Sunday 5 October 2008

Cork Week 2008 with Anticipation

My first experience of Cork Week Regatta was this year on Anticipation - a Beneteau First 40.7 owned and skippered by Pete Newlands who is based in Cowes. We set off from Cowes after a day's delay due to adverse weather and made slow, bumpy progress out West. After pulling into Dartmouth [due to technical problems and exhaustion] we set off again in better weather - passing the Lizard and Land's End out into the Celtic Sea.

This time I wasn't involved with the provisioning and it was interesting to see how Leanne went about it. There were 11 mouths to feed on the outbound delivery trip and Leanne cooked several meals for us to eat on the journey. These were made from fresh ingredients and frozen in a large tin foil tray. This meant that the food was more transportable and all we had to do was choose our meal, let it defrost and just pop it in the pre-warmed oven. Once most of us had stopped hanging over the rails to feed the fishes [i.e. after Dartmouth] we enjoyed pasta bake, mild green Thai chicken curry and spaghetti bolognaise - and managed to keep it down this time! Saving the tin foil containers also comes in handy as these can be reused for roasting vegetables or cooking bacon and sausages for breakfast.

Arriving in Crosshaven just over 4 days after departing Cowes, one enterprising crewmember managed to find a bottle of wine and a case of beer despite it being 3 a.m. in the morning. This didn't last long but was a welcome arrival drink as we don't drink alcohol on passage.

After a brilliant night's sleep, we spent the next day making sure everything was in good order for the start of the racing. There was some time off in the afternoon and rather than just succumb to the fast food stands, Wil and I walked to the Farmer's Market in the village to have a look around. Here were enticing stalls of local produce where we nibbled our way around then settled on some mackerel pate, homemade fishcakes, dinky little round courgettes, bright red peppers, succulent tomatoes and salad with nasturtium leaves. Armed with a bottle of high quality olive oil and a nice bottle of wine, we headed back to Anticipation. As everyone else was content to brave the fast food stands, we had the yacht to ourselves. Wil is a genius in the galley so all I had to do was open the wine and have a stab at making Melba toast to go with the pate. Delicious!

In the following days, we were totally focused on racing, winning all 9 races in our class!!! We did take a litlle time out to visit some local restaurants during the event. Then it was goodbye to a successful Cork Week and back to Cowes. This time, the weather was favourable and we made it the return passage in less than 48 hours.

Saturday 4 October 2008

Fast Cruising: Falmouth - Dartmouth


On the morning of our first fast cruise from Falmouth to Mevigissey, hardly a breath of wind stirred across the starting line outside Falmouth but once passed St Anthony's Head the breeze picked up, the spinnaker was hoisted and A Day At The Races surged ahead! We anchored under sail outside the harbour entrance to Mevigissey and after a lunch of chicken and avocado wraps we weighed anchor using the power from the sail only and blasted across to Fowey.. Mooring up off Pont Pil, we had dinner on board Vectis Secundis with Kate after pre-dinner drinks in the cockpit. The scenery is stunning here and we were quite content to view Fowey from this aspect. Next day, we did take the water taxi across to have a coffee at the yacht club and go exploring. There are some fabulous food shops in the town mostly selling local produce. Fowey is famous for its mussels so a few kilos were purchased from FoweyFish for a moules marinere back on board to be enjoyed that evening.

Then it was off to Plymouth the next day for dinner at the Royal Western Yacht Club overlooking Queen Anne's Battery Marina. Before setting off for Salcombe, we visited the market in the city centre and bought some scallops, prawns and monkfish for a seafood spaghetti on board. On arrival in "The Bag", our haul from Plymouth was quickly turned into a magnificent feast with a little cream added to the seafood for a touch of luxury. Our final leg from Salcombe to Dartmouth dawned grey and blustery and we raced eastwards towards Dartmouth in next to no time. Our final evening in Dartmouth saw torrential rain but that didn't deter everyone from putting on their evening finery for dinner at the Royal Naval College. After dinner, the fast cruise prizes were awarded and A Day At The Races won her class and was joint overall winner with Fioreun, a much larger Beneteau.

Monday 29 September 2008

A Few Days in Falmouth

We arrived in Falmouth a few days before the start of the Little Ship Club West Country Cruise which attracted over 25 yachts from all points of the compass.

Falmouth is a real hub of activity for all things nautical. With several marinas, the National Maritime Museum and lots of sailors - both local and visiting from far flung places [more of that later ...] We moored up near the Town Quay which was only a stone's throw away from the bustling High Street with its fishmongers and cafes. Also nearby, were the best showers I've encountered for a long time ... constant hot water and a shower cubicle the size of a small room to yourself. Beats going for a shower next to the car park in Dartmouth!

The day after we arrived,the Falmouth working boats were racing in the harbour under grey skies and gusty conditions. We braved the elements to sail out for a grandstand seat and were rewarded with the magnificent sight of these wooden vessels going full pelt with their bright coloured topsails on show. Also racing were gaffers "Jolie Brise" and "Alice" in full flight.

After a private dinner at the National Maritime Museum on Saturday and fish 'n' chips on Sunday, we decided to buy a crab the next day to eat on board. We bought our crab from Arwenack Fisheries in the High Street. Here, the crabs are delivered fresh each morning, cooked for 20 minutes in boiling salted water and are ready to be sold by 10 o’clock. It took a bit of effort to prepare but the results were worth waiting for. Click here to go to recipes and click on crab salad to find out how it's done.

One unexpected event happened: I came across two friends who had just returned from crossing the Atlantic in a Twister 28 called "Pouncer". Spying the aforementioned "Pouncer" one afternoon, there was no mistaking this was Jane & Charlotte from Greenwich. After leaving a note, Jane turned up later for a cup of tea and a good gossip. Arriving in Falmouth was their first landfall since Bermuda and they were having a rest before pressing on with the final leg to Greenwich.

Reluctantly it was time to go and head off into the east but the rain had stopped and a fair breeze blew to take us and the rest of the LSC fleet towards Dartmouth.

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Day 5 - A Day at the Races: River Yealm to Falmouth

We slip our mooring at 0730 in brilliant sunshine and weave our way downstream. Again, the northerly wind does not materialise so we're forced to motorsail towards St. Anthony's Head.

Mackerel lines out again but no bites this time.

Arrive Falmouth 1700 and treat ourselves to fish & chips with a bottle of chilled muscadet.

Day 4 - A Day at the Races: Dartmouth – Dittisham – River Yealm



Setting off in bright sunshine, we cast off from the Town Quay to motor gently upstream for breakfast at Dittisham. Finding a free buoy, we moored up for cereal and croissants in this beautiful stretch of the River Dart. Reluctantly, we slipped our buoy and turned around to motor downstream towards the river entrance and onwards towards Start Point. After Prawle Point, there wasn’t much breeze, so we paid out the mackerel lines and motorsailed towards the entrance of the Yealm River. There was great excitement when two mackerel took the bait and we reeled them in with great care.



On arrival in the Yealm River, we motored slowly amongst the moored yachts looking for our friends on Bagheera – a Bowman 40. Finally we found them well upstream and rafted alongside for a drink and supper. It was almost like “Ready, Steady, Cook!" as both galleys were in action racing to complete at the same time so both crews could sit down together.

Bagheera came to the finish first with their steak casserole made with diced peppers, onions and tomatoes served with new potatoes whereas I’d opted for Sharon’s sausage casserole in red wine with mustard mash – somewhat tricky on a classic yacht with hardly any work surfaces to use.

Unfortunately, we hadn’t caught enough mackerel to feed everyone and two small fish were enough for 4 as a starter. Baked in foil with freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lime, after 15-20 minutes, the mackerel tasted sublime served on fresh wholemeal bread and butter. But we took our sausage casserole and mustard mash over and the two crews had a very convivial meal washed down with red wine and followed by cheese and biscuits. To end, David - the owner of Bagheera - made fresh coffee in his vacuum cafetiere. A great piece of kit if you can find one.

Then it was time to cast off and find our own buoy for our overnight stay with a wee dram of Famous Grouse whisky to finish before turning in.

Day 3 - A Day at the Races: Portland Harbour to Dartmouth

Another early start to make sure we catch the right tide for the inner passage past Portland Bill. You have to pass close to land to avoid the notorious race and it seems that you could reach out and touch the lighthouse itself as you pass. Breakfast was on hold until we were safely clear and on our track towards Berry Head. As well as muesli today, we had wholemeal toast – courtesy of the grill on the Force 10 oven – with Barrie’s homemade marmalade.

After breakfast, we set up the spinnaker expecting a broad reach down to Dartmouth on account of the forecast northerly wind. As soon as we were ready to hoist, the wind backed to westerly again so we had to put the kite on hold and go back to white sails. Motorsailing for most of morning :-( we eventually found some wind we liked after lunch as the clouds closed in and precipitation was evident over the land. Just as we reached the entrance of the River Dart, the heavens opened and it was time to find a good excuse to go below!

On arrival in Dartmouth, the clouds parted and the sun came out again so steaming gently, we joined the melee of yachts jockeying for position to moor up on the town quay. After a couple of overnight stays at anchor, we needed to replenish our stores. We found that the Co-Op store had been turned into a M&S food which delighted the guys onboard. Whilst the range of pre-packed food is good at M&S Food, it is difficult to find basics - such as flour and HP brown sauce - so another trip was required to find the Spar.

When we returned from our provisioning expedition, Dartmouth was in full swing with yachts arriving from all points of the compass. On Bryn Mawr – a Southerly 110 - the crew were getting ready for a barbeque on board. Chris & Jan Humphrey [Skipper & First Mate] were joined by their friends Sally & Phil Johns {Bosun and Cabin Boy, not necessarily in that order] and were preparing some wonderful ingredients to pop on their clip-on barbeque. They had arrived earlier that afternoon and bought Tiger Prawns from the local fishmonger and meat and vegetables to make their own kebabs. Also, Phil had marinaded some chicken pieces in white wine vinegar, tomato sauce and sliced fresh chillis – it all looked amazing!

Day 2- A Day at the Races: Hurst Point to Portland Harbour


After a quick breakfast of muesli and fresh fruit, we weigh anchor and depart at 0645 with a good northerly breeze and sunshine. For lunch, we stopped in stunning Lulworth Cove for sandwiches: salami, ham, tomato with mayonnaise on wholemeal bread – yum!



Then onwards towards Portland Harbour where we picked up a buoy and had another supermarket ready meal: this time, Chicken in a cream sauce with fresh broccoli and new potatoes. Ready meals have improved considerably over the last few years and are handy if you’re short of stowage space as we are on A Day at the Races . She was built in 1966 for Sir Owen Aisher and designed for offshore racing rather than gentle cruising. Originally named Yeoman XIV, she is built of teak and has recently been re-varnished and re-painted so is looking rather splendid at the moment.

Day 1- A Day at the Races: Beaulieu River to Hurst Point



Our first leg of our passage towards the West Country was a short early evening sail on the ebb tide down to Hurst Point so we could catch the next tide out West early the next morning. After dropping anchor in the bay behind Hurst Lighthouse, we had moussaka and fresh carrots for dinner with a glass of South African merlot.

The moussaka was a supermarket ready meal but fine for eating on board as it only took 25 minutes to heat up in the oven so the only preparation was slicing the new season carrots to steam gently on the hob.

Wednesday 11 June 2008

Mussels on the beach

Last week, Jen and I escaped to the beach for an "al fresco" lunch. We took a large stock pot, pre-sliced carrot and onion, a sprig of thyme from the herb garden, a little butter, fresh bread and some chilled Muscadet. The mussels we bought en route to the beach so it was simply a matter of washing them under the cold water tap on the promenade, scraping off any barnacles with a pen-knife, pulling the beards off and washing them again. Note that any mussels which are open at this stage should be discarded.

Using a small camping stove and stock pot, we heated up the butter, fried the onion and carrots for a couple of minutes then added the wine, mussels and herbs. After a few minutes and a couple of turns, the mussels were open* and ready to enjoy in the sunshine! With a glass of Muscadet and fresh tiger bread - divine!!

* any mussels which remain closed after cooking should be discarded.

Wednesday 28 May 2008

Tasty One

Plans to sail across the channel to St. Vaast were hastily revised in the light of the news that French fishermen were blockading various ports on the northern coast of France over the Whit Bank Holiday weekend. Plus the forecast for a rather nasty low over Cherbourg didn't help matters, so we decided to take the line of least resistence and sail on the south coast of England.

Our Dufour 425 - chartered from Hamble Point Yacht Charters - was actually called "Hasty One" but given that every time we called up a marina for a berth, they kept calling us "Tasty One" plus the usual focus on gastronomic delights, she was quickly rechristened. Tasty One was just 2 months old and equipped to a high standard in the galley. She had a 3 ring gas hob with auto ignition so no fiddling around with matches or gas wands this time, plus she had a grill which meant we could have proper toast for breakfast. One thing we didn't use onboard was the microwave although I can see the benefit if people were in port on shorepower and either didn't have time or didn't have the culinary skills to prepare meals from scratch. We still needed the large cooking pot which I always carry in my kit, as most pans on charter boats are not up to the job of cooking up enough for 8 people. With a cafetiere on board too, we could have decent coffee too - so all was right with the world.

Having geared ourselves up for a Friday evening departure for France, sitting in a pub in Hamble seemed a sin especially as the early evening was sunny with light breezes [q.v. forecast for heavy thundery showers]. Instead, we cast off for a short sail towards Haslar to find out how Tasty One could perform under sail. As our expected arrival in Haslar was for last orders at the Lightship, we had dinner underway. Urszula and David prepared Tim's Salmon and Salad Surprise with potatoes in between tacks...and very good it was too! See our website for the recipe. As it transpired, we enjoyed the sailing so much that we stayed out later than planned and heard the bell for last orders as we were approaching Haslar Marina. Nevermind, there were some emergency beers and wine on board which were originally for our arrival in France before we stocked up in St. Vaast.

Next morning, with the wind freshening and some fluky gusts kicking off, we set sail for Cowes but having wind and tide working together in harmony, we pressed on towards Yarmouth for a mid-afternoon arrival. And what a good move that was! By 1700, the whole world was trying to find a spot in the harbour to avoid the gales which were forecast for later that day. We managed to bag a table at Salty's for dinner and a birthday celebration. Despite the disappointment at not being able to set sail for St. Vaast, we did indulge in delicious oysters for starters despite there not being an "R" in the month. The guideline for not eating oysters in summer months is because this is when oysters reproduce and during this stage of their life, they have a "milky" appearance and are not as palatable.

Following on from our oyster binge - one plate was not enough! - we opted for fresh crab, lobster, mussels and cod from the menu all accommpanied by enormous bowls of chips which never quite reached "low tide". If you've never been to Salty's, you need to know that after the eating has ceased, audience participation in singing and dancing on the table is mandatory. Not all requests will be accepted - 80s elctro pop is usually met with a sneer - but we did manage to shape some of the tunes played. If that's all too hectic, you can pop up the road to the Yarmouth Yacht Club and gate-crash a wedding party and have a very civilised coffee and calvados before catching the last water taxi back to the boat.

Despite a bit of rain overnight, the really bad weather hadn't kicked in and with hardly any wind on Sunday, we set off towards Poole after a breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. After the obligatory pictures of everyone passing the Needles, we had brie on sesame seed rye bread with anchovies and olives as hors d'ouvres followed by Italian Tuna and Cannelloni Bean Salad with new potatoes whilst listening to Bob Marley, bobbing along in the sunshine near the Fairway Buoy in our own personal Sargasso Sea. Any thundery storms were well away from us inland and the secondary low from the French coast was taking it's time to get going. So we concentrated on light wind tactics and crawled along at 2 knots or less until we found a little more wind off Anvil Point.

Entering Poole Harbour, we chose to head for Cobbs Quay Marina for some shelter - even though this meant a bit of a faff waiting for the bridge to rise - in case the forecast was right this time and the gales kicked in overnight. Although we'd had a good lunch, thoughts turned collectively towards steak and chips and the restaurant at the marina delivered. Whilst eating our dinner, the wind suddenly increased several forces and our planned early morning departure through the 0730 bridge lift looked in jeopardy.

With the wind howling through the rigging at 30+ knots and the rain lashing down, our early morning departure was abandoned. Three crew members had to leave to take the train home so that they could be back by the evening. This was not without drama as the storms had caused problems with the railways and replacement bus services had to be put in place so it was a long slog back to civilisation.

Eventually, we cast off mid-afternoon to sail back to Hamble and had our emergency meal of pasta and pesto while we waited for Poole Bridge to open. Again, the forecast was totally wrong and the predicted winds of F3/4 turned out to be more like F6/7 as we beat our way across Christchurch Bay towards Hurst Point and the Solent. Fortunately, we had some pre-prepared rolls handy to keep our energy levels up and the valient crew managed to keep the tea and coffee coming between squalls.

Finally, we arrived back at base just as the wind eased about 0100 on Tuesday morning. All in all, a great weekend, lots of challenges - both in the galley and on deck - and great company. We managed to eat nearly everything on board including the emergency rations.

If you would like to share your Bank Holiday experiences, do add your post too!

Thursday 22 May 2008

Blue Skies and Good Breezes

Finally, the spring storms abated in early May and the crew of Freelancer - chartered from Fairview Sailing - were blessed with sunshine for 5 consecutive days! Starting off in Hamble with Wil's Maxi Shepherd's Pie [enough to feed the proverbial five thousand] and baked beans we sailed to Bucklers Hard in the Beaulieu River. As the Master Builder was closed, Patience prepared an amazing Chilli con Carne which was much appreciated after a great day's sailing.

There was a bit of excitement the next morning as our engine overheated within 10 minutes of casting off and steam issued forth from the engine compartment. The genoa was unfurled in an instant and fire extinguishers prepared in a flash. After weaving our way down river under sail, we spotted a pontoon which gave us the chance to sail into the wind and slow down enough to make an emergency stop. Having ascertained that our engine was not about to burst into flames, in true "how to cook on a boat" style, we put the kettle on for a cup of tea and served up the ginger cake while we waited for Sea Start to arrive. A broken impeller was the culprit and Nick from Sea Start soon sorted this out.

In the afternoon, a great sail over to Yarmouth, Wil's fish stew for dinner then a little night sailing under the stars. After a bit of a lie-in the next day, we caught the tide down to Poole and squeezed into a very tight berth - next to a Sunseeker motor cruiser the size of a house - in Poole Quay Boat Haven. Here Tim prepared mussels for starters followed by poached salmon and salad surprise.

An early start the next day with freshening breezes meant we arrived near Lymington about lunchtime so carried on towards Cowes despite an exacting sail across from Poole. All the chefs had the night off tonight as we walked, under a stunning sunset, to the Woodvale pub in Gurnard village.

Our last morning with Freelancer dawned misty and windless. So after some more MOB practice near Osbourne Bay, we headed back towards Hamble where the mists lifted to reveal another blazing hot day.


Wil's super-sized Shepherd's Pie

PS There were only four of us on board

Thursday 17 April 2008

Another Place

Another Place is a massive installation on Crosby Beach - just a few miles NW of Liverpool - that consists of 100 cast-iron figures by Antony Gormley who is probably best known for his sculpture "Angel of the North". The ghostly life-size figures - moulded from the artists own body - are dotted along three kilometres of the Crosby shore: sparse in some areas and becoming more congregated as they reach the sea front, so onlookers can catch the detail of those near and the shadow of sculptures in the distance out to sea in one eyeful. It's certainly a spectacular sight - especially at low tide.

So what's this got to do with cooking on boats? In my twenties, I lived in a flat overlooking this beach and the Welsh mountains in the distance. Braving the northerly winds for walks on the beach, there wasn't much marine life in evidence at that time. Today, wandering amoung the iron men, I was delighted to see evidence of razor shells, also called razor clams. I first ate razor clams whilst sailing in Brittany and had never seen them on the menu in England until recently. Razor clams can be stir-fried, chargrilled or steamed like mussels: which ever way you cook them, they are delicious! If you're thinking of gathering some for yourself, wear a thick glove - like a gardening glove - as the shells really are razor sharp. Also, you need to be quick as they burrow down into the sand in an instant. Alternatively, you can dig for them. Best attempted at low tide on beaches washed by clean seas and where there is a thriving population - only take what you need.

I'm going to have a go at catching some in a few weeks when sailing in the West Country

Thursday 3 April 2008

Sir Robin Knox Johnson on the rocks!

On Tuesday, I was fortunate to have dinner with Sir Robin Knox Johnson [as one does :-)] and he told me the story of when he and Sir Chris Bonnington sailed in the Arctic some years ago. They had visited Reykjavik and had been presented with 2 cases of Finlandia vodka. This was duly stored in the locker behind the heads - safest place apparently. As you can imagine, there was no shortage of ice so when the two intrepid explorers fancied a shot or two of vodka, all they had to do was reach over the side and chip off a bit of ice from a passing iceberg to add to their glass. Apparently, the the ice was so cold that the vodka fizzed and gave off vapour. Also, the water frozen in the ice was probably in excess of 10,000 years old!

Vodka on the rocks will never be the same again!

Tuesday 1 April 2008

Spring Series Racing - Week 3

Finally, a perfect afternoon on Sunday after racing was postponed on Saturday due to rough seas and imminent gales.



On Friday, we had "Ramsbottom Hotpot" - not the part of the lamb which is used in this recipe but the name of the town in Lancashire where I created this luxury variation of the traditional hotpot for a hearty meal when I lived there for a couple of years. Now adapted for cooking on a yacht, this uses leg of lamb instead of the more traditional neck of lamb. As the gales howled through the rigging in the shelter of Haslar Marina on Saturday night, we had Taglietelle Bolognaise to keep our spirits up. A trip to the Light Ship for a post-prandial libation also helped.

Following a full English breakfast on Sunday morning [no exploding ovens this time], we set off at best speed for the start line at Gilkicker only to find that the morning was a real drifter with no wind at all :-( After some spinnaker practice, for the first time this year, jackets and scarfs were abandoned and the crew stretched out to catch some rays while we waited for the wind to come our way. Finally the wind filled in and we had a great race with great sail trim, great spinnaker work and a great finish [i.e. not last :-)]

We grudgingly made our way back to base wishing there had been another race as we really had the bit between our teeth but we'll have to wait until the summer now for the next racing round the cans in the Solent.

PS No pictures of the Saturday squalls as they're not very photogenic.

Tuesday 25 March 2008

Just 4 Fun - Easter 2008




Thursday
Plans to sail overnight towards the West Country were quickly downsized in ambition due to the forecast of northerly gales for Friday and Saturday. With the wind howling through the halyards, we settled in on "Just 4 Fun" and enjoyed
Pascal's Ultimate Risotto followed by a trip to the Victory in Hamble Village.

Friday
Squalls of icy rain rattled through Hamble River in the morning with gusts of over 30knots in the marina. Definitely a day for a Full English breakfast and a walk around the village followed by a leisurely read of the papers. By the time we had Quiche Lorraine with Salad, some patches of blue sky had appeared and the wind had dropped off a fraction. Watching the wind speed and the time between squalls like hawks, we cast off for a short sail up and down the Hamble then poked our noses out into Southampton Water for a couple of hours. The Solent was practically deserted and our valiant crew remained cheerful despite the short hail storm. After blowing away the cobwebs, we returned to Port Hamble for Champagne and Cake to celebrate Xavier's birthday followed by dinner at the Whyte Hart in Hamble and another trip to The Victory.

Saturday
North force 6 to 8 decreasing force 5 later, squally wintery showers, sea state moderate to rough: we were not going to be going far today! Plenty of time for Pancakes and fresh coffee then. It was looking like we were never going to leave Hamble - although there are worse places to be storm-bound - so another morning of long showers [hot ones in the marina facilities, not wintery ones!], reading the papers and Carrot & Corriander Soup with freshly baked bread rolls. We hoped to have a short window in the weather to zip across to Cowes in the afternoon and finding a gap in the gusts, we flew across the Solent and surfed into Cowes towards East Cowes Marina for the night. Tonight we had Smoked Salmon canapes on Poilane bread, Cruidtes with sour cream dip followed by Xavier's Souffle Surprise.

Tempting as it was to stay in "Just 4 Fun's" warm and snug space-heated saloon, we braved the elements to go to West Cowes to meet up with friends who were in the vicinity. The Anchor was heaving as there was clearly more action happening indoors than on the water today and we had to tear ourselves away to catch the chain ferry back to the East side.

Sunday
The forecast was only for a mere force 5 to 7 [ocassionaly force 8 in the East] although the squally wintery showers were still in evidence.
After a breakfast of Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon, we set off towards Lymington. Once the first squall had passed through, blue sky appeared and we had a cracking sail down to Hurst Point where we stemmed the tide and had our lunch of Bacon, Gruyere Cheese and Spinach Muffins. A short hail storm in the afternoon, with hail the size of tic-tac mints, did not diminish spirits and we moored in Lymington Yacht Haven for Sharon's Sausage & Mash Special followed by a digestif in the bar at the marina.

Monday
Where had the wind gone? After 3 nights of howling gales, the marina was a picture of peace & tranquility. We'd have to get all the sails out today! After a quick Continental breakfast, we cast off before 0900 to make the most of the flood tide. The breeze did freshen once we re-entered the Solent and we had a fast sail down to Beaulieu River with Sharon getting the top helm's score of 9.6 SOG on the way!

We didn't have time to sail all the way up to Bucklers Hard as we needed to be in Southampton water before the tide turned. After a chilly sail back to Port Hamble we warmed up with Cornish Pasties and baked beans before setting to work putting the boat to bed. One last thing needed to be done: the annual Great Easter Egg Race. This year's winner was Sharon who won by several lengths.

So, even though we didn't sail very far, we had a great time: good food, good company and exciting sailing!

Monday 17 March 2008

Spring Series Racing - Week 2



For our second outing of the series, we had a different yacht, different engine problems, different menu - a pattern is forming! Friday night's feast was bangers with red wine onion gravy and mustard mash accompanied by a drop of Hardy's Cabernet Sauvignon. Next morning, a continental breakfast was in progress as the engineer swapped batteries and tried to breath some life into our very dead engine.

Eventually the engine was coaxed back into life and we finally got going - after negotiating the Port Solent lock - towards the start. We made it by a whisker and were concentrating on getting a good position on the line when another yacht overtook us with an almost naked man standing on the bow in a lime green "Borat" suit! Unfortunately, I'd left my binoculars below but resisted the temptation to look without the aid of magnification as this was clearly a diversionary tactic calculated to put all lady helms off their stride ;-)

Despite the stiff breeze, the willing crew managed to make tea and coffee at regular intervals probably motivated by the temptation that it was significantly warmer below decks as the wind started to shift to the north.

We raced unscathed but had to return to base as the engine was still playing up so we had to forgo the night life of Haslar for another night in Port Solent. Saturday night's dinner was Thai Green Chicken curry with basmati rice and naan bread, plus a couple of beers to help wash it down. Not a scrap was left which certainly makes the washing up easier!

Sunday morning saw the galley in full swing for full English Breakfast and sandwich making for lunch whilst the engineer tweaked the engine yet again. Fortunately, the oven didn't explode this week, so we had sausages with our bacon and eggs this time.

Today was a team record for the number of teas and coffees served as it was bitterly cold. I've never seen such activity in the galley as crew took it in turns to make a hot brew and there was never anything left in the sinks for long as it all got washed up very quickly.

Our aspirations for our third outing at the end of March are to:
- have no more problems with the yacht and therefore leave on time
- put our foot on the pedal and not be last :-)
- make sure we don't miss our afternoon tea and cake.

Tuesday 11 March 2008

Spring Series Racing- Week 1



Our first racing of the season took place in between the gales and storms which lashed the UK this weekend. Fortunately, we were in the shelter of the Solent and not far from Portsmouth but with 2 reefs in the mainsail and a scrap of headsail, we were taking no chances!

Friday night's dinner was tortilla chips and dips for starter then home made chilli con carne with rice, served with Rioja - a very nice Campo Viejo Crianza 2005. Preparing in advance certainly cut down on the washing up!

The weather windows during the day were favourable and we even managed our customary cup of tea on the downwind legs of the races although we missed out on Saturday's lunch. This was due to our attention being diverted to diagnosing engine problems as we were getting ready for our approach into Portsmouth. Anyway, who needs an engine when there are sails and plenty of wind? Instead, we asked permission to sail into Portsmouth harbour and made it into Haslar Marina to sort out the problem.

For Saturday night we had home made Greek Lemon Chicken with new potatoes with a choice of Hardy's Carbernet Sauvignon or Semillion Chardonnay which went down well with the crew after a blustery day.

Next morning, there was a bit of excitment as the oven on our chartered yacht exploded! Well, it was more of an implosion as the glass part of the oven door shattered and ruined the cumberland sausages we were all looking forward to for breakfast. Not certain what the cause was: perhaps it was a production fault or maybe some of the holes on the burner were blocked leading to a small build up of uncombusted gas although the gas alarm didn't go off. So we made do with bacon, egg and tomatoes baps for breakfast and very nice they were too!