Sailing on “Lady Emma  ” 23 to 26 August 2012  - report by Bob Buchanan 

We all met on Wednesday evening for our usual meal on board, myself (Bob Buchanan) Becky Goddard, and the usual crew of Colin, Kevin and David.

Thursday. We slipped our mooring and sailed down Southampton water. It was a very warm morning and about a F3 SW it was shorts and flip flop weather. Our destination was Chichester marina. At the forts, we dropped/reefed the sails to do some fishing. Colin caught ten mackerel and one good size sea bass (this was to be our evening meal on board). We made west pole beacon (the entrance to Chichester harbour) at 1500hrs and arrived in the harbour at 1630.

That evening we had a few drinks in the local bar, and then went back for an excellent fish dinner on the boat (thanks bex it was delicious).

Friday We had an early breakfast, then got a taxi into town, Colin has friends there, so we all met up in Wetherspoons for a drink and a chat. At 1300hrs we were back on board, ready to leave at 1330hrs. The weather had changed from very sunny to tipping down with rain. By the time we were out of the harbour we were in a hailstorm. From here we headed to Bembridge, with the main with three reefs and no3 jib we sailed the short crossing and berthed up in the marina at 1730hrs.

That evening we walked over the causeway and up the hill to the “Vines”; on the way the heavens opened and we all got to the pub like drowned rats. The upside to this was the pub had a beer festival on, with at least eight real ales, and the meal we had there was very good. After that we all, somehow, managed to get back to the boat without any problems.

Saturday. We had breakfast on board, and then got the ferry over to Bembridge. From there we walked into the town centre, then onto the “Crab & Lobster” a pub next to Bembridge lifeboat/radio station. If you like fish meals, this is one plaice we can recommend. From there we got back to the boat, as we had to leave by 1600hrs.

Out of Bembridge, we put the sails up, but kept the three reefs in the main and no 3 jib. It was blowing F4 W/SW and we were going just slowly enough for Kevin to do a bit of fishing. It didn’t take him long to catch a couple of mackerel, and he gave them to me to take home (thanks Kev). At 2000hrs we moored up at Cowes yacht haven. A quick change of clothes and a short walk into town, we were soon in an Indian restaurant. We were at a table upstairs and had a very good view of the carnival going through the main street. It was a very enjoyable evening and a very good meal with a very good atmosphere.

Sunday. We all wanted to have a lie in, but, there was a power boat race going on. The marina was full of power boats tuning up their engines. A mobile crane was on the quayside lifting boats in, one after the other. The race started at 1000hrs and the fastest boats, racing to Poole and back, can reach speeds of 140mph; apparently lots of the race drivers suffer kidney problems due to the buffering their bodies take (talking to race crew).

We had a couple of hours looking around the shops, then popped into the island sailing club for a few drinks, before we got back on board for a very good sail in a F4 SW up to “Lady Emma’s” berth, in Ocean Quay.

Total miles 70nm

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