SHOREHAM to GOSPORT 50:47.9N 001:07.17W

Callidus Harwich and Beyond
Richard Wells
Fri 13 Jun 2008 09:41
SHOREHAM to GOSPORT June 13th 2008
 
Being a Friday with THAT date, no-one mentioned it and hoped for the best. We locked out of Shoreham in the wake of some local boats with special privileges and said Goodbye and Happy Christmas, New Year and the rest to Keith at the lock and waved to Jackie in The Pilot (great pub). Keith was impressed with Callidus, especially when I told him of Richard's long-term ambition -i.e. to get to Portsmouth by nightfall!
Sun and a SW breeze more or less dead against had us pinching & inching along the beach up to Bognor with its nine-towered Pavilion looking out of place in the town centre. The Mixon beacon, which marks the reef off Selsey Bill, was a long haul. We were with the ebb and the rocks were drying green when we got there and Richard was persuaded to drop the revs through the Looe Channel so we could try out our tuna-killing gear on the local bass. They weren't ready for slaughter just yet so we aimed for the gap in the submarine barrier which protected Pompey in WW2. The forts - Horse Sand and No Man's Land sat in the water like giant fruit cakes. Portsmouth channel was now in view and with a fair WNW, we put up all the terylene we can carry and drove up channel at full chat.Ferries harrassed us all the time but couldn't spoil our arrival at Britain's almost last remaining and most famous naval dockyard. Victory outguns the new Spinnaker Tower and I resolved to visit her before left after our rest day. We drove into Gosport Marina, parked, paid and fell into the nearest pub - The Castle for a well-earned couple of pints.
Tomorrow is what Richard laughingly calls a rest day - but the list of jobs now fills a folio side in the Ship's Log!
Sadly our experienced and well-integrated crewmate Ian departs us for Norwich.His mate Bernard takes his place and we look forward to meeting him tomorrow.
 
Dick