Grenville Houser

Another really blustery day! Difficult conditions. Did MOBs in the morning then late morning sailed back down Southampton water without helm to experiment with balancing and steering boat under sails alone Then sailed onto pontoon. At this point one of the crew departed saying too tired. So after lunch, refuelled and docked…. Here endeth….

MWF 8 Very gusty day. Morning spent with 2 reefs in both and in the afternoon we had a line squall which touched 40kts!!! 3 reefed and spent late pm sailing onto buoy with much wind and tide. Zoe did a complete down tide approach the sharp round up - perfect

Last day. Started at Folly (island harbour out of commission) Blowing a near Gale. Left under sail. Sailed out tucking 3 reefs in main. Touch of Genoa and flew across into Southampton water. Off Netley completed MOB and then picked up buoy under power. After lunch sailed off.. down to hamble. Moored on B hammerhead and then up to Swanwick where we parked. All secure. Debriefs and paperwork

Lovely night on the Lymington town pontoon. Departed. 0815 and completed turning exercises before departing. Set sail and headed NE. Entered Medina and proceeded to Island Harbour Marina. But lock gates under maintenance so came away and moored at Folly

Left as soon as engine re started and at no. 3 raised main and bore off to Ouistreham ECM Good fast passage out of Baie du Seine and managed to get just N of Barfleur. Then the tide turned. Lee bowed north and with turn of tide whizzed to west and laid SW Shingles well! Then fog descended and we dicked around on the bridge. Finally came on wind to mid shingles. As we went through Hurst met “Hartland Point” (RFA) outbound. Cracked off to up the Solent. Made good time. £44 of diesel taken aboard. On dock at 1130 Total sea miles 123

Much better morning. After Breakfast set off. Jude did a little manoeuvring in Camber for me then over to Haslar creek where we hoist sail ( 2nd reef) and motored out. As soon as able bore away and over to Ryde. Tacked and came all the way in up Southampton water. Off Netley we did MOB, sailed back to Hamble, refuelled & berthed in pen.. good weekend

Horrid. Blew up over night and we had to manually recover anchor in 30 knots of wind. Decided to proceed under reefed foresail alone. Made Portsmouth at LW and docked on 5th pile in Camber. KB Dry stack kindly loaned us 2 x long warps which we used for Bow and stern lines. Buckles rigged. Lunch in pub.

Set off at 2035 under power heading for Beaulieu. Wind blew up to F7/8 plugged on under power. Finally rounded Lepe Spit SCM and bore away to entrance of Beaulieu. Anchored in 2.8 +2.10 =4.9m. 30m chain out. Still blowing 7 but anchor holding well. Alarm set. Snubbing line on

Having made Cherbourg and cleared customs we then decided tides were right for St Vaast. Returned to PAF to discuss plan and they stamped us out and made note of our St Vaast leg. Duly got in late in the dark (good exercise). Slept and ate and shopped and departed at just afore HW. Weaved around pot buoys and headed north. Good night crossing. Made Needles SWM perfectly

Decided that with the additional day we had a chance to round the pte de Barfleur and get into St. Vaast. Which is what we did. Had someone on the bow with the torch for final approach