For Brighton Read Bembridge

Thursday – marine Call forecast F5. Should I cancel or give people a choice? A choice gave 3 wanting to go with 2 others confirming intentions on Friday.

Friday – Marine Call gave F3-4 and so a number of people called me and we were up to 8 boats and 2 for hot seats.

Saturday – Marine Call gave F6 but VHF Ch 10 gave the Solent forecast as F3-4 so we decided to skip Brighton and go to Bembridge.

I arrived at 8.30 and set a good example by launching immediately with help from Peter Tibbetts. However not to be outdone, Pathfinder Time exerted itself with a vengeance and we did not get away until 11.30.

I’ll not tell tales or name names but we had more launching incidents (the Bilge knows). What is certain is that our chairman is well in the lead for the most incidents in 2002 by a nautical mile!!

We met 3 boats in the harbour entrance making a total of 8 and set off over the half-mile stretch over the bar. Conditions could be described as rough or interesting or very lively but I know that the bow of my RIB was higher than my head as we went up the waves which were short and steep and I am told that Iditarod came vertically down onto her transom after one leap (Brendan doesn’t know any other way!!). Thankfully Alan and I were able to just hold on and close our eyes as Teresa had drawn the short straw despite her efforts to hand over the reins in the middle of the channel. (We played it all macho).

The 8 boats were quickly reduced to 7 as Bale Out had a crew casualty and had to return to base but fortunately what could have been really serious ended up as facial bruising – but still bad enough.

The Solent calmed down the nearer we got to Bembridge and we ended up able to get up good speeds.

The tide was getting low and we crawled into the entrance and moored up in the Marina. Two boats were not happy with the depth and after eating decided to make a run for it but ran aground in the entrance, sadly with damage to Dragonfly’s prop. (Come on Rob, tell us the before and after diameters).

After a lunch in Brading Harbour Yacht Club, a walk, tea in a café and admiring the view – hundreds of boats on the Round the Island Race (plus 2 stranded powerboats) – we left to return via a still shallow channel. The return was brilliant with fast speeds in a choppy (ish) sea but Chichester harbour was calm and we had no incidents. Some 13 of us had a super meal and get together in Chichester Yacht Club and this needs repeating as they looked after us well.

Sunday saw 6 boats leave the Marina with Bale Out and Mr. Max + families remaining at East Head for a barbie and a weed fight (funny people). The remaining 4 boats creamed out to Osborne Bay where we anchored for lunch but not before Romeo Charlie decided to “break down” in the harbour entrance and confuse the mass of incoming and outgoing yachts with me circling around. Coming back was equally exciting with high speeds being enjoyed by all although the harbour entrance was lively again all of which improves your boat handling skills.

The Bale’s and the Poole’s had eaten all the food so no barbie leftovers for the more adventurous and we even had to tow a dingy away which had dragged anchor and fouled their moorings.

The return through the lock was fun at low water with Bale Out trying to queue jump but we were having none of that so he tried to poison us with diesel fumes in the lock – typical of a Bravo Fleet member!

A super weekend I felt.

Boats attending – Bale Out; Mr. Max; Easy Life; Dragonfly; Due Diligence; Escapology; Max Torque; Iditarod; Romeo Charlie 48 and Marmont (crew of Wreckless hot seating)