Dinghy cruising reports

Dinghy Cruise Report - 30th April 2011

Written by Melanie Newman Saturday, 28 May 2011 19:47

In the Solent, we are lucky enough to have loads of scope for dinghy cruising. Even so, when high water is in the middle of the morning, it can be difficult to pick a perfect destination. Whichever way we went on this cruise, we knew we would have to fight the tide sooner or later. We decided to make the most of the longish stand and head East in the hope of reaching Lepe Beach. The breeze was plentiful enough but its North Easterly direction demanded a tight beat up the coast.

Jack Wadsworth sailing his Laser 4.7

After a slight delay while the crew of the Ineos Laser 2000 discovered their bung had been pinched and borrowed one from Steve, we set off in good time. With differing tactics and a variety of boats, the fleet was soon spread out with Mike Beggs and Andrew Moor leading the way in Stratos ‘Red Devil’ and the last few boats some distance behind.

Once again, the sun appeared instead of the promised heavy showers but our chances of making it to Lepe diminished as the wind dropped off and the ebb gathered pace. By this time, Mike and Andrew were getting peckish and, finding themselves a long way ahead of the others, stopped for a sandwich. After a short discussion, Steve and I decided to settle for our contingency plan of Yarmouth Beach so we all turned around and whizzed over to the Island with the wind behind us before you could say ‘spinnakers’.

Having avoided the roped off swimming area, which seems to have grown since we were last at this beach, all the dinghies landed safely. We were just thinking Sam Reneaux was choosing a strange spot to anchor his RIB when he called up to explain that his engine had failed.  Philip and Peter zipped over to keep Sam off the rocks while he tried to restart Black Shadow’s engine, with various helpful suggestions being hailed from the shore. When none of these worked, we formed a sort of RIB sandwich and escorted Sam over to the beach where he and his Dad put their heads together to fix the problem. We’re beginning to think that Black Shadow has some sort of aversion to Black Rock as it was on our last visit that she broke down in exactly the same place.

In the meantime, there were several eager takers for Harry Boyd’s offer to ferry people round to Yarmouth Harbour for chips and pees. Andy Fisher and Derek Hancock were also kind enough to offer facilities on board ‘Barnacle’, although I think the absence of curtains put some of us off!

Everyone seemed very relaxed so we sunbathed and chatted until all seemed ready to make their way home on a nice easy reach. But of course the wind had shifted slightly and the tide was ebbing so there was no such thing. Nevertheless, those who pointed high enough made short work of the crossing and everyone had a good sail home.

Coming back into the river, Harry and I found a safety boat from RLym in trouble mid-channel and stopped to help them into safe water while they restarted their engine. This turned out to be a lesson in juggling priorities as we later discovered that one of our Laser sailors had capsized opposite the slipway and had to free his mast from the mud. The happy irony was that he was eventually helped by a different RLym safety boat.

We may not have reached our chosen spot but as usual The Solent offered us some great sailing and a good day out. Many thanks to Sam Reneaux, Harry Boyd, Harry Bateman, Peter Dingley and Philip Paddy for their cheerful support on the RIBs. Thanks also to Andy and Derek for keeping a watchful eye and offering to tow if necessary – it was great to have ‘Barnacle’ with us.

Dinghy Cruise and Sandcastle Competition dates can all be found on the club calendar and website. The next cruise is on Saturday 4th June 2011.
Mel Newman

Dinghy Cruising Reports - April 2nd 2011

Written by Melanie Newman Thursday, 28 April 2011 20:41

At the start of the week the forecast was so off-putting that we were beginning to think that we would have to cancel the first cruise of the season. By Friday morning the Met Office folk were sounding more optimistic but, with the change of shift, there came a reversion to the original warnings of Force 5 to 7. On the day, luck intervened and the wind veered graciously west, dropping as she went.

It was very uplifting to see a good turnout at the 09.30 briefing with eleven dinghies rigged and ready for launching. We decided to head westward and a longish stand at high water gave us the chance to sail all the way up the Keyhaven River to KYC. After a cloudy start, the sun also rose to the occasion and followed us for the rest of the day. Despite the inevitable tacking and the variety of dinghy types, everyone arrived within a few minutes of one another.  

Keyhaven Yacht Club has an enviable location, making it one of the most welcoming and peaceful lunch stops on our list of destinations. There was just enough room to beach all the boats without blocking the slipway and the club kindly allowed us space for the RIBs on their pontoon.

After a break for lunch, we nipped out through Hawker’s Lake and tucked in against the tide as we made our way back along the shoreline to Lymington. Keith and Julie Willis slid a little further along the spit before setting off in order to get a good angle for testing the spinnaker on their Osprey Still Preying, in which they plan to do the Alderney run later this year. Needless to say, they overtook most of us in fine style. Alistair Gregory from Oxfordshire was also a joy to watch sailing his Laser Radial and he kindly returned to stand by until a RIB was able to help another member right his boat.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to practice a capsize at the beginning of the season and several of our cruisers decided to do exactly that on the way home. Our very own ‘three men in a boat’ left it right to the last minute but still managed a very respectable up-ending just short of the slipway.

Wet or dry, everybody arrived home in plenty of time to buy a pint before the bar closed after a happy, sunny day of sailing.

Special thanks go to our safety boat crew: Andy Fisher, John Bell and particularly to Thomas Doel who changed his plans to step in at the last minute.

The next cruise will be on Saturday 30th April (by a quirk of the club calendar, this is the May cruise).

Dinghy Cruising Report - September 2010

Written by Melanie Newman Sunday, 19 September 2010 00:00

This month keeping our fingers crossed failed to impress the weather gods and we woke up to a good force six, pushing to force seven with some vicious gusts. So we had to cancel the planned dinghy cruise to Needs Ore, where the Beaulieu River Sailing Club had kindly given us permission to land. Needs Ore is a very special area that is closely protected as a bird sanctuary and nature reserve so it was a rare and special opportunity, which we were sad to miss.

Predictably, conditions did improve a little as soon as we had made the decision but still not enough to run the cruise. However a few intrepid dinghy sailors still felt in need of at least a quick sail so we shadowed them in a RIB. Having arranged themselves into three boats with a good distribution of weight and ability, they sped off out of the river with Nick Mowle, Jonathan Marland and Alex Kernish giving a great display of just how exciting a Wayfarer can be, even when fully reefed. Andrew Meek, Judith Harding and Tilly who had come all the way from Derbyshire to sail their Stratos, went for caution too and it certainly didn’t seem to affect their speed much. David Osborne and Pete Barker didn’t hang about to reef David’s Stratos but either way everybody managed to sail the right way up. All made the most of the strong breeze and relatively flat sea before heading for home just before the tide turned and the rain came in again.

Thanks to Harry Boyd who came along to help by driving the RIB and has been such an enthusiastic member of our safety boat team this year.

And now is a good time to say a big thank you to all the people who have supported the Dinghy Cruises throughout the season.

Dinghy Cruising starts again in April 2011 but, like last year, we plan to hold a supper during the winter months to keep in touch, swap stories and chat about ideas for next year. This will be on 5^th February 2011in the Solent Room, so please put the date in your diary!

Mel Newman and Steve Reneaux

Dinghy Cruising Report - Colwell Bay - August 2010

Written by Melanie Newman Friday, 27 August 2010 22:53

School holidays and preceding days of unpromising weather often mean numbers dwindle on the dinghy cruises but this August brought twenty-five people eager to join in. This included welcome visitors from further North: Andy and Jude from Derbyshire with ‘Loopy’ (winners of this year’s Stratos Nationals) and Roger and Chris from Oxfordshire with ‘W8065’, experienced Wayfarer sailors eager for their first taste of dinghy sailing on the sea.

By the time we reached the rendezvous point at Baverstock, the breeze was becoming frisky with the tide and seemed to be aiming towards the windy end of the scale predicted by the weathermen. Of the eleven boats that set out, three decided to return to the club escorted by White Searcher, whose crew soon caught up with the fleet again.

Seeing white horses in Hurst narrows, we took a RIB ahead to check on conditions and found that the going was a lot easier on the side suggested at the briefing. Of course this didn’t stop two or three of our helms deciding to take the more difficult course through the chop!

Everyone arrived at Colwell Bay in great style, including our youngest cruiser, Liam Willis, who singlehanded his RS Tera under the expert guidance of Julie and Keith in their Vision. Colwell Bay was welcoming as ever and in no time at all many of us were munching chips or the delicious flapjack offered round by our friends from Oxfordshire. The wind dropped and the sun came out to make our stay all the more relaxing.

It is funny how the breeze always seems to watch for us rigging our dinghies so that it can whistle up just in time for our departure. After a short delay for some improvised jib repairs on one of the Wayfarers, we were off. Although only one boat was bold enough to raise a spinnaker, everyone absolutely flew through the narrows, heading for home.

By all accounts it was a challenging but superb sail in both directions - achieved without any recourse to swimming. Heather and Harry did offer assistance to a lone capsized Feva spotted near Pennington by Keith and Julie but the crew proved to be seasoned champions out for a practice session. Gavin Eadie’s smile, as he whizzed through the fleet in his Laser 1, said it all!

Our thanks to the safety boat crews for helping to make the cruise possible: Heather Chipperfield, Harry Boyd, Sarah Murphy, Mike Smart and for the extra assistance from Charlotte and Dan. Many thanks also to those who were kind enough to offer places for additional crew on their boats.

The next dinghy cruise (the last planned for this season) will be on 11th September 2010.

 

Dinghy Cruise to Newtown Creek - July 10th 2010

Written by Melanie Newman Tuesday, 20 July 2010 21:50

With high water Lymington at 11.34 our choice of destination was limited by the need to tackle an adverse tide at some point, whichever way we went. Yarmouth might have been the easy option but we’ve noticed that easy isn’t what many of our dinghy cruisers seek. So after some homework on tidal curves, and forecast wind speed and direction, we decided that Newtown Creek presented a possibility as long as we departed promptly and the breeze came in as promised.

Seventeen boats set off from the starting platform in rather dismal visibility which began to improve almost as soon as we waved the green flag. The helms understood the importance of making good progress against an increasing foul tide and all sailed very expertly as the southwesterly filled their spinnakers and gennakers.

The Bakers sped ahead on their Laser 4000, giving a master class in trapezing as they returned several times to rejoin the fleet. They were closely followed by James Le May in his Blaze, Justyn Bar and Pete Barker in Justyn’s Vareo and Richard Eastman single-handing his Laser 2000 for the first time, proving that following a good course can be as important as a go-faster boat.

Eventually everybody made it through the entrance to Newtown Creek and the crews helped each other to land, lifting the boats onto the beach. Picnics were soon munched and knowing there was a favourable tide for the return journey, there was time to relax. Some braved the chill of the enticingly clear water for a swim while others chatted in glorious sunshine. We set off again at 2pm for a cracking sail home with wind against tide and a bit of welcome spray to keep us cool.

Many people congratulated us on providing additional entertainment in the form of four stunning ‘Big Class’ yachts sailing in the inaugural Westward Cup Regatta. The real congratulations go to the Royal Yacht Squadron, who in conjunction with the New York Yacht Club, the Yacht Club de Monaco and Boat International, are working to reinvigorate the concept of Big Class racing in the Solent. (For more information and some heart-snatching photos have a look on the RYS website: www.rys.org.uk.

Our thanks to our safety boat crews for the day: Harry Boyd, Helen and Tony Edmonds on White Searcher, Bruce Read and Ken Agate on Orange Seeker and to Harry Bateman for helping us on Black Shadow. Thanks also to Robin Pratt for lending his Wayfarer to the Batemans, whose boat was being repaired following a prang at the LTSC regatta, and to all the regular cruisers who made new members and additional crew welcome on their dinghies.

Mel and Steve.

Dinghy cruise to Lepe Country Park - 1st May 2010

Written by Melanie Newman Wednesday, 26 May 2010 22:35

Our second cruise of the season attracted a very respectable and varied fleet of sixteen boats and better than forecast weather. With the tide flooding until around 13.30 we headed East to Lepe in a southwesterly force 3-4. It wasn’t long before this brought out spinnakers and gennakers and we’re pretty sure some competitive spirit too. We reached Lepe in good time for lunch and several boats anchored off while others beached and helped each other to lift the boats onto the shore.

Welcome sunshine warmed us all whilst refuelling for the beat home with picnics and snacks. Until then the only mishap was Sandy Reid-Peters dropping his (as he now knows) non-floating VHF radio in the sea and despite half a dozen of us trying to fish for it with our feet, there it stayed.

It seems to be the norm in sailing that breeze picks up when you are just about to land or leave and so it was as we set off from Lepe. In the space of about 45seconds we had a capsized Wayfarer on the beach, one being blown onto a lee shore as it weighed anchor and another that took off without one of its crew! Safety boat crews helped reunite the two Grahams and Carin and assisted in relaunching the other two Wayfarers, although an anchor and line were temporarily lost in the process.

As the breeze increased the dinghies were having a lovely, lively sail home in sunshine. Then wind against tide inspired the sea to a produce a good bit of choppiness and several boats capsized, VHF communications were failing and the fleet spread, making it difficult for the safety boats to manage. As always though, they responded to each situation very professionally, using good teamwork and common sense. Mirror Daffy suffered a broken dagger board and had to be towed the last two miles or so, otherwise all boats returned safely with everyone in good cheer and ready for a pint in the bar. Oh and to round off a great day, Sandy Reid-Peters returned to Lepe at low water and retrieved his (still working) radio as well as the missing anchor!

Our thanks to the safety boat teams comprising of Andy Fisher, Sarah Murphy, Julian Moore, Peter Hockley and Harry Boyd, and to all dinghy cruisers for making this such an enjoyable event.

The next cruise will be to Totland Bay for the annual Interclub Sand Castle Competition on 12^th June when the briefing will be at 12.45 instead of the usual time. Details will be posted on the club website and notice boards.

Steve and Mel

LTSC Dinghy Cruise Saturday 3rd April 2010

Written by Melanie Newman Tuesday, 06 April 2010 21:52

With gales, hail and some fascinating cloud patterns peppering the preceding week, things were not very encouraging for this first outing of the season. Add Easter holidays, the annual egg hunt at the club and a regatta at the Royal Lym and you will see why we were wondering whether anyone would turn up. We should have known better. Dinghy cruisers are stalwart types and many of our most loyal participants turned up ready to sail.

We did review the original plan to sail to Gurnard though, as the idea of thrashing back through squalls and possible hail didn’t quite seem to fit with the word ‘cruise’ (well not on purpose anyway). So we opted for a cobweb-removing trip to Yarmouth and back. There is a little beach just west of the town that makes easy landing for dinghies, especially in a southerly breeze.

Six dinghies set out from the slipway – two Wayfarers, a Wanderer, two Stratos and a Comet Versa. We decided to take all three RIBs since the rostered crews were also keen to shake off the winter dust. In the end this proved a good decision when White Searcher broke down just off the shore at Yarmouth and was rescued by Peter and Sam in Orange Seeker. Luckily we had Ian the Bosun and ‘Mr Fixit’ Steve Reneaux with us so the not-one-but-two engine problems were diagnosed and sorted in less than half an hour – a feat that BHG had failed to accomplish on dry land and at a fee.

After a slightly chilly lunch stop on the beach, spinnakers and gennakers flew out with a generous distribution of mouse droppings and wood lice as we sailed home. The Solent was surprisingly flat and the predicted choppy squall was generous enough to wait until we were back in the river. Red Kite, helmed by John Seagar and crewed by Ian Blundell and Pete Barker decided to come back through Pylewell Lake instead of Oxey, arriving slightly wetter than the rest but all gave an uplifting show of what LTSC is all about – the pure enjoyment of sailing. But then as Mark and Gillian will confirm, ‘that’s what Tiggers like best’.

Our thanks as always to our brilliant safety boat crews, who make dinghy cruising possible and enjoyable: for this cruise they were Tony and Helen Edmonds; Peter Dingley and Sam Reneaux.

Our next dinghy cruise is on 1st May …and of course the weather will be marvellous!
Mel and Steve