Freedom - Half term we're off!
Finally we were launched on Friday complete with our new lithium batteries, new stronger davits and TV(Thank God). The old TV was unwatchable and now we have a smart TV integrated into all the boat systems so we have a backup for rainy days.
Linda arrived about at 4pm on Saturday and we settled in to an early meal because I had planned to leave early the next morning.
I woke at 4am and ugh it still looked dark outside and I had to resist the temptation to turn over and miss the tide… I didn't, I just stole 30 minutes and then got up quietly so not as to disturb Linda. I slipped the lines and gently headed out of the Hamble. There was not a lot of wind but it was two hours into the ebb so I was soon whisked down the Solent. We had easterlies and so I had decided to head to Worborrow Bay, a bay that Linda and I have not been to in over 10 years. We had a lovely sail all the way until… about three or four miles from St Alban's head. I had run out of tide so now it was wind-over tide and for those that don't sail it means it is stomach churningly good. Not the best first sail of the season, that 30 minutes cost me dearly! One thing I had found out was that the Pith Helmet that Jonathan had given to me for my birthday makes the perfect sailing hat. It is cool and does not blow off in the wind and keeps the sun both out of my eyes and off my head.
We arrived at Worborrow Bay in time for a late lunch and what a relief, it was so stunningly beautiful. It was calm but there were more boats than we had hoped for (Bank holiday weekend!). We found a good spot and sat happily at anchor reading and tinkering about.
At around 5pm a Hanse arrived in the anchorage and thought better of it and decided to anchor further out much to my relief. Unfortunately about an hour later another Hanse arrived and it too tried to anchor between us and the next boat and did so. I was not very happy about this because we had been there all day and had noticed that the boats do not all swing together in that anchorage. We looked at them and they looked at us sphinx like and nothing was said. We had an evening meal and as it became dusky we noticed them coming up and down on deck, finally we saw that they had recognised their mistake, thank God they are going to move. No they came on deck and proceed to put out fenders aagh I could scream. If you come to an anchorage and need to put out fenders you are too close so buzz off.
Needless to say I pretty much had a sleepless night worrying about things that go bump in the night.
Linda arrived about at 4pm on Saturday and we settled in to an early meal because I had planned to leave early the next morning.
I woke at 4am and ugh it still looked dark outside and I had to resist the temptation to turn over and miss the tide… I didn't, I just stole 30 minutes and then got up quietly so not as to disturb Linda. I slipped the lines and gently headed out of the Hamble. There was not a lot of wind but it was two hours into the ebb so I was soon whisked down the Solent. We had easterlies and so I had decided to head to Worborrow Bay, a bay that Linda and I have not been to in over 10 years. We had a lovely sail all the way until… about three or four miles from St Alban's head. I had run out of tide so now it was wind-over tide and for those that don't sail it means it is stomach churningly good. Not the best first sail of the season, that 30 minutes cost me dearly! One thing I had found out was that the Pith Helmet that Jonathan had given to me for my birthday makes the perfect sailing hat. It is cool and does not blow off in the wind and keeps the sun both out of my eyes and off my head.
We arrived at Worborrow Bay in time for a late lunch and what a relief, it was so stunningly beautiful. It was calm but there were more boats than we had hoped for (Bank holiday weekend!). We found a good spot and sat happily at anchor reading and tinkering about.
At around 5pm a Hanse arrived in the anchorage and thought better of it and decided to anchor further out much to my relief. Unfortunately about an hour later another Hanse arrived and it too tried to anchor between us and the next boat and did so. I was not very happy about this because we had been there all day and had noticed that the boats do not all swing together in that anchorage. We looked at them and they looked at us sphinx like and nothing was said. We had an evening meal and as it became dusky we noticed them coming up and down on deck, finally we saw that they had recognised their mistake, thank God they are going to move. No they came on deck and proceed to put out fenders aagh I could scream. If you come to an anchorage and need to put out fenders you are too close so buzz off.
Needless to say I pretty much had a sleepless night worrying about things that go bump in the night.
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Worborrow Bay east end -
Worborrow Bay looking South -
The best sailing hat ever - it is wind proof.