‘Quartette  ’ from Haslar Marina 16-19 November 2014  – report by Colin Hodges

Crew: Chris Watts  -skipper and Sue Fowle  , Bernard Smyth  , Don Hirst  and Colin Hodges 

We all met on board on Sunday evening before going ashore for dinner with the crew from ‘Spellbinder’. The meal was good with no broken glass or fighting (a reference to last month’s report of eating at the Wetherspoon pub in Gosport). While we were all together we planned a Monday sail to Lymington.

Monday 17th November

As we were unsure of the fuel on board we fuelled up in Gosport with 40 l of diesel. We departed Gosport at 10.00 and motored out of the Swashway with the main up and flat seas and very light winds. We motored all the way to Cowes where we moored up on a buoy for lunch. The wind was still light and cyclonic so we motored on to Lymington. We arrived at the Town Quay at 15.40 and moored next to Spellbinder. That evening we invited Spellbinder crew on board for nibbles and a drink or two to celebrate Bernard’s 80th Birthday and his 80th sail before all going ashore to the Kings Head for a good dinner.

That day we covered 20nm. and without wind motored for just over 4 hours.

Tuesday 18th November

After breakfast we slipped our lines at 09.50 and headed out to Cowes. To-day we had some wind which was an Easterly 3-4 so had to tack up the Solent against wind and tide so headed to Newtown Creek for lunch arriving at 12.40. After an hour’s stop we motored out of Newtown Creek into the Solent where the wind had got lighter and moved to a South Easterly and under sail tacked onwards up the Solent to Bramble Bank before heading back towards Cowes. Here we motored up to East Cowes Marina which was surprisingly crowded; apparently moorings up the river were being dredged and those boats were brought down to East Cowes. As we came from Phoenix at Gosport we had the bonus of a free mooring. That evening Spellbinder treated us before all going ashore to the Lifeboat for a meal and drink. Today we covered 22nm due to all our tacking.

Wednesday 19th November

We slipped the mooring under engine at 09.45 and headed out. At Cowes entrance we sailed off again tacking toward Gosport against a SE3 wind increasing to 5 later. We entered the Swashway at 13.00 so as to get back to the marina in time to depart for home before the rush hour started. On our way back to Gosport we were treated to Ben Ainsley’s yacht flying up and down the East Solent but every time he came close he would alter course. Most likely reason being Quartette’s super speed and he did not want to be beaten on the run down the Solent. Today we covered 17.75nm again with lots of tacking.

In total we covered 20nm from Gosport to Lymington and 39.75nm from Lymington to Gosport. We had good clear weather for most of our 3 days with the bonus of a low sun and fabulous skies with beautiful cloud formations to brighten up the heavens.