RYE BAY to SHOREHAM 50:49.85N 000:14.15W
Callidus Harwich and Beyond
Richard Wells
Thu 12 Jun 2008 09:03
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Good Morning from Shoreham!
Yesterday, Thursday 12th, we had a memorable sail
west from Rye Bay. Our overnight anchorage was peaceful but we woke to rain and
a light northerly. An early getaway was needed to round Beachy with a
favourable tide. Ian & Dick weighed anchor and we set off, soon passing
Hastings with its famous beach boat fleet ranged up the beach and plenty of
evidence of trammel-netting in the shape of dhan-buoys across our
track.
Our idyllic sail in the lee of the land in the 10
to 15 knot NWly and sunshine was interupted by Dick having his favourite hat
blow off into the sea. Richard, always ready to go into instructor
mode, responded to Dick's 'Hat overboard' cry with Man Over Board routine. Good
practice for the real thing and we got it back, satisfyingly; on the return to
our last course.
With Royal Sovereign tower to port we had Beachy
Head on our starboard bow as we tracked over the shoals with the west-going
tide. Gannets shot past like jet fighters and wheeled up into wind. We could see
the rain ahead and ominous heavy cloud indicating more wind and dowsed the No.1
Genoa and put up Callidus's new No.2 or 'Yankee' and reefed the main which
dropped our speed from 7 to 4kt. All of these sail changes were new to Ian and
Dick as far as Callidus was concerned, so we learnt as we went
along.
Soon after, with Beachy on the starboard beam, the
wind backed to W and increased to 20 knots, soon with gusts to 30 - Force 7 - a
proper squall for a while. We forged on with Callidus heeled over,
sometimes as far as a crockery-busting 30 to 35 degrees, and every sheet and
stay bar tight, doing a good 5 knots close-hauled and taking water over the
bow. The boat felt very solid and tight, easier to handle with the smaller
headsail. Other yachts in view had also shortened sail and were
hobby-horsing over the waves. If this had been against the tide we would
have had to turn back for certain, but the west going tide helped us along even
though it gave us 'wind-against-tide' seas.
The storm passed and we wore Beachy Head,
setting a port tack out to sea. We planned to reach Shoreham as we had
calculated that the tide change wouldn't let us past Selsey into the Solent just
yet. The wind veered to N and allowed an easy starboard tack owards our
destination. Shoreham's futuristic power sation chimney made a good target as we
passed Brighton to starboard and crossed into the Western Hemisphere. This
clearly called for a spiritual celebration which unfortunately we couldn't
fulfill as we only posessed empty bottles! The tiny marina beyond
the lock was crowded so we berthed alongside a huge plastic Beneteau. We were
not destined to see much of Shoreham, except the inside of The Pilot Inn, under
new management and doing well, where we had a satisfying dinner.
An early start this morning means we can't waste
time finding lug or rag for our fishing, but that can wait until Bembridge or
Portsmouth, whichever or wherever we end up today.
Three good sailing days going west, can it
last?
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