Camber clamber..

...and as we always knew they would, the tides finally returned.. 😏

After a glorious week weather'iwse last week but where the tides were late and early, this week broke fair with later morning early afternoon tides, perfect! Yesterday was a 12:47 HT and at 4.24m was early Springs, definitely not as big as some we've seen so far this year!

On the boat by 10 then, and the plan was not to hang around - the wind was dead southerly (uhhhh... 😐) so whatever happened today, with the bottom of the harbour a long way away, and dead downwind, the mechanical donkey was going to earn her keep today. Opted then to get the boat ready while underway..  

Dropped the mooring about quarter past...  autopilot on (Lord bless it - what did I do in the days before it?!) and motored down the ditch while getting sail covers off, ties off, ensign on, lockers unlocked, rolled out some tentative genoa as I went past Northney (as the wind was beam on) but I was soon headed so I rolled it back and settled down for a long motor.

Plan was to see if I could cross Pilsey sands from about Verner (see map for locations), heading vaguely east'ish, as that would allow a beam, if not close, reach down to East Head.. which worked quite well except for one thing - school summer holidays! 😁  

Yep.. every club at the bottom of the harbour (just like ours so I should have known!) was running a Juniour's* Week and the harbour was absolutely rammed with every type of dinghy under the sun - all of them seemingly racing on Pilsey Sands! Six tacks later (to avoid fleets of ankle biters and their parents) and I finally managed to get a gap and made my way across, and only then by going right through the middle of a fleet (on starboard and gloating 😏)

Once across though, I sought emptier waters, and rode the very last of the tide eastwards towards Itchenor - before finally gybing off the end of Thorney Channel around the Cambermet weather beacon..

Cambermet in addition to being a weather station is also a south cardinal (which I hadn't realised) - it marks the end of a spit that runs from the east side of the Thorney channel - I'm the wrong side of it, but there was plenty of water... 😁

...and heading back towards the main Emsworth Channel to the west.. it was a glorious day - the following (click to 'embigen') is a view up the Thorney Channel, the sun on the water, and the South Downs in the distance - what a venue to sail in..  I'm lucky.. 

...with more west in the wind with every passing moment, I had to tack off Pilsey Island as the water was geting thin, and I couldn't clear it on the tack I was on. Headed back across the channel towards Ella Nore on the southern side of the channel and then tacked again to head west...

Passed Snowhill - skirted the multitude of anchored yachts and motor boas off the beaches at East Head, and then cut the corner for the long ride home..  it was dead down wind, so the genoa was rolled away..

...hello "old friend".. 

Fishing rod was deployed, views were enjoyed, music was on, the perching post occupied, seals admired, and we progressed up the harbour at a most stately 3.5 knots (against tide) - very pleased - looks like the antifoul is holding up...

Then just as we approached Northney, and just as I had out the engine on for the last schlepp down the ditch - wallop! The road started bouncing, and bugger me if we hadn't caught a decent one.. 

Oh yes... 🐟

Usually I only catch tiddlers and infants, but that was a 100% adolescent, and just over a pound in weight.. he (or she) was admired, photo'd, and sent back to his siblings with a story to tell...   "and away"...  

Cracking sail and takes me comfortably over the 50 for the year so far..   more please!

*according to Google, Juniour (as opposed to Junior) is "an obsolete and incorrect" spelling - who knew? Also when did obsolete become incorrect? I've always used spelt it that way, and just to cheese Google off probably will continue to..  on those rare occasions you have to... 😁

Log:

Flat tacks..  tide was running..  😏

Distance: 12.74 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction):  F2 gusting F3 ; SSE going SxW
Sail Plan: Full main and 90% genoa
Speed (Max/average in knots): 4.6 / 2.8