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 for an early start, breakfast and 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 vessel 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. Had I been on the helm it would have been five blasts on the horn.

Poole Quay Boat Haven

1730 hrs
The crew ashore for showers, ice cream and stocking up on sugar.

All times are UT.

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Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	42.00	08h 30m	4.94	12.00	0h 00m
Trip:	82.40	17h 05m	4.83	12.00	0h 00m
Year:	112.40	21h 20m	5.72	12.00	0h 00m

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

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Sunrise: 0530 hrs    Meridian Passage: 1202 hrs   Sunset: 1848 hrs

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The Shipping Forecast

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

Sea Areas:
Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth

Forecast:
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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Update: 15/12/2025

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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 - a task that always takes longer on the first day as people need to find where things are.

1000 hrs
We slipped our mooring and headed out into the eastern Solent for a day of winch drills, sail hoists and MOB practice

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 UT.

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Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	24.50	06h 20m	3.90	9.00	0h 00m
Trip:	40.40	08h 35m	4.71	9.00	0h 00m
Year:	70.40	12h 50m	5.49	10.40	0h 00m

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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: 1202 hrs   Sunset: 1843 hrs

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The Shipping Forecast

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

Sea Areas:
Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, North Plymouth

Forecast:
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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Update: 15/12/2025

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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 UT.

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Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	15.90	02h 15m	7.07	9.00	0h 00m
Trip:	15.90	02h 15m	7.07	9.00	0h 00m
Year:	45.90	06h 30m	7.06	10.40	0h 00m

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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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The Shipping Forecast

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 gale warnings 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

Sea Areas:
Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland

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

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 05/04/2025

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Update: 15/12/2025

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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

The Spring Equinox.

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.

0900 hrs
We slip the lines for a quick blast down Southampton Water and into the Eastern Solent sailing at all sorts of wind angles allowing the riggers to adjust the rigging with some of the biggest spanners I've seen.

1315 hrs
Back on the pontoon at Ocean Village and change from sailing to maintenance kit.

All times are UT.

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Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	30.00	04h 15m	7.06	10.40	0h 00m
Trip:	30.00	04h 15m	7.06	10.40	0h 00m
Year:	30.00	04h 15m	7.06	10.40	0h 00m

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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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The Shipping Forecast

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 gale warnings 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

Sea Areas:
Wight, Portland

Forecast:
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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Updated: 09/12/2025

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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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