The return

[BigLes]

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee - what a great sail back!! Back safe and sound, off to bed now no doubt all the stories will be flying around on here soon. And I would publicly like to thank Tom (Tome) for all his guidance and encouragement leading up to my first crosssing as skipper - we did it!

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[Cutter]

Glad to hear Tome was still alive today. Looked like touch and go last night. Stonking sail home. Great trip. Hope Wild Honey ok.
Thanks to all

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[Robin]

I was just awunderin though....

What the miner was doing at 6am with a deck brush over the stern?? /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[BigLes]

Re: I was just awunderin though....

She claims the food (or alchohol?) disagreed with her in the night so gave my transom a spraying of diced carrots! So at 6am she was just trying to get rid of tha last evidence.

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[Robin]

Re: I was just awunderin though....

They don't make young ladies like they used to when I was but a lad, but the headlamp was a nice touch!

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[tome]

Well done skipper! Cracking sail back- we were surfing off the Nab and were tied up Northney 730. Not as fast a sail as last year, but really enjoyable once I'd had my 3rd cup of black coffee.

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[tome]

Richard

Big lesson for me - don't try to keep up with the lads, they can drink me under the table with consummate ease. Sorry to have missed the chance to have a coherent chat.

Tom

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[iangrant]

Tom

It's no good drinkin with them Emsworth boys you should know better!!

Emsworth born
Emsworth bred
Strong in the arm,
Thick in the 'ead...


We made up some time when the wind picked up we were in tied up Northney 20:00 so not that far behind you.

Ian

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[BobE]

Did we actually drink? Funny I can't remember the wine tasting, going to or from the dinner, or leaving CHbg at midnight BST... But it was fun wasn't it.. Thank the lord for a sober crew??
Cheers Bob E..

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[BigLes]

Left Cherbourg 06.30, tied up in Chichester Marina 21.10 - not bad for our little 32 footer. Do we win the race on handicap?

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[tome]

Ian

Will remember this in future - it may well save me a thick head and avoid becoming such a gibbering wreck. Boy, can they knock them back!

I expect you made up ground as the wind strengthened late pm. We put a reef in approaching the Nab as the wind increased to around 22 knots. Went very chilly once the sun set, but a great days sailing.

Tom

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[iangrant]

We held full sail and shot past bembridge ledge - with tide up the chuff as well - I was one of those trips that ended all too quickly.

Colin_s now thinks it is always like that!!

Ian

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[tome]

Definitely ahead on handicap - nice one Les. Everyone happy on the way back? Our only casualty going over was happy as Larry on the way back.

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[Cutter]

Our puker on the way over made an excellent recovery on the sail round to Chbg and positively beamed all the way home. We circled the striken Wild Honey (see limerick on main forum) and left 0645. Passed by Ken before EC2 but stunning sail therafter and tied up in Haslar at 1830 (both times BST).
Good to see everyone again - how about a four - five day cruise next year with crew swapping so people experience different boats?
cheers
Richard

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[robp]

What happened to Wild Honey? We saw you go over to her and so we stopped for a while. Then when you started again, we did too.

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[bedouin]

I'm glad you posted that - I've spent all weekend feeling distinctly challenged in the LWL direction. We followed you out of Cherbourg, and reached Gosport Boatyard at 21.15.

I must admit feeling envious of those who can pretty well guarantee a passage time of sub 12 hours, and I was beginning to think that we were the only boat not back at their berth by 18:00.

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[Observer]

We looked out for S/butt entries on way back but couldn't find any of you. We chased down a few yachts but none of them were s/butt forumites (got some strange looks as well - mobo approaching chuff at 25 knots, waving then roaring off again?). Guess all of you going to E Solent must have been further west of straight line track?

We helped Wild Honey to the slipway at Chantereyne (drying out for Graham to carry out repairs to rudder) before we left. Last heard they were hoping to return last night but don't know if they made it. Anybody heard?

We left Cherbourg 1022 BST back in PS 1500ish. Ozzyb turning pale as we pumped 165 galls of fuel (189 miles over the weekend so 0.9 galls per mile)!!

Really great to meet all of you and a cracking weekend. Thanks for honorary raggie status and not too much heckling.

Many thanks to TK and BigNick for organisation. Special recognition for Parahandy's telegram and .... what can I say about BobE's rendition of Sonia Snell - memorable and (self-evidently) immemorable at the same time.

All the best all.

DD and crew.




<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://aflcharters.co.uk>Dream Dancer</A>

 

[Twister_Ken]

Rocket machine

Huge thanks to Dom, and the Doms junior.

Left at 0700 BST, pootled out to outer rade and put up e-bloody-normous mainsail, unrolled gennie, left by Eastern entrance at aprrox 0745, set the newfangled autodoobriewotsit to 030, tweaked a sheet or two from time to time, dodged one merchant ship by pressing the +10 button twice, taught the kids how to tie useful knots like the hangmans noose, then looked up to find the IOW an inch or two over the horizon, dodged a dredger with the buttons, hardened up at Bem Ledge and entered Pompey harbour at 1645. The doobriewotsit machine had been left on all weekend, so showed our avg speed as something like 1.42kts. but we reckon we must have averaged somehere in the 8 and a bit range on the way back, saw 9 kts frequently, 10 kts from time -to-time and maxed at 11.3. No dramas at all. Dom a trifle miffed, because if we'd had a later departure we'd have had better tides and a faster passage.

Surprised to hear Tome say it got chilly after sunset, by then I had the car heater going somewhere around Winchester.

Ah well, back to reality.

PS - anyone else still got the tune of 'Father Abraham' ticking over in the few remaining brain cells?



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[janeK]

Re: Rocket machine

"PS - anyone else still got the tune of 'Father Abraham' ticking over in the few remaining brain cells?"

Yes I have - but obviously the song had not been completed when we stopped so what were the remaining verses...obviously rugby club inspired so did it have anything to do with a bodily part that men have and women haven't????

Probably wasn't a patch on the limerick from the table next to me who were too
worried about children present to orate their rhyming ditty.... something to do with Horatio if I remember rightly....maybe next time.

<hr width=100% size=1>If work was so good, the rich would have kept more of it for themselves.

 

[janeK]

Re: Rocket machine

Rub it in why don't you if whilst standing with hands in pockets surveying the horizon as you 'rocketed' away from Elle Dehors you would have seen said crew with mouths open saying 's**t look at that go' and 'look at TK in his element wonder if he was in Master & Commander stance?'

So when will the photos be posted or haven't they turned out due to photographer stomping at speed past target.
Mind you - you did have a dirty bottom - shame on you - if it had been cleaned at what speed and time of arrival would you have had....perish the thought?

<hr width=100% size=1>If work was so good, the rich would have kept more of it for themselves.