Folly Inn Cruiser Rally Fleet Decimated but two made it there and back.
Eight boats were signed up for the rally to the Folly Inn, then:
- One crew suffered a suspected detached retina requiring emergency medical treatment pulled out 24 hours prior.
- Having left their moorings, one crew suffered flooding from a cracked exhaust elbow, returned. Skipper remarked odd since an engineer had worked on the engine the week before.
- Within 200m of their mooring, one crew were forced back with their engine over- heating.
- One crew got caught up with selling/buying boats.
- One crew did not like the look of the weather forecast for the return on Sunday (reasonable read later).
- One crew went to a childrens party and fell victim to a virus.
Rally leader Martin had booked the berths many months prior and bought nibbles and drinks for the pre-dinner get together but had to hand said goodies over to Sue Pearson the day before. Fairwind was now the lead boat with the rally down to four, then two.
It was a lovely sail to the Folly Inn on Saturday 6 September with a brisk SE wind. As expected somewhat wobbly over Hayling Bay, but very rapid going for both Fairwind and Roussillon in the smoother seas after the Forts. Emsworth cruisers were out racing in the Bay. Sods Law that we had to cross the race on port tack as they progressed on starboard, but no issue. In the Solent, there was much tanker/container ship dodging. A bit alarming to see a container ship leave Southampton bearing down on us with only around 10 containers loaded a very odd sight and never seen before. Roussillon listened out on Channel 11 and heard a Brittany Ferry being instructed to slow down to allow the Waverley paddle steamer into Portsmouth. Quite interesting to see her speeding past.
It was a lovely afternoon and evening in the sunny and sheltered Medina River and Barrie took the opportunity to refill Fairwinds water tank which took quite a time. Slowly realising that something was wrong, he turned off the water. The next half hour was spent bailing out the bilges due to the water tank lid not being tightly closed. Wonderful clean bilges though! Later, we all enjoyed the small gathering on Roussillon and then a very good dinner for four at the Folly Inn with a singer to entertain us later but no dancing on the tables as in days of yore.
The forecast for the return on Sunday was still a fresh SE on the nose with wind against tide to boot but veering south hopefully as we entered Hayling Bay (?). Winds on average were sort of OK at 14 15 knots, gusting 18-21knots. The seas however were very lumpy making the beating hard work. Roussillon left early at 6:30 to get back to Dell Quay and wisely motor-sailed with a whole string of other boats at that time.
Fairwind slipped later. It was so calm in the Medina but quite different in the Solent. Having seen yachts well-heeled over, Fairwind prudently put two reefs in the main and with a much- reduced genoa we proceeded to beat down the eastern Solent hoping to get the forecasted veering south across Hayling Bay. We got it as we just rounded Chi Bar! Hmm. An unexpected depth alarm warning went off in the vicinity of Ryde Sands so that tack was somewhat spontaneous, we later suspect it was fish but we werent going to hang around.
A picture of our track stops at the small boat passage through the submerged barrier aka The Dolphin; we did not sink there it was just that the iPad with Navionics sprung from its mount in the companionway and hit the saloon floor. No way was Barrie going down below to reset and anyway, who needs it in Hayling Bay, we could see West Pole and Chi Bar.
We spotted the Shabab Oman II, the new sail training ship for the Royal Navy of Oman leaving Portsmouth; she must be a very fine sight indeed with all her 29 sails up.
Thank you to Martin Watson for organising and we wish him a good recovery. Thanks also to Chris and Andy for a fun evening.
Some passage stats: 2hrs from Chi Bar to Cowes, 3hrs 45 mins for the return journey.
Barrie Pearson
Crew, Fairwind of Dell Quay.
