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