Spirit of Worcester Sailing

Spirit of Worcester Sailing
Happy New year to all my followers on Facebook on this first day of January 2026
Spirit of Worcester is just about ready for relaunch after a major refit in Sovereign Harbour. I am sitting in front of a roaring log fire contemplating the delights of summer sailing to come and hoping to share it with you vicariously or in person on board..
Winter is a time of reflection of past voyages and to catch up on some nautical reading.
I found an article by Ron Sheriff in the February addition of Yachting Monthly entitled “Supporting older sailors-a call to action “ I found this very interesting.
If I may, I would like to quote from from it .

“ After many joyful years afloat ,I find myself reflecting on how long I can continue sailing-maintaining my boat, keeping it safe and afloat whilst staying active and enjoying the pleasures that being on the water provide.

This reflection has led me to think of fellow sailors who have quietly faded from our clubs and communities despite the lifelong passion for the sea. “
End quote.

Now in my seventies I have had these thoughts myself and feel fortunate that Spirit of Worcester has all the thrill of a sailing boat but with modern conveniences such as a large motor to switch on when the going gets tough, central heating to take out the chill of early spring or late autumn, electric winches to stave off the heart attack or stroke,but above all else a warm dry wheelhouse from which you can shelter and watch the world go slowly by in comfort.
I would like to reach out to all those who have an affinity with Ron’s thoughts and offer a solution . Come join me on Spirit of Worcester this summer.

The Fisher 37 is ideal for those who would like to go to sea and sail in comfort and safety. it’s a boat built for our increasingly unpredictable climate. Robust, sturdy and safe.

I have researched the profile of our three hundred plus followers on Facebook and it is no surprise that the predominant age profile is fifty plus, split almost evenly between male and female.

If, as Ron Sheriff and myself suspect there are many of you out there with similar thoughts. I would like to invite you aboard Spirit of Worcester as crew/guest for some comfortable sailing along the south coast . You would be most welcome to join us for a few days.

Over the last ten years more two hundred guest/crew have enjoyed sailing onboard this beautiful cutter ketch. Your expertise and company would be most welcome.
Please take a look at our page “Spirit of Worcester Sailing “ for contact information and blogs of past voyages, if you are interested and want to find out more get back to me on email. Regards Paul.
[email protected]

Hi to all following Spirit of Worcester Sailing, she has been out of the water since the middle of October having a major refit including refreshing the new copper bottom below the water line we have been polishing the topsides and replacing anodes.The biggest job has been fitting a brand new bow thruster and tunnel, the old one expired after probably thirty years of reliable service.
The prop has been cleaned and prop guard coated, hopefully keeping it barnacle free for the next year . I have also had an out of water independent survey to hopefully pick up on anything I might have missed to ensure a long and safe sailing season in 2026..

Our Facebook site now has over 450 regular watchers so I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peacful New Year.
My sailing plans are still being formed but if any of you would like a spell aboard Spirit of Worcester in the coming year please get in touch.

Seasons greetings,may the seas be slight and the wind aft of the beam.
Stay safe, Paul.

Its been a long hot summer and we had some great adventures in Spirit of Worcester exploring rivers and ports closer to home that in the past have just been overnight stops on our way to more adventurous destinations.

I attended the laying up lunch in Chichester with fellow Fisher owners giving us all time to reflect on a long hot summer sailing our cherished Fisher Yachts.

With winter now upon us the clocks are changing at the end of this month and thoughts of laying up and winterising are in the forefront of our minds.
I was thinking about the effects of global warming and the consequences of this on our climate in the south of England, with long hot summers and warmer wetter winters what is stopping us extending our sailing season .

Spirit of Worcester was built for this climate with a good sound hull and deck,a comfortable wheelhouse out of the weather. The eberspacher heating soon warms the cabin even on the coldest of nights.

Like many birds migrating to warmer climes I did the same some years ago, sailing across the bay of Biscay following the Rias of Spain and Portugal riding the north east trades south the the Canary Islands and crossing over to the Caribbean .

My first port of call in Libertad my Hallberg rassy Enderline 42 was St Lucia, sailing the traditional trade wind route of the Azores High across the Atlantic. The winter was spent exploring the windward and Leeward Islands from Grenada to the British Virgin Islands before returning via Bermuda and the Azores to the U.K. the following summer.
Since then I have have had the good fortune to spend many winters in the Caribbean sailing on charter yachts exploring what,in my opinion are some of the finest sailing waters in the world, second only to the west coast of Scotland.
To qualify that judgement I have had the privilege of sailing in some of the most wonderful oceans of the world. Including most of Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, the West Australian coast north of Perth, the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Queensland to New Zealand’s bay of Islands, the Cook Islands,Fiji and Bora Bora in the Pacific.

So, why not sail on through the winter here . We often have continental high pressure blocks that can last for weeks offering light winds often from the east “the Beastly Easterly” which can bring bright sunny days and even snow.
So time to get out the warm clothes and a thicker duvet and go sailing. I did just that this last week with some good friends sailing from our home port to Brighton on the strong ebb tide past the iconic Pier at Eastbourne around the infamous Beachy Head and the old Belle Toute light house passing the Seven Sisters at Cuckmere Haven and on to Newhaven before crossing the east/west Meridian.
We tie up on an almost empty visitors pontoon in Brighton Marina and walked ashore as darkness falls to enjoy an excellent Italian Pasta on the Board Walk.

Returning to the boat I turned up the heating and we poured ourselves night cap in our cosy saloon before rolling into our bunks for the night . As the dawn sky brightened we pick up the last of the flood tide on Saturday morning to return home. Letting go our lines just after 07:00am with the dawn still breaking. The forecast is for an east,south east force 5. Well you can’t win them all .
Leaving the harbour with the lights of Brighton waking up on this grey Saturday morning behind us we head into wind and a choppy uncomfortable sea . It is well known that gentlemen don’t sail to windward and Spirit of Worcester is not very keen either. I get a call from Sarah,my eldest daughter who is walking her dogs on the cliffs above Saltdean asking if that is Spirit of Worcester she can see ploughing through the waves. I should have learned that lesson years ago. We could tack across channel to Dieppe and back but we need to get home so we bash on,head to wind and sea under engine.
We motored on at a respectable 5 knots pitching and rolling with the unpredictable seas.
Five exhausti;g hours later we enter Sovereign Harbour to lock in and refuel to our berth.
I am waiting for that golden weather forecast that will give me a downwind sail there and back.

John Masefield was a sailor, his perception of being at sea could only be based on many years in his youth serving in the merchant fleet sailing to Chile around Cape Horn and the western seaboard of the United States and many more exotic destinations. He always had a desire to be a writer and one of his most memorable poems was,

Sea- fever.

I must go down to the seas again the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking
And the grey mist on the sea’s face and the grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again for the call of the running tide.
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spume and the blown spray, and the sea-gulls flying.

I must go down to the seas again, for the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way, where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

I only wish I could write as well as John Masefield. His poem has been immortalised into the hearts and minds of many sailors.

What is it that draws us down to the seas again and again in small boats?

Perhaps it is because we are born of an island race and we need to explore distant horizons.

Maybe it is to test our resilience and fortitude against what we know to be an unforgiving sea.

Possibly it is the need to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone and rely on a degree of skill and self sufficiency.

Or is it discovering the art or science of navigation. To learn the ways of determining where you are in the world physically and emotionally, it is important to us.

Once you leave port and head out to sea the world slows down, you have left the worries and problems on shore, the voyage becomes all consuming.

This microcosm of life aboard a small boat is your world, often uncomfortable , challenging and sometimes dangerous even threatening but coming through the storm and making that safe haven is the ultimate goal.

That feeling of completing a passage at sea with competence and professionalism is a very satisfying experience.

You may discover new things about yourself, some can be disconcerting, uncomfortable or possibly enlightening, you may begin to see yourself as others see you!

Some experience different emotion’s, maybe more profound enlightenment, finding faith in one of the many religions or doctrines offering salvation and solace , for me the sea is just that, a place of solace and contemplation, a place where I can be restored with a renewed inner understanding .

I hope it makes us sailors better people.

Spirit of Worcester Sailing
Monday 28th July 2025.
Just one more adventure.
I went down to do some work in the harbour in Eastbourne and had a coffee on the boat,sitting in the saloon sipping my brew she was looking great after almost a months cruising already under her keel this summer, she just needed a bit of a clean.
I have been toying with the idea of some single handed sailing, Spirit of Worcester is not the ideal boat for this sort of adventure but I know her well and I think she might be kind to me.
Sitting on her berth in Sovereign Harbour she was ready for another adventure, if Joshua Slocum could sail around the world single handed on his boat Spray, I sure with some preparation and careful thought I could manage a slow summer cruise along the South coast.
I went home and looking forward to a family weekend with some of our grandchildren at the local flower show on the village green. This annual event attracts people from many surrounding towns and villages and this year we were blessed with good weather. The joy in sharing this annual event with friends and family cannot be underestimated. It was great fun.

Monday morning is a cloudy blustery sort of a day, the forecast is not that bad. So I packed a small bag and set off for the harbour, I had a few jobs to do ashore and some some basic shopping before going aboard Spirit of Worcester.
Checking with the lock keeper Lionel,I catch the 12:30 lock with the assistance of Jill from the harbour office who came and took my lines. As the vast lock gates open, the sea beckons.
I feel at one with the sea and confident in the boat as I head out on a westerly course to Beachy Head and Brighton, my first stopover.
The forecast was for a light north easterly breeze force 3/4 because. I wanted to sail this first leg in daylight so I chose to punch the flooding tide.
Clearing the overfalls off the headland I had hoped it might calm down. No such luck,it freshened to a steady 25kts from the west, bang on the nose, as was the tide. We bounced along under engine and mizzen passing the iconic Seven Sisters, Cuckmere Haven and on to Newhaven.
The ferry from Dieppe crossed my bow entering Newhaven and even she was making heavy weather of it.
I press on crossing the Greenwich Meridian from east to west , I will leave the other meridian, the equator, for another day. I am being thrown around in a very short, nasty and uncomfortable sea as we approach Brighton Marina. I call them up on VHF Ch 80 and request a “wind on “berth and some help taking my lines, nothing is too much trouble for the marina staff at this excellent Premier Marina.
Safely alongside I tidy up the boat and put back the contents of an opened locker lying all over the cabin floor.
I feel tired,it is surprising that even a relatively short passage in rough seas can take it out of you, or my be it is my age catching up with me., I used to take this in my stride but now I have to pace myself.
I plan a day off in Brighton and call up my eldest daughter and her partner Laurie who live nearby and suggest they may like to join me for some dinner in the yacht club. I needed an early night so returned to the boat for a good sleep aboard before 9:00pm

Tuesday 29th July 2025.
I have a late breakfast before heading off to Asda to stock up some vitals for the coming week.
My plan tomorrow is to catch the early ebb tide westward to Chichester marina, one of my favourite spots along the south coast only surpassed by the Helford River on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall.

Wednesday 30th July 2025.
Setting the alarm for 04:30 it rings all too soon so I get the boat ready for sea, donning my lifejacket and essential safety line. I am well aware of the greatest risk is falling overboard. It’s Just after 05:00am I call up port control to clear my departure for sea. Leaving in the breaking dawn the sun is burning the eastern horizon with the promise of a fine day. I head westward and set the mizzen and staysail in light airs of ten knots just forward of the starboard beam,coming off the shore, the sea is calm..

With a good tide under the keel Spirit of Worcester is romping along at seven knots. A great improvement on Mondays sail. This part of the coast is known as Sussex Bay,it normally takes an age to cross but today I speed past the Palace Pier and i360 attraction on shore as Brighton stirs,waking up to a new day. I track the Rampion wind farm on my port beam .

To my surprise I get a text at 05:15 from my youngest daughter who is part of the Brighton lifeboat crew asking me where I am off too ? She is tracking me with an app AIS Marine traffic. She is not getting much sleep these days with two small children and a new baby boy, Ralph who is just a few weeks and old needing constant attention.
We are abeam Worthing in an hour,I am told that the saying goes Dover is for the continent and Worthing for the incontinent, it will come to us all soon enough.

The plan is to get to the Looe channel off Selsey Bill at slack water just as the tide starts to flood around the Isle of Wight and up into Chichester Harbour. My plan almost worked but had to punch a 4kt tide for a short while, but it gave me more depth over the Chichester Bar which although it is claimed to be dredged to 1:5 meters below chart datum, I am told I should not rely on anything more than +08 meters. I reduce speed to a very slow 2kts as the depth sounder drops to zero but we scrape over without touching bottom.

The passage into Chichester Harbour is beautiful with low lying mash land to port full of wild life. I remember some years ago sitting in the cockpit of another Fisher 34, Mc Cloud that I had just purchased from the Northshore yard at Itchenor. Nursing a bottle of the finest malt and chatting into the early hours with a good mate whilst listening to the call of the curlew feeding on the mud flats exposed on the falling tide.
I call up the marina and lock in for a few days rest bunkering fuel before going to my allocated berth in a quiet part of the marina.

Thursday 31st July 2025
The day dawned bright enough but the Met forecasters predict severe thunder storms spreading from the north later in the day. An amber warning for heavy rain and the risk of flash flooding is declared. I think I might survive the latter but lightening strikes can do severe damage to a boat, especially those with tall metal masts like mine. I could do with a giant Faraday cage but I put the spare GPS and hand held radio in the oven just in case. Note to self remove said equipment before cooking supper.
I spend the morning enjoying a new pastime for me. Watercolour painting, I was given a set of paints as a birthday present and it is time I had a go. The result was less than pleasing ,more practice needed!
The skies to the north are darkening but I need some exercise so pull my fold up bike out of the forepeak, assemble it on the dock and set off following the harbour shore south. There is no road south just footpaths which is a shame. It starts to spit with rain so I turn around and heat back to the boat via a Shell garage with a Waitrose shop to top up the larder.
The threatening sky is very black and the rain starts in earnest as I walk down the gangway.
First the lightening followed almost simultaneously by ear slitting thunder, the heavens open with torrential tropical monsoon rains that floods the surrounding shoreline.
I look out from the comfort of the wheelhouse dry and warm, I made it just in time.

Friday 1st August 2025.
The storms have past leaving a trail of disaster behind them with reported flash flooding in the Isle of Wight and on the mainland. It Cowes sailing week next week.

Today there is a strong breeze from the north west but the sky is blue and the sun is shining, I think I will set out to explore more of Chichester Harbour on the bike. Well the E bike let me down today. Not only did I get a puncture in the front wheel but the control switch disintegrated, so without the electric assist I had a very hard pedal into the wind to get back to the boat.
These E bikes are very hard to ride without the assistance. I don’t feel and warmth or sympathy coming my way from you as yet. There is an E bikes shop near to Birdham so with a flat tyre I cycle to check it out. Riding down the busy main road from Chichester to The Witterings I am taking my life in my hands, the traffic passes at speed and some far to close. I feel very vulnerable. I can’t find the E-bike shop and stop at the post office for directions. I am told it’s just a 100 mts back up the road,it turned out to be a mile and a half. It is amazing how people today who always travel in a car rather than walking underestimate distance these days . I finally arrive at the shop but the shutters are down and the sign says it is closed for staff training but will be open at 09:00 am tomorrow morning. I will try again in the morning.

Saturday 2nd August 2025.
I wake to a beautiful morning, the sky is blue and the sun is warming the night time chill. Although it is still early August there is just a hint of Autumn in the air, the oppressive heat of 30c plus has passed ,the threat of a summer storm Floris looms, the combination of an intensifying low pressure off the east coast of the USA combining with the jet stream is producing an intense low pressure forecast of 965mb and the associated winds in the north of Scotland in excess of 80 miles an hour, this is not unprecedented but is becoming a more frequent occurrence attributed to global warming.

As sailors we need to be more aware of the unpredictable nature of our weather patterns due to climate change.
Took my bike to a repair shop in the hope they might be able to help ,no such luck. So returned to the boat stripped of the battery and excess weight and will ride it without electrical assistance.

Appludram airfield.
I have been buzzed constantly by a Spitfire running joy rides out of Goodwood airfield nearby I think it must be like a smaller version of the Battle of Britain.
Sometimes it is joined by a second aircraft taking photos or videos of the flight. This popular bucket list day out doesn’t come cheap at £5/6000 for an hours trip, the photo plane would be extra.
I took the bike up to Appludram on the way to Dell Quay where there was an old airfield use in the Second World War as a forward fighter base. Tangmere is just to the east and was an important strategic airfield at which my uncle Paul served as an aircraft mechanic from 1940 to 1943 servicing Spitfires and Hurricans.
Appludram was hurriedly constructed in 1943 as an alternate landing field should Tangmere be put out of action.
Appludrams runways were made from interlocking steel plates to form the runways that allowed grass to grow between them to enable the farmer to graze his sheep on the airfield. The support crews initially lived in tents around the perimeter. Whilst the officers and flight crews requisition local houses.
For entertainment they would go to Harry’s Cafe situated at Dell Quay on an old barge. Their favourite pub we are told, was the Unicorn in St Pancras , they also had a cinema in site and mess to feed them. They frequented Chichester Assembly Rooms for a night out and dances. At its peak Appludram had more than 2000 personnel on site.
Initially they had a squadron of Hawker Typhoons arriving in June of 1943 followed by three squadrons of Czech pilots with Spitfires mark IX which were to play a big part in the D Day invasion, they were then replaced by a Polish Wing with Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes.
Returning to the boat I had to fix a malfunctioning horn that worked only intermittently so I replace it with a new one.
I felt I needed a sit down and some rest so took my paints out and practiced some still life painting with a couple of daisiesI hand picked nearby.
I will post another blog next week. Paul.

Saturday 12th July 2025.

Time and tide as they say. We have had a blissful two days in Chichester Marina going for walks past Birdam Pool almost to Itchenor on our first morning . It was promising to be a hot day so we set off early before it became to warm. Returning to the Marina for breakfast/brunch in the excellent cafe on site. Feeling very replete we slowly made our way back to the boat throwing open all the hatches and errecting a Bimini over the big hatch and a wind shute over the forehatch. Its rather like a small spinnaker designed to create a through draft below deck. Our natural air conditioning was working well so we had a light lunch which with hindsight was totally unnecessary given the full English breakfast we had earlier..
We decided to spend the afternoon exploring Chichester and ordered up a cab.
Mr Uba dropped us off at the market cross in the city centre and we wandered the ecclesiastical back streets to the west door of the Cathedral.

Entering this 9th century building although small by cathedral standards its impressive. The stained glass windows are beautiful and the central organ most unusual.
We were greeted by an elderly gentleman wearing a smart summer suite, shirt and tie with a maroon sash signifying he was a friend of the cathedral he was more than happy to guide us around pointing out the many points of interest.

We spent more than an hour wandering the knave,chancel and cloisters before enjoying a cup of tea in the local local M&S cafe.
The temperature was now over 28c, it felt like more in the windless streets so we called our local taxi to return to the boat but not before enjoying a pint in a nearby hostelry.
Being Friday afternoon we didn’t expect the pub to be so busy but obviosly they take POETS day seriously in Chichester. I will leave you to contemplate the meaning of the above!
Back on the boat we enjoyed a prawn cocktail for a starter and a take away chicken pasta bake dinner followed by cheesecake from M&S.

I had to break the news gently to Dave, my crew that we might need an early start,how does 0315 sound ?
It required some complex and careful tidal calculations. We needed to catch the first of the flood tide through the Looe Channel off of Selsey Bill at 06:30 so working back we had to lock out of the marina at 03:30 am waking a sleepy lock keeper we entered on the green lights an dropped down into the Itchenor reach.
Sounds straight forward enough but the fast ebbing tide in the dark through boat moorings with the certain knowledge that one wrong turn would run us aground or worst into a moored boat at seven knots focused my mind. I was concentrating very hard with Dave on the foredeck spotting the buoys with a torch.
It took an hour and a spectacular sun rise to negotiate the twisting reaches and moored boats before we had to cross the infamous Chichester Bar.
Normally the sensible course was to cross at half flood i.e. three hours after low water in calm conditions avoiding any hint of a southerly south westerly wind or rough sea.
We needed to go east on the first of the flood which meant crossing on a falling spring tide one hour before low water. I had called the Harbour Conservancy for local advice but they were noncommittal as to the dredged depth and warned that it varies after each storm. I was told that I should not rely on more than 0:8 mts below chart datum at 1 mts .
We draw 1:5 mts without tha addition of a ton of fuel and water in our tanks, so I was sailing metaphorically close to the wind with maybe just 0:3 of a meter below the keel which gave us a buttock clenching time for a while but we made it without touching bottom ( sea bed that is ) though the echo sounder dropped to zero for far too long.
Leaving the Chichester Bar astern we happily set our course to the south east and the Looe Channel.
I go below to make us a brew and a bacon sandwich leaving my trusty crew on watch in the wheelhouse .

With a full spring flood tide under us we head east at 8 knots to Brighton, our planned night stopover.
We pass the iconic shapes of the tented Butlins at Bognor, speeding on to Littlehampton, Worthing and Shoreham before calling up Brighton port control for a prebooked berth.
Safely alongside at 11:30am we can relax a while before being picked up by my daughter, Sarah to join my other daughter Emily and my three grandchildren Maddie, William and two week old Ralph at the Ovingdean Farm Festival.
We are taken out to dinner at a very good Italian restaurant in Saltdean returning to the boat for a long overdue sleep after a nineteen hour day.

Sunday 13th July 2025.
The tide time this morning was a respectable 09:00 am woken by the gentle sound of a dredger working a few feet away. We shower and grab some breakfast before letting go the lines and heading out to sea.
We have both crossed the equator a few times in our long lives but today was slightly less dramatic as we cross the Meridian from west to east just before Newhaven.
This familiar inshore passage is always interesting passing the Seven Sisters, Cuckmere Haven and Beachy Head before opening up Eastbourne and the golden cupola dome on the pier.
With a strong flood still in our favour we call up Sovereign Harbour to Lock in at 12:30. Exiting a very crowded lock on this warn Sunday lunchtime we go alongside our home berth.

I have been away for almost a month and sailed/ motored just two hundred and fifty miles. The wind gods were not on our side with westerlies down to the Solent and Easterlies back to Eastbourne, but it was warm or very hot at times and what wind there was light, so the engine did most of the work.
Where will Spirit of Worcester go next, there is still some summer to come so we shall see.
Best wishes Paul, Dave and Dave.

Friday 4th July 2025.

The heat wave is still persisting but there is a promise of some respite over the weekend. It rained heavily overnight breaking the high pressure and bringing in a more northerly airflow.

We departed Cowes Yacht Haven at 9:00 am and made or way with a good tide eastwards passing Osborne Bay and the house of the same name frequented but Queen Victoria after the death of her beloved Bertie. It stands proudly on a hill overlooking the eastern Solent facing to the north.

The approach to Portsmouth is always interesting and we cut across the Swatchway to the main channel. As already recounted the Kings Harbour Master is no more now renamed Portsmouth VTS (Vessel Traching Service)
We motor up the small ships channel and stop to bunker fuel before being allocated a berth. The wind is blowing hard now from the south west making a north south wind off berth a tricky manouver.
Safely alongside we connect up services and Dave, rather falornly packed his bags, yes plural,he never manages to pack light and this time despite his best efforts filled four bags and still left the several bulky items onboard to collect from Sovereighn Harbour. No problem thanks for all your help and company.
We had some lunch in the greasy spoon cafe opposite the dock gates as Dave’s wife arrived to take him home. No expense spared for my crew.

The new crew arrive off the 17:00 Gosport Ferry all the way from
Glasgow, he is also a Dave and we have been good friends for many years.

Travelling light with just a small rucksack on his back we stroll to the boat showing him the excellent facilities on shore and acquiring a key fob to allow him access to the pontoons and Spirit of Worcester.

We decide of a meal ashore at a nearby pub and catch up on each others news. My plan had been to head west before Dave offered to join me and we discussed the option of taking in some of the sights not explored in Portsmouth and the greater Solent. He only had ten days at most before returning back to Scotland so we decided to pack as much in as possible.

Saturday Sunday 5th/6th July 2025.

After breakfast onboard and a shower ashore we crossed Gun Wharf Keys on the opposite bank to Gosport and purchase what we thought initially a very expensive Historic harbour ticket each, in fact the offered a years entry to a plethora of attractions including the Mary Rose, Victory and the first iron clad war ship, HMS Warrior. You could also go onboard a decommissioned post war submarine and indulge in a very pleasant harbour boat trip passing many warships including the new aircraft carrier,HMS Queen Elisabeth.
Saturday was lost in a mist of maritime history visiting the Warrior and Victory.
On Sunday we continued exploring visiting the submarine and the Mary Rose both excellent and informative exhibitions well worth the visit.

Monday 7th July 2025.
We decide to had out into the Solent along to the Bramble Bank and once again go up Southampton Water and branch into the Hamble River to Swanwick for a couple of nights and enjoyed a riverside walk to the nearby Universal marina also run by Premier.
We walk on south for a mile or two before turning inland following the footpath in a loop back to the Marina cafe for a lunchtime baguette.

This evening I do some research hoping to take Dave down to Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu river. This is part of the Montigue Estate and home to the National Motor Museum. Unfortunately the marina was full as were the moorings ,no room at the inn, The Master Builders that is.So leaving our berth in Swanwick we motor down the Hamble river to Southampton water then heading west we enter the Beaulieu river at the top of the tide just for the experience . Meandering up along this snaking river passing some very expensive river side house with their own private jetties.
We turn at Bucklers Hard and return to the sea to head across the
Solent to the Isle of Wight and Yarmouth, a picturesque village with a harbour full of boats on its north westerly point.
We are rafted alongside another yacht and make friends with our new neighbours. They had broken down with a fuel blockage on their engine and were awaiting the arrival of a mechanic from Sea Start a maritime AA or RAC service .
We decided to make the most of our time on the Island and caught the open topped bus waiting at the pirehead to Freswater Bay and the Needles Lookout.its very scenic and great fun.
We also needed a loaf of bread which gave us the excuse to drop in for a pint on our way home.

Returning to the boat we discovered we had been joined by a third yacht raffted alongside and went to introduce myself and break the news to them that we would be leaving at 06:00 am the following morning and would they would please let us out. They understandably weren’t keen but obliged .

Our alarm went off but,unsurprisingly we were both already awake and so prepared the boat for sea.
Letting go lines our neighbours bid farewell and we head to sea in a flat calm but a very strong 4 knot cross current almost colliding with a buoy at the harbour entrance. Harnessing it’s formidable power we turn east the tide adding to our boat speed of six knots directly into to the rising sun setting fire to the eastern horizon blinding me through the salt stained wheel house screen.

We averaged 8 knots on passage to Chichester harbour and our destination the Premier Marina at the top of Itchenor reach.

Now safely berthed at the far end of the marina we set up the hose to wash the salt encrustations from the boat before erecting wind scoops over the foehatch and topping up water tanks, thank you for your help Dave.

We hope to head off to Brighton early Saturday morning.