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