Sailing the Solent

Y12 Sailing the Solent 2022

DAY 1

Ship’s Log

1000 hrs - Set sail from Port Solent, Portsmouth, with out 4 boat flotilla of Jeanneau 41s 

1100 hrs - Rained heavily with SSW Winds, Force 5. Impressively sailed at a speed of 8 knots (9.2mph)

1200 hrs - Weather cleared up, sunshine all round, Genoa and Main Sail up

1300 hrs- anchored in Osborne Bay for lunch, cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwiches (added crunch from crisps)

1400 hrs - Set off again, Jib only

1600 hrs - Docked at East Cowes

1700 hrs - Water taxi to West Cowes - wandered down the High Street, lined with quaint shops

1845 hrs  - Chain Ferry back to East Cowes

1900 hrs - Walked back to the Marina (got a bit lost, but got there in the end)

1930 hrs - Pizzas in the oven!!

2000 hrs - 6x Pizza Party

2200 hrs - multi-boat card game

2300 hrs - (very deep) sleep

Nautical mile so far: 17NM

DAY 2

Ship’s Log

0800 hrs - Wake up, breakfast (nice facilities in East Cowes)

1000 hrs - slipped lines from East Cowes 

1030 hrs - jib and main sail up

1100 hrs - sail around the Solent

1300 hrs - Lunch for sandwiches

1330 hrs - set sail again 

1400 hrs - navigation through Beaulieu River, lots of sand banks (a little hairy!!)

1500 hrs - Dock at Bucklers Hard Marina

1530 hrs - Rowing practice

1700 hrs - chill in boats

1800 hrs - Barbeque overlooking the river and view, barbeque with burgers and hot dogs!

1930 hrs - big american football game on the green, by Bucklers Hard

2100 hrs - sunset card game no the green

2200 hrs - get ready for bed, super pretty facilities

Nautical Miles: 36NM

DAY 3

Ship’s Log

0800 hrs - Wake up, breakfast - we had red velvet cake onboard for Lexie’s Birthday!

1000 hrs - Go to Bucklers Hard Museum - learnt about the history of the 18th Century, when the hamlet was a shipbuilding yard, and later in the 19th Century when it was revived as a Victorian tourist destination, where the citizens would serve visitors cream teas in their front rooms. We also saw Nelson’s hair and learnt that the ships were mainly built out of beech, elm and oak wood in the 1700s in Buckler’s Yard

1130 hrs - Looked at the boatyard in the Marina, learnt about different types of propeller (fixed, folding and feathered) and about keels. We saw Gulliver G, the boat sailed by Clare Francis, 1973 as the 1st woman to complete a transatlantic crossing, solo

1200 hrs - Ate sandwiches for lunch in the Marina, onboard and studied Points of sail, how to use the life raft and about the safety flares

1230 hrs - Set off from Beaulieu with enough water to safely navigate our way back down the river without running aground 

1330 hrs - Out of the river, and in the Solent again, we put up our sails - both the Jib and the Main

1400 hrs - Gorgeous sunshine with substantial wind - proper heeling today!!!

1410 hrs - Mayday Mayday Mayday tea towel overboard - Buried at Sea (hopefully not round someone rudder, or at Needles Point) 

1700 hrs - Escorted into the harbour by the Harbour Master - Get into Yarmouth Harbour - good mooring in the corner of the Marina, with the bathing platform down at the back, as an easy step onto shore from the boat. 

1800 hrs - swot up on the parts of the boat, ready for the quiz

1900 hrs - Lasagnas and macaroni and cheese for dinner 

2000 hrs - Birthday surprise for Lexie where everyone ate chocolate cake on one of the boats. We sang happy birthday to her. 

2100 hrs - Cheeky pop to the shops for provisions 

2200 hrs - Card games with the snacks

2300 hrs - Bed time

Mile count: 56NMs

DAY 4

Ship’s Log

0800 hrs - Woke up

0900 hrs - Had pancakes for breakfast (nutella, whipped cream, bananas and all the yummy stuff)

1000 - Leave Yarmouth

1100 hrs - sailed downwind towards cowes as fast as we could to make it in time for the time the tides change.

1200 hrs - Past cowes, tide east, practised jibbing on the way, sailed 20 knots of wind

1230 hrs - Continued towards seaview - pretty town on Isle of Wight, lunch at anchor, one boat lunched at Newtown creek

1300 hrs - Man overboard after lunch (fender and bucket), got it out very quickly though some water from the bucket did get on deck.

1400 hrs - Gunwharf quays, tied up - neatened boats

1500 hrs - shopping 

1630 hrs - back to the boat for heated card games like Durak and spoons

1800 hrs - dinner - wagamama and pizza express

1900 hrs - cards again - Spoons and Whist

2300 hrs - bed

Mile count: 89 NM

DAY 5

Ship’s Log

0800 hrs - woke up

0900 hrs - waffles and cereal for breakfast

0930 hrs - Knots under stopwatch (race)

0945 hrs - went through the course syllabus 

1000 hrs - preparing and leaning the boat

1100 hrs - left Gunwharf Quays

Full review of RYA competent crew course

Train home 

certificates!!!

ETA waterloo 1811

Total trip: 102 nm