Departing Lymington Yacht Haven app. 10:30UT towards Haslar Marina, Portsmouth eta app. 14:00UT
Alternate(s) - Southampton (various marinas)
Inshore Forecast 5 to 7 occ. 8, moderate or rough, showers, good or moderate
Moderate gale warning for Wight
Would normally be a "no go" however weather actuals are top end of F4 gusting 5 to 6, sea conditions appear acceptable and the passage is short and in relatively sheltered waters
P.O.B. 4 (Skipper - Bru, Rik, Jane and Maire)
Friday 28 July 2017
Thursday 27 July 2017
Something for the weekend Sir?
I'd like a Nor'easterly F3 please
Fat chance
Forecast for the next few days is more of the bloody same. Strong winds from the South West and more low pressure systems with fronts all over the shop marching in from the Atlantic
We've got a berth booked in Poole for the weekend but with tomorrow's forecast being for WSW or SW 5 gusting 6 or 7, following days of strong Sou'westerlies, I suspect that the sea state from here (Lymington) to Poole would be decidedly unpleasant
My current thinking, in consultation with the crew, is to head back to Portsmouth tomorrow (ideally, we'd stay put here in Lymington for the weekend but it's full booked in advance and the forecast isn't bad enough for me to refuse to leave!). Haslar, whilst not cheap, is convenient for crew changes - Rik arrives sometime tomorrow and the ladies are being picked up on Sunday - and there's stuff I'd like to do that I didn't get around to doing (the Mary Rose for one, and the submarine museum etc.)
It'll still be a fairly enthusiastic 18 mile blast but it'll be downwind, down tide and down sea and pleasant or otherwise will be done and dusted in less than three hours!
The advance forecast suggests conditions will improve next week but I'm not counting on it. I'm not sure what Rik and I will do - I had been contemplating a cruise up the French coast but that's looking much less attractive at the moment. We've got, or at least planned to have, until a week on Tuesday for a bit of serious sailing but with the winds, albeit more moderate, staying largely Sou'westerly I'm disinclined to head further West and if we had back to the East we'll be back home before the end of the week! I shall ponder upon it
Fat chance
Forecast for the next few days is more of the bloody same. Strong winds from the South West and more low pressure systems with fronts all over the shop marching in from the Atlantic
We've got a berth booked in Poole for the weekend but with tomorrow's forecast being for WSW or SW 5 gusting 6 or 7, following days of strong Sou'westerlies, I suspect that the sea state from here (Lymington) to Poole would be decidedly unpleasant
My current thinking, in consultation with the crew, is to head back to Portsmouth tomorrow (ideally, we'd stay put here in Lymington for the weekend but it's full booked in advance and the forecast isn't bad enough for me to refuse to leave!). Haslar, whilst not cheap, is convenient for crew changes - Rik arrives sometime tomorrow and the ladies are being picked up on Sunday - and there's stuff I'd like to do that I didn't get around to doing (the Mary Rose for one, and the submarine museum etc.)
It'll still be a fairly enthusiastic 18 mile blast but it'll be downwind, down tide and down sea and pleasant or otherwise will be done and dusted in less than three hours!
The advance forecast suggests conditions will improve next week but I'm not counting on it. I'm not sure what Rik and I will do - I had been contemplating a cruise up the French coast but that's looking much less attractive at the moment. We've got, or at least planned to have, until a week on Tuesday for a bit of serious sailing but with the winds, albeit more moderate, staying largely Sou'westerly I'm disinclined to head further West and if we had back to the East we'll be back home before the end of the week! I shall ponder upon it
Tuesday 25 July 2017
Passage Plan Tue 25/7/2017
Forecast SW, give or take, F3 to F4, smooth or slight, fair, good.
Departing Beaulieu River late morning towards Lymington Yacht Haven
ETA flexible as intend to have a sailing day if conditions are favourable rather than head direct to Lymington
Departing Beaulieu River late morning towards Lymington Yacht Haven
ETA flexible as intend to have a sailing day if conditions are favourable rather than head direct to Lymington
Monday 24 July 2017
A brief update
Very poor Internet at the moment so a quick update with a more detailed post to follow hopefully tomorrow
After three nights in East Cowes, we moved upriver to Folly Point for a final night on the Medina
A decent meal, decent beer and some music followed that evening. All very acceptable
Yesterday, we motored across a very breezy Solent and up to the river pontoon at Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River
It's a spectacular mooring.
Today we dinghied ashore for a wander round the museum and lunch (and beer!). It was a lovely day with sunshine and warmth at last
We had a problem with the dinghy coming back (a split in the bow chamber which is probably beyond repair) but the harbour master came to our assistance to get back on board. No great drama, just a nuisance
Tomorrow we're planning to move on to Lymington for a couple of days.
After three nights in East Cowes, we moved upriver to Folly Point for a final night on the Medina
A decent meal, decent beer and some music followed that evening. All very acceptable
Yesterday, we motored across a very breezy Solent and up to the river pontoon at Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River
It's a spectacular mooring.
Today we dinghied ashore for a wander round the museum and lunch (and beer!). It was a lovely day with sunshine and warmth at last
We had a problem with the dinghy coming back (a split in the bow chamber which is probably beyond repair) but the harbour master came to our assistance to get back on board. No great drama, just a nuisance
Tomorrow we're planning to move on to Lymington for a couple of days.
Friday 21 July 2017
Sojourn to the Solent - Day 10 (Thursday)
What was expected to be an unexciting day turned out to be anything but, for the wrong reasons
We idled through the morning with a leisurely breakfast and eventually got around to making ready to pop into town to explore
The yacht opposite us were exiting their berth when a sudden gust blew them into the yacht astern of us. Unfortunately, the lady on deck got her hand caught up on something on the collision resulting in a badly lacerated, crushed and broken middle finger
There was an instant reaction from the surrounding boats to assist them back alongside.
Maire dialled 999 and got an ambulance on its way whilst Jane grabbed anything that might be needed as at first we thought the injury, bad enough though it was, was more serious.
As it turned out, there wasn't much to be done by way of first aid other than keep the injured hand raised. The injured lady had already applied pressure to the base of her finger which was keeping the bleeding down and the badly broken finger was far too painful to apply a dressing to
The ambulance arrived impressively quickly and I was mightily relieved to hand over to the professionals
The couple were soon off to hospital and everyone went back to what they'd been doing. The speedy reaction of the boat crews, marina staff and emergency services was commendable as was the control and calm way the couple themselves handled the situation
The Pagan crew decided to set to with buckets of cold water and our deck scrubber to clean up the blood in their cockpit before we resumed our expedition ashore. We didn't know how long it would be before they were back aboard and we figured it would be easy to clean up the fresh blood and a nightmare to remove it once it had dried. It did indeed only take a few minutes
Finally, off we went for a bit of an explore around East Cowes, a cup of coffee and to do some shopping.
The weather wasn't great, fully justifying our decision to stay put for a few days
Back aboard, we dined on sausage and maah with baked beans and had a drink or two before retiring fairly early
We idled through the morning with a leisurely breakfast and eventually got around to making ready to pop into town to explore
The yacht opposite us were exiting their berth when a sudden gust blew them into the yacht astern of us. Unfortunately, the lady on deck got her hand caught up on something on the collision resulting in a badly lacerated, crushed and broken middle finger
There was an instant reaction from the surrounding boats to assist them back alongside.
Maire dialled 999 and got an ambulance on its way whilst Jane grabbed anything that might be needed as at first we thought the injury, bad enough though it was, was more serious.
As it turned out, there wasn't much to be done by way of first aid other than keep the injured hand raised. The injured lady had already applied pressure to the base of her finger which was keeping the bleeding down and the badly broken finger was far too painful to apply a dressing to
The ambulance arrived impressively quickly and I was mightily relieved to hand over to the professionals
The couple were soon off to hospital and everyone went back to what they'd been doing. The speedy reaction of the boat crews, marina staff and emergency services was commendable as was the control and calm way the couple themselves handled the situation
The Pagan crew decided to set to with buckets of cold water and our deck scrubber to clean up the blood in their cockpit before we resumed our expedition ashore. We didn't know how long it would be before they were back aboard and we figured it would be easy to clean up the fresh blood and a nightmare to remove it once it had dried. It did indeed only take a few minutes
Finally, off we went for a bit of an explore around East Cowes, a cup of coffee and to do some shopping.
The weather wasn't great, fully justifying our decision to stay put for a few days
Back aboard, we dined on sausage and maah with baked beans and had a drink or two before retiring fairly early
Thursday 20 July 2017
Sojourn to the Solent - Day 9 (Wednesday)
We all slept well and awoke to a breezy, drizzly grey morning. After a leisurely breakfast, copious mugs of coffee and a brief discussion we decided to head for Cowes despite the conditions
Once out of Portsmouth and across the swashway, we had just enough angle across the stiff breeze to make sail
With 18 to 20 knots of wind over the deck, I again chose to set the mizzen and genoa without the main.
And to my considerable delight Pagan sailed beautifully, even with a reef in the genoa, making over five knots through the water and pointing up well
We were slowly overhauled by a sloop of similar size carrying reefed main and genoa who was pointing up no better than us and having a much wilder time of things. At times, as we sat in comfort with the boat virtually upright, we were able to inspect his bottom almost to the keel root!
The ketch rig really is the business for the cruising sailor! I've christened this mode of progression as "Lazy man's sailing" and I thoroughly recommend it!
Although I regretted not donning my foulies and relying on my lightweight showerproof jacket, otherwise it was a surprisingly enjoyable sail
We arrived, slightly soggy but deeply satisfied, in Cowes after about three hours. Berthing in East Cowes Marina nearly went awry when the spring line came off the centre cleat (we need to improve the arrangement thereof) but timely assistance from fellow yachtsmen on the pontoon saved the day
After a crew conference about the weather forecast for the next couple of days, we unanimously agreed to stay put here until Saturday so I duly booked us in for three nights
(Friday looks a bit brisk to say the least with up to F8 forecast in the gusts)
So it was on with the covers and up with the cockpit tent
We decided to eat ashore and enjoyed an excellent meal and decent beer (for me anyway, the girls were on lager and cider)
We'll now relax and explore Cowes before deciding on our next move. (We almost certainly won't head back East to Chichester Harbour now, where I'd provisionally planned to spend the weekend)
Once out of Portsmouth and across the swashway, we had just enough angle across the stiff breeze to make sail
With 18 to 20 knots of wind over the deck, I again chose to set the mizzen and genoa without the main.
And to my considerable delight Pagan sailed beautifully, even with a reef in the genoa, making over five knots through the water and pointing up well
We were slowly overhauled by a sloop of similar size carrying reefed main and genoa who was pointing up no better than us and having a much wilder time of things. At times, as we sat in comfort with the boat virtually upright, we were able to inspect his bottom almost to the keel root!
The ketch rig really is the business for the cruising sailor! I've christened this mode of progression as "Lazy man's sailing" and I thoroughly recommend it!
Although I regretted not donning my foulies and relying on my lightweight showerproof jacket, otherwise it was a surprisingly enjoyable sail
We arrived, slightly soggy but deeply satisfied, in Cowes after about three hours. Berthing in East Cowes Marina nearly went awry when the spring line came off the centre cleat (we need to improve the arrangement thereof) but timely assistance from fellow yachtsmen on the pontoon saved the day
After a crew conference about the weather forecast for the next couple of days, we unanimously agreed to stay put here until Saturday so I duly booked us in for three nights
(Friday looks a bit brisk to say the least with up to F8 forecast in the gusts)
So it was on with the covers and up with the cockpit tent
We decided to eat ashore and enjoyed an excellent meal and decent beer (for me anyway, the girls were on lager and cider)
We'll now relax and explore Cowes before deciding on our next move. (We almost certainly won't head back East to Chichester Harbour now, where I'd provisionally planned to spend the weekend)
Sojourn to the Solent - Day 8 (Tuesday)
This crew change business can be stressful!
Jane had been somewhat nervous in advance about getting across London from St. Pancras to Waterloo as she's never had to find her way around the underground system on her own.
And her concerns were justified as it turned out. We're not sure exactly where she took a wrong turn but she seemed up on the wrong line heading in the wrong direction!
Matters were not helped by her ticket not being recognised by the underground ticket barriers (I've also had this happen with advance rail tickets). The underground staff were most helpful though
Credit where it's due, she didn't panic and got back on track but the delay meant she arrived at the platform at Waterloo with barely a minute to spare to find the barrier already closed.
The barrier guardian was totally unhelpful but eventually Jane persuaded the ticket office to stamp her ticket as valid for a later service.
Fortunately, there are frequent services from Waterloo to Portsmouth and I was able to relax once she was on her way.
Meanwhile, my cousin Maire was on the train Jane should have been on! My cunning plan to meet one train and two crew had failed. Oh well :)
I caught the ferry over from Gosport in good time and met the girls off their trains in turn. Then we caught the ferry back!
Once we'd settled down on board, we sorted out Maire with a lifejacket and ran through a safety briefing. Then it was time to get underway.
Our first port of call was the self service fuel berth at Gosport Marina next door where £100 of diesel went into the tank and cans. And that didn't quite fill the cans to the brim either.
I haven't worked out the exact fuel consumption from the log yet but it's close to 3l per hour I think. I'd hoped for better but we were flogging our way into a stiff headwind and steep sort sea for two long days so it's not that surprisingly really.
Now refuelled, we headed on deeper into the harbour.
We had a following breeze and a fair tide so I hoisted the mizzen, unfurled the genoa and, joy of joys, stopped the engine for the first time all cruise. We were, to put it another way, sailing at last!
It was a brief sail as we were soon sailing past my friend David's boat and putting the sails away to raft up alongside
This was my first opportunity to meet Lindsay, a fellow folk musician and former canal boater with whom I've been corresponding via the Internet for some time
Much coffee was consumed as we chatted and then we decided, with David's agreement, to stay rafted for the night.
We invited David and Lindsay aboard Pagan for dinner and drinks (dinner was Morrisons own brand tinned beef stew and dumplings which I heartily recommend). Beer was drunk, music was played, the rum was broached and the evening ended with one of the most active thunderstorms I've ever seen!
The storm went on into the early hours of the morning and it was quite something to see the Spinnaker Tower take a direct lightening strike!
Eventually it died down enough to retire to bed and get some sleep
Despite using the timeshift feature of the phone camera, I failed to get a single good picture of the thunderstorm. This is the best I got as the lightening lit up the night sky
Jane had been somewhat nervous in advance about getting across London from St. Pancras to Waterloo as she's never had to find her way around the underground system on her own.
And her concerns were justified as it turned out. We're not sure exactly where she took a wrong turn but she seemed up on the wrong line heading in the wrong direction!
Matters were not helped by her ticket not being recognised by the underground ticket barriers (I've also had this happen with advance rail tickets). The underground staff were most helpful though
Credit where it's due, she didn't panic and got back on track but the delay meant she arrived at the platform at Waterloo with barely a minute to spare to find the barrier already closed.
The barrier guardian was totally unhelpful but eventually Jane persuaded the ticket office to stamp her ticket as valid for a later service.
Fortunately, there are frequent services from Waterloo to Portsmouth and I was able to relax once she was on her way.
Meanwhile, my cousin Maire was on the train Jane should have been on! My cunning plan to meet one train and two crew had failed. Oh well :)
I caught the ferry over from Gosport in good time and met the girls off their trains in turn. Then we caught the ferry back!
Once we'd settled down on board, we sorted out Maire with a lifejacket and ran through a safety briefing. Then it was time to get underway.
Our first port of call was the self service fuel berth at Gosport Marina next door where £100 of diesel went into the tank and cans. And that didn't quite fill the cans to the brim either.
I haven't worked out the exact fuel consumption from the log yet but it's close to 3l per hour I think. I'd hoped for better but we were flogging our way into a stiff headwind and steep sort sea for two long days so it's not that surprisingly really.
Now refuelled, we headed on deeper into the harbour.
We had a following breeze and a fair tide so I hoisted the mizzen, unfurled the genoa and, joy of joys, stopped the engine for the first time all cruise. We were, to put it another way, sailing at last!
It was a brief sail as we were soon sailing past my friend David's boat and putting the sails away to raft up alongside
This was my first opportunity to meet Lindsay, a fellow folk musician and former canal boater with whom I've been corresponding via the Internet for some time
Much coffee was consumed as we chatted and then we decided, with David's agreement, to stay rafted for the night.
We invited David and Lindsay aboard Pagan for dinner and drinks (dinner was Morrisons own brand tinned beef stew and dumplings which I heartily recommend). Beer was drunk, music was played, the rum was broached and the evening ended with one of the most active thunderstorms I've ever seen!
The storm went on into the early hours of the morning and it was quite something to see the Spinnaker Tower take a direct lightening strike!
Eventually it died down enough to retire to bed and get some sleep
Despite using the timeshift feature of the phone camera, I failed to get a single good picture of the thunderstorm. This is the best I got as the lightening lit up the night sky
Monday 17 July 2017
Sojourn to the Solent - Days 6 & 7
Frankly, the less said about yesterday the better!
We left Eastbourne early in some hope of having a reasonable day after I'd walked down to the seafront to find a gentle breeze and an equally gentle swell on the sea
By the time we'd got going and through the lock, the wind had picked up and so had the sea state.
We bounced our way around Beachy Head after which the conditions worsened to the point where I'd frankly had enough. I think Glen had too although he was prepared to carry on if I wanted to
I decided to close the coast at Shoreham and see if we'd be able to get in (Brighton and Newhaven were out, Newhaven because they've no room for visitors and Brighton because it was too close to low water)
Calling up Shoreham harbour, I ascertained we'd have to wait at least an hour if not longer for enough water to get in. Given that we'd found the conditions were a little better inshore we agreed to press on
I flirted with motor sailing with the Mizzen and genoa which worked well on one tack, giving us significantly more speed, but we lost everything gained on the other tack so I gave up and accepted it would be another day of motoring
Suffice it to say that all things come to an end and we made it into Haslar early evening.
Glen knocked up some dinner and we had a couple of beers before retiring early
This morning, Glen headed off to catch the train and I set about tidying up on board. I had intended to go over to the Navy Yard and visit the Mary Rose exhibition but I decided a relaxing day on board was a more attractive proposition
I did take a walk up to the pier to wave to inbound friends heading upriver though. Hopefully I'll catch up with them later
The weather has been glorious today, by the way! I hope it stays that way now
PS There's no photos cos I was too busy to take any. Sorry!
We left Eastbourne early in some hope of having a reasonable day after I'd walked down to the seafront to find a gentle breeze and an equally gentle swell on the sea
By the time we'd got going and through the lock, the wind had picked up and so had the sea state.
We bounced our way around Beachy Head after which the conditions worsened to the point where I'd frankly had enough. I think Glen had too although he was prepared to carry on if I wanted to
I decided to close the coast at Shoreham and see if we'd be able to get in (Brighton and Newhaven were out, Newhaven because they've no room for visitors and Brighton because it was too close to low water)
Calling up Shoreham harbour, I ascertained we'd have to wait at least an hour if not longer for enough water to get in. Given that we'd found the conditions were a little better inshore we agreed to press on
I flirted with motor sailing with the Mizzen and genoa which worked well on one tack, giving us significantly more speed, but we lost everything gained on the other tack so I gave up and accepted it would be another day of motoring
Suffice it to say that all things come to an end and we made it into Haslar early evening.
Glen knocked up some dinner and we had a couple of beers before retiring early
This morning, Glen headed off to catch the train and I set about tidying up on board. I had intended to go over to the Navy Yard and visit the Mary Rose exhibition but I decided a relaxing day on board was a more attractive proposition
I did take a walk up to the pier to wave to inbound friends heading upriver though. Hopefully I'll catch up with them later
The weather has been glorious today, by the way! I hope it stays that way now
PS There's no photos cos I was too busy to take any. Sorry!
Saturday 15 July 2017
Passage Plan - Sun 16/7/2017
Coastal weather forecast: Westerly F3/4 becoming F4/5, Slight, Mainly Fair, Moderate or Good
Inshore forecast similar but more variable with sea breeze in the afternoon
After much discussion and considering, the plan is as follows ...
Depart Sovereign Harbour by 07:00UT towards Haslar, Gosport e.t.a. 18:30UT @ 5kts
If unable to maintain 5kts or conditions dictate, divert into Brighton e.t.a. 11:40UT (LW+2)
Alternate Shoreham (however, would prefer to avoid further locking and no diesel at Shoreham)
Crew: 2 (Bruce & Glen Peckett)
Inshore forecast similar but more variable with sea breeze in the afternoon
After much discussion and considering, the plan is as follows ...
Depart Sovereign Harbour by 07:00UT towards Haslar, Gosport e.t.a. 18:30UT @ 5kts
If unable to maintain 5kts or conditions dictate, divert into Brighton e.t.a. 11:40UT (LW+2)
Alternate Shoreham (however, would prefer to avoid further locking and no diesel at Shoreham)
Crew: 2 (Bruce & Glen Peckett)
Sojourn to the Solent - Day 5
In the words of the Bosun ...
Not the best day's boating ever today, in fact apart from the fact it didn't really rain there was nothing to recommend it. The wind behaved exactly as forecast, right on the nose, and the sea conditions were very lumpy-bumpy. As a result our speed was less than we'd have liked and it was a tiring, uncomfortable time.
We did make Eastbourne in the end though, and for the second time running were given incorrect berthing information. This time we found another boat in the berth we were given. We found another empty space but it caused a bit of hassle shifting lines to the other side.
Not the best day's boating ever today, in fact apart from the fact it didn't really rain there was nothing to recommend it. The wind behaved exactly as forecast, right on the nose, and the sea conditions were very lumpy-bumpy. As a result our speed was less than we'd have liked and it was a tiring, uncomfortable time.
We did make Eastbourne in the end though, and for the second time running were given incorrect berthing information. This time we found another boat in the berth we were given. We found another empty space but it caused a bit of hassle shifting lines to the other side.
As we didn't feel like cooking we went over to the Harvester in the
nearby Waterfront development. In hindsight we should have found the
Fish and Chip shop instead. It was OK but that's as far as I'm prepared
to go. We didn't stop long.
The likelihood is we'll be going in to Brighton tomorrow unless conditions have improved considerably. We did walk out and have a look this evening and it was a bit better so we'll have to see. The lifeboat went out on a shout while we were out there.
Glen
In the words of the Skipper ...
That was not a fun day. It was simply a case of job done although I'd hoped to get further.
The sea state was the main problem with a short steep sea that took all of Pagan's get up and go to get through.
We used a lot of diesel today and it was annoying to find we couldn't top up at Sovereign due to technical issues with their fuel berth. We have enough for tomorrow but I'd have liked to set off with a full tank and full cans.
Passage plan to follow ...
Bruce
The likelihood is we'll be going in to Brighton tomorrow unless conditions have improved considerably. We did walk out and have a look this evening and it was a bit better so we'll have to see. The lifeboat went out on a shout while we were out there.
Glen
In the words of the Skipper ...
That was not a fun day. It was simply a case of job done although I'd hoped to get further.
The sea state was the main problem with a short steep sea that took all of Pagan's get up and go to get through.
We used a lot of diesel today and it was annoying to find we couldn't top up at Sovereign due to technical issues with their fuel berth. We have enough for tomorrow but I'd have liked to set off with a full tank and full cans.
Passage plan to follow ...
Bruce
Friday 14 July 2017
15/7/2017 Passage Plan
Forecast F5 or F5 gusting 6 at times SSW
HW Dover 02:19UT
Last exit Granville Dock app. 06:40UT
Departing Dover by 06:00UT towards Eastbourne eta 18:00UT
Alternates Brighton and Shoreham
HW Dover 02:19UT
Last exit Granville Dock app. 06:40UT
Departing Dover by 06:00UT towards Eastbourne eta 18:00UT
Alternates Brighton and Shoreham
Sojourn to the Solent - Day 4
A day in Dover
It's a bit of an uphill struggle to Dover Castle but well worth the effort. I'd been before as the reader may recall from our Brigantia days but Glen hadn't
We enjoyed a good look round and hit the jackpot getting onto both tunnel tours without much of a wait
The steps up to the top of the keep nearly killed both of us but the view was worth it
The last time I took that photo, you couldn't see a thing as we were basically inside a cloud at the time!
Our mid afternoon ramble back to the marina was interrupted by the temptations of another fine pint of Adnams Broadside at Cullins Yard. That was followed by a snack and another pint. A third inevitably followed before common sense prevailed and we made our escape
We made a small diversion onto the beach to take on the sights.
The piling work for the new marina had ended for the day but there were various workboats and construction vessels maneuvering around
Having looked at the works and the final plans, I think through new marina might actually be an improvement
Back aboard, we didn't feel inclined towards anything ambitious dinner wise so Glen heated up some beef ravioli
Preparations were then made for an early ish start in the morning and an early night declared
(passage plan for tomorrow follows)
It's a bit of an uphill struggle to Dover Castle but well worth the effort. I'd been before as the reader may recall from our Brigantia days but Glen hadn't
We enjoyed a good look round and hit the jackpot getting onto both tunnel tours without much of a wait
The steps up to the top of the keep nearly killed both of us but the view was worth it
The last time I took that photo, you couldn't see a thing as we were basically inside a cloud at the time!
Our mid afternoon ramble back to the marina was interrupted by the temptations of another fine pint of Adnams Broadside at Cullins Yard. That was followed by a snack and another pint. A third inevitably followed before common sense prevailed and we made our escape
We made a small diversion onto the beach to take on the sights.
The piling work for the new marina had ended for the day but there were various workboats and construction vessels maneuvering around
Having looked at the works and the final plans, I think through new marina might actually be an improvement
Back aboard, we didn't feel inclined towards anything ambitious dinner wise so Glen heated up some beef ravioli
Preparations were then made for an early ish start in the morning and an early night declared
(passage plan for tomorrow follows)
Thursday 13 July 2017
Sojourn to the Solent - Day 3 (Thursday)
We were up and doing not so bright and early at 04:30BST and underway as planned at 05:00
The early morning mist was a bit of a nuisance given our lack of radar but it soon burnt off and for the rest of the day vis was as clear as I can recall seeing
The wind was as forecast. Very light and from the wrong direction (regardless of our heading!). We hoisted the sails for the sake of it but they weren't doing much and it was a day off motoring
The benefits of the clean bottom and the repitched prop soon made themselves evident. We romped along with the engine lazily burbling at around 1800 to 1900 RPM and our speed over the ground rarely dropped below 7 knots.
We were probably making around five and a half knots through the water although the log was showing a knot slower. I had a feeling it was under reading and today confirmed it
At times it was a bit rolly and when the sun went in a bit chilly too but it was a pretty decent passage by any measure.
We made the run from Burnham to Dover in exactly 8 hours at an average speed of 7.125 knots! Awesome :) (and looking at the level in the tank, I reckon we used around 21l of diesel which is much better than before I repitched the prop)
That was largely due to keeping up with the tide. In fact, we only had a foul tide for about half an hour or so down the Barrow and that was only because we were getting on for two hours ahead on the passage plan at that stage
Our arrival in Dover was rather interesting due to the amount of leisure traffic trying to get in and out of the marina. But as usual port control were handling the almost continuous VHF traffic with considerable professionalism and courtesy
A minor error in berthing instructions caused a bit of grief (we were told the berth was port side to, it was starboard so all the lines and fenders had to be reset) and the allocated berth was a bit tight but we got in without any great drama.
We'd had breakfast underway and scoffed some snacks so lunch went by the board. We toddled off to Sharp and Enright to purchase a new outboard kill cord (damned if I know where the old one went) and then somehow ended up in Cullins Yard for a couple of beers
Back on board, a bit of sorting out and sitting around passed the time until it was beer-o-clock and then it was back to Cullins for more beer and grub
Tomorrow we're "doing" Dover Castle
Wednesday 12 July 2017
Passage Plan - Thu 13/7/2017
Depart Burnham Yacht Harbour 04:00UT towards Dover eta 16:40UT @ 4.5kts
Alternate Ramsgate
Alternate Ramsgate
Sojourn to the Solent - Day 2 (Wed)
Our decision to delay departure by 24 hours was entirely vindicated. Even though the forecast wind dropped a notch overnight, becoming a do-able if rather brisk Northerly F6 (which would certainly have made for a fast passage!), it was raining hard all night and into the morning.
We'd have had a miserable time of it for the first few hours at least and it's supposed to be fun!
The delay meant we could sort out a few things at our leisure and the time soon passed by. Once the tide turned, we let go from North Fambridge and made a brisk run down to Burnham Yacht Harbour
I think we set a record of 1 hour dead dock to dock! The ebb tide was running unusually hard and with a lazy 1600 RPM on the donk we were at times making over 7 knots over the ground!
We decided to splash out on a night in Burnham Yacht Harbour rather than anchor in the Brankfleet because the overnight forecast was a bit brisk and I felt it might be a bit uncomfortable at anchor. As I write, at just gone 9pm, there's about 4 knots of wind from the West so we probably could have anchored after all but never mind.
We decided to eschew the delights of Burnham town and dine aboard followed by a beer or two
I'll post our passage plan for tomorrow shortly
We'd have had a miserable time of it for the first few hours at least and it's supposed to be fun!
The delay meant we could sort out a few things at our leisure and the time soon passed by. Once the tide turned, we let go from North Fambridge and made a brisk run down to Burnham Yacht Harbour
I think we set a record of 1 hour dead dock to dock! The ebb tide was running unusually hard and with a lazy 1600 RPM on the donk we were at times making over 7 knots over the ground!
We decided to splash out on a night in Burnham Yacht Harbour rather than anchor in the Brankfleet because the overnight forecast was a bit brisk and I felt it might be a bit uncomfortable at anchor. As I write, at just gone 9pm, there's about 4 knots of wind from the West so we probably could have anchored after all but never mind.
We decided to eschew the delights of Burnham town and dine aboard followed by a beer or two
I'll post our passage plan for tomorrow shortly
Tuesday 11 July 2017
Sojourn to the Solent - Day 1
Much rushing around today getting ready to go. Sent the dead chart plotter off to the menders, last minute fettling, wash down the cockpit and decks, stow the cockpit tent etc
Then it was round to the marina to diesel up and a lift and scrub. She wasn't badly fouled at all, just lots of small barnacles. The antifoul will need freshening up before next year though and the epoxy has failed in a few spots on the keel (but a good deal less than I expected)
The wind caught me all ends up going onto the slip which resulted in some fresh scrapes which I promptly touched up when I got back to the river pontoon
Then I was off to check on a Westerly Renown that had rather a lot of water in the bilge. Advised the young lady owner of the location of her (manual) bilge pump and put about twenty turns on the stern gland greaser! Reckon that will sort it!
Glen arrived and stowed his gear then we repaired to the pub for grub and beer.
The weather tomorrow is looking a bit pants so we've decided to delay our departure by 24 hours. We're not under pressure to get going and Thursday looks a lot more promising so we'll fettle a few things tomorrow that could do with fettling and then head down to Burnham or the Brankfleet for the night
Then it was round to the marina to diesel up and a lift and scrub. She wasn't badly fouled at all, just lots of small barnacles. The antifoul will need freshening up before next year though and the epoxy has failed in a few spots on the keel (but a good deal less than I expected)
The wind caught me all ends up going onto the slip which resulted in some fresh scrapes which I promptly touched up when I got back to the river pontoon
Then I was off to check on a Westerly Renown that had rather a lot of water in the bilge. Advised the young lady owner of the location of her (manual) bilge pump and put about twenty turns on the stern gland greaser! Reckon that will sort it!
Glen arrived and stowed his gear then we repaired to the pub for grub and beer.
The weather tomorrow is looking a bit pants so we've decided to delay our departure by 24 hours. We're not under pressure to get going and Thursday looks a lot more promising so we'll fettle a few things tomorrow that could do with fettling and then head down to Burnham or the Brankfleet for the night
A trying day
My plan had been to spend today getting Pagan sorted ready to go. But work got in the way and more than half the day was gone before I got back
Fortunately, I'd moved Pagan onto the river pontoon yesterday in anticipation of not getting back in time today
That gave me the time to go and do the departure fresh food shop on the way back.
Then I set about transferring the passage plan for Wednesday to the chart plotter. That went fine until, just as I'd entered the last piece of info, the plotter crashed. Now it won't even power up!
It's not so much the loss of the chart plotting and nav that's annoying, we have alternative means, it's the loss of the radar, AIS overlay and vector information (which I find very useful for getting the best out of the boat)
It's not a show stopper by any means and I may be able to organise getting it repaired and back to us part way through the trip.
Finally, I got to sit down and put my dinner on and dial up the weather for the next 48 hours. Drat!
Looks like a moderate gale on Wednesday. If so, it's a no go. We do not sail if there's a gale forecast. End of. Apart from the increased risk factor, and inevitably there is more risk, it's not going to be much fun bashing into the teeth of an F8 for 12 hours or so. We don't need to do it so we won't.
The forecast for Thursday on looks pretty reasonable so we should still make Portsmouth on Sunday which is fine. I don't have to be in Portsmouth until Tuesday lunchtime and Glen can, if necessary, jump ship wherever we've got to on Monday morning as there's railway stations handy at every potential port of refuge
So tomorrow morning it's on with the final sort out and tidy up then I'll run round to the marina early afternoon for a lift and scrub so we have a nice clean hull (it can make a lot of difference to both the speed and the economy). Once Glen arrives around 6-ish (traffic permitting) we'll decide whether to head downriver or stay put for another day at Fambridge
Fortunately, I'd moved Pagan onto the river pontoon yesterday in anticipation of not getting back in time today
That gave me the time to go and do the departure fresh food shop on the way back.
Then I set about transferring the passage plan for Wednesday to the chart plotter. That went fine until, just as I'd entered the last piece of info, the plotter crashed. Now it won't even power up!
It's not so much the loss of the chart plotting and nav that's annoying, we have alternative means, it's the loss of the radar, AIS overlay and vector information (which I find very useful for getting the best out of the boat)
It's not a show stopper by any means and I may be able to organise getting it repaired and back to us part way through the trip.
Finally, I got to sit down and put my dinner on and dial up the weather for the next 48 hours. Drat!
Looks like a moderate gale on Wednesday. If so, it's a no go. We do not sail if there's a gale forecast. End of. Apart from the increased risk factor, and inevitably there is more risk, it's not going to be much fun bashing into the teeth of an F8 for 12 hours or so. We don't need to do it so we won't.
The forecast for Thursday on looks pretty reasonable so we should still make Portsmouth on Sunday which is fine. I don't have to be in Portsmouth until Tuesday lunchtime and Glen can, if necessary, jump ship wherever we've got to on Monday morning as there's railway stations handy at every potential port of refuge
So tomorrow morning it's on with the final sort out and tidy up then I'll run round to the marina early afternoon for a lift and scrub so we have a nice clean hull (it can make a lot of difference to both the speed and the economy). Once Glen arrives around 6-ish (traffic permitting) we'll decide whether to head downriver or stay put for another day at Fambridge
Thursday 6 July 2017
Stepping it up
Preparations go on apace for our big summer cruise. It's taken a surprising amount of time to sort out the boat, she really had got untidy (mostly behind the scenes). Now every single locker, wardrobe and storage space has been emptied, cleaned and re-stowed. In the process, I've turfed a fair bit of stuff off the boat, some of which will need to come back aboard when we get back, some of it for good
Our crew are all rather short in the leg department and there's been complaints about the step down into the aft cabin. I confess that it was a reach even with my normal length legs! So I set about knocking up a set of steps out of materials I had to hand ...
The result is functional rather than pretty but it does the job.
When I come to refit the aft cabin properly, I'll use better quality materials and do a proper neat job of it (although if time permits I'll slap a coat of stain and a couple of coats of varnish on the Mk.1 version for show)
The aft cabin also now has working lights! One of the original spots has been resurrected over the port berth and I've temporarily installed a white/red dome light above the starboard berth (that light will eventually go on the deckhead with new spots over the berths)
All that remains to be done that must be done is to tidy up the cockpit and give the decks and cockpit a damn good clean. Oh and the outboard needs checking as I suspect it needs a new spark plug
There are also a couple of relatively minor jobs I'd like to get done before departure if time permits but they are not essential.
So we're nearly set for departure on Tuesday evening, now all we need is suitable weather!
Our crew are all rather short in the leg department and there's been complaints about the step down into the aft cabin. I confess that it was a reach even with my normal length legs! So I set about knocking up a set of steps out of materials I had to hand ...
The result is functional rather than pretty but it does the job.
When I come to refit the aft cabin properly, I'll use better quality materials and do a proper neat job of it (although if time permits I'll slap a coat of stain and a couple of coats of varnish on the Mk.1 version for show)
The aft cabin also now has working lights! One of the original spots has been resurrected over the port berth and I've temporarily installed a white/red dome light above the starboard berth (that light will eventually go on the deckhead with new spots over the berths)
All that remains to be done that must be done is to tidy up the cockpit and give the decks and cockpit a damn good clean. Oh and the outboard needs checking as I suspect it needs a new spark plug
There are also a couple of relatively minor jobs I'd like to get done before departure if time permits but they are not essential.
So we're nearly set for departure on Tuesday evening, now all we need is suitable weather!
Saturday 1 July 2017
Best laid plas and all that
OK, it's not a disaster but word has reached me that Newhaven is full of wind farm construction and support vessels and not accepting visiting yachts.
That's a bit of a booger is that.
The obvious alternative is Brighton but that gets complicated. We're almost certainly going to have to time our arrival and departure into and out of Dover to coincide with the tidal gate into the Granville Dock opening times (having spoken with Dover Marina recently, I'm advised that the tidal basin is frequently rammed due to the redevelopment works and that visitors need to go into the Granville) which means we'd be arriving off Brighton around 2 to 2 and a half hours before low water on a falling tide (we'll have to be underway from Dover no later than 06:00BST, preferably earlier)
And the trouble with that is that the entrance to Brighton is a wee bit shallow and whilst I'd risk it on a rising tide, I'm not going in much after half tide on the ebb. So Brighton looks out
Shoreham is another possibility but it would be a long day
So it looks like Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne for the overnight break. It makes the next day to Gosport longer and I'd have preferred to avoid the inevitable delays involved in locking in and out but needs must
Mind, if the weather is benign we might just drop the hook for a few hours kip off Eastbourne but it'll have to be pretty calm to make that an attractive option
Oh and we're also going to have to make a very early start from Fambridge, as in crack of dawn about 3am BST, and keep the average speed over the ground up over 5 knots on the first leg from Fambridge to Dover. That makes the possibility of dropping downriver the night before and anchoring in the Brankfleet attractive as it will give us an extra hour in bed
That's a bit of a booger is that.
The obvious alternative is Brighton but that gets complicated. We're almost certainly going to have to time our arrival and departure into and out of Dover to coincide with the tidal gate into the Granville Dock opening times (having spoken with Dover Marina recently, I'm advised that the tidal basin is frequently rammed due to the redevelopment works and that visitors need to go into the Granville) which means we'd be arriving off Brighton around 2 to 2 and a half hours before low water on a falling tide (we'll have to be underway from Dover no later than 06:00BST, preferably earlier)
And the trouble with that is that the entrance to Brighton is a wee bit shallow and whilst I'd risk it on a rising tide, I'm not going in much after half tide on the ebb. So Brighton looks out
Shoreham is another possibility but it would be a long day
So it looks like Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne for the overnight break. It makes the next day to Gosport longer and I'd have preferred to avoid the inevitable delays involved in locking in and out but needs must
Mind, if the weather is benign we might just drop the hook for a few hours kip off Eastbourne but it'll have to be pretty calm to make that an attractive option
Oh and we're also going to have to make a very early start from Fambridge, as in crack of dawn about 3am BST, and keep the average speed over the ground up over 5 knots on the first leg from Fambridge to Dover. That makes the possibility of dropping downriver the night before and anchoring in the Brankfleet attractive as it will give us an extra hour in bed