High tide was 13:40 and a quite astonishing 5.23m height (there's a full moon at the moment, and called a "Corn" or "Harvest" moon depending on your inclination) - I can attest to the fact that there was an astonishing amount of water sloshing round - and most of it going in the wrong direction! 😏
So, on the boat 11:30'ish, filled the outboard tank with what I reckon will be the final 3 ltrs of 'Super' for this season, checked Cambermet for a real time forecast of conditions at the bottom of the harbour and could see it was low to mid F4, and pretty much southerly, so decided to leave the reef in the main from last time - it was a 50:50 but the forecast was predicting it might build later (it didn't..)
With that direction, and the amount of tide flowing, it was always going to be one of those classic Chichester Harbour tacking days, and so it transpired. Under engine to the end of the ditch (I would have sailed, but it looked like there was a rowing gig event on and I needed the manoeuvrability), sails up/out, and then a close reach to Sweare Deep, before tightening up for the Beacon. Rolled out the rest of the genoa as I could see that she was happy to take the extra sail, and then hard on the wind and tack, tack, tack..
It got fairly exciting when about 20 to 30 performance dinghy's from one of the Emsworth clubs suddenly turned up in the fairway, and I had the great 'good fortune' to be on port when most of them had tacked onto starboard.. should have tacked myself, but I was in no rush and it was kind of interesting to check the boats out... considerate and polite lot, got a number of "thank you's" for dipping round the sterns..👍
Flat, flat, tacks though as the tide was monstrous - eventually turned about 200 yards short of Marker and ran for home.
Curiously satisfying trip.. 😊
Log:
Distance: 7.22 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F4 ; SSW
Sail Plan: Reefed main and full/reefed genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.1 / 2.5
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