Kings Ransom delivery and stuff..

What could possibly go wrong? 😀

Stuff has been happening..

The main course is coming, but by way of a hors d'oeuvre I can advise that the winter job list [clicky, and page link above] on Sparrow is underway - in addition to completing the quick fix on the jib halyard as a result of some wear from the halyard diverter eye strap, I have also ..

1/. Installed the temporary winter cockpit locker lids and brought the proper ones home to keep out of the winter weather - no point in trashing the good one's which are in surprisingly good condition after a long season of hot weather interspersed with torrential rain and wind..  no idea how old these one's are as I've made so many of the damned things I've lost count but except for a few minor cracks I need to seal, and a coat of paint, they're good to go..

I have also 2/. "pressure washed her bottom" - apologies no 'much anticipated' (😏) state of the fouling video this year as she was partially scraped while on the slip waiting for pick up, but the pressure wash has returned her to an almost pristine condition, and except for the usual extended crop of barnacles between the keels, and on the keel just in front of the bilge keels, it was just minor weed - I was fairly pleased with the antifoul performance this year..  6/10..

With my season over then it falls to the Jolly Boys to keep me 'water active' until the end of their seasons... first out, and first opportunity for boat time, was Dave and his boat "Kings Ransom". Dave is a fellow member of my sailing cub but unlike me his boat is a little big for A frames and mast drops, so the only option is a Hayling Island circumnavigation. 

The first attempt to do this was aborted due to weather (F6 gusting 7 and rain), but that gave an opportunity for the other Jolly Boys to make the trip as they couldn't make it anyway, which turned out to be yesterday/the 26th..

 

Forecasts were marginal/off putting, but as it turned out we were hugely lucky..  10:37 HT and as we have a Hunters Moon (full moon for October) the tides are absolutely humungous - it was 4.8m the day we went round, but this weekend it is topping out at over 5m - there was a LOT of water sloshing round, and as is the way with these things all of it in the wrong direction for a circumnavigation clockwise... 😏

Team rendezvoused at the club at 08:30, followed by a swift('ish) transit out to Ransom in Dave's electric powered rub a dub, and we dropped the mooring and started moving a little after 09:00.

Kettle on, and tea was being drunk by the time we reached the Beacon (swift work! ☕), sails up about the same time, to take advantage of the fairly solid F4 Westerly we had all morning - we needed to get round in 3 hours'ish to allow us to pick up a mooring and sort ourselves out at the other end with water to spare..

Frying pan was put on the heat shortly after Beacon, and a pack of Treagust's finest chipolata's* were soon sizzling pleasingly in the pan to be consumed as we went past the moorings at HISC just about on high water (it was about 15-20 minutes before as I remember..) - utterly delish..

As we passed Eastoke we could see the waves rolling in to the west of the Bar Beacon - most impressive, but with this height of tide Dave had already decided he'd cut the corner and transit west just past the Beacon rather than going the extra 30 minutes further out to the West Pole..  little bit lumpy, but there was plenty of water under the keel and it was a good call.

Rolled the genoa away and tightened up the main sheet for the slog into the wind across Hayling Bay, and we cut the corner of the Winner at Langstone as well transiting north at Langstone Fairway rather than Winner..  we cut the southern edge of the Winner bank, but with that amount of water about we never saw less than 2mtrs under the keel..

Genoa out again as we headed north through the harbour mouth to take advantage of that westerly, easing the main at the same time, and then a relaxing trip up the harbour watching the learner kite surfers from the local sailing school, and the dredger leaving harbour..  lots to see in Langstone despite it being a slightly more commercial harbour than Chichester. A long, long, time ago, the Jolly Boys first met each other in this harbour, when were all windsurfing from a beach at the top of the harbour - been sailing together for over 35 years now..

Finally dropped, and rolled, sails just past Stoke, and then a motor in between the gap in the blocks of the old railway bridge, before sneaking on to the club pontoon with inches to spare - I reckon by the time we'd sorted mooring lines she was already touching ground. At which point as the kettle went on and Smithy's missus's sponge cake was being sliced, the Heaven's opened - we'd had glorious warmish sun all the way round, the rain lashed down only after we'd got to the destination with tea and cake in hand - bonus!

Next trip is Sunday to deliver AmiLy from Whale Island to Port Solent, and then we're done for the year... roll on 2024..

* a word from our sponsor.. "other chipolata's are available but honestly, why would you bother?"

Log:

Distance: 15.31 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): Solid bottom end F4 ; W
Sail Plan:  Full main and genoa but mostly motor sailing
Speed (Max/average in knots):  6.4 / 4.0