tome
Well-Known Member
Slipped pontoon berth for the last time Saturday 0820 and refuelled before leaving the marina at 0900, skipper Ian crew Brian and Tom. Poignant to think Asterie would be away at least a year and could sense a mixture of relief, excitement and slight trepidation onboard.
The sails went out and the engine off as we went up the harbour. At the entrance, Ian's wife and daughters were (unknown to him) waiting on the beach to wave him off, which brought a lump to my throat as we sailed out of Chichester Harbour.
The winds was blowing WSW and best course we could make was about 210 so we headed out past Isle of Wight and into the channel to give us a decent slant on the forecast SW'ly. Asterie was enjoying herself and made easy work of the channel chop, gently shouldering aside seas which would have caused a lighter boat to slam.
With no sign yet of a wind change, considered putting into Cherbourg to drop the hook overnight. 30 miles from Cherbourg, the wind died completely so the engine went on with an immediate course alteration straigh to Plymouth. No point motoring in the wrong direction! After a couple of hours, the wind picked up again. Engine off and we were able to lay a course to almost clear Bolt Head. As the night set in Ian took the first watch and I went below to get my head down, waking a couple of hours later to the sound of 'War of the Worlds' on the cockpit speakers. Ian was enjoying himself and still had a couple of albums to work through before he was ready to turn in.
As I took my spell, I became fascinated by the wind generator which churned away furiously putting amps into the batteries whilst twisting around the wind, oscillating from side to side. Occasionally it would stop completely as if pausing for breath. It reminded me of a Jack Russel.
Dawn found us some 60 miles from our waypoint off Salcombe and about 80 miles to go to Plymouth. Great sailing with occasional lulls, but couldn't bring ourselves to use the engine so kept going even when only doing a couple of knots. Much of the time we were doing 5-6 knots in 12-15 knots true.
At noon, we dug out the sextant and Ian took a sun sight. Sadly, the sun disappeared about 20 minutes before noon, but we went through the sight reduction anyway to calculate our latitude. Pleased with ourselves, we had a beer.
During the afternoon and evening we had forecasts of W'ly or NW'ly, which would have headed us. We tacked out of Lyme Bay to clear Start Point and made a course for Plymouth, arriving at the entrance at 2300. By midnight we were tied up alongside a brand new Hanse 531 in Queen Annes Batter marina with a light libation in our hands and leg 1 under our belts. No sooner had we tied alongside when the heaven's opened.
My phone rang and it was ParaHandy reporting Glen Rosa's position amid the sound of much background revelry. By now we were also in party mood until the lady on the Hanse next door appeared on deck to silence us.
I left Asterie the following morning and caught a train Plymouth to Havant. They are waiting for Andy to join them and will then leave for Portugal with favourable forecasts of strong NW'lys to take them down there. Here's Asterie alongside the Hanse, and here ends my brief account of leg 1.
Fair winds and best wishes for the next leg to Ian, Brian and Andy
The sails went out and the engine off as we went up the harbour. At the entrance, Ian's wife and daughters were (unknown to him) waiting on the beach to wave him off, which brought a lump to my throat as we sailed out of Chichester Harbour.
The winds was blowing WSW and best course we could make was about 210 so we headed out past Isle of Wight and into the channel to give us a decent slant on the forecast SW'ly. Asterie was enjoying herself and made easy work of the channel chop, gently shouldering aside seas which would have caused a lighter boat to slam.
With no sign yet of a wind change, considered putting into Cherbourg to drop the hook overnight. 30 miles from Cherbourg, the wind died completely so the engine went on with an immediate course alteration straigh to Plymouth. No point motoring in the wrong direction! After a couple of hours, the wind picked up again. Engine off and we were able to lay a course to almost clear Bolt Head. As the night set in Ian took the first watch and I went below to get my head down, waking a couple of hours later to the sound of 'War of the Worlds' on the cockpit speakers. Ian was enjoying himself and still had a couple of albums to work through before he was ready to turn in.
As I took my spell, I became fascinated by the wind generator which churned away furiously putting amps into the batteries whilst twisting around the wind, oscillating from side to side. Occasionally it would stop completely as if pausing for breath. It reminded me of a Jack Russel.
Dawn found us some 60 miles from our waypoint off Salcombe and about 80 miles to go to Plymouth. Great sailing with occasional lulls, but couldn't bring ourselves to use the engine so kept going even when only doing a couple of knots. Much of the time we were doing 5-6 knots in 12-15 knots true.
At noon, we dug out the sextant and Ian took a sun sight. Sadly, the sun disappeared about 20 minutes before noon, but we went through the sight reduction anyway to calculate our latitude. Pleased with ourselves, we had a beer.
During the afternoon and evening we had forecasts of W'ly or NW'ly, which would have headed us. We tacked out of Lyme Bay to clear Start Point and made a course for Plymouth, arriving at the entrance at 2300. By midnight we were tied up alongside a brand new Hanse 531 in Queen Annes Batter marina with a light libation in our hands and leg 1 under our belts. No sooner had we tied alongside when the heaven's opened.
My phone rang and it was ParaHandy reporting Glen Rosa's position amid the sound of much background revelry. By now we were also in party mood until the lady on the Hanse next door appeared on deck to silence us.
I left Asterie the following morning and caught a train Plymouth to Havant. They are waiting for Andy to join them and will then leave for Portugal with favourable forecasts of strong NW'lys to take them down there. Here's Asterie alongside the Hanse, and here ends my brief account of leg 1.
Fair winds and best wishes for the next leg to Ian, Brian and Andy
