First trip of the year ..

.. had to be Cowes didn't it..   😁

Turned out to be a day of two halves weather'wise..  the morning wind was very light, so motoring was the order of the day. To be fair we didn't mind - it was good to be on the water and although a little chilly, the sun shone - apart from when it started to rain! We'd been watching the clouds in the distance dumping loads of rain - it was so bright elsewhere you could see the clouds joined to the sea so it was only to be expected that we got a bit as well - first time I've worn foulies in I don't know how long.. 😏

That said it was a massive tide and the 'Solent travellator' dropped us off in Cowes in quite possibly the one of quickest transit times we've had..  

Always know it's Cowes when I see that crane..

..so quick in fact that at a little over two hours door to door, we was too early, and the pub wasn't open! 😏 

Having grabbed a lunchtime berth in East Cowes we went for a walk out along East Cowes sea front until it was open.. which was then followed by an absolutely cracking lunch in The Lifeboat - absolutely stuffed, we lounged on the boat until the travellator was due to turn at about 3'ish..

Where we then had one of those classic sails back to Portsmouth - it was just south enough to bring the wind over the quarter and allow both sails to do the pulling, and once it settled down, we had a lovely F4 all the way home..

Cracking days sail rounded off by an international show of might in the dockyard..

Ukrainian minesweepers here on training I believe, a Portuguese frigate (NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida - F334), the UK Type 45 Destroyer HMS Daring (and unidentified partner), and the German frigate Saschen (lead ship of her class)

Log:

(NB. My Strava was playing up so I had to rely on Smithy's Smart watch for the following 😁)

Distance: (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top) 22.21 miles

Wind (Speed; Direction): F2 (AM) F4 (PM); S (AM) SWxS (PM)
Sail Plan: Full main and genoa on the way back - motor out
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.8 / 7.6