Thorney issue..

Superb sail on Sunday - bit more breeze than last time, but also a conscious decision to motor sail past 'Marker' before switching off and enjoying the delights definitely paid dividends in terms of time saved and distance sailed...  farting around trying to beat past Marker with two knots of tide on the nose is a recipe for frustration...

Late tide and not huge (4.2M) but I managed to drop the mooring about 3 hours before high water - weird direction for wind - just north of westerly but it soon came round - either way motored into the pool by the bridge and put the main up, the wind went round SW'ly as I came in line with Northney so basically I went from run, to reach, to beat as I passed the Emsworth Beacon...

Wind was good and I was definitely getting an extra knot or two out of the main - once I passed the Beacon the genoa was also rolled out, and once I passed Marker the engine went off - blessed peace...

I didn't really have any plans for the day other than the thought that it was still very early in the tide so a trip out into the Solent might be an option - as it turned out when I got to HISC weight of water, and a fluky wind lead me to the conclusion there were other things to do, so I bore off for East Head, enjoying the sights (beach was packed as was the anchorage just off it - I did see the ice cream boat for the first time though!)

Stock picture courtesy their twitter feed [clicky]

Passed through the anchorage enjoying the last of the tide and then bore up for the Thorney Channel - passed the anchorage just inside the headland and then turned and headed for home - enough was enough - time for food and beer....

Brisk beat back to the main channel, short cut over Pilsea Sands, waved to the crew of fellow Hurley 20 "Big Easy" (nice to see you guys if you're reading this - sorry I didn't have camera out in time), and home in time for tea - lovely!!

Log:

Distance: 13.01 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind: WSW going SWxS; F3 gusting bottom end F4
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa
Speed: Maximum speed was 5.5 (that would have been under motor as I came back to the mooring); average speed 2.8 knots (about right - seemed to spend most of the afternoon doing about 3 knots'ish)

Sunday drift..

...indeed.. 😏

..just back from a week in Kefalonia (lovely..  40'...  wall to wall sunshine...  Greek salad and feta cheese...  what's not to like*??) and with the last sail being that evening drift I was gagging to get back on the boat..  pausing only to throw the holiday laundry in the washing machine I headed down to the boat for what I hoped was a decent session on the water.

1'ish high tide, forecast was growing wind, 2 gusting 3, but unfortunately what we got was a lot less...

First job was to change the fuel in the outboard tank...  based on advice from various sources, but mostly my (excellent) outboard mechanic, I try not to leave it for longer than a month or two, and the stuff in the tank was what I had first bought at the beginning of the year... decant old into a spare fuel container, replaced with fresh..  last time I went out it had taken 3 or 4 goes to get the engine going, this time she fired first time..  I think it's worth doing with the cr*p they add to fuel these days

So, motor sailed to the end of the cut, carried on motor sailing to the far side of the Emsworth channel, winds SE'ly so that gives the best angle to the bottom of the harbour, turned off the engine, and then drifted about for two or three hours...

Don't get me wrong, it was lovely to be out there, the sun shone, everyone was smiling, but everyone would have been happier with the forecasted wind..

 
'nuffs enuff, headed back to the mooring a couple of hours after HT, just as the wind started to build..  typical..  was still a good afternoon though...

*decent beer might not go amiss..  Greek lager is refreshing, but not tasty... 🍺

"Solitaire" .. belongs to fellow club member/friend, David.. gives a perfect insight on the conditions on the day

Log:

Distance: 5.93 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind: Low end F2 gusting very occasionally top end F2; SSW going WSW
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa (few rolls in for easier tacking)
Speed: 3.8 / 1.8