New Season Solent Meet

Slight problem......

I’m stuck in Berkshire. SWMBO unwell. I can’t single hand my boat over, so as luck has it and typically, I can’t attend the bl**dy meet up I arranged :mad-new:

Sorry chaps. Hope all goes well this evening. Gutted.
 
Slight problem......

I’m stuck in Berkshire. SWMBO unwell. I can’t single hand my boat over, so as luck has it and typically, I can’t attend the bl**dy meet up I arranged :mad-new:

Sorry chaps. Hope all goes well this evening. Gutted.
Jonathan, so sorry to hear this. If it is any consolation, the ride was great, and the social at The Lifeboat was fantastic. Thank you for setting this up, and sorry you missed out. Let’s have another go?
 
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Just well we didn't come, had boat been ready possible would have.
Spent the last two hours buried in quilts with rigors, now downstairs in front of heater after bringing up dinner.
Sooner someone sorts this the better.
 
An excellent weekend.

Popped into the Swanwick show very briefly for a quick splash & dash en route to the boat Friday. Sadly staff illness prevented a longer visit. Made our way over to the island as the sun was setting and just caught last orders at the Lifeboat pub which did us proud all weekend.

Saturday morning was the main event for me, a 60 plus mile cycle loop of the island. It had been touch & go due to a knee injury but some physio intervention gave me the tools to deal with it. I felt a bit like Jimbo in the film American Pie after his father got the doctor to supply some special cream to speed up the healing process prior to Nadia's arrival :)

7 of us set out on a steady ride to the Needles via Yarmouth for a quick coffee at the Kings Head in their courtyard then as the wives headed back to Cowes 5 of us cracked on and hit the remainder of the ride at a slightly faster pace. The road surface was, for the most part superb and the scenery spectacular. Having visited by boat for 20 years this gave me a different insight. I also now know where to buy Alpaca poo at £2 a bag and goats milk fudge amongst other things.

There were a few hills to tackle some of which were fierce but we just about hung in there. Under the guidance of the more experienced riders we enjoyed a very tight pack at times which for a novice like me was a treat. Cycling brings out the best and the worst in people but I'm happy to say on this occasion it was definitely the former. Lunch at the Buddle Ventnor (Niton), where Gary provided us with the quote of the weekend,

"I've had plenty of sausage in my time.........."

Shortly afterwards he told us we'd done the last of the hills which proved not entirely truthful. Coffee and cake - it's the law on a bike ride, was forced upon me at Seaview then we made our way back to East Cowes. A fairly demanding but rewarding ride.

We had a large table booked at the Lifeboat who seemed to be throwing some sort of Hawian night with floral necklaces and grass skirts. Not sure where the Reggae band came into it. There was a second band playing in the East Cowes marina marquee and rumours of a third late night Queen tribute ensemble performing from the cockpit of a motor yacht in the marina.

Eventually everyone appeared on deck Sunday morning (ish) with breakfast being taken variously onboard or in town. A bit of tinkering to clean up props and check oils before people started departing. We stayed for our third meal of the weekend at the Lifeboat, a fantastic Sunday roast.

All good things must come to an end and we headed back to Haslar in the sunshine after what had been an excellent and long overdue weekend. Thanks to all for organising.

Henry :)
 
We arrived Saturday afternoon.
We're supposed to be on A hammerhead, but there wasn't enough room either end of Emily Jo or Bizzy Bee, so we ended up further down on N/P. Bit of a shame, as although I'd decided to dine earlier to get the kids fed, I was hoping to meet you all on the pontoon.
Next time maybe.

Is anyone going to the Boats.co.uk meet over at Cowes Yacht Haven this weekend?
 
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Just well we didn't come, had boat been ready possible would have.
Spent the last two hours buried in quilts with rigors, now downstairs in front of heater after bringing up dinner.
Sooner someone sorts this the better.

:( That doesn’t sound like much fun at all.
Hope things improve for you soon.
 
We arrived Saturday afternoon.
We're supposed to be on A hammerhead, but there wasn't enough room either end of Emily Jo or Bizzy Bee, so we ended up further down on N/P. Bit of a shame, as although I'd decided to dine earlier to get the kids fed, I was hoping to meet you all on the pontoon.
Next time maybe.

Is anyone going to the Boats.co.uk meet over at Cowes Yacht Haven this weekend?

Next time maybe we should share some mobile numbers - that way the herd of cats might actually end up in the same place at some point.
 
Just to echo Henry’s post, it was a great weekend. Good cycling, fantastic company, great food at The Lifeboat. Topping that we know where to get Alpaca poo. Fantastic garnish with truffles.......
 
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