The Lads Trip 2017 - Portland, Swanage and Lulworth Cove

After the gentle inactivity of yesterday we made plans to sail along the coast to Swanage and then return to Lulworth Cove to spend the night at anchor.

After a leisurely breakfast we slipped the lines at 1000 and motored out of the harbour, hoisted the sails and headed east. Bob deployed his trusty fishing line over the side and we all looked forward to fresh mackerel for lunch.

Everybody was enjoying the sunshine and perfect sailing conditions a F3 over the starboard quarter and speed over the ground of 5 knots. At midday I popped down to the chart table to update the log and was surprised to hear the boat be called by name; it was the Lulworth Range control advising us that the range was active and to offshore by at least two nautical miles and wishing us a good day's sailing. Preferring not to get a broadside we followed their request and altered course to starboard by 15 degrees and continued our passage towards St Albin head.

On rounding the head we snuck close into the cliffs as Bob had climbed one of the long traverses many years ago and was keen to spot the line they had taken, while Alex and I enjoyed the spectacular scenery.

Passing Anvil Point lighthouse and then round to Peveril Ledge we kept the buoy well to port, as the over falls looked not the place to spend the day, we came into Swanage. Bob was dispatched in his kayak for supplies of milk and bread while Alex and I slowly motored round the bay until we spotted him heading out to sea.

All safely on-board we turned westward and beat into wind for the next couple of hours before the wind died and the engine was turned on for the final hour into Lulwell Cove.

Lulwell Cove has been one of those places I've been wanting to visit for decades and here we were heading towards the mouth and spotting five other yachts already at anchor. In we went, drop the anchor and motored back, the anchor biting in hard in the fastest time I've ever known the sea bed must be super glue. A good five minutes taking transits and it was time to open the beer.

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Crew: Sandy Garrity, Alex Bowling and Bob Watson

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Trip Stats: Distance sailed: XX nm, Moving time: X hours XX minutes, Average speed: X.XX knots, Maximum speed: X.XX knots.

The Lads Trip 2017 - Portland Marina

After a lazy start to the day we decided to stay in the marina, do some jobs on the boat and relax.

The Lads Trip 2017 - Starcross to Portland

I was woken about 0145 (UTC) with the sound of things crashing onto the cabin sole and found that I was sleeping against the starboard hull! Looks like the channel had shifted dramatically from last year and a mooring that we knew was deep enough was not. Still at least I've had the boat on her side, the previous owners said that they had done it to clean the hull, and no damage had been done. I was amazed that Bob was still sleeping soundly in the fore cabin.

I climbed out on deck for a few minutes, the waning moon shone brightly and I soaked in the atmosphere of the river. Not a breath of wind, boats sat quietly on their moorings and a group of men on the shore digging for bait. Then scampered back into the warmth of my sleeping bag and tried to get comfortable at the odd angle.

Alex, our final member of the crew, joined us just after 0800 (UTC) and after the introductions breakfast was prepared as he stowed his inflatable canoe under the dinghy on the foredeck. We must have looked a strange vessel with Bob's kayak, my dinghy and an inflatable kayak peeking out from under it all on the foredeck.

Fed and watered we prepared the boat for sea and started the engine. Off to catch up the rest of the fleet who had headed east and on last reports were enjoying the delights of Weymouth just past Portland Bill. Ironically, nobody on board had sailed past the bill so it was going to be a first for all of us.

Chugging out of the Exe on a sunny morning is always a delight and as we rounded Dawlish Warren we were confronted with a sizeable dredger at the end of the channel "hovering up" sand from the sea bead in order to rebuild parts of the warren that had been destroyed over the last few winters. as ever this will be a temporary measure as nature will do what it wants.

On passing the Exe Safe Water Mark making sure we were well out of the way of the dredger we raised the sails and cut the engine. For the first time in 2017 Aphrodite was under sail in a F3/4, time to sit back, look up at the sails and savour the moment.

Heading east on a broad reach was a great start to the season and by late afternoon we passing Portland Bill well offshore as we had wind over tide and just off spring tides and had no great desire to enter the Portland Race, but we had to turn north to make our way inshore and by this time the wind had freshened to a F5/6.

We heard from Delphi that they had moved from Weymouth to Portland Marina and they had informed the marina that we would be joining them, so our destination for the night was set.

We timed the turn for the last two hours of the easterly flow and turned north. The conditions were "lively" so we changed the sail plan to just a reefed genoa and still making 6 knots through two and a half to three meter waves meeting us beam on. Helming was that fine balance between threading our way through the wave train, keeping the sail filled and attempting to keep on a course of 330 degrees to seek shelter behind Portland Bill.

Crossing The Shambles east of the Bill the race had a sting in the tail and dumped a big green wave in the cockpit. Bob sat under the sprayhood got away lightly, while Alex and I got a soaking - even with my waterproof jacket on the water found its way to my skin.

Finally, the water flattened out and we sailed to the outskirts of the harbour, started the engine and rolled in the genoa. Turning into the harbour through its northerly entrance we were hit full on with the F6 coming over Chesil beach and motored in down the marked channel.

My final challenge of the day was to tie up alongside in the marina, not something I've done since my Day Skipper course! We prepared the boat with fenders and lines and were met by one of the marina staff who took our lines as I did not make too much of a drama out of it. Finally all tied up the chap from commented that he had been watching us on Marine Traffic and that it had been a good line. Praise indeed.

With the boat safely tied up on the opposite side of the pontoon to Dephi I picked up my wash gear and headed for the showers while Bob and Alex started on the meal and opened a beer.

We slept well, at least we were horizontal tonight!

The Lads Trip 2017 - Getting the boat ready

Getting the boat ready for her first trip of the year was proving to be more complicated that expected and George, the marine electrician was still working on Aphrodite on the mooring. After a bumpy ride up the river in the dinghy we got on board, made a brew then I headed off to go food shopping the the "Lads Trip" that we were planning to catch up the other side of Portland.

After the usual round of supermarkets I arrived back onboard and we motored down to the club pontoon, tied up and headed off to the club to meet up with Bob, who was on the trip last year, have a meal and a drink. On waving goodbye to George we took the boat down to Bob's boat Erin so he could transfer his kit, went to pick up a mooring and settled down to a comfortable night on the river.

Splash May 2017

The 2017 season launch had been delayed as the river Exe navigation authority had deemed my and several other moorings to be in the channel and new locations had to be found for all the affected boats.

The mooring authority and Richard, who services the mooring, worked hard to find a location that was suitable, not an easy task when you draw 1.70 meters in the Exe as it is a pretty shallow river.  I needed both depth and swing room, but finally they were successful and Richard called to say that all had been sorted and I was able to book the lift in.

On a warm but overcast Saturday morning, why are spring tides always at the wrong time of day, Mark and team from the yard started the crane, lifted Aphrodite off her cradle and placed her gently in the water with a request to move off in five minutes as they had two other boats to lift in.

Being lifted in.

I always find lift in day the most stressful of the sailing year as all that hard work that you have done over the winter needs to work at once so you can chug happily downstream in search of the new mooring with its buoy waiting to greet you.  Thankfully it all did work, the engine started first time and off we went. Weatherwise not the greatest start down the river, overcast and almost raining but not quite, still we were finally where a boat should be - on the water.

On the mooring.

Alex, who had come out on a few trips last year, and George who was doing some electrical work on the boat came down the river as Alex wanted to get on the water and George still needed to do some work on the electrical system.  As soon as we were on the mooring breakfast was prepared and devoured. The plan was to take Alex ashore so he could meet up with his family leaving George to work without interruption.

The dinghy was put in the water and Alex and I jumped in ready to paddle off downstream to the sailing club.  About 100 meters from the boat I realised that I'd left the petrol for the outboard, at this point still in the engine shed, onboard and we turned back against the tide to collect it.  Happily paddling downstream with the tide I realised about 200 meters from the pontoon that I had left both the engine shed and car keys on the boat!  You could tell that it was the first day on the water and I had forgotten to put my sailing head on.

There was no way that we could easily paddle against the tide so we landed the dinghy and looked for club members with keys.  Thankfully, it did not take too long and very quickly I had the outboard on the dinghy and was slowing making my way back to the boat to collect the keys.  George having a good laugh at my mistake.  The trip with the tide was much faster and I was able to drive Alex back to his car.