Yachtmaster Training Trip 9 – 11 Sept 2022 – report by Jerzy Wieczorek

Acting skipper: Jerzy Wieczorek

Overseeing skippers: Jeff Birkin and Dave Lloyd

The tolerant and patient crew: Brian Adams, Chris Perry and Stuart Omond

Boat: Jeanneau 37 ‘Rebel of Hamble’

Five of us met at the West End Asda in Southampton and bought the provisions. We continued to Mercury Yacht Harbour on the Hamble River, where we linked up with Chris. After a short handover from Hamble Yacht Charter we were left to get on with stowing food and gear and preparing to depart.

The boat, ‘Rebel of Hamble’, was a Jeanneau 37. It was well laid-out and equipped, and, being a training boat, perfect for sailing under traditional navigation, with depth/log/speed and wind-indicator instruments at the helm, and everything to hand at the chart table. It even came with a cruising chute, which unfortunately we didn’t have time to try out.

Jerzy’s first problem was to figure out how to effect a departure. Rebel was moored in the central area between two long fingers at the end of pontoon A. There was a yacht on either side, and we were rafted port side to. Another two yachts were moored in front, leaving a narrow gap not much wider than our beam. The wind was gusting from the starboard side. The crew were briefed to expect to have to fend off on the port side and we set off as gently as possible. Matters improved once Jeff managed to drape a line over the central cleat of the boat to starboard (part of the plan) and pull us over sufficiently to escape.

We motored down the Hamble, Dave on the helm, the intended destination Cowes. It was nearly 8pm and increasingly dark. From Southampton Water on, it was night navigation. Jeff and Dave were asking lots of questions about the different lights around us, both moving and stationary. Our course followed the green lateral marks and cardinals marking the main channel, but leaving them to starboard, so staying well clear of it.

As we neared South Bramble buoy, about a mile north of the Cowes breakwater, Jerzy was down below planning the pilotage into Cowes when Jeff spoke up: ‘I’d like to go to Wootton creek instead please’. This wasn’t entirely unexpected. Not to suggest that Jeff is the indecisive sort, he was just testing the skipper. We continued eastwards with Brian taking the helm, following the lights marking the southern side of the Ryde shoal. As we neared Wootton Creek another call came – ‘No, let’s go to Gosport’. The green occulting light marking Gillkicker Point was duly identified and a course to steer given, allowing for the West-going tide. We then motored along the inner swashway and berthed at Haslar Marina.

It was 10pm by then. A meal was hastily cooked on board and eaten, followed by several hours of drinks and discourse.

A late start on Saturday morning (see above). Instructions were given to head for Bembridge. There was plenty of depth available given we arrived just before high water, on a spring tide. The harbourmaster directed us to a visitor’s pontoon off the south side of the channel, where we moored and lunched. We noted 0.6m under the keel so we didn’t dawdle. Still with 0.6m under the keel, we retraced our inward course back to the main channel and motored round Ryde Sands , then towards Cowes, with MoB practice on the way and discussions about aspects of passage planning, and much practical experience of applying the COLREGs as we went past the entrance to Cowes.

The wind had been on the nose before Cowes, so as we came down the West Solent, it was possible to sail. But first, a blind navigation exercise. Jerzy was confined to the chart table, saloon curtains drawn, chart plotter obscured and given a start position, then asked to navigate to a buoy about 4 miles away. The depth reading was available at the chart table which made it much easier to visualise progress (and saved the helm from having to regularly call it out). The key was asking the helm for speed and log and course, then calculating the speed over ground, taking tide into consideration, and compensating for height of tide. Questions on sound signals were asked (revision needed here). Progress was confirmed as the boat crossed a shallower area, as expected. Then Jeff appeared at the hatch and said, ‘we can just see a yellow buoy called “Caldwells Estate Agents”’. Dave’s voice was heard to say: ‘I think you’ve just given the game away, that’s where he was heading for’. Jerzy’s reply: ‘I was about to announce that we had arrived…honest!’.

Finally, we hoisted the sails and headed for Yarmouth which was very busy. Sail trim for close hauled sailing was discussed. As we approached the harbour entrance, a rib came to greet us and directed us into the harbour to find another rib, which led us to our berth, rafted 3 deep, first against our twin (another Jenneau 37), then an enormous motor cruiser. Mooring lines were arranged, including shore lines. Brian ingeniously managed to stretch the electric hook-up all the way to the pontoon. All the hostelries were very busy, but Jeff had managed to secure an early evening table at the Bugle, where a very pleasant meal was had. That evening deserves to be called balmy. Returning, we sat in the cockpit, having a few more drinks, admiring the almost full moon as it rose behind the assembly of masts. We even had music. Dave, Brian and Jerzy discussed knots and Jeff demonstrated the logger’s bowline.

The following morning, we left at 8am and headed out of the harbour where we picked up a buoy and breakfasted. Everyone then had a change to practice turning the boat in the tightest possible circle and motoring up to a buoy, both forwards and in reverse.

We set sail, discussing trimming the sails for downwind sailing and headed towards the Beaulieu River. Here, Jerzy’s secondary-port expected-depth calculation over the bar, and ability to identify a transit was put to the test. Some practice at sailing away from transit marks was also had.

Jerzy was then asked to navigate the boat to an unmarked point (a tidal diamond), and while he was pondering over how to do this, some gybing practice took place followed by lunch at anchor just off Calshot spit. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to actually try to find the spot, and headed back up towards the Hamble River, pausing at Port Hamble Marina to refuel, then returning to Mercury Yacht Harbour.

I thank the crew, for putting up with all the shenanigans.

And a most humongous thank-you to Dave and Jeff, who have put an enormous amount of time and effort into planning this weekend. And, I suspect, had a lot of fun doing so.

I come away from the experience, not a little brain frazzled, and with a long list of things to think about and to revise. But above all immensely grateful to all involved. Thank-you.