Planes, trains and automobiles..

Well maybe not planes, but there was a Fastcat... 😏

Rodders, the erstwhile captain of the Jolly Boys, was booked to go on his holidays with his good lady wife to the isle of Wight for three nights on AmiLy, and being the kind caring and considerate crew we are, Smithy and I volunteered our services for the docking at each end - he didn't need it, but it was one less faff to worry about, so our offer was taken up. Then at some point in the interim, the skipper also came up with the idea of our taking our wives along as well, "as they never, ever, come sailing with us so they might fancy it"..  and call me gob smacked, but both of them leapt at the chance..

So it was that at 08:00 Rods trusty Land Rover arrived outside my place to pick up me and Smithy (who had already arrived) and our better halves, and take us to Whale Island for the start of the adventure. First time I've travelled in the boot of a car since my youth, and I can tell you I now know why...

HT was 14:19 and a pretty healthy 4.61m (Springs) so we were expecting a lot of water to be flowing which surprisingly wasn't as we exited the harbour four hours before high, very strange.. but with the lack of water, we took the outer Swashway, and in a fitful norther westerly breeze of roughly F3 had a lovely sail to Cowes under full main and genoa

"Follow that bugger.."

...before a leisurely motor up the Medina to show the ladies where we usually hang out, pointing out the Folly and the Lifeboat (which was the venue for todays lunch)..

East Cowes

Rod's three days were going to be in west Cowes at Shepherd's Marina so we called them up and, unlike Thursday, they told us we could moor up anywhere we wanted as they had plenty of space - yes the Fastnet boats* had all departed the day after our previous trip..  he got a lovely spot just inside the entrance but on one of the outer pontoons - so easy to get out, but sheltered from the wash from the river. We also ended up, by the by, moored behind one of the Fastnet race boats which was back far earlier than they wanted as a result of a forestay failure just off Hurst Castle..  rigger was up the mast as we arrived.. such a shame, but they said they'd be back..

Admin completed, a walk down to the Ferry saw us in East Cowes, and a walk to the Lifeboat for lunch, before we then got the bus to Ryde, and the Fastcat back to Portsmouth, and a train home..  so all in all boot, boat, ferry, bus, ferry, train... 😁

Lunch spot..

Cracking day..

* Post edit: Black Jack, who we saw leaving the harbour to practice last Thursday took line honours in the monohulls in the Fastnet race, completing in just over 2 days and 12 hours - the first multihull did it in 1 day 17 hours!

Log:

Blue = boat, yellow = bus, red = Fastcat.. 😁

Distance: 15.42 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)

Wind (Speed; Direction):  F2 gusting F3; NW
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 7.0 / 3.5

What folly.. err.. Folly..

Been a while since the Jolly Boys took to the seas one way or another, so an opportunity for the full complement to go sailing on AmiLy was grabbed with open arms..  and what a day it turned out to be..

HT Portsmouth 11:58 which meant we had fair tides all morning for a trip westwards (and where else were we going to go? 😏), forecast northerly winds starting light going stronger and then going light again, which potentially gave us a beam reach both ways, so it's fair to say expectations were high - but we've been there before, and usually been disappointed..

Either way - the team convened at Rod's place at 0900, casting looks to the sky (bit grey and gloomy) and tree tops (which showed little movement) but we had biscuits to eat and tea to drink, so bugger it..

On the boat by 0930'ish - warps singled up, covers off, engine warmed and we cast off at 10 - destination Cowes and anywhere that had space for us, as we're heading towards Cowes Week, but more specifically for the first time since 2003 the Admirals Cup is back, culminating this coming weekend with the Fastnet Race, so not only were there some glorious boats about, but there were also a very large number of them!

First boats spotted as we came out of the harbour - couldn't miss this one - the mast towered over everything else in Haslar marina - Thomas Coville's 'Sodebo' Ultim 3 trimaran - a Jules Verne round the world challenger, and here for his 3rd attempt at the Fastnet

Then the tour de force (for me) came past - this is Black Jack - one of two yachts that the pundits are putting their money on to win line honours for the mono hulls..

..and this one I'd already heard of - this is "Pyewacket" (which funnily enough was "Black Jack" in a previous incarnation) - she's owned by a grand nephew of Walt Disney (honestly) and started her life back in 2011 as the Volvo Ocean Race boat "Telefonica"..

Simply stunning - 'Black Jack' in particular disappeared off to the horizon at a rate of knots making us look like we were going backwards..

Anyway, sails all up on the trusty AmiLy, engine on tick over, a northerly breeze is always fickle when your on the north side of the Solent up against the shore, but as we came out into the central Solent , the engine went off and we had a very nice sail practically all the way to Cowes - tidal assistance is always a boon ..

Early signs were that Cowes was rammed - East Cowes Marina was full when we called even for a short stay lunchtime stopover - there were Rolex Fastnet race flags on every other boat as we went up the Medina, so a decision was taken to make for the Folly Inn - somewhere we haven't been in a couple of years. There was space on the moorings, but 26 quid for a lunch stop is rich indeed - and is mostly due to four of us needing the ferry across to the pub where the food was definitely a step up on last time, but the beer choice even poorer..  6/10

Tide was due to turn eastwards at about 15:30 / 1600'ish, and as dead low water was 17:15 in Portsmouth and we'd need at least a couple of hours to get enough water to get back on to the pontoon at home, we finally dropped the warps and headed for the Solent at about half 3..

Still a bit grey, and the wind was clearly kicking up, so we put in a couple of reefs, before deciding that they weren't actually needed, and taking them out. Solid 5.5's and 6's SOG all the way home - a cracking sail where the wind got stronger the nearer we got home, and it kept heading us, a typical offshore breeze.. we were seeing 30 knots on occasion, but I would say most of the time it was top 4 or 5 gusting a force stronger..

As suspected it was a quick passage, and not enough water on the inner pontoons so pulled in on one of the outers for a cup of tea and another biscuit before gingerly feeling our way in half an hour later - top result and one of the best sails this year, only improved by finding a top notch quality fender on the shoreline (finders keepers) as we were making our way back to the car at 8..  result!! 😁

Thinking ahead now - first overnight already booked for Lymington in August.. 👍

Log:

Distance: 28.51 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): F3 ending F6; NxE going NNE
Sail Plan: Full and reefed main / full and reefed genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 7.1 / 4.1

Sublime to the ridiculous..

...but ain't that sailing?! 😏  Second time out in three days and the weather and wind looked like almost a carbon copy of Fridays awesome jaunt. Suffice to say expectations were high... idiot boy..

HT 14:27 and a bigger tide as they continue to get Spring'ish - an extra quarter of a metre of water sloshing around than had been the case on Friday. The wind was also clearly stronger, but I decided to go with the forecast and leave the reefs out. Either way on the boat by 11, fresh fuel added to the tank, covers off engine warmed up and we dropped the mooring just after half past.

Mainsail up in the pool by the bridge, and then bore away for the ditch and Northney/Sweare Deep, motor sailing as per Friday - much much windier though, and while I was motoring head to wind I took the opportunity to put some reefs in on the main.

Motor sailed through a lot of weekend traffic to Marker and then engine off and started tacking - but it just wasn't happening - tide was so strong it was pushing me back half of every metre made, and the wind direction was going more southerly/adverse with every minute. Ten tacks and 200 or 300 yards later I gave up, bore off and lit the afterburners for some fun back and forth in Sweare Deep before heading back to the moorings..

From the sublime to the ridiculous indeed, and a valuable lesson not to assume anything when you go sailing!

Notes:

• 3 litres fresh fuel added

Log:

Distance: 9.26 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): SSE going S; F3 going F4
Sail Plan: Full and reefed main/90% and 75% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.8 / 2.7

Go East young man..

The heatwave in the UK continues - low to mid 30's - and 'any fule no' the best place to be in temperatures like that are on a boat in a sea breeze...

Problem is of course that temperatures like that tend to be accompanied by a massive high which means low/fluky winds and so it was that yesterday (the day I went) was the first day that week where there'd be a forecast of a reasonable breeze, even if it was from a most bizarre direction..

Anyway - 13:06HT and a 4.2mtr tide (Spring'ish) and I was on the boat by 10, got ready while I waited for the water to fill in a bit (only 0.1mtrs on the depth instruments), warmed up the engine, and was off just before half past..

Raised the main in the the pool by the bridge, as where I was moored it was blowing a SW'ly which was a little strange given the forecast, motor sailed down the ditch, and then carried on as the wind moved round on to the nose as I turned for Sweare Deep..  rolled out some genoa but soon rolled it back as it was doing nothing.

Turned for Marker and at last there was some usable wind, so the genoa came out again, and I motor sailed for Marker as the wind was very slightly east of south which meant for some fairly nice long tacks that were only really doable with the motor assist and the apparent wind it created..

East Head ahead - short cut across the sands - never less than half a metre under the keel.. but it was a rising tide.. 😏

Steamed past Marker and as the harbour opens up there, and the racket was getting tiresome, turned the engine off and started tacking against a still fairly fierce incoming tide..

Guess where I switched the engine off and stopped motor sailing.. 😁

My plan was to cross the sands but the first two attempts I abandoned - water was a bit thin - third one was a charm though and crossed the sands aiming at East Head and my old mate 'Snowhill'. Half a metre under the keel all the way - just the occasional jump as we crossed an underwater lake or ditch, but the tide pushing us slightly to the east even over the sands..

Exited into the Itchenor Channel just west of the end of Thorney Island so as to miss the bank that runs west from the end of the island and shot across to the other side of the channel (it was damn busy..) easing sheets as I went and riding the incoming tide before turning out a new one for me - don't even have it in the GPS...  meet the splendidly named Rookwood ==>

Looking north - entrance to the Thorney Channel opposite

...before turning just after, hardening up, and then a single long tack back towards the sailing club on Hayling, cutting the corner of the Sands to head north, letting all the sheets out and goose winged all the way to the top of the harbour..  

The fishing rod was out (I caught nothing but weed all day, though I did almost catch a Hawk 20 that tacked close round my stern, line snapped unfortunately so it got away.. 😁)

Joy of a Friday when every other bugger is at work 😏

Gybed at Sweare Deep, rolled in the Genoa, fitted a new hook and lure to the rod, and then eventually dropped the main just before the ditch before motoring back to the mooring.

Fantastic days sailing - best this year so far I reckon..

Notes:

• fuel top up required
• tiller bolts loose and now tightened

Log:

Distance: 13.49 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction): Both ends of a F3; SxE going SSW
Sail Plan: Full main and Genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.8 / 2.8

Opportunity is a Winner

An opportunistic sail grabbed from the end of a mahoosive heatwave..  but I'm jumping ahead of myself..

First off a bit more make do and mend with two coats of paint applied to the tops of all three of the locker lids - fore, companion way hatch and rear.. I'd hoped for the opportunity of a sail but there was no wind so the paint brush was applied instead.. oh.. and coffees drunk, and the chair and sun shade deployed.. oh, and the fishing rod came out.. all bases covered!

Vote of approval for the 2in1 by the way..  coffee's always a hassle on a small boat as the coffee in tins hardens within weeks the moment you open them, and the only milk option is UHT..  this stuff comes in sachets... both powdered in one..  and it tastes OK..

..but painting having been done, we then went into the aforesaid massive heatwave..  Britain's been seeing 30'C plus on a regular basis over the last week, but with the forecasts saying the weather was about to break, and with the tide times swiftly going east as the week progresses, a window of opportunity presented itself..

HT at 17:24, I managed to get on the boat by just after 14:00 - interesting to see I wasn't the only one with the same idea, as two or three tenders were on their way to various boats on the pool. Quick strip down of various covers while the engine was on warming up and I dropped the mooring just shy of  25 past..  a full three hours before HT so something of a record..

Forecasts were for a F4 all afternoon, and it looked like they were overestimating, but as it turned out they were spot on as the wind continued to build as I came out of the shelter of the bund and ditch, and passing Northney..

Yet again it was a 'funny' direction - west of the purportedly 'prevalent SW' - anyway - head to wind off Northney, main up, bore away and rolled out 90% of the foresail (thinking I'd be tacking a lot).

The a broad reach to Sweare, bore up - tightened everything in and down... and apart from a couple of small tacks to get a little west'ing made it to Mid Winner on almost a single tack..  amazing...  yet again I was expecting it to go around at any time as I approached Marker but this time we did it in just two tacks (rather than the usual 30)

Mid Winner

Fancied a beer, so gybed and headed for home on the last hour of flow.. 5.5's as we flew home...  couple that with the best mooring buoy pickup we've had this year and it was a brilliant, and totally unexpected, day on the water.. 

Log:

Distance: 9.02 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)

Wind (Speed; Direction): F4 going F3; WSW going SW
Sail Plan: Full main/90% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 5.0 / 3.0