SELENE - CAPTAINS LOG
ECA Frostbite rally to Cowes January 6/7 2007
More of a “Dampbite” rally really. Malcolm & Mave came from Emsworth to Haslar with Richard on the Friday, and then remained on Selene and I got down about 4pm, Julia joining later about 7pm. We got together with Keith & Lorna and the 6 of us went to the Mary Mouse for dinner and the evening. Richard, Helen and Vic joined us for dinner later after they all trooped to Richard’s favourite pub.
Saturday weather was truly awful and with the wind rising and the forecast dire, we elected to go straight away and have breakfast in Cowes. We had some crap weather over, sailed until we were overpowered with full sails up until Osborne bay, when with not far to go, we decided just to drop & motor rather than reef first. Seagull overtook us on the way over, and on arrival it transpired that Kotka had gone during the night! Jez & Nicky followed over from Haslar in Ransom when they could get out against the tide (small motor)
Dick & APB didn’t make it and Terry & Vicky turned back in the Emsworth channel, and came by car & Red Jet. Dinner was in the Island Sailing Club and was a great evening.
Sunday the forecast was again gale 8. Everyone left, but this time we had breakfast first. Set the jib and raced over to Haslar over 7 knots under jib alone! Pretty gusty, but the weather was reasonably pleasant for most of the trip, but then got more and more threatening.
Got back in and struggled berthing with the fierce gusts, and then we all dissolved. No pictures this weekend, cos the weather was so crap!
Gins Opening Party February 3 / 4 2007
Simple trip for Julia and I. We motored there, sailed a bit on the way back, but motored from Cowes.
ICC & CEVNI Test 10 February 2007
Just motored into Portsmouth Harbour for the ICC test. Did MOB and picking up a buoy etc. Also passed the CEVNI extension, so that we can go inland in France in the summer.
RSYC Rally to the Royal RAF YC at Port Hamble March 10, 11 2007
Good SW 5-6 blowing, so had a cracking sail round in glorious sunshine too! The Royal RAF YC is very nice, and we enjoyed that.
Night Sail around the Isle of Wight 16,17 March 2007
The plan had been for Richard Stoneman and I to sail two overnight passages to Cherbourg and back, but the forecast was for gales on the way back, so in the end, we opted to at least get one night passage (I need two for the Yachtmaster Practical).
We left Haslar at 10:30 motor sailing against a W / NW 5-6. Took the North Channel, and turned beyond Dolphin bank, and had a great if a little difficult sail around the back of the IOW. Rounded Ventnor around dawn, and had a cracking sail from Bembridge into Cowes.
We were back at the Haslar bank in 10 hours (70 miles) and into Shepards in 12 hours (81.5 miles) We worked the tide all the way around.
We slept for a bit, then had a few beers in Cowes and had dinner at the ISC, of which Richard is a member.
Came back at 0730 Sunday morning in a force 8 already, and got into Haslar before the tide turned. The wind gusted 9/10 in the afternoon, so the forecast was right.
ECA Fitting out Supper - Haslar -> EYH -> Haslar, 24, 25 March 2007
Odd to be doing the reverse of what we used to do. Had such a good sail, that we made it to the visitors pontoon in just over an hour, and had to wait for the tide to rise enough to get us over the sill.
On the Sunday, we again had to wait until late afternoon, and then Richard Stoneman, and Vikki Bowers crewed us back to Haslar.
Our first x-channel to Cherbourg Easter 2007 - 6, 7, 8, 9 April
Unbelievably hot and summery weather, so we motored over on Good Friday. Sun-bathed all the way, and got there without any bother after 13 hours. Dodging the ships was interesting, but fine in the good weather.
In Cherbourg, Alison and Aaron came to visit us on the Saturday.
And we found that there were two other Legends Ghostly Goose and Skoolie Too on a “Legend mini-adventure” and we joined their birthday party for Andre on the Sunday.
We had dinner with these guys on the Sunday night, and with “isolated fog patches” forecast we synchronised departure times so that Ghostly Goose with its radar would cross the shipping lanes about the same time as us.
All started well, with glorious weather, but the isolated fog turned out to be a bank of thick fog 25 miles wide!! Paul came and rescued us and we grouped together and using walkie-talkies, we dodged the traffic using Paul’s radar, with him yelling course change instructions.
The fog varied from 50 metres to about half a mile. Very scary, and we have decided we want radar for any future crossings. Even when it cleared, viz was still very poor, as you can see:
That was very clear compared to what we’d had!
Here are some pictures from Ghostly Goose - yes that's us on the right!
The trip back was 12 hours, and we motor-sailed pretty much all the way.
Gins Farm Fitting Out party April 14, 15 2007
Malcolm & Mave joined us on the Saturday morning, and in poor viz, but with hazy sunshine, we motored to Gins.
We enjoyed the sunshine and had a great meal.
See the bosun John hard at work! ->>>>
ECA Bembridge Rally April 20, 21, 22 2007
Julia & I got down on the Friday morning and I fitted the new auto-bilge-switch. Richard Stoneman was already in the visitors area in Kotka and we had a coffee, helped him on his way and then we motor sailed the brief trip to Bembridge Duver pontoon.
It was great to see Peter Biddick and Jonno of Bembridge Harbour again, and John Green in a Westerly 21 called Bellis was already there in a finger on the other side of the pontoon. We moored right behind the water taxi, and Richard came in alongside us shortly afterwards.
Jez & Nicky (with Nicky’s sister Amy) arrived next in Ransom, and moored outside us and later Andy Penny-Brown (APB) turned up in Del Capo and made a raft of four.
In the evening, we ate in the Vine Inn at St. Helens, and there were late night drinks aboard Selene afterwards.
Overnight Dick and Alice turned up in their Southerly 115 Tringa II, and were of course there in the morning. They formed the next raft behind us. Julia and I went to the Old book shop (Mother Goose) as we love to do, and I bought a couple of old sailing books. We then came back and drank champagne in the cockpit and were joined by Dick and Alice, as Alice wanted to be closer to the classical music we were playing.
Shortly after high water, Tony Browne arrived in Elwing II. He started the third raft. APB wasn’t staying, so he went off at that point. Next in was Jardice Deux, our only motor boat with Peter, Heather and their friends Gill & Neil who rafted outside Tringa II. Shortly after that, Peggy came in, with Vic sailing solo.
Then we had an unexpected arrival - Sea Strider II arrived and moored outside the motor boat with Robert & Val on board. Then in quick succession, John & Jackie arrived in Paradoxy, and went outside Peggy, Bev and Sue in Clairabel went outside Sea Strider and Kontent with Terry and Vikki and crew came in last and rafted outside Ransom.
In the middle of all this, Keith and Lorna Tiffany turned up on foot having hiked across country from East Cowes, where they were moored as their draft was too great for Bembridge. It was fantastic to see them, and we were delighted that they made the effort to come. As they planned to hike back, they didn’t stay for dinner, but enjoyed the drinks party.
Unfortunately, Terry’s brother’s wife (crewing on Kontent) had been seasick all the way over, and they didn’t join the drinks or dinner.
With so many people, we held the drinks party on the pontoon, and James provided us with a water taxi service over to Brading Haven YC for Dinner.
As ever the food was excellent, and the staff friendly and efficient. Unlike last year, the club was busy and had a buzz about it, which was nice.
Water taxi back and late night drinks on board Kotka. Hangovers all round on the Sunday morning. We took the water taxi back over to Brading Haven at lunchtime for a swift couple more pints, and as the tide rose, slowly boats started to leave.
Disaster struck for Jardice Deux, as their batteries had gone flat, and they couldn’t get started. In the end, she was lashed alongside Tringa II, and towed in that fashion all the way back to Chichester Harbour, where the Harbour Patrol then took them into EYH. Selene escorted them out of Bembridge, driving at in-comers to force them to the edge of the channel, so that the tow had plenty of room.
All in all, it was a very successful rally with a total of 13 boats, and 26 sitting down for dinner.
Gins Jazz Night & ECA Folly Rally May 5, 6, 7 2007
Our friend Neil White joined us for the weekend. We left Haslar on Saturday morning in glorious sunshine, but not much wind in company with Keith and Lorna in Seagull. We all tried some sailing, but in the end motored in time to catch the bar before it shut and then relax in the cockpit in the sunshine with champagne.
We then enjoyed the jazz night and a good time was had by all. The Calvados club finished at 0200!
Next day, the wind was well up and Neil helmed Selene on a superb reach across to Cowes.
We stopped at Shepards for lunch in Cowes and ate at the Island Sailing Club:
We then headed to the Folly and joined the ECA Rally.
Richard “Queen of the Solent” was wearing his pink crocs and let slip about his pink frock!!!
Enjoyed theFolly, but Selene didn’t join the late night party aboard Tringa II as we were knackered from Gins!
Next day was blowing steady Force 7 with Force 8 gusts. We surfed back across to Haslar hitting 9.5 knots over the ground on jib alone - the largest gust being 37 knots!
Great weekend - Neil saw a complete set of different conditions!
Work Day May 19 2007
Julia & I worked on the boat all day, and I fitted the new VHF with the full remote to the cockpit. We had drinks on Sea-Squared to wish them well on their long voyage which includes the ARC in November. We ate in Landers with Keith & Lorna.
Radar course May 20 2007
I attended the RYA radar course and gained another qualification, but more importantly, I now understand how to use my new radar when I get it fitted and working.
New GPS & Radar with AIS & MARPA May 22,23 2007
I took a couple of days off work to fit all the new systems including the radome on the scanstrut pole on the stern. Hard work, but all done bar tidying up the cables. Met our neighbours Graham and Penny.
Lymington & Cowes with Malcolm & Mave May 25,26,27, 28 2007
Malcolm & Mavis joined us on Friday morning and we sailed to Lymington. Glorious sunshine, and I was testing out the new radar and AIS systems, which all worked well.
We always seem to have pictures of Malcolm & Mave in woolie hats, so it’s nice to show them in the sunshine!
We spent the afternoon in the cockpit in the sunshine and went ashore to select a restaurant to celebrate Malcolm & Maves 47th Wedding anniversary ( actually on Monday) We chose the Bluebird in the end, and had a super meal there.
Saturday morning we did the market and the shops, and sailed to Cowes after lunch. Nice to see Selene back in East Cowes, and here you can see the new radome.
Malcolm then prepared the pipes and he and I went over to the sealift to be lifted out so that we could fit the eternal heat exchanger. The picture shows Ralph lifting us up.
The hole was drilled and we sikaflex- ed the fitting in. The next morning, Malcolm connected everything and the fridge worked first time!. By now the weather was very wet and miserable, but we still carried on with our plan to go to Osborne House. We taxi-ed up and back and it rained all day.
Seagull was on the same pontoon, so we had pre-dinner drinks aboard and tried the new Lifeboat Inn! Well not a great success with a live centipede in Lorna’s salad, and some arguments to try and get a refund! Back for drinks on Selene!! That was more like it!
Next day, the wind was up in the early thirties, but Malcolm and Mave had to get back, so we sailed over slightly against the tide back into Haslar. It was a big northerly and very very cold. Mooring was a challenge but we did that one OK.
Another great weekend!