Gridlock

It’s been quite crowded in the solent before, but never like this! Shouldn’t all these people be at work or on holiday in Spain!! It is Thursday after all.

No room at Cowes, the Hamble, any of the marinas in Lymington including the town quay, and nothing in poole either, despite spending half the day phoning round. Finally I managed to book a swinging mooring where I’ve never been before in the wareham channel north of poole at Lake Yard.

Yarmouth were operating on a first come basis do I left Gosport early and got to Yarmouth at mid day. It was packed with everyone rafted up but I managed to get in, three out despite arriving at midday. I think you could have walked from one side of the harbour to the other across the boats.

Early evening the inside boat announced he had to leave at 0730, so no leisurely start to Friday for me! So after visiting the only, and consequently very expensive, supply shop in Yarmouth I indulged myself with fresh bread, crab paste – no real crab available – tomatoes and a bottle of red and resigned myself to an early night.

Friday morning went well with blue sky though a rather flukey wind so it was mostly motoring but with the tide it was a fast trip (9kn max!!) until I got to poole entrance. The tide can’t be ideal at both ends I suppose.

Picking up a mooring buoy single handed can be a bit of a challenge especially as the wind and tide had picked up rather considerably by this stage!

However motoring slowly against the tide using the tiller pilot seemed to work and allowed me time to get to the bow, grab the pick up the buoy and get it on board. I was just congratulating myself on how easily I’d managed it single handed when I realised that the actual buoy was nowhere to be seen!

The reason for this was that I had motored over it whilst securing the line and wrapped it under the keel and I was now sideways on with a tide stronger than I was!

Luckily it was a sunny day. Unluckily it was the hottest day of the year so far, 30 degrees plus, and I’d been sitting out in the full glare of it since 0730, so all this pulling and struggling was rather hard going. In fact it was such hard work that I radioed the marina for help – but everyone had just gone to lunch!

So no alternative but to carry on! After quite some time I located the buoy, got another line round it and took off the pressure to release the keel…. then collapsed below in the shade to recover 😅

So all secured at last. However what a change this evening – 4pm from being blisteringly hot with blue skies it’s now heavy rain clouds and strong winds. Looks like a rocky night ahead!