we had a repeat of three or four weeks go and the wind was almost dead westerly.

On the boat by quarter to 11 I dropped the mooring at quarter past and drifted down the ditch having deployed the fishing rod..  clearly not doing it right, as not a sniff where grandson was hauling them in hand over fist.

Headed into wind off Northney and put the main up, no reefs, forecast was a F4 but only bottom end so I figured I'd be good. Turned for the channel, rolled out the genoa (all of it for once, as wind was not overwhelming, and there wasn't going to be a lot of short tacking) and headed off to the bottom of the harbour against aforesaid tide..

I was making good times..   foul bottom, foul tide, but I was still seeing 4's SOG. The wind was up and down all the way - always manageable but I had to play the mainsheet a few times in the gusts.

Shot past Marker (always a joy!) and then spotted this beauty as I was going past Verner - bones between her teeth and hooning up harbour on the last of the flow..  beautiful..

Soon enough we were past the HISC moorings and the wind was still good, surprisingly (usually the club and headland cause a lee in a westerly) so headed on past the club, up to the lifeboat station, target was Eastoke, maybe even the Bar Beacon as we were still just shy of the ebb - maybe slack water.

Unfortunately not to be - headed by the wind as it bent round the headland it would have meant tacking to get the distance, and I couldn't be bothered so turned and headed back up harbour. 

No last legs of tide to help but I guess we were going "with the grain" as I was seeing 4.8's and 5's SOG. Just past Marker I was passed by this beauty like I was standing still - a Rustler 33 and my second beauty of the day..

...and that was largely it - started hardening up as we went past Beacon, engine on at Sweare Deep and then motored back to the mooring, packing away as we went. Back on the mooring t'other Dave turned up in Kings Ransom - he'd been out for a potter as well with a friend of his, and as is the way we convened there for a chat and a beer - loving the September sun and warmth..

Glorious..  fingers crossed for more, only 5 or 6 weeks left to lift out..  😐

Log:

Distance: 10.12 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)

Wind (Speed; Direction): F3 going F4;WxN
Sail Plan: Full main/full  & 95% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.8 / 3

Two fish, a Macky D, and a sail..

..it must mean the grandson was on board..  😁

With a grandson sitting session lined up (while his mum was at work), it seemed mad not to get out with him for a quick sail as it was the first bout of decent weather, coinciding with a decent tide, we've had in an age..

Neaps at the moment - HT 10:27 and 3.7m so not a huge amount of water about, and if I'm honest, not a lot of wind about either, and what there was almost dead easterly. Not the point though really - as grandson was super keen to try some fishing and to go out on a boat.

Motor on then, and a gentle putter through the ditch, where bugger me if he doesn't catch his first fish only 5 minutes after dropping the lure in!

Schooly bass, admired, photo'd, and released.. 😏

Main went up as we went past Northney towards Sweare Deep - took the reefs out from last time. The sun shone, gentle breeze, grandson was enjoying himself, and when I had enough angle to turn and take the wind I bore off SW'ly, and then rolled out the genoa. 

Engine off, we chatted, we sailed, he fished, he tried a piece of apple as bait as he was convinced it would work (😂) we heeled and I advised we were unlikely to sink - all in all a cracking day. So a bit more mooching about at the bottom of the Emsworth Channel, and as lunchtime was coming, and he advised he was hungry we headed back...

Turned head to wind at Northney and dropped the ain, and then a gentle utter up the ditch and bugger me if he doesn't catch his second..

Even smaller than the last one, and another school bass - no wonder the seals are doing so well in the harbour! Photo'd, admired and released..

All in all an excellent trip out - he may even want to come again, and to be honest that was the the  main aim.. though maybe the MacDonald's I bought him on the way home may have been the clincher! 😏

Log:

No GPS track as Strava decided to throw a conniption so I'm guessing the following..

Distance: Approx. 4 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F2 gusting F3 occasionally ; ExN
Sail Plan: Full main and 95% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 3 / 5

Cowes again... thank goodness.. 😀

Really low key trip this one, but perhaps it only seemed that way after the fun and games of the last one...  😏

Either way, unusually for the Jolly Boys we found ourselves convening at Rod's gaff at 0830, but on a Saturday..  Dave couldn't make it, but this was the best we could do to get the majority, and we were desperate for a sail given the hideous state of the UK August so far (Storm 'Lilian' has just passed through, following the remnants of ex-hurricane 'Ernesto')

Despite the wind currently though, there was little or nothing on this sailing day - sub F1 at best when we left, and what there was northerly..  so a motor sail to Cowes, on a very quiet Saturday in the Solent. Got a lunch spot in East Cowes and then a cracking lunch in The Lifeboat. Followed by some zzzz's in the cockpit to sleep off the carbs and wait for the east going tide to cut in..

Not a bad spot for a zizz..

No sign of any breeze when we left, direction largely the same, so a repeat of the motor sail in the morning, though bugger me if it didn't honk up to a lovely F4 sailing breeze as we were coming in to moor up! 😏

Quick tidy up and wash down and that was another another brilliant day out done and dusted..

Log:

Distance: 27.39 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F1 going F4 as we were coming in to moor; N going SxW when the breeze kicked in
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 7/2.9