Sunday 22 July started, like many recent sails, with little wind.  However, by early afternoon there was a good SW breeze and Chione T was in her element.  My brother had joined me for the day and we enjoyed good sailing.

Once back in Portsmouth Harbour we managed to sail to the marina under bare poles.  Some yachts I’ve owned have been less inclined to do this, so it was good to find that Chione T will and it allowed plenty of time to pack sails and get lines and fenders on before arriving alongside.

Portsmouth Harbour and Spinnaker Tower:

My Brother at the helm:

Portsmouth Harbour Entrance and the Isle of Wight ferry:

Another weekend of light and variable winds!  A slow sail from Portsmouth Harbour over to Priory Bay – one of my favourite anchorages when the weather is calm.  Needless to say, many others had had the same idea and the Bay was fairly busy by midday.  The water was crystal clear making it possible to easily see the bottom (at 4m) and lots of Compass Jelly Fish.

The newly repaired GPS worked perfectly (the aerial had ceased to function so was replaced) as did the VHF cockpit speaker which is useful for hearing Shipping Forecasts and Southampton VTS.  I have read that Garmin GPS aerials often fill with rain water which prevents them from working.  Once the old one was removed it was stripped down, but as there was no sign of water ingress, it must have been a more technical failure.

Most of the return journey was under power due to the lack of wind and the tide flooding East.  As luck would have it, by the time I got back to Portsmouth Harbour there was a decent N / NE breeze which helped with getting the main down and stowed while motoring home.

Looking SW towards Seaview:

The Eastern part of Seaview.  Priory Bay is off to the left of the picture:

Priory Bay with the entrance to Bembridge Harbour far left:

The pictures don’t manage to convey the extreme heat!

A couple of photos taken while sailing up Portsmouth Harbour.

French and Belgian Naval Vessels alongside with Semaphore Tower in the background and HMS Warrior (1860) to the far right.  The masts of HMS Victory are far left (top masts removed):

Looking North with HM Naval Base to starboard:

After a wet and thundery start Sunday turned out to be a glorious day for sailing with light SE winds.  There were not many other yachts about, maybe due to the wet start.

Conditions were ideal for Chione T and with the wind 60 degrees off the port bow she tramped along happily between 5 – 6 knots.  The shallow bay to the West of Ryde Pier looked inviting, but the sailing was too good to stop and lunch was had underway.

Looking towards Ryde:

Slightly closer in:

This was Chione’s first overnight trip since I purchased her and following a short period ashore at Southsea Marina for annual maintenance.

Although the wind was light and variable it was an enjoyable sail and provided an opportunity to adjust the lashings on the main sail and to reeve the reefing lines.  Mainsail lacing follows the Conor O’Brien method as described in ‘Hand, Reef and Steer’ (Tom Cunliffe ISBN: 9780713672244).  This method has worked well and does not bind on the mast.  The Gaff Saddle has been well lubricated with tallow.

Passing Cowes:

Approaching the Beaulieu River entrance approximately 2.5hrs after High Water:

The night was spent in the lower reaches of the River off Needs Ore Point where it is possible to watch other yachts and shipping as well as an abundance of wildlife.  At Low Water the channel narrows with shelter provided by mud banks either side.  An anchor light is a sensible over-night precaution.

Looking East from Needs Ore towards the River entrance: