Foggy New Year

Friday 30th December... Fog, Fog, Fog....that's all i can say about today really! We came down yesterday evening, arriving about 9.30pm and straight to bed (well after a Rum and Coke of course). It's really calm, with amazing Force 0 wind. After a Saffy walk this morning, we spent a couple of hours playing with our new toy....the Parasailor. Did you say 'what's a Parasailor?' According to the manufacturer's website, it's a 'Spinnaker with a Wing' for safe and easy downwind sailing. Still confused?? Well once we've managed to fly it there'll be photos on the blog for sure, so watch this space. Meanwhile, here it is in the bag.....

Thesee's Christmas Present 

In complete contrast to the beautiful weather here during our last visit, the fog horns have been sounding all day long in the harbour. We assume from the ferries, as anyone would be completely crazy to go out sailing today. From the boat we can only just make out the channel markers in the marina.

So we stayed inside for the rest of the day, all three of us fighting for best position in front of the fan heater. Dean started making an inventory of 'things' which he has stored here there and everywhere in every nook and cranny he can find (or not find as the case seems to be).

Saturday 31^st December… We planned to get up at 6.30am, but one look outside and it was still foggy. Our plans to sail to Bembridge for New Year seemed in jeopardy. We switched the VHF radio on to listen to the QHM (Queen's Harbour Master) Channel 11 for Portsmouth Harbour shipping movements and information. By 7.45am visibility had improved greatly and QHM announced the fog alert had been lifted. So we sorted ourselves out and got the boat ready. The weather was still really calm and so Linda had her first practise driving the boat out of the berth.

We made our way out of the harbour, giving the QHM a wave on the way past. After all, he probably hasn’t seen anyone in the fog for over two days. 

Still dredging in the Solent

Once out the other side of the forts we headed south west. The wind was about 6 knots, the sea calm and we took the chance to try out the Parasailor. We could have done with a bit more wind, but on the whole we were very pleased, and we didn't break anything!

Peter the Parasailor

At 1pm (high tide) we approached Bembridge. It’s a shallow entrance and so we can only arrive at or around high tide. Linda was steering and didn’t realise she was a bit too far off centre when the boat touched the bottom and stopped! Fortunately we were only going slowly, and Dean quickly came to the rescue and managed to get us off the sandbank and on our way into the harbour again. Phew! That was a close call. I had visions of spending New Year at an angle of 45 degrees. Typically, there was a boat right behind us to witness women’s driving. Never anyone around when you do a good manoeuvre is there?

Tanker at anchor 

This afternoon we had a lovely walk along the seafront and around the sand dunes on the Duver. We love it here, and so does Saffy.

Of gorse it's Dean

Firework tree

Back on board Thesee, we got festive once again and raised the fairy lights up the mast. Linda had to laugh, she said 'Dean can fly the huge parasailor on his own, but those fairy lights need both of us'!

Well I’m writing this with only 3 hours to go to midnight and the New Year. Hope we can stay awake long enough to enjoy the local fireworks.

Happy New Year 2017 xx