Miniature heatwave, a mid afternoon HT, and the promise of some breeze - what could possibly go wrong?? Very little actually... A superb afternoon, lots of highs..
Started off by putting up the main and putting in some reefs (4 or 5 slides worth as the new sail is bigger than the old one) as the forecasts were showing 5's and 6's later in the afternoon, and it was fairly breezy when I started, so decided to play safe... engine on, dropped the mooring, and away we went....
Breeze continued to build as I motored down the 'Northney ditch' towards the top of the Emsworth Channel - winds were easterly so I was looking forward to a good reach down harbour, at best a single beat on one tack... I was glad I'd put the reefs in as I bore away just after Fisherman's it was breezy, but the wind began to drop off within the hour, and by the time I'd got to HISC [clicky] (two tacks as it turned out) I'd 'semi-hove to' to take some rolls off...
Decision time - out to sea or what? In the end I baled out on the 'going to sea' option just as I was passing the life boat station - no particular reason, wind was picking up again, noticed one of the stays (starboard aft lower) was flopping slightly (don't like that - needs tightening), decided there was plenty of time to go later, so broke away for Itchenor Channel and East Head.. Pootled around and then headed for home in a growing breeze....
Started off by putting up the main and putting in some reefs (4 or 5 slides worth as the new sail is bigger than the old one) as the forecasts were showing 5's and 6's later in the afternoon, and it was fairly breezy when I started, so decided to play safe... engine on, dropped the mooring, and away we went....
Breeze continued to build as I motored down the 'Northney ditch' towards the top of the Emsworth Channel - winds were easterly so I was looking forward to a good reach down harbour, at best a single beat on one tack... I was glad I'd put the reefs in as I bore away just after Fisherman's it was breezy, but the wind began to drop off within the hour, and by the time I'd got to HISC [clicky] (two tacks as it turned out) I'd 'semi-hove to' to take some rolls off...
Decision time - out to sea or what? In the end I baled out on the 'going to sea' option just as I was passing the life boat station - no particular reason, wind was picking up again, noticed one of the stays (starboard aft lower) was flopping slightly (don't like that - needs tightening), decided there was plenty of time to go later, so broke away for Itchenor Channel and East Head.. Pootled around and then headed for home in a growing breeze....
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| Champagne sailing... |
Wind continued rising as I headed for home, and we we were seeing 5's and 5.5's even against the tide on what turned out to be a broad'ish reach (see picture above); pleased to say that "Sparrow" was holding her own and tramping nicely...
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| Club member Julian on "Billy" |
Dropped the main as I turned for Northney, and so a plan was born as the wind pushed us along very nicely towards the moorings, "how about I sail on to it" I thought, "good practice"... gusty force 4, easterly... main down (check), full genoa, bit fast so rolled it down to half, angled across the wind and through the moorings, all looking good, tide running across the moorings and pushing me sideways so having to come up on to the wind but still looking good, gently come alongside pick up buoy, grab it, forget to uncleat genoa as I run forward to hook the pick up chain on forward cleat....... so the boat then sailed over the whole shebang.... gah....... 
Cue unseemly pulling, pushing, and motoring, to get back on it properly...
Ended the day with a pint with the aforementioned Julian, which I can only say I got under false promises.. next time I will remember my wallet, Julian!
...oh and the blog title?? Saw my first Spitfire of the summer looping over Northney as I headed out - absolutely magnificent!
Log:
Distance: 12.87 miles (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top of the page)
Wind: Started F3 gusting F4, ended F5 gusting F6; direction SE going E x S
Sail Plan: Full/reefed genoa and main - engine to manoeuvre, and to recover from the balls up I made of trying to sail back on to the mooring......
Speed: GPS track says the max speed was 4.9 knots (which would have been under sail - I also saw a few 5.3's/5.5's under sail when I turned for home after the wind picked up) - average speed 2.8 knots
Cue unseemly pulling, pushing, and motoring, to get back on it properly...Ended the day with a pint with the aforementioned Julian, which I can only say I got under false promises.. next time I will remember my wallet, Julian!
...oh and the blog title?? Saw my first Spitfire of the summer looping over Northney as I headed out - absolutely magnificent!
Log:
Wind: Started F3 gusting F4, ended F5 gusting F6; direction SE going E x S
Sail Plan: Full/reefed genoa and main - engine to manoeuvre, and to recover from the balls up I made of trying to sail back on to the mooring......
Speed: GPS track says the max speed was 4.9 knots (which would have been under sail - I also saw a few 5.3's/5.5's under sail when I turned for home after the wind picked up) - average speed 2.8 knots
