OYT Trip 48 of 2025 - Day 4

Thursday 9^th October 2025

0000 hrs
Lat: 50° 45.68' N 001° 17.66' W
Sheppards Quay, Cowes

0900 hrs
Breakfast, happy hour for Prolific and shore leave in Cowes. As the crew had two teaching staff I was able to have a wander on my own, but very, very disappointed that the usual ice cream shop had closed for the season! A quick look into the Musto and HH shop to have a look at their current wet weather gear and back to the marina for a shower.

1315 hrs
Slipped the pontoon and head towards Southampton on a sunny warm afternoon. As few had been up on the bowsprit Hope and I headed to the bow to let everybody who wanted to go onto it the chance.

Knowing this was my last day onboard as sea staff Unity was keen that I went out on the bowsprit, but I was more than happy to let Hope go out while I took up position inboard. Southampton Water with Fawley refinery is not the most picturesque stretch of water and nothing could replace the memory from a few years ago of being on the bowsprit as we headed up the channel into Poole at the sun was setting.

1615 hrs
Lat: 50° 53.70' N Long: 001° 23.53' W
Ocean Village, Southampton

Tied up alongside and with a few hours before supper the crew were allowed some free time. I spent a couple of hours watching a group of youngsters being youngsters playing on the pontoon, finding crabs and shells, skipping stones over the water and getting very, very wet, but loving every moment of it.

1930 hrs
I have always loved the small electric boat that Ocean Village Marina has and had mentioned that I would love at ride in it. Following supper Will said he had been to see the marina staff and they were happy to take me round the marina in it, I naturally jumped at the opportunity. Little realising this was all part of a cunning plan to get me off the boat for an hour or so.

All times are UT.

---

Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	10.40	3h 15m	3.20	7.00	0h 00m
Trip:	63.00	15h 15m	4.13	8.00	0h 00m

---

Crew: Constantinos (Skipper), Patrick, Steve, Unity, Hope, Will, Sandy and the group from Charter School, Dulwich.

---

Sunrise: 0559 hrs   Meridian Passage: 1149 hrs   Sunset: 1757 hrs

---

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 Thu 9 Oct 2025 for the period 01:00 (UTC+1) on Thu 9 Oct 2025 to 01:00 (UTC+1) on Fri 10 Oct 2025.

There are gale warnings in:
Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes and Southeast Iceland. Iceland.

The general synopsis at 1800:
High 250 miles west of Sole 1031 expected south Shannon 1034 by 1800 Thursday. New low expected just northwest of Iceland 992 by same time.

Sea Areas:
Wight, Portland, Plymouth

Forecast:
North or northwest 2 to 4. Slight or moderate. Fair. Good, occasionally moderate at first.

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 09/10/2025

---

Updated: 29/11/2025

---

OYT Trip 48 of 2025 - Day 3

Wednesday 8^th October 2025

0000 hrs
Lat: 50° 38.77' N Long: 001° 09.13' W
Sandown Bay, Isle of Wright

0800 hrs
Breakfast and get the crew ready for the day.

0900 hrs
Once the anchor was raised and the sails hoisted, on a drizzly and over cast morning, we had a gentle sail to Cowes.

1200 hrs
Lat: 50° 44.43' N Long: 001° 03.61' W
Noon Position.

1400 hrs
Lat: 50° 45.68' N Long: 001° 17.66' W
Sheppards Quay, Cowes

Once alongside it was time for shore leave followed by showers.

All times are UT.

---

Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	20.00	5h 00m	4.00	7.00	0h 00m
Trip:	52.60	12h 00m	4.38	8.00	2h 20m

---

Crew: Constantinos (Skipper), Patrick, Steve, Unity, Hope, Will, Sandy and the group from Charter School, Dulwich.

---

Sunrise: 0559 hrs   Meridian Passage: 1149 hrs   Sunset: 1757 hrs

---

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 Wed 8 Oct 2025 for the period 01:00 (UTC+1) on Wed 8 Oct 2025 to 01:00 (UTC+1) on Thu 9 Oct 2025.

There are gale warnings in:
Bailey, Faeroes and Southeast Iceland.

The general synopsis at 1800:
Atlantic high 1028 expected 200 miles west of Sole 1032 by 1800 Wednesday.

Sea Areas:
Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth

Forecast:
Variable becoming north or northwest later, 2 to 4. Slight or moderate in Portland and Plymouth, otherwise smooth or slight. Occasional drizzle later in Plymouth. Good, occasionally poor later in Plymouth.

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 08/10/2025

---

Updated: 27/11/2025

---

OYT Trip 48 of 2025 - Day 2

Tuesday 7^th October 2025

0000 hrs
Lat: 50° 44.56' N Long: 001° 10.46' W
Ryde Bay, Isle of Wright

0900 hrs
A later start than usual after a night at anchor with a group that rarely visited the sea. Following breakfast we split into watches and taught winch drills and covered knots and ropework.

1200 hrs
Lat: 50° 44.56' N Long: 001° 10.46' W
Noon Position

1240 hrs
Following lunch we raised the anchor, hoisted the sails and had a leisurely sail round to Sandown Bay including a MOB drill.

1830 hrs
Lat: 50° 38.77' N Long: 001° 09.13' W
Sandown Bay, Isle of Wright

A stunning sunset in a place I had not anchored in before.

All times are UT

---

Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	19.40	4h 30m	4.40	8.00	0h 00m
Trip:	32.60	7h 00m	4.65	8.00	2h 20m

---

Crew: Constantinos (Skipper), Patrick, Steve, Unity, Hope, Will, Sandy and the group from Charter School, Dulwich.

---

Sunrise: 0559 hrs   Meridian Passage: 1149 hrs   Sunset: 1757 hrs

---

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 Tue 7 Oct 2025 for the period 01:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 7 Oct 2025 to 01:00 (UTC+1) on Wed 8 Oct 2025 .

There are gale warnings in:
Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes and Southeast Iceland.

The general synopsis at 1800:
High France 1028 dissipating.

Sea Areas:
Wight, Portland, Plymouth

Forecast:
Variable 2 to 4. Smooth or slight in Wight, otherwise slight or moderate. Fair. Good .

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 07/10/2025

---

Updated:17/12/2025

---

OYT Trip 48 of 2025 - Day 1

Monday 6^th October 2025

0000 hrs
Lat: 50° 53.71' N Long: 001° 23.43' W
Ocean Village, Southampton

0900 hrs
After breakfast the sea staff assembled for the round of jobs to do before the crew arrived. Getting the shopping from the Sainsbury's Van into the food lockers, freezer and several fridges always takes time when you are catering for about 20.

1200 hrs
Lunch and sea staff briefings. During the briefing I let everybody know that this was my last voyage with the trust, due to my failing hearing I was struggling to hear people both on deck and below.

1400 hrs
The crew arrive and we crack on with pre-voyage briefings, issue of kit and get supper started.

2000 hrs
Unusually, we slip from the marina and motor down Southampton Water to Ryde Bay. A different start to a trip, but it allowed everybody to get used to the feeling of being on the boat without the presure of winch drills.

Chatting to Hope on the fore deck it turned out that we had sailed before on a MACS trip a couple of years earlier. Lovely to see that another crew member had become a member of sea staff.

2215 hrs
Lat: 50° 44.56' N Long: 001° 10.46' W
Ryde Bay, Isle of Wright

With the anchor down it was time for a coco and head for my bunk.

All times are UT

---

Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	13.20	2h 20m	6.00	7.00	2h 20m
Trip:	13.20	2h 20m	6.00	7.00	2h 20m

---

Crew: Constantinos (Skipper), Patrick, Steve, Unity, Hope, Will, Sandy and the group from Charter School, Dulwich.

---

Sunrise: 0559 hrs   Meridian Passage: 1149 hrs   Sunset: 1757 hrs

---

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 6 Oct 2025 for the period 01:00 (UTC+1) on Mon 6 Oct 2025 to 01:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 7 Oct 2025.

There are gale warnings in:
There are warnings of gales in Fisher, German Bight, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle and Faeroes.

The general synopsis at 1800:
High Biscay 1030 expected south Portland 1027 by 1800 Monday.

Sea Area:
Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth

Forecast:
Northwest 4 to 6, backing west or southwest, 3 to 5. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough at first in Humber and Plymouth. Showers. Good .

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 06/10/2025

---

Update: 25/11/2025

---

OYT Trip 47 of 2025 - Day 5

Sunday 5^th October 2025

0000 hrs
Lat: 50° 45.66' N Long: 001° 17.64' W
Sheppards Yard, Cowes

0500 hrs
Following a second night of disturbed sleep due to creaking warps. The alarm had been set early as several boats wanted to do a 'pursuit' in the west Solent. Much to my surprise the crew were up without a complaint and the boat was made ready for sea in the dark.

0530 hrs
Slipped the mooring lines, the second boat of the fleet out of the marina.

0700 hrs
The unofficial start time for the unofficial pursuit. Chilly and windy, but a cracking sunrise in the eastern Solent.

I have zero interest in racing pursuits and really could not work out what was going on, but concentrated on getting the crew to tack when needed and nodded at the appropriate time when those who were getting excited needed some agreement.

An interesting discussion with the skipper developed on deck during a leg about my lack of excitement, Andy is a rather keen racer. It went along the lines of, 'There is a buoy, oh another buoy, now we are back at the buoy we started at and now we are passing Cowes again. We could have been at Poole by now had we been on passage'. We understood each other's position and it is all part of sailing. I shall and will always remain a passage maker.

0930 hrs
The pursuit having petered out, we headed back up Southampton Water while dropping sails and back to the berth at Ocean Village.

1200 hrs
Lat: 50° 53.71' N Long: 001° 23.43' W
Ocean Village, Southampton

Once alongside it was time for a second breakfast, packing and voyage wrap up. Following lunch the crew departed and new sea staff arrived. An afternoon doing boat and kit checks.

1930 hrs
Time to head off to the laundrette to wash some kit and head to the shower to get washed myself. After struggling with the washing machine I finally got it working and much to my surprise now have a tee shirt in delicate pink after being washed with my red socks!

Time for a quick pint with all the sea staff before heading back to Prolific.

All times are UT

---

Prolific Log

	Distance NM	Underway	Avg SOG knots	Max SOG knots	Night Hours
Day:	30.20	5h 40m	5.20	9.00	0h 00m
Trip:	89.90	18h 35m	4.83	11.00	0h 00m

---

Crew: Andy (Skipper), Andrew, Tom, Josh, Lucy Mitchell, Iori, Sandy and the group from Bruern Abbey School.

---

Sunrise: 0559 hrs   Meridian Passage: 1149 hrs   Sunset: 1757 hrs

---

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 5 Oct 2025 for the period 01:00 (UTC+1) on Sun 5 Oct 2025 to 01:00 (UTC+1) on Mon 6 Oct 2025.

There are gale warnings in:
Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Lundy, Irish Sea, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes and Southeast Iceland.

The general synopsis at 1800:
Low north of Fair Isle 955 expected Kattegat 990 by 1800 Sunday. High west of FitzRoy 1031 expected FitzRoy 1028 by same time.

Sea Areas:
Dover, Wight

Forecast:
Northwest 6 to gale 8, decreasing 4 to 6. Moderate, occasionally rough at first. Showers. Good.

© Met Office Synoptic Chart 06/10/2025

---

Updated: 19/12/2025

---