Bank Holiday Shenanigans

New Stuff:
1)outboard

well, that seems to work.
(Or does it???)

2)Inflatable dinghy:

you may remember this photo of it in the sitting room.
This weekend one of our plans is to try out dinghy and outboard together.
Another plan is to try to get to the Isle of Wight, again.
We are improving our berthing technique, and feeling more confident in sail trimming.

On Saturday we set off again with hopes to reach Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. Again we were defeated by the weather. Black squally showers and howling winds from a westerly direction preventing any kind of comfortable passage; on the second tack due North we might have tried Langstone Harbour, but thought better of it as we couldn't see much of the entrance.
Bit knackered as it was about 3pm and we had missed lunch in the excitement, we decided on an old favourite, East Head Sand anchorage.  For some reason, probably due to knackeredness, we thought it would be fine to bump gently on the bottom with no anchor out, while the tide ebbed away.
It worked until the tide returned. Then we had some fun drifting beam on up the anchor chain of a motor boat because the wind and the tide together took away any controllability in the shallow water.
As soon as we could, we got away to a kinder spot in Thorney Channel.
Next morning we needed quite a long recovery period which was pleasantly passed reading the paper while the world and his dog piled into Chichester Harbour on every type of vessel.

Watching the far away sails in the Solent and looking at the still squally sky, we felt that staying in the Harbour was our preferred option that day. We sailed enjoyably to Emsworth where we berthed, (rather well, actually) on the visitors' pontoon. This is a floating raft connected to piles with room for 4 smallish boats on each side about a mile from the town.
I was keen to get to Emsworth and find a pub for a roast and a pint and I persuaded John that there was not a moment to loose. Dinghy inflated, a bit squashily, and outboard attached we set off into the last of the ebbing tide, with one of our neighbours on the pontoon warning us to keep to the channel as the water runs out.
The dinghy was too soft, the outboard seemed to want to fold itself underneath the dinghy's transom, and it was too shallow. Cross words were spoken, I have to agree with John: it was a foolhardy mission. We turned back and the engine died. Of course we had oars, but I got a bit panicky thinking the current would swirl us past the pontoon and we would have the humiliation of shouting to our neighbours to rescue us.

Two of them kindly offered to tow us in later. Thank you Ricky and Graham.

At last we got to see Emsworth, and it is very nice, quite big, plenty of pubs and posh houses, but there is also a mixture of modest houses within the old town and a sense of it's hard working history.

Monday was a bank holiday and we felt it should be out to sea again. An early start with no one around, the clouds indicating that the morning would be squall-free.

Cumulus clouds whose height is approximately the same as their height above the horizon indicates relatively stable air, not squally.

The same spot, photographed about three hours later, the clouds are building and the wind is increasing.

We had a brilliant sail, and even felt that we might be close to inviting a friend to join us.......
Don't all jump at once!