Why was the Solent empty, this fine Sunday afternoon?

Greenheart

Greenheart

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We drove down the A3 quite late, after 4pm. Only time for a walk on the beach at Lee-on-Solent. Steady force 2, sun often breaking through cloud, 18 centigrade...

...very pleasant sailing weather, really quite warm...and yet, scarcely a sail in sight, from east of Ryde, over to far beyond Calshot!

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Was there some monopolising news event?

I'd expected a few Sunday-racers, classics airing their sprits, late-lunching booze-cruisers, kids in dinghies, rowdies on PWCs, weekenders returning to marinas...

...nothing. It reminded me of those rare fine days in early February, when no-one has readied their boat for action. :(
 
It was pouring with rain all morning in Portsmouth and there seemed to be almost no wind. Didn't appear a great day for sailing.

I was exploring the hulks in Forton Lake so not really paying attention but I did see a few boats coming and going under power in the harbour.
 
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There was hundreds of boats out this morning, going absolutely nowhere in 3kts of wind. Then it started raining, and boats heading east to windward were doing OK because they had an extra 2knots of apparent wind from the flood tide.

By the time the sun came out, everybody had got back to base and headed home.
 
Rain & no wind. Flat calm here at 4pm, racing dinghies were marooned opposite Wittering beach for a while.

Yesterday was okay - not much wind, but no rain. Lovely pootle about Chi Channel, but not enough puff for the cruising chute. Practiced beating back against the tide - with 1kt wind - very slow progress, but enjoyable day :)

Di
 
Fair enough. Although, at Lee-on-Solent late afternoon, we had trouble keeping the wind from blowing our stove out!

I have to decide whether to spend my next pocket-money on oars or a trapeze harness. Not an easy decision... :rolleyes:
 
Managed to get one race in and then the wind died about 3. Had to be towed back to Cowes for the 2nd day in a row.
 
burgundyben said:
4pm on a Sunday, they've all gone home.
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I believe you...but why? It was still pleasantly warm, easily enough breeze for an idle early-summer cruise. I always think evening sailing is some of the best.

I can imagine that clubs schedule races for "convenient" times which unfortunately miss four or five hours of perfect daylight. But, a pity if cruisers are similarly offput.

Mainly a pity if we live so far from our boats that the coming working week invariably sees us packing up early, driving home to iron shirts and polish shoes. :(
 
Wait 'til next weekend and the Bank Holiday.
On one hand I hope for good weather, on the other I'm wishing for bad.
The good weather almost makes it impossible to enjoy the sailing due to collision avoidance.
 
dancrane said:
I believe you...but why? It was still pleasantly warm, easily enough breeze for an idle early-summer cruise. I always think evening sailing is some of the best.

I can imagine that clubs schedule races for "convenient" times which unfortunately miss four or five hours of perfect daylight. But, a pity if cruisers are similarly offput.

Mainly a pity if we live so far from our boats that the coming working week invariably sees us packing up early, driving home to iron shirts and polish shoes. :(
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Completely agree but it is work getting in the way of the sailing.

It takes us about an hour door to door, plus maybe an hour to moor, tidy up, load car, marshall kids etc. In an ideal world I would be back on the berth early evening and then home.

But I have to get ready for work, kids ready for school. washing, ironing done and then in bed at a reasonable time.

If I'm home for 6 this is easy to do. If I'm home at 9 then i start the working week with a stressed wife, tired children and piles of housework hanging over us. With no time to catch up during the week I then lose the ability to travel down on Friday night so end up travelling on the Saturday am to get back down to the boat.

If the work wasn't paying for the boat it would all be different!
 
jac said:
Completely agree but it is work getting in the way of the sailing... ...If the work wasn't paying for the boat it would all be different!
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Alas, how true. The last third of each month is always busiest for me, right when I'd like to be doing repairs which'd let me actually use the boat at last, early in June...

...but if I ditch the work, I can't afford the basics, like oars. :rolleyes:

It just reminds me that I'll need to make the most of every day aboard...boom tent & anchor, not haul out and head home just because it's evening.
 
prv said:
I do like living five minutes from the boat :D

Pete
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Me too.....Had a wonderful beat over from Poole to Newtown Creek on Friday afternoon, spent Saturday watching the seal and listening to birdsong, ghosted back on the tide Sunday morning, anchored in South Deep until the rain cleared, enjoyed a sunny sail up Poole harbour on the flood. Pics here: http://allatseawithstargazer.blogspot.co.uk/ Hardly anyone about. The perfect weekend!
 
John_Silver said:
Me too.....Had a wonderful beat over from Poole to Newtown Creek on Friday afternoon, spent Saturday watching the seal and listening to birdsong, ghosted back on the tide Sunday morning, anchored in South Deep until the rain cleared, enjoyed a sunny sail up Poole harbour on the flood. Pics here: http://allatseawithstargazer.blogspot.co.uk/ Hardly anyone about. The perfect weekend!
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We passed you going the other way. Portsmouth to Yarmouth early evening on Friday downwind under full sail. Couple of pints listening to the band in the Bugle, then across to Poole (very light wind beat and motored most of it) and anchored in Blood Alley on Saturday. Brownsea was busy in the afternnon but we had the place to ourselves for the evening then back to Portsmouth yesterday. Motoring again yesterday until a bit of breeze came in about half way up the Western Solent then beat to Cowes and a fetch across to Portsmouth.
 
Tide times may have had something to do with it for some people. That and the forecast of light winds and rain.

A fairly early (or late) start was required to leave Chichester Marina with LW near the middle of the day. We left at 7am and there was no queue for the lock! There was enough wind for a steady beat against the tide and we just pottered into Gosport Marina late morning.

Coming back on Sunday was great for sailing (in the rain). With the wind on the beam we averaged close to 7 knots and so got back to Chichester earlier than expected (we'd expected to drift on the tide in next to no wind). As a result it was a bit touch and go for the entrance channel and we were tied up by 1430! Surpisingly, we had the lock to ourselves again.

What with the 7am departure, Gosport and sailing in the rain, sometimes I think I spoil my other half......
 
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