Sailing on Lady Emma  – September 6/7th 2008   – report by Becky Goddard

Skipper Bob Buchanan  .

Crew Becca Hayward  , Becky Goddard  and Kevin Lay  ,”Our Sam” Buchanan. (Bob’s daughter)

The weekend started Friday evening with the usual late supper on board Lady Emma (a Barberis Cantieri 42) in her berth at Ocean Quay, Southampton. The weather forecast was for a wet and windy weekend with the threat of rain subsiding over the two days.

Saturday dawned with continual rain, F5 westerly winds and a noticeable lack of enthusiasm in the crew! However after sails selection (Emma has hank-on sails) we left the mooring about noon with three reefs in the main, and the storm jib. We found the Solent nearly empty except for the commercial traffic and had nearly 6 hours challenging sailing with winds gusting up to 46 knots! Our destination was Yarmouth and despite heavy rain we moored up safely about 1800 hrs soaked through, hungry and thirsty!

Being on an outside pontoon we caught the water taxi and had dinner ashore at the Bugle where Bob and Kevin had the ”gurtest” steak & ale pies anybody had ever seen – they were nearer the size of a breeze block!!

(But judged very tender and tasty).

Sunday dawned grey but it wasn’t raining! The wind had abated and gone to the south so after a gentle sail down to Hurst while “Our Sam” had lessons on helming, we turned towards Cowes and a lunchtime pint of Goddard’s best in the Island Sailing Club to which Becca belongs. The club pontoon was full so we motored up to Cowes Yacht Haven and requested one of the empty berths on the outside pontoon for an hour or so – we were charged £12.11 for the privilege!! At that rate the 24 hour fee would have been £288!! After beer and back to the boat for lunch on the gold plated pontoon we shook out the reefs, hoisted the number 2 genny (the wind averaged 14 knts) and gently sailed back to Southampton arriving about 2000 hrs.

A very good weekend – good sailing, good company, good food and beer!!