Last weekend in the Solent (a few pics!)

[Firefly625]

OK, not sure if this will work...first time trying to post pics.....!! It is also a post which is not moaning about the new forum.

Had a great day last Sunday out in the Solent, F5 and a really quite a few gusts in the afternoon a touch more than that. But in the shelter of Southampton Water and up to Calshot all quite calm...but no further as South Westerlies never great round the corner of Calshot for our little boat!

Amazing when you take someone for the first time on the water, my 12 year old niece came along and was so enthusiastic about everything it even got me thinking that I might not change my boat just yet...

Left Hythe around 11.30am, plan was to go to Port Hamble for lunch at the Banana Wharf, headed up to Calshot, turned round and into the Hamble. Had to avoid a few kamikaze sailing dinghy's, but didn't run more than two down, so did quite well. Good lunch, had a couple of hours at Port Hamble then a wet trip back to Hythe, lots of girlie squeals... excellent fun!

pics all out of order really...not sure how to swap them round... seems to take an age to load!...also, why are they not just the usual large scale pics.... hey ho... as I said, this is not a moan at the new forum!!! It is going to be great....

 

[Mymobo]

Nice to see some clear water rather then the brown stuff we have.

 

[ricky_s]

Nice Firefly, I still miss my 625 and your pics are bringing back happy memories

 

[Cliveshep]

Aarrgh Jim Lad, Nice pics. How big is the main engine?
I envy you, we tried to exit Chi last weekend in our tender, 4m inflatable with wife and kids, 20hp Yammie plus a 3.5 get-u-home. Yammie consistantly stopped, it rained and it blew, I had water all down my glasses, bloddy police launch kept swanning past bouncing us around whilst i tried to coax Yammie back into life all the time going in large circles just inside the bar with the aux, eldest son feeling sick, wife bad tempered (and me) got it going, went out, tried fishing, caught only a tonne of weed, came back fed-up. You had a good day from the look of it, I envy you.

Note to Self - don't take tender to Chi - takes forever to get out.
Sorted Yammie anyway, sticking float, and also had to buy a new prop, centre boss gave up as well.

 

[Firefly625]

Hi Clive

A 4m rib with a 20hp Yammie.... you should have had a great day... What have you been doing with the poor thing? I thought they ran forever....

My main engine is a 90hp Suzuki (obviously 4-stroke, probably guessed that by the size of the thing), superb engine. Amazing power (yes it is only 90hp but they are a detuned 115hp so lots of torque) & it really moves the 625 along nicely. We cruise at circa 4200rpm/ 4500rpm that gets us around 17 to 19knots using 17 litres of fuel an hour, Aux is 6hp Suzuki...

You've got your big boat to play with, but a while back I had a 12ft & a 15ft speedboat, they were fun on the solent, had a few days similar to yours!

But do you know, considering we left our house at 9.15am and got back at 6pm and we live 1hr 15 minutes away from the boat (so we had just 6 hours actually on the boat) I had one of the most enjoyable days since I have owned it..... simple fun

 

[Firefly625]

Nice Firefly, I still miss my 625 and your pics are bringing back happy memories

...until tomorrow & you get your new boat.... then those memories will be replaced!!!

Where did you keep your 625?

 

[ricky_s]

Where did you keep your 625?

I kept her in Chichester Marina. Enjoyed her very much. Bit different to the one tomorrow but the SWMBO prefers the new one (she picked it)

 

[Firefly625]

I kept her in Chichester Marina. Enjoyed her very much. Bit different to the one tomorrow but the SWMBO prefers the new one (she picked it)

...oh interesting, so does that mean you will get to play with it more??

 

[ricky_s]

...oh interesting, so does that mean you will get to play with it more??

Think for the money we are paying we need to use it all the time, though the petrol bills are going to be a bit bigger on this one

 

[ricky_s]

Oops. Wrong thread. Sorry.