June 16th and time to meet up with Mr Steve Birch for
another mini cruise and another opportunity
to learn from Steves experience and local knowledge.
Hight Tide being at 7.00 am ish it was on to the boat
and straight off. First stop Osbourne Bay for breakfast,
and my first time anchoring Blue Moonlight.
Osbourne Bay.
Anchored.
From Osbourne bay we went into Portsmouth Harbour to
potter about with a view to heading east along the Solent in the
afternoon.
Hardway Sailing clubs visitors pontoon provided an
excellent lunch time stop.
Hardway Sailing Club Visitors Pontoon.
After lunch we headed uptowards Fareham, Steve belongs
to the club there and he imparted his local knowledge to me.
We then turned around and headed back towards the harbour
mouth.
But by this time it had become wet and winds were F6
to F7. Seeing as at that point in time Bluey's reefing gear was,
shall we say, make shift stage. We turned around and
returned to Fareham and the visitors pontoon at the club.
This gave us time to properly fit the reefing gear
and of course to use the clubs facilities.
Friday morning meant and early start as Fareham all
but dries out. So back to Hardway for breakfast, then off and
heading for Bembridge.
Ideal conditions saw us arrive at priory bay at abround
2.00pm. Time to anchor again and wait for the water.
Priory Bay.
High tide was 8.00 pm ish but at around 3.00pm we started
to pick our way carefully into the channel. Slowly and carefully.
Several of the channel markers appeared to be still
sitting on the bottom... with the green on the spit at the entrance
being completely high and dry.
But with care, and Steve at the bow! we were in and
on the pontoon by 3.30pm. Well ahead of most of all the other
boats that had been at anchor as well.
I was ammused later (around 7.30pm) when I stuck my
head in to the HM's office to hear another visitor commenting
on how busy the pontoon was already. The Harbour Master inturn
expressed his surprise that the first arrival had been at 3.30pm.
The joy of bilge keels!!
Bembridge Visitors Pontoon
Bembridge Views.
Bembridge harbour has many a fond memory for me. Dinghy
sailing as a child.
The Bembridge brick used to ferry holiday makers across
the harbour mouth.
Saturday Morning and an early start so as to make it
back to Ryde, with time to tidy the boat and carry out some maintainance.
Bright sunshine and almost no wind. Ideal for testing
the NMEA between plotter and tiller pilot!
Again I have to thank Steve for his help with all things
mechanical. I now have winches that turn, almost, freely!!
