OYT Trip 03 of 2025 - Day 3

Monday 7^th April 2025

0000 hrs

Lat: 50° 45.62' N   Long: 001° 17.59' W
Sheppards Marina, Cowes, Isle of Wright

0600 hrs

Awake and time for breakfast and an early get away for Poole.

0715 hrs

Slipped the lines and head out to the western Solent on a stunning April morning.

Out past Hurst Castle and into the North Channel.

1200 hrs

Lat: 50° 37.59' N   Long: 001° 42.60' W
Noon Position

1400 hrs

Crossing Poole Bay was very much a game of dodge the pots in delightful sunshine.

1615 hrs

Waiting in the main channel into Poole Harbour for the Channel Islands supply ship to pass when a small speedboat zoomed between us and the supply ship! A total twonk who clearly had no idea of the risk he was taking.

As we were reversing into our berth at Poole Quay Boat Haven the same twonk entered our allocated berth as the marina staff, who were waiting to take our lines, looked on in utter astonishment. It was clear that he had not looked behind him and had no idea we were reversing a 105 tonne boat towards him. The marina staff asked him to move to the next pontoon - he was insistent that he was just 'picking up his wife' who was clearly holding some fish and chips.

As I was on the stern I looked on I could only look and wonder about the lack of basic seamanship demonstrated by the speedboat skipper.

1730 hrs

The crew ashore for showers, ice cream and stocking up on sugar.

All times are UTC.

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Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	42.00	08h 30m	5.00	12.00	0
Trip:	83.40	17h 05m	4.84	12.00	0
Year:	113.40	21h 30m	5.40	12.00	0

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Crew: Constantinos (Skipper), Michelle, Katie, Cathy, Sara, Chris L, Sandy and the school group.

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Sunrise: 0532 hrs    Meridian Passage: 1203 hrs   Sunset: 1843 hrs

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Weather: The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 00:15 (UTC+1) on Mon 7 Apr 2025 for the period 01:00 (UTC+1) on Mon 7 Apr 2025 to 01:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 8 Apr 2025 .

The general synopsis at 1800

High Viking 1030 expected Forties unchanged by 1800 Monday

Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth

East or northeast 3 to 5. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth later. Fair. Good.

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 07/04/2025

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OYT Trip 03 of 2025 - Day 2

Sunday 6^th April 2025

0000 hrs

Lat: 50° 47.68' N   Long: 001° 06.52' W
Gun Wharf, Portsmouth, Hampshire

0800 hrs

After a quiet night in the forepeak with Chris, a new trainee mate it was time for breakfast then moving swiftly into 'happy hour' that time of day that crews love best when it is time to tidy up Prolific - something that always takes longer the first time as people need to find where things are.

1645 hrs

We tied up at Sheppard's in Cowes, the crew piled off the boat in search of a shop for sweets, biscuits and all things sugary.

All times are UTC.

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Prolific Log

	Underway	Distance NM	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	06h 20m	24.50	3.90	9.00	0
Trip:	08h 35m	40.40	4.84	9.50	0
Year:	13h 00m	70.40	5.40	10.40	0

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Crew: Constantinos (Skipper), Michelle, Katie, Cathy, Sara, Chris L, Sandy and the school group.

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Sunrise: 0532 hrs    Meridian Passage: 1203 hrs   Sunset: 1843 hrs

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Weather: The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 00:15 (UTC+1) on Sun 6 Apr 2025 for the period 01:00 (UTC+1) on Sun 6 Apr 2025 to 01:00 (UTC+1) on Mon 7 Apr 2025.

The general synopsis at 1800

New high expected on boundary between Forties and Dogger 1029 by 1800 Sunday

Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, North Plymouth

Easterly or northeasterly 4 to 6. Moderate or rough at first in Portland and north Plymouth, otherwise slight or moderate. Fair. Good

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 06/04/2025

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OYT Trip 03 of 2025 - Day 1

Saturday 5^th April 2025

0000 hrs

Lat: 50° 53.66' N   Long: 001° 23.34' W
Ocean Village, Southampton, Hampshire

I had driven up to Ocean Village on Friday night and arrived in time to meet the Sea Staff leaving Prolific for a meal ashore in the Maritimo Lounge. I quickly stowed my kit in the forepeak and headed off for supper.

0700 hrs

The alarm rang and it was time for breakfast and to get Prolific ready for her new crew. The usual loading with provisions, deck walk and skippers breifing followed by lunch and a final tidy up.

1300 hrs

The crew arrived in one minibus and are welcomed aboard, the round of safety breifings are held, kit issued and people settle into living aboard.

1645 hrs

Unusually, the decision to slip lines and motor to Portsmouth had been taken. It had been decided that winch drills would be done the following morning as the average age of the crew was quite young and darkness would be falling by the time we got to Gun Wharf.

Not having to do winch drills meant that the youngsters could go on deck and could look round and enjoy an hour or so on deck getting the feel of being on a large sailing vessel.

1845 hrs

Lat: 50° 47.68' N   Long: 001° 06.52' W
Gun Wharf, Portsmouth, Hampshire

Arrived Gun Wharf and after much adjusting of the boat the skipper was happy with her position and it was time for supper.

Spinnaker Tower from Gun Wharf

All times are UTC.

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Prolific Log

	Underway	Distance NM	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	02h 15m	15.90	6.00	9.00	0
Trip:	02h 15m	15.90	6.00	9.00	0
Year:	06h 31m	45.90	7.06	10.40	0

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Crew: Constantinos (Skipper), Michelle, Katie, Cathy, Sara, Chris L, Sandy and the school group.

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Sunrise: 0535 hrs    Meridian Passage: 1203 hrs   Sunset: 1843 hrs

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Weather: The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 00:15 (UTC+1) on Sat 5 Apr 2025 for the period 01:00 (UTC+1) on Sat 5 Apr 2025 to 01:00 (UTC+1) on Sun 6 Apr 2025 .

There are warnings of gales in Viking, North Utsire, Lundy and Irish Sea.

The general synopsis at 1800

High Norwegian Sea 1037 slow-moving, declining 1033. Low south FitzRoy 1001 losing its identity

Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland

Northeast 4 to 6. Moderate, occasionally slight. Fair. Good, occasionally moderate

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 05/04/2025

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OYT Trip 01 of 2025 - Shakedown

Thursday 20^th March 2025

0000 hrs

Lat: 50° 53.66' N   Long: 001° 23.34' W
Ocean Village Marina, Southampton

I popped up to Prolific in Southampton for some maintenance work and the shakedown trip with the riggers onboard. I find this sail at the start of the season allows me to reacquaint myself with all the lines and get involved in some sail hoists.

0901 hrs

The spring equinox.

A quick blast down Southampton Water and into the Eastern Solent sailing at all sorts of wind angles to allow the riggers to adjust the rigging with some of the biggest spanners I've seen. Then back to Ocean Village for more maintenance.

All times are UTC.

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Prolific Log

	Underway	Distance NM	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day	04h 16m	30.00	7.00	10.40	0

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Crew: Constantinos, Josh, Sara, Rooby, Patrick, Sandy, Linnea & Shaun

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Sunrise: 0611 hrs   Meridian Passage: 1207 hrs   Sunset: 1817 hrs

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Weather: The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 23:30 (UTC) on Wed 19 Mar 2025 for the period 00:00 (UTC) on Thu 20 Mar 2025 to 00:00 (UTC) on Fri 21 Mar 2025 .

There are warnings of gales in Biscay, Trafalgar and FitzRoy.

The general synopsis at 1800

Low Trafalgar 993 expected FitzRoy 986 by 1800 Thursday. New high expected Norway 1023 by same time

Wight, Portland

East or southeast 3 to 5, occasionally 2 at first. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in Wight. Fair. Good

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 20/03/2025

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Mooring Work

Sunday 16^th March 2025

0000 hrs

Lat: 50° 24.33' N   Long: 004° 12.32' W
The Mooring

1200 hrs

On a bright sunny Sunday morning I popped down to the boatyard as some packages had arrived! The largest was a new set of mooring strops from Jimmy Green's in Beer. The smallest was a pack of four drawing board clips, my solution to charts flying off the chart table in a seaway.

Given the number of boats that had come off their moorings over the winter, it has been quite a windy one, I decided to move up from 18mm to 20mm strops. The quality of the work from Jimmy Green is outstanding.

Arrived at the sailing club and did my new exercise routine, pumped up the dinghy, and fetched the outboard motor from the shed more exercising, starting it for the first time in eighteen months. Actually, it started after a few pulls which secretly I was quite pleased about.

The visit was timed to coincide with low water springs in order to change the mooring strops. With the tide ebbing I started with the down river strops as they were slack. The first issue was undoing the shackles and much to my surprise it was not as difficult as I anticipated, due to the greasing the threads.

Being careful not to drop the pin or shackle into the water I removed the old strop and replaced it with the new one then worked my way back to the boat and tied onto the new strop. With both new strops on I nipped up the shackle and locked it with a zip tie.

An addition to the strops this year is adding some pipe lagging made of closed cell foam in order that they float and to discourage the growth of aquatic life, mussels in particular and a protective plastic tubing to stop chafing.

Back onboard it was time to adjust the length of strop - I had ordered them a metre shorter, but still think they are too long. With the foredeck all set it was time for coffee and wait for the tide to turn.

Sat in the cockpit with coffee in hand I watched the tide move up river. A line of foam and bubbles moving up stream with larger ripples behind that line.

With the upriver strops loose it was time to change them. Same process, but with a much stronger tide running under the dinghy.  Still not 100% happy with the length of the strops, but will adjust them over the next few weeks. 

1700 hrs

Time to close the boat up and get back to shore, deflate the dinghy exercise and head home.

There had been quite a few boats returning from a sail, what was really nice to see. I still need to get the sails bent on before I let go the lines.

All times are UTC.

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