After leaving Southampton, I stayed off Calshot for two nights, there has been little wind in the morning but biting cold Northerlies later. I did a bit of fishing with no success, even a collapsable crab pot I put down overnight was epty in the morning, I was hoping to catch something to use as bait on the hook.
While there I read a lot and fixed the damage to the hatch I caused when I had to break in. I have secured a stainless steel plate to both sides. Now even I would have trouble breaking in.
My plan when I left was to start heading West, a big storm is due Monday and Tuesday and needed to be sheltered from South Westerly winds. My plan was to get to Sandbanks bay which has a suitable anchorage but if I had problems, I could go to Chistchurch or Portland harbours. So off I went, heading toward the Isle of Wight initially due to the wind direction. Just before tacking to go West, my mum text me. “Its a shame you are not still in Portsmouth as the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier is duw out today. OK – see that and shelter from the storm in Chistchurch harbour or head West, turn left or turn right?… I turned left (Port). I am glad I did,
I had a great sail down the Solent in really challenging wind conditions. Twice the wind direction did a full 360 around me and at one point the mast top wind speed was zero but I could feel a good 6-8 knots on my face. I first thought the anenometer was broken – it worked fine later on A couple of times I was becalmed so did a bit of mackeral fishing (fishing is not the same as catching).
I arrived at a spot just outside the main shipping channel just before it widens out, hove to and put the engine on as there was a strong current. I got it all nicely balanced so Lady Cindy was not drifting and waited , and fished, and took some practice shots of passing traffic.
The wait was well worth it, altough the Police rib came and “had words” with me. I was outside the channel and holding station (not moving) but my bow was pointing toward the channel. He asked me to turn a few degrees to port, I did and of course that upset the boat balance so she started a slow drift. Luckily too slow for me to have to do anything to correct it.
And the second Queen? That was the Queen Mary 2 who left while I was returning to anchor. I am back at Chichester for a few nights. There are gale force winds forecast for Monday night and Tuesday morning so want to be sheltered.
