First Outing of Lady Emma 2014, 29-30 March – report by Becky Goddard

Skipper Bob Buchanan

Crew Becky Goddard, Colin Evans, Kevin Lay and David Winks. Guest Carrie MGlynn (incompetent crew)

We were lucky enough to hit a weekend of fairly light winds, sunshine and NO RAIN!! Friday evening was the first time we had all met since November so there was lots of catching up to do over beer and wine and Chinese food at the Great Wall restaurant in Gosport. Anyone who says men don’t chat should have been around at 3am when the men finally went to bed!! (The women had retired by 1 am)

The next morning saw us inspecting Lady Emma after her winter lift out and bottom scrub; also affixing new ropes on her fenders which had taken a bit of a battering during the winter – Haslar Marina suffers from bad swell and Lady Emma is near the seaward entrance. Tides were not favourable for much sailing so Bob decided that we should just toddle gently over to Cowes for Saturday night, slipping moorings about 1145. The wind was SE F3/4 and apart from Bob who had new wet weather gear to show off no-one needed to really wrap up. We berthed in Cowes Yacht Haven about 1400 having hit some good speeds 6/7 knots because of the clean hull. (There must have been some headaches around as Bob, while cleaning his teeth stuffed his toothbrush up his nose when the boat lurched on passage! Carrie couldn’t remember bow from stern and I had forgotten how to tie on a fender!)

A gentle afternoon followed wandering round the town followed by dinner in the Indian restaurant The Bahar Tandoori in Cowes High Street. Most of the crew were in their sleeping bags by 1100 surprise surprise!

As the clocks had changed we decided to leave late afternoon to get the best tide and arrive at Haslar still in daylight. Bits of shopping were done although I am getting worried about Bob as he saw what he thought was a pair of white cotton shorts which he lifted off the rack to discover it was a mini skirt! We met up for a beer in the Island Sailing Club and went back on the boat for a late lunch before leaving for Haslar about 1640. The wind was still light and from the SE so we had a gentle sail with some tacking to remind everyone that we were sailing!

We moored up about 1900, cleared the boat and drove home. A lovely weekend, thanks Bob.