Autumn's here..

Almost like someone flicked a switch..  after months (well, weeks.. 😏) of sun and warmth and high pressure systems, someone found sixpence for the meter and turned the Autumn on..  but as usual I get ahead of myself..

So HT at 11:22, and a fairly chunky 4.5mtrs - definitely Spring'ish. On the boat by 9'ish, I got everything set and dropped the mooring about quarter past. 

I still had the reefs in from the last sail and had already decided to leave them in based on the forecast (F4 gusting F5, going F4) - as I was getting the boat ready I didn't feel any need to change my mind on that as there were a few sharpish gusts coming through. With the wind direction being what it was I had the choice to put the main up in the pool by the bridge, but in the end decided to wait and puttered off down the ditch, before eventually turning 180' and putting the main up just off Northney..

Pointless rolling the genoa out with the direction it was I was just off dead down wind, but I did roll it out and ran goosewing to just past the Beacon, before turning and then having a (very) broad reach to the bottom of the harbour.. I also took out the reefs, I got the impression the wind was calming..

I don't have a chart plotter so finding that
channel was sheer luck.. 😁

As I say, autumnal definitely - it was cool - ended up with extra layers on...

At NW Pilsey (why is it called NW Pilsey, by the way, when it's actually south and east of the NE Pilsey buoy?😏), and roughly 20 minutes before HT I tacked and headed for the top of the harbour. Was hoping to ride the last legs of the tide, but to be honest it was already slack where I was - I tend to work from tide times at Northney at the top of the harbour which is about 15-30 minutes later than at the harbour mouth where I now found myself..

From the peace of a broad reach to the utter mayhem of a beat in a rich F4 with a full rig - finally got her going though, and because there was still lots of water I had the benefit if being able to make long tacks outside the main channel, including one cracking one where by sheer luck I found the channel that I'd last used on the seal watching trip a year ago..  just as well I had a close eye on the depth, the 2 and 3mtrs I was seeing didn't bear any resemblance to what they should have been in relation to the main channel markers - tacked to cut the corner and saw less than a meter underneath before I re-joined the main channel! 

Seventeen tacks brought me to the Beacon , where the engine was engaged for the trip back to the mooring directly in to a headwind..

Since the last trip and that abortion of a mooring pick up, I'd been thinking about putting together a mooring aid/line of the kind Dave used - one spare line from the cockpit locker and a snap shackle later I'd put one together so thought I might give it a try. Happy to say it worked perfectly - another tool added to the armoury..

...that trip takes me over the 100 mile mark for the year..  about time to.. 😁 

Notes/work items:

• trolly wheels for the tender need a look at - one of them is sticking
• patched some scratches/nicks in the cockpit locker lids 
• the hatch covers are looking scruffy and need doing
• will bring the broom out next time - she's looking very weedy round the water line
• got my lift out date - October 12th

Log:

Distance: 10.27 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction):  Both ends of a F4 ; NWxW
Sail Plan: Double reefed / full main and 75% & 90% genoa.
Speed (Max/average in knots): 3.9 / 2.4