What a cracker....
13:00 high tide, a spring (4.3 mtrs), sunny, a reasonable breeze, and I've got tomorrow off as well... not a lot more could have gone better...
Got down to Sparrow at 10:00, and swapped over the roller furling line for the new one I got at Netley Boat Jumble - a huge improvement, it's not 6mm as advertised though, I reckon it's 5mm - a little hard on the hands when furling, but on the other hand it goes on the furling drum much more neatly...
Job done, engine on, and cast off and I was heading for Northney by 10:15.... interesting winds today, veering between NW and W, and between F1 and F4... goose winged down the channel and doing a nice speed despite the adverse tide..
Joined the queue of boats heading south out of Emsworth ("take a number and wait to be called"!) and was pleased to see that Sparrow more than held her own even with the small jib... was decidedly chuffed to pass a Sonata...
Target for today was Snowhill Creek - I've been following the blog of a chap sailing from the East coat along the South coast in his West Wight Potter (a mini cruiser only 14' long) and he mentioned that he'd spent the night in this little creek - so I thought I'd go and see what it looked like....
Made my way down the harbour - turned north at HISC (needed a loo break!) and then headed direct for the creek - as it was height of tide I cut the corner rather than taking the long route
"Busy" about sums up what I found when I got there.... huge numbers of boats heading to and from Itchenor, or anchoring off East Head and in the Creek...
Never seen it so packed - clearly the first decent day of the summer had got everyone out - all you could see was wall to wall smiles.. and even the motor boaters were waving today....
Superb trip back, wind was building now but being south of west it was a fast old reach all the way - hauled the sails down off Northney and motored back to the mooring for a sit in the sun and a bottle of Coke.. and while I was there I out together the sail ties from the bungee I bought at Netley, and some (very colourful!) nylon/plastic balls I got off of eBay - jobs a good'un and for a fraction of the price of ready made one's..
Google Earth view - Snowhill is bottom right (it has it's own mark which I didn't see today... next time)
Scores on the doors:
Distance: 12.09 miles (cumulative total in the 2013 mileage tab at the top of the page)
Wind: Force 1 to force 4.. started West, then NW, and then ended south of West
Sail Plan: Full jib and main - engine for manoeuvring..
Speed: GPS track says max speed was 5.7 knots (under sail) - average speed: 2.9 knots.
13:00 high tide, a spring (4.3 mtrs), sunny, a reasonable breeze, and I've got tomorrow off as well... not a lot more could have gone better...
Got down to Sparrow at 10:00, and swapped over the roller furling line for the new one I got at Netley Boat Jumble - a huge improvement, it's not 6mm as advertised though, I reckon it's 5mm - a little hard on the hands when furling, but on the other hand it goes on the furling drum much more neatly...
Job done, engine on, and cast off and I was heading for Northney by 10:15.... interesting winds today, veering between NW and W, and between F1 and F4... goose winged down the channel and doing a nice speed despite the adverse tide..
Joined the queue of boats heading south out of Emsworth ("take a number and wait to be called"!) and was pleased to see that Sparrow more than held her own even with the small jib... was decidedly chuffed to pass a Sonata...
Target for today was Snowhill Creek - I've been following the blog of a chap sailing from the East coat along the South coast in his West Wight Potter (a mini cruiser only 14' long) and he mentioned that he'd spent the night in this little creek - so I thought I'd go and see what it looked like....
Made my way down the harbour - turned north at HISC (needed a loo break!) and then headed direct for the creek - as it was height of tide I cut the corner rather than taking the long route
 |
| Snowhill Creek looking south west |
"Busy" about sums up what I found when I got there.... huge numbers of boats heading to and from Itchenor, or anchoring off East Head and in the Creek...
Never seen it so packed - clearly the first decent day of the summer had got everyone out - all you could see was wall to wall smiles.. and even the motor boaters were waving today....
Superb trip back, wind was building now but being south of west it was a fast old reach all the way - hauled the sails down off Northney and motored back to the mooring for a sit in the sun and a bottle of Coke.. and while I was there I out together the sail ties from the bungee I bought at Netley, and some (very colourful!) nylon/plastic balls I got off of eBay - jobs a good'un and for a fraction of the price of ready made one's..
Google Earth view - Snowhill is bottom right (it has it's own mark which I didn't see today... next time)
Scores on the doors:
Distance: 12.09 miles (cumulative total in the 2013 mileage tab at the top of the page)
Wind: Force 1 to force 4.. started West, then NW, and then ended south of West
Sail Plan: Full jib and main - engine for manoeuvring..
Speed: GPS track says max speed was 5.7 knots (under sail) - average speed: 2.9 knots.
Damn. Missed you! We even walked passed your berth last night to and from The Ship.
ReplyDeleteMissed me twice in fact as I was in the Ship at lunchtime yesterday.. :o)
DeleteSounds like a cracking day.
ReplyDeleteYou work all winter for days like that matey... :o)
DeletePS. Spitfire is coming along nicely...!