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