If only mine was a Bit Bigger!

It’s always easy to think that if you had even a slightly bigger boat you’d sail further and use it in a wider range of conditions.

Wandering round any marina and seeing the weed-infested larger sailing boats should dispel that thought, but it still lurks at the back of your mind – just another couple of metres and I’d have set sail in that rising force 6.

Some say the ideal name for many boats would be Olympic Flame… it never goes out!

They do say of those nice old long keel seaworthy boats, that we all like to fantasise about, that if it’s under a force 5 the boat won’t go and if it’s over a force 5 then the crew won’t go.

So it was interesting to talk to this lot…

The Talisker Atlantic Rowing Challenge currently moored at Gosport. It hasn’t even got sails or an engine!

They are headed West from the Canaries in December, just as most of use will be roasting our nuts and only venturing into the frozen outdoors under extreme duress!

One of the intrepid women crew said this would be her second time rowing to America ! .. sunsets and the night sky were her high points.

We skirted round the elephant-in-the-room low points.

Personally I would be nervous setting off for Cowes in that boat.. rowing my dinghy 50 yards to shore can be daunting enough.

Here’s the uplifting mantra they have in front of them as, facing backwards, they interminably row – I suppose of ‘Gates of Hell Ahead – Turn Round Now : Every Man for Himself : Who’s Idea Was This Anyway : Are We Nearly There Yet?’ would be considered demoralising.

Still…what a great achievement to have completed that passage. Jim Shekdhar’s account of rowing across the Pacific single handed was taste enough for me!

The accommodation looks a little sparse for the anticipated 48 day crossing.. and as for the canary yellow ‘en suite’ – well … I just don’t think it’s this season’s colour.

And on the subject of Intrepid Voyages I was due to return to Gosport today but looking at the week’s forecast of high wind and low rain I decided it would be a good time to return home and get a few things sorted out!

I normally leave the boat at Gosport and get the train from Portsmouth Harbour when I do this, but to avoid the predicted force 5 and constant rain I left the boat at Southsea Marina and strode out for Fratton Station.

Turns out to be about 4 miles away – which felt hard going in the rain and humid heat – but then I spied My Saviour!

I’ve hired these scooters in Belgium and they’re brilliant.. Great acceleration even two up … you just put in your credit card, they charge you by the minute and you just drop it off when you reach your destination.. simple, convenient – why aren’t they everywhere?

So in the drizzle I scanned the QR code and waited while the app downloaded. Then I had to enter my phone number and they had to send a message and verify it.. fair enough!

Then the same with my email.. OK .. then my credit card – which they obviously need – so I entered all the damp details..

Nearly good to go it said .. Great.. then a long list of things I mustn’t do – including riding two up.. not sure why but I was alone so no problem.. so ready to go at last !!!!

Now, it said, take a photo of yourself and one of your driving licence !

Do most people carry their driving licences with them at all times???

Well I don’t.. so that was the end of that… there may well have been more questions to follow but that’s as far as I got.

They seem to want an awful lot of information – I wondered if they would like a urine sample too and seriously considered donating one there and then…

So that was 15 pointless minutes added to the rain soaked journey.

How come it is so simple in famously bureaucratic Belgium and complicated to the point of useless over here?

And the trains were running late!

Where is Benito Mussolini when we need him!!!