September 2006
Family Holiday to Haslar & then Ocean Village
Richard Stoneman joined me and James, Oliver & Edward Strudwick on the first leg of our short family holiday 2006. It was quite windy, and we were able to beat all the way to Haslar and really try the new sails. The first reef worked, but yanking on the second as the wind got up pulled out the reefing point, and I had to jury rig the second reef. Not good for a brand new sail? However, the boat does sail very well with these new sails, and I am very pleased with them.
Julia joined us in the evening at the Italian restaurant Strada in Gunwharf Quays along with Helen & Catherine Stoneman. The Stonemans then departed the trip.
Next day, again quite breezy, we went round to Ocean Village, where we were booked on the Royal Southampton YC’s pontoon. Quite tricky reversing into the space, but we got nicely hunkered down. I cooked us all a meal and then the boys went out, and Julia & I went to be interviewed at the club, as we are hoping to join there. That all went well, and our name is now on the notice board for 10 days.
The next day was horrid - rain and gale force winds, and it was therefore great that we hadn’t intended to sail anywhere. The boys went out and did their thing, and after Julia & I collected a rod-kicker from Southern Spars, we also went and shopped and touristed in Southampton. We ended up spending the afternoon in the Platform Tavern - great relaxed atmosphere.
In the evening we all ate as a family in the RSYC and the food and the service was just great. Superb clubhouse.
Sunday was still very very windy, and we had a very cautious sail round to Gosport Boat Yard, recording gusts of over 30 knots and enduring a confused Solent sea. James & Ed went by train and met us at Gosport. We left her at the yard for the annual lift-out, scrub & anti-foul, and I’ve just learned we’ll have to replace the prop as it’s so badly corroded. The Surveyor said last year that we’d end up having to replace it, so perhaps it’s good that we got a season out of it.
Bembridge (Royal Southampton YC Rally) 9 September 2006
Julia & I got to Gosport Friday evening, and had a meal aboard Sea Squared in Haslar with Chris & Chris and Keith and Lorna. Thanks Chris & Chris!
Saturday was 4-5 easterly and as we came out of portsmouth it was the busiest I’ve ever seen it. It seeemed like every boat was heading out. We hoisted full sail and held a beat/fetch all the way to the tide gauge at Bembridge. Should have put a reef in as soe of the gusts were 21 knots, but it was such a short trip and the main component of the wind was just on the edge of the reef, so I just played the mainsail.
The sea wasn’t great, with wind over tide, but it was a good sail. As we were motoring in, Julia said she thought she heard boats being turned away. So I radioed in, and sure enough, if you weren’t on a rally, you couldn’t go in! As it wasn’t Peter I was talking to, but Chris, the old boys act wasn’t going to work, so with some quick thinking on my part, I said actually we were with the Royal Southampton Yacht Club. In part this was true, as we were expected for drinks - we just hadn’t officially booked. So that got us onto the Duver, and it was by luck that the RSYC rally had a cancellation, and we were able to take that slot, as without it, we would have been kicked out.
However, by the time I’d been along the pontoon to get sorted with the RSYC; who were of course absolutely charming, and welcoming, when I got back there was already another boat outside us, and we were sandwiched in a raft of Chichester YC boats! So that was where we stayed.
The weather was so good, we just relaxed in the cockpit, and later joined the rally for drinks. The Duver was incredible. We were in a raft of six and the whole pontoon was 5-6 boats deep. Another two on ours, and we would have joined the end of Fishermans Wharf! Richard & Helen came on the phone - they’d been turned away, and were off to Cowes, so we didn’t see them. I later learned that everywhere was full and people were being turned away everywhere. Lesson - be on rallies!
In the evening, we ate at Ganders which was great.
Sunday, the inside boat wanted to leave early, and so our whole raft had to let him out. He only drew a metre, so we all had to hang off other boats for a bit. We were in fact the first of the larger boats to then leave. (The lifting keelers had been going) We went very very slowly out, and were OK, but we sounded 1.6m at one point. Then hoisted sails at the tide gauge and again beat/fetch back - a bit less wind this time - only 11-14 knots. Selene really kicks on at 13 knots+ but sails quite slowy in the 11 or 10 region.
Glorious sunshine all day, and we enjoyed an hour in the cockpit when we got back into EYH.
Royal Victoria come to visit the ECA 16 September 2006
Not strictly a sailing weekend, as we hosted the Royal Victoria YC in Emsworth. Their cruising arm came over and stayed on the visitors’ Pontoon, and we ferried them ashore in Jim’s RIB, and then our cars to Boaters at Thornham Marina.
Here’s me hugging Mave, and Hilton hugging Julia! Next up you see Paul (a regular crew of Hilton’s) with Julia on his lap, and then waving is Bernie Forward, who was in charge ot the Rally for the RVYC, and in the foreground, Hilton’s brother Chris.
Malcolm organised the whole event very well!
Gins Farm 23/24 September 2006
On September 14th Julia & I became members of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club, and after our visit to the Southampton Boat show on Friday 15th, we went to the Commodore’s Cocktail party followed by dinner, and met David & Diana Gebbett, who we got on really well with. As we had already planned to go to Gins we invited David & Diana to meet us there for dinner.
This sailing weekend turned out to be one of the best aboard Selene! The weather was extremely kind - sunny Saturday and Sunday (it rained overnight Saturday but cleared up) and a good steady 4-5 SE all weekend. We had a cracking downwind sail all the way to Gins, which including gybing downwind took only just over 4 hours. We had to avoid TWO container ships, the second was when the Harbourmaster had to put his blue lights on and tooted us! We had to luff up sharply and crack off behind, just as the wind got up to touching F6 for a short while!
We rafted alongside the Gebbetts on “Krackpot”, their Dehler 36, and went aboard for tea. Later, the four of us demolished a bottle of Bolly in the cockpit of Selene, and we went to dinner.
There were two rallies on, so it was very busy, but gave us a great atmosphere, and being club members now, we got the really nice tables in the corner!
Surprise, Surprise! A very familiar face appeared at the bar, and instantly Don Lucas and I recognised each other from across the years!
Don used to be Commodore at Upper Thames Sailing Club, and he and I were great friends when we were both members there. We reminisced, and I learned that sadly Daphne had died a number of years ago, but Don has a new partner called Avril, who seemed extrremly nice, and we look forward to seeing them a round the Solent. Don finally swapped his yacht for a mobo, as people tend to as the years roll by. I am sure Julia and I will do the same. The thought of making Cherbourg in 3-4 hours is appealing!
David & Diana retired, and I did the usual Calvados session with Robert. Because the rallies had paid John (the boatswain) to stay and ferry them back, we got talking with him, and it turns out he used to hail from the same locality as me when we were in our teens. His wife having gone to the secondary school next to mine!
It chucked it down in the night, and we feared for a poor day, but as we got up, the weather cleared and we set off about 0930.
The upwind sail back was equally quick, with us more or less laying a direct course for West Pole. It went light through the forts as always, but the rest of the time was fantastic. Julia sunbathed all the way, and I just enjoyed the sailing.