Csárdás

Friday 26th May

Got down to the boat just before 9pm and got things ready. Sarmad and Zarni arrived soon after 10pm. Neither of these two have ever done any sailing, so was looking forward to giving them their first taste of yachting.

As they emptied their car I realised I’d need a trolley. Copious quantities of food poured out of the boot, followed by a cooler full of beer, another crate of beer, and a bag containing a bottle of vodka and mixers. They then produced suit hangers containing very posh looking jackets and trousers. At this point I started to wonder if they knew quite what they were letting themselves in for. What precisely were they expecting? When exactly did they think we’d have time to drink all that alcohol and what were the formal clothes for? They said “but isn’t that what people wear at yacht clubs?”. Well. Sometimes. But rarely. “What are you wearing on Sunday night then Marcus?” - “just jeans and a shirt mate!” Yachties are much more down to earth than most people think. The popular view of it being the domain of upper-class toffs is quite out of date, thankfully. Yes, there are times when a posh yacht club will put on a formal occasion, but at the end of a race, or rally, when people jump off their pocket cruisers and AWB’s (Average White Boats) formality is not a requirement. Sure, no wet dirty oilskins in the bar please, but modern casual is quite acceptable.

The only time I can remember a suit ever being anywhere near my boat was when Dad and I went to a funeral in Winchester. As Dad had to come from Norfolk and the boat was in Southampton, Csardas seemed the most sensible place to stay. But that was a bit different. Anyway, I figured these two London boys should be themselves and bring a little style to the event, so I went off in search for a large trolley to carry the contents of a small off-license and a Saville Row tailors.

I pushed the trolley down the pontoon just ahead of the two lads, quietly wondering to myself where I was going to store all this stuff and realising that my initial thoughts of removing gear from the boat to save weight for the racing events was now fully futile. I was also slightly concerned that at some point I might have given these two guys the impression that my boat was only slightly smaller than Abromovich’s yacht, when in fact it was half the size if his tender!

Miraculously food and beer were stored and space was found in the oilskins locker for the suits. We lightened the load only very slightly by pouring two cans of beer down our throats. Showed Sarmad and Zarni around the boat and one or two important items such as the big red button on the VHF radio. Before long we realised it was 1am. We had to get the first bridge out of the marina at 7.30 in the morning, which, luckily, would work out well for getting flood tide into Solent and up to Hamble, where we would pick up Ange and meet Doz and Gilly and co on the Hanse 370, and continue on in company to Gosport. So we went to bed.

Saturday 27th May

Woke feeling a little groggy just before 7. Quickly got boat ready and slipped lines at 7.15. On way down to Bridge got the lads removing fenders and lines and pointed out various safety items. Got main up in Poole harbour and motor sailed out of the harbour and down the main channel. Less than 10 knots of breeze from the West so after altering course at the end of the channel for the Needles we started getting the spinnaker ready. I was in two minds as to whether I should introduce the spinnaker to these land lubber city boys so soon, but, a) there wasn’t that much wind, b) the wind was aft and the genoa was flopping around behind the main, useless, c) we needed to get to Hamble at lunch time, and d) we might want to use it in the racing on Sunday anyway, so now seemed like as good a time as any. We took our time getting all the lines ready. Sarmad helped me up on the foredeck while Zarni operated the controls in the cockpit. I’m not sure if I explained what all the lines did sufficiently but spinnaker-in-snuffer went up without any tangles and Sarmad un-snuffed it as Zarni and I trimmed and it all went up nicely.

Just as crew started to relax we approached the Needles channel. The wind was building and our course change into the Solent would have meant a jibe, so I decided to get rid of the spinnaker. This took a bit of effort as we failed to release the guy and sheet quickly enough for Sarmad. I wasn’t sure if the snuffer had jammed or whether he was able to pull it and needed us to ease. One needs the foredeck guy on the snuffer to let us know when he is ready to start pulling it down so that we can ease for him. Turns out everything was fine and Sarmad was tugging away but we weren’t aware of it. So for a while I could see Sarmad doing tarzan impressions with the snuffer line. A gust then caught me out half way through all this as I was attending to the guy and the main jibed unintentionally. No harm done but it caused Sarmad to slide across to the other side of the deck. Then just as Zarni released the sheet he ran to the stern and threw up over the transom. I went up on deck to help Sarmad finish things up and was pleased to see he was still laughing. Poor old Zarni, on the other hand, was feeling a little queasy.

The wind really freshened up as we sailed up the Solent so we picked up pace with the wind dead aft, goose-wing style, with the genoa out the opposite side to the main.

Arrived in Hamble at 12.30 to be greeted by Ange, Vassy and Dominic. Ange and Vassy got on board and Sarmad served up a fantastic lunch of Chicken legs and spicy Indian kebabs prepared by his mother. The food mountain that had been brought on board was beginning to be appreciated a whole lot more! Colour appeared to have returned to Zarni’s cheeks!

After lunch we slipped lines and followed Chris and Dale on Magic Dragon 3, Hanse 340, and Doz, Gilly and co on the Hanse 370 showboat. Wind now 25+ knots so we set a first reef and put 5 rolls in the genoa. The course to Portsmouth put the wind on the starboard quarter so we had a very fast sail and with our genoa and it’s wider sheeting angle, were soon ahead of the other boats which were carrying the standard self-tacking jib. Was pleased that the brand new 370, which in theory is faster than our 371, could not keep up We had 10+ knots through the water, averaging 8-9 over the ground. Awesome.

Moored up in Gosport about 4.30 and chatted to the other Hanse owners that were there. Good to catch up with friends we had met in previous years and on demo sails. Once all had arrived we had the BBQ that Peter and co had prepared. Unfortunately it was cold and overcast so any idea of dinghy racing and other antics was abandoned. Some people took ferry over to Portsmouth to see Volvo Ocean yachts. We on the other hand, having come from Poole, were ready for just chilling out, so went back to the boat. The evening improved and before long we were sitting outside in the cockpit, joined by crews from other boats and began to put a dent in the beverage store. Unfortunately someone turned up with half a crate of Fosters supplied by Peter for the BBQ. So the end result appeared to be we still had more beer on board than marine diesel.

Sunday 28th May

Hangover! But a lovely morning. Bright sunshine, slight breeze. Doz came up with a course for the pursuit race. He only had a racing chart with him, which serves to show where the racing marks are. On a regular chart the names of the hundreds of yellow racing buoys are not shown. Furthermore it is such small scale that the names marked next to the buoys could just as easily refer to a different one. So he inadvertently got the name of the first mark wrong and no one knew where the second one was. So some scurrying around the boats and explaining the mix up and providing GPS coordinates for the last mark. Unfortunately some boats had already left for a head start.

Doz got out to the start point and relayed the clarification on the VHF. As we had a large genoa we were told we’d have to start with the bigger 400s in the last start. Doz, starting the race, would also have to start at that time. Finally after the first three classes had got away we got our 1 minute warning. So I flicked on my count down timer. At 30 seconds we tacked and headed for the line. 10 seconds later Doz sounded the start hooter. Hmmm. That was a quick minute. Presumably Doz just wanted to get away! We were last over the line.

My sites were on Nirvana, also a 371 and also with a genoa. Was pleased when we got past them and then the focus was on Doz in the 370. I knew we could get them as they only had the self tacker and we had a light breeze. Sure enough we passed them. Then it wasn’t long before we slowly but surely managed to get ahead of the larger 400. There wasn’t much in it however and I figured we would lose out on the tacks since we had a large genoa to winch in, where they, with the self-tacker, would be powered up instantly. So I explained what I needed the crew to do and hoped for the best. Of course with Ange being 38 weeks pregnant, her only role was to try to do as little as possible, but the extra ballast surely gave us an advantage. Ange also had very much a consultative role, helping to give the guys a few tips. Our first tack was slow, but they got better. After several tacks they were doing a really good job. The tide was slack, and about to ebb, so I stayed out in deep water. Besides, every time we approached Osborne Bay the wind seemed to go fluky. As the tide turned our pace picked up and we noticed Tikatam, a 301 (in the first class to start) and sailed past them. Then we saw Clivian, also a 371, but with a self-tacker and therefore in it’s own class. We got past them as we approached the first mark. I figured if we’d lapped Tikatam there can’t be anyone else ahead. We rounded the mark and made towards the finish line. No one near the finish point so I figured we’d won. At the finish mark I radioed Doz to let him know we’d finished. Then we noticed Magic Dragon 3 (340), Magic Dragon 1 (315) and Gretel (301) near another mark a few hundred yards from the finish mark. Magic Dragon 3 then radioed Doz and said “We think we’ve finished”. How did they get there so quickly? But it was the wrong mark. Were these the boats that had left before it was realised the course was wrong?

Another race was organised, but my crew appeared to have had quite enough and overruled me. I suppose there is only so much you can expect from a crew consisting of a springer spaniel, a 38 week pregnant lady, and two city doctors with suits and brogues in the wet locker.

So we sailed up to Hamble and moored up at the Royal Southern Yacht Club and took the dog for a walk instead!

Before dinner Hanse had arranged some talks. Peter spoke about developments at Hanse, Doz showed a video on North’s 3DL sails, a slide-show of pictures taken during the day (not many of us because we were miles ahead of him!), and Dave Freeman talked about the new Simrad kit. If Sarmad and Zarni didn’t find that utterly boring I’m not sure what would!

After a very enjoyable dinner it was time for the prize giving! There was a prize for winning the official race, which we received of course; plus a runner up for the official race. Then first and runner up for the “unofficial” race for those that went to the wrong finish line, and first and runner up for the second race. Many other prizes, such as the most pregnant crew (accepted jointly by Ange and Victoria), the boat that had travelled the furthest (Us again, but only by about 2 miles - David Lloyd on Magic Dragon 1 had also come from Poole), the newest boat etc were dished out. At a Hanse rally the motto is everyone’s a winner! Peter also auctioned off a SART (Search and Rescue Transponder) donated by Simrad with proceeds going to the RNLI.

No one appeared up for a late night strangely, and by 11pm we were all in bed! Beer still practically slopping around the bilges.

Monday 29th May

The forecast threatened NWly force 6-7. Hmmm. To get the best tide out I would need to leave at 11ish. Unfortunately the boys needed to be at Zarni’s sister’s leaving do in London, by mid-afternoon. So after the lads had helped me change the genoa for the smaller jib, and after breakfast at a cafe in Hamble, Ange drove them back to their car in Poole. Hopefully they enjoyed themselves even though it might have been a bit of a baptism of fire. I think Zarni especially might prefer a more relaxing schedule next time around! I got the dinghy stowed and got everything secure and slipped the mooring just after 11.

The wind was funnelling down Southampton Water but I figured it would be quieter in the Solent. It was and I put a reef in the main and unrolled the jib. The wind eased some more so I shook out the reef. Of course, soon after doing that a squall hit. I tried to roll up the jib a bit but the shackle holding the sheet to the tack came undone. I rolled it right up and got on deck to fix that. I then put the reef back in the main. Then unrolled some jib again. During which another squall hit and hail stones rained down. Then the emergency DSC alert on the radio went off at a high volume. I was too busy to cancel it so for the next few minutes I had to put up with it. Very annoying. Phew. This is hard work. By the time I was at Yarmouth the wind was now on the nose anyway, so I wound the jib back in and put the engine on. There were at least two emergency workings going on in the Solent. It wasn’t really that windy - no more than a force 5 in the Solent, but it was very gusty and squally. The coastguard are always busy in these conditions on a bank holiday Monday.

I chose to take the North channel out past Hurst castle to give me a slightly freer course to the Poole channel. That meant I had to crash into the chop for a short while. With wind over tide in Hurst narrows it was quite rough. As I approached the end of the North channel I saw an offshore lifeboat towing a yacht towards me, into the Solent. A small open day-boat was tacking up and down, going the same direction as me. To avoid motoring dead into the wind and waves I was “motor-tacking” keeping wind in the mainsail. I was only 50 yards or so from this day-boat, following the same course when a strong gust overwhelmed them. I could see the crew desperately trying to release the jib and slowly they tipped over. I slowed down, not sure exactly what I could do on my own to help. Their mast went horizontal but stayed just above the water. After a few heart stopping moments the boat came back upright. The helmsman gave me a wave and a thumbs up so I waved back, opened up the throttle again and carried on. Once at the buoy marking the end of the North channel I altered course for the Poole channel and eased the main sheet a touch. As I was on my own I continued motor-sailing. There was no point busting a gut tacking up and down to Poole. We’d had a great weekend and it was time now just to get the boat back. It was blowing a force 6-7 and I took a lot of water across the deck. With the auto-helm on I sheltered under the spray hood and just sat it out.

Arrived in Poole harbour just after four, perfect timing for the 4.30 bridge. It was still blowing a good 25 knots in the harbour, so my next challenge was going to be mooring up on my own. Luckily my berth faces just east of south, and the NW wind would be blowing me on. So I let the wind do all the work and I moored up with no drama.

Took me an hour or so to clean and pack up, and I offloaded an unopened crate of beer and headed home! Some of that will be much appreciated when I hit the sofa later I thought! What a superb weekend! Great company, and the sailing was fantastic. We could have done with more sun on the Saturday, but the wind made up for it and supplied some excellent sailing. I hope Zarni and Sarmad enjoyed the sailing enough to want to come again. But next time we’ll slow down the pace a bit!

Managed to get down to the boat at lunch time on Saturday. Slightly overcast but some sunny spells and a nice breeze from the West. Forecast suggested wind would go SEly the following day, so decided to head for Yarmouth, IOW, knowing we’d have a following wind on the return. Slipped lines at 1415 for 1430 bridge and sailed out of the harbour. Enjoyed a quick downwind sail in ~20 knots true and rode last of the ebb through Hurst narrows to arrive outside Yarmouth at around 1730. Harbour full and found all buoys occupied so started getting anchor ready when noticed a yacht getting ready to vacate it’s swinging mooring. Hovered in the strong tide adjacent to him and just after he left we snuck in and grabbed the buoy.

Went ashore in water taxi which Vassy found most exciting. After allowing Vassy to exhaust and relieve himself on the fields we wined and dined at The Bugle. Good food and accommodating towards dogs.

Capitalism appears to have caught up with Yarmouth. Most pontoons in the harbour are now linked to shore. Once the only way to moor in the harbour was between piles. Later they added pontoons between the piles and the only way ashore was still dinghy or water taxi. This year they’ve added walk-ashore pontoons. While this makes things more convenient (if you can get a berth) it does reduce the capacity as the gangways take up mooring space. Of course, having walk-ashore pontoons means they can now charge more. Even our one night stay on a swinging mooring cost us £16! Paid the usual £1.50 each to the water taxi on way to shore, but was surprised when asked for another £1.50 on return. It used to be £1.50 return. So £6 for a trip ashore for the two of us and the dog! Perhaps loss of custom due to walk-ashore pontoons means they have had to increase the fare. Next time I’ll pump up the dinghy! Is Yarmouth in danger of losing it’s charm? Well, it is still a lovely place, but it does feel a little more commercial than it once did.

Back on board watched the setting sun paint the western sky red and properly chilled out. The wind died and we had a most peaceful night. Bright sunshine and hardly a breath of wind in the morning and the sea was glassy smooth. Decided to leave early and punch tide out past Needles rather than do sensible thing and wait for tide. Well it was flat calm anyway. Kept reasonably close in to shore in the shallows to try to keep out of as much of the tide as possible. Managed three knots over ground through strongest current. Motored on across Christchurch Bay towards Poole in glassy sea. Wind picked up a little as we approached the Poole channel so managed to sail the last few miles.

Fuelled up at fuel barge in Poole Harbour and queued amongst 20 or so boats for 1430 bridge back into Cobbs Quay. Friends Jenny and John who live in Bournemouth came to meet us as we arrived and joined us for a few beers on board before we packed up.

Another enjoyable weekend!

Note pictures of Ange and Jenny at 37 and 17 weeks pregnant respectively.

The delivery trip to Poole that was planned end of March was aborted due to a westerly F8. We got as far as Cowes and thought bugger this let’s get a pint. So Csardas stayed in Hamble until I returned from the Swagman Med trip.

On the Friday after my return (21st May) the wind blew gently from the East so Dad and Gillian joined me for a gentle spinnaker run to Poole.

Had Csardas lifted last Tuesday at Lake Yard and after a couple of coats of desperately needed antifouling and a few other small jobs she was re-launched last Friday. Cobbs Quay were unable to lift for a few weeks due to neaps. Cobbs Quay is not the deepest place and at low water springs Csardas sits in the mud. They need a high spring to float her at the slipway. Was able to get her lifted sooner at Lake Yard where they are not restricted.

Today Ange and I anchored up South of Brownsea Island for lunch in glorius sunshine and then when the wind picked up had a short sail outside the harbour before returning to Cobbs Quay. Quite a queue for the 1430 bridge today. Quite bizarre queuing in traffic in a boat.

So far the bridge hasn’t been a problem but there is talk of another bridge being built which will be a complete nightmare. The council appear to have disregarded the views of the marine users and marine industry in general and say that the bridges won’t open at the same time and that there will be a holding pen in between for 50 odd boats. So one would have to mill about for the first bridge, moor up then mill about for the next. Clearly no one on the council has seen what it’s like at the best of times when 10 boats are milling around in a 1-2 knot tide outside the existing bridge. Forget it.

Actually I say the council didn’t consult marine users. To be fair the Bridge Operating Board which will decide on opening times includes in it’s members some Harbour Users. But those Harbour Users berth at Salterns and the RMYC which are situated on the seaward side of the bridge. In other words the harbour users representatives don’t even use the bridge! Funny how they didn’t invite people from Cobbs Quay or Holes Bay.

If the new bridge goes ahead I think I will opt for a swinging mooring at Lake Yard. They seem a friendly, efficient lot there and it’s only another minute down the road by car. So a swinging mooring there might work out quite well, and save a few pennies.