Bonfire Weekend
Well with everyone getting set to spend the weekend watching fireworks and being huddled around a nice warm fire, I have charter a yacht and plan take my family for a trip around the solent...
My crew, Julie [my mum], Jamie and Ed [my brother]
We picked the boat up from the Hamble on Friday night. I had charter a little 30' Feeling from Hamble School of Yachting. My mum was a little late in getting down there so we decided to stay in the Hamble that night and head out in the morning, as the weather had suddenly gone cool I think this was a wise move. Overnight it dropped to around -3 and waking in the morning and walking along the pontoons with all the mist and frozen boats it confirmed that we made the right choice the night before.
Saturday 4th November So up nice and early we headed out of the hamble and then headed west. There wasn't too much wind but the sun was shining and it was turning into a lovely day. We did manage to get the sails up and take a really slow sail (thankfully with the tide) as mum had a habit of going in circles...towards Beaulieu River. Due to the tides we couldn't stay in the river for lunch so we just headed up the river for a quick look, with the river being like a millpond it was a good idea to make the bacon sandwiches. We headed out of the river and off to the Needles, the sun was still shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
Past Yarmouth the wind died and we put the engine on, my mum found that she really like sitting up at the mast and there she sat unit we reached the needles. As soon as the tide turned we turned around and headed back towards Yarmouth where we were going to spend the night. Luckly we managed to get a walk ashore pontoon and made it in time for the showers. For food that night we went to Salty’s and this has to be the best food I’ve ever had on the Isle of Wight.
Sunday 5th November We were woken to the sound of foghorns from the Yarmouth Lymington Ferry. Up on deck we had a look around, not much to see really as it was thick fog. Due to the tide we had to make a move and start heading back towards Cowes. From the look on my Mums face I’m sure she didn’t think this was a good idea… So with Jamie at the helm we headed out of Yarmouth Harbour more by feel than by sight. Are we were unable to see more than two feet in front of us we were under engine and doing everything with navigation. Which was a nice little lesson for my crew, however I’m sure my mum still wasn’t convinced we should have been there. So with Ed as a look out and Jamie at the helm we found our way back to Cowes.
By the time we reached cowes the weather had changed and the fog had lifted. We decided to have lunch in Osborne Bay so we tried to fight the turning tide towards the bay this again so a nice little practice as the tide was so strong it took as a long to time get to the bay. We dropped anchor in the bay and had a nice lunch on deck, watching some mad woman on another boat going for a swim… It was now time to head back to the hamble, the wind had picked put and we had a lovely little sail across the solent. Although the weather was colder than we would have liked we had a great weekend and I think my crew enjoyed themselves, maybe we will do it again next year .
