BSA sail on Quartette from Gosport 16-18 February 2015 – report by Colin Hodges

Skipper: - Chris Watts

Crew: - Sue Fowle, Jill Hunter and Colin Hodges.

Sunday 15th Feb. We met at Haslar Marina on board Quartette at 17.30. Carried out all boat checks with Chris and joined Spellbinder crew for an evening meal at Weatherspoons with no fighting.

Monday 16th Feb. Up at 07.00 for breakfast and prepare the yacht for leaving the marina at 08.30 so we could make the most of the tidal flow through the Solent to Hurst Point, before heading on towards Poole Harbour through the North Channel. We started the day with a Southerly wind 3-4 changing to a NW 3 at about 12.30 which increased a bit through the afternoon with slight rain in the morning but turning heavy at 12.30 for an hour. We entered Poole Harbour at 14.30 where we furled away the sails and motored through the Swash Channel and moored at Poole Quay A19 at about 15.30. Spellbinder followed us in and moored on the pontoon alongside us. That day we covered 35nm and ran the engine for 1.6hours.

In the evening we were joined by Spellbinder crew for nibbles and a drink before heading ashore for a good Italian menu at the Alcatraz restaurant where we had the bonus of all main courses being half price on a Monday evening.

That day a few of us found that our wet weather gear in the heavy rain did not perform well. My gear which I bought at Southampton Boat Show about 14 years ago let me down on my left arm and my clothes were saturated. In those cool temperatures it could have produces Hypothermia and been very dangerous. Hopefully to solve the problem I have bought a washing water proofer by Henry Lloyd in Cowes which requires 3 machine washes. 1 with a non-bio soap, 2 with a wash in Cleaner and 3 with a wash in Water Proofer which is for all fabrics. I will let you know how well it works.

Tuesday 16th Feb. To-day being Shrove Tuesday we had breakfast with pancakes thanks to Penny. Due to tidal flow we stayed in Poole until 11.25 so went ashore to wander the shops and have a coffee on the quayside on a beautiful sunny day with no clouds and very little wind. When we left the marina into the harbour we raised the main and motored out with a very light NW wind. At the harbour entrance we took the East Looe channel and passed Sandbanks before heading out towards the Needles under engine all the way before going back into the Solent at Hurst Point now with a SW1 wind before motoring on to Yarmouth Harbour at 15.50 and mooring on the pontoon Y3. To-day we covered 17.09nm with the engine on for 4.4hours.

This evening we joined Spellbinder for lovely nibbles and a drink before heading ashore for an evening Pub meal at the Kings Head.

Wednesday 17th Feb. This morning we left Yarmouth at 07.30 to use the tidal flow to get us to Cowes West for breakfast at 08.40. The journey to Cowes was on flat calm seas and no wind at all. After breakfast we wandered ashore for an hour and that is where I purchased the wet gear water proofer. We slipped mooring at 10.50 and headed for Gosport in a SW1-3 along the island coast to Spithead before heading north towards Southsea and entering into Portsmouth Harbour and Haslar Marina in Gosport. To-day we covered 19nm.

We cleaned boat and left Gosport for our homeward journey at 16.30.

Thanks to both skippers for giving us a good few days in the Solent.