Easter Cruise 2005

by John Anstice

I was pleased to be allocated to Gerry Raby's boat Blue Schertzo which I joined via the ferry at Hardway on Friday morning. Our boat consisted of Gerry, Sean, Ian and myself. On arrival we were greeted with real coffee, hot rolls and marmalade.

We departed Spider Lake, Portsmouth harbour and made for the fuelling pontoon in Gosport. While fuelling up Sean took the opportunity to deflate his dinghy on the flat surface which the pontoon provided. To assist with this the pump was used in reverse. Some time later we thought about the pump. Nowhere to be seen!!

Once outside the harbour we began sailing and made for Lymington arriving there safely in the afternoon. However while connecting the electric my spectacles went overboard. Much searching by Gerry with a magnet was to no avail.

Early next morning Gerry and I walked seawards from the marina to check out the bird life (no sniggers please). We saw egret, oystercatchers and a curlew. Then we saw a group of birds we could not identify. But along came a twitcher and we enquired of him the name of these birds. Black tailed Godwits he said. We were much impressed. On returning to the boat I looked up these unusually named birds. Nothing at all like the birds in question. So much for people who look like twitchers.

We left at 1000 and had a reasonable sail out of the Solent and had some fun with the spinnaker for a good part of the way. We arrived first in Poole Harbour and had just moored up at Town Quay when we got a message from the cruise leader that the plan was to anchor off Brownsea Island. To get there by the shortest route meant crossing some shallows whose depth was uncertain. Luckily we then met Lady J who went ahead of us with their keel lifted. They soon found that the short cut was no go.

An interesting and instructive period lay ahead of us at the anchorage. Laying an anchor was for some only a book exercise until this day. There were conversations about chain lengths to be let out and appropriate distances apart were discussed. When all were attached to the bottom the leader, in a dinghy, came round all the boats and kindly invited everyone for drinks. An hour later two dinghies (one from Blue S helmed by Sean) ferried crews to the leaders boat and an enjoyable hour was had by all.

Sunday morning we set off at 0500 for Ocean Village Southampton the first boat to leave. Using torches to guide us we left Poole and once in the open sea we began a close hauled day of sailing. The less experienced members of the crew had a chance to learn to keep the wind to give us maximum speed. Later when we began tacking to keep on course then we became more and more skilled at this process. The wind at force 3 to 4 enabled us to maintain a speed of 4 to 5 knots for the whole of the voyage until a mile or so from Ocean Village when we needed the engine. We arrived at lunch time and enjoyed more than usually the toilet and showers after a night at anchor. Soon all the boats were in. Next morning we had a leisurely departure at 0900 and with very little wind motored into Portsmouth and up to the fuel pontoon. There Sean was pleased to find his pump had been kept safe by the attendant.

Since we were at a quiet pontoon with a gentle tide Gerry gave Ian and I a chance to do some boat handling. This was a great learning experience and Gerry was a kindly and forgiving teacher.

An hour later back at Hardway clubhouse for lunch then back on the mooring. By the time we had set the boat to rights mist was forming and getting thicker. However the ferry came to get us at the appointed time, 1500, and soon we said our goodbyes.

A lovely cruise in fair weather. Thank you to all who made it possible.