25 April The adventure finally begins

25 April. A beautifully sunny morning (without the hot tub that was drained yesterday) started the day off. Coffees on the terrace surrounded by pheasants and blackbirds. The blackbirds are shifting enormous amounts of bird feed to their neighbouring nest and we may see the offspring when we return in 3 weeks time. The boot of the car was choc-a-bloc, and off we went.

Our family of  wild pheasants

A well stocked boot

The ferry to Lymington was quiet, and  on time, so we were on our way on the mainland at 1150, using Apple satnav through Bluetooth earpieces, a new and useful experience. Traffic was light and the routes were very interesting, at times taking us through lanes and roads we probably wouldn’t have chosen ourselves ( must adjust the settings!). There was only one holdup for about 20 minutes on the A34, so we arrived at the car park at Gloucester Docks around 2:30. 

Why Gloucester? It is roughly half way between the   two ferries, and there is a Premier Inn

After coffee and cake at a sidewalk cafe, we strolled around the docks, very picturesque, and chatted  to another pair of tourists before our arrival at the  hotel for tea and siesta.

Afterwards, dinner at the Beefeater, and back to the room for relaxing, some correspondence  and a review of the day.

A fresh chapter

 19 April, 2022.  Resuscitating the blog for a new adventure.

 Easter has passed, and we are still feeling some effects of our recent Covid illness, but Spring is very much alive, and now that our visitors are leaving, we are concentrating on plans for our major new adventure- our 1100-mile road trip around Ireland. Travelling in our own car, and staying mostly in hotels, we will be visiting relatives and friends across UK and Ireland, with lots of “down time” in between.

Watch this space starting Monday April 25

April 10, 2021- Life in lockdown

 We have been in Coronavirus lockdown for 13 months, and we are now both double-vaccinated, so with the easing of restrictions on April 12, we are getting ready not only to receive visitors in the garden, but also to set off on the first overnight boat jaunt for 18 months.

Lockdown has proved to be a stress-free, even enjoyable, experience, almost what I originally thought retirement would be. Of course we miss physical contact with family and friends, but the new practice of video-calls goes a long way towards compensating.

We have a daily routine: wake up at seven for one or more cups of tea in bed while we check out calendars, daily news, emails, and social media; then the morning hot-tub ( which is now installed in the “spa shed”. This is followed by the daily 20-30 minute walk on a circuit taking in the sea front, then morning coffee, and an hour or so of miscellaneous tasks before breakfast-lunch at noon. 

For the past 6 months,  I have been doing weekday speech therapy at 1pm for 30 minutes with my young brother Terry (69) who suffered a massive stroke a year ago. This has badly affected movement and control on his right hand side, and has also destroyed his ability to speak, apart from the very odd unpredictable moment. The speech improvement is happening, but very gradually and very slowly, and the overall process will be detailed elsewhere.

In the afternoons, we have “free time” for more jobs and hobbies. I am now into 18 months of learning to play the ukelele, another very slow process for me - but it is the journey, not the destination that counts! Usually, in the late afternoon, I take some time ( 45 minutes) for “music therapy”, when I drift off into a very pleasant meditative semi-consciousness in a darkened room. Then it’s time for a “cocktail hour” before dinner-tea, followed by an evening in front of the television watching films or short series. Bed again at eleven pm to catch up on internet stuff, with final lights out before midnight.

A Day out in Cowes

All the visitors are gone, and it's time to think about putting a lick of varnish on the boat's mahogany uppers. The varnish used till now is a specialist "Epiphanes" gloss, available at a shop in Cowes, so a trip was planned there. First, the car needed fuel, then it also needed a wash, and then it was lunch time. A
long the way we had to pass both Lidl and Aldi - well, we didn't pass them, we went in!
By the time all these activities had taken place, it was well into the afternoon, when we discovered that the paint shop had closed for business a month ago.

So, back to the boat, stopping off to see a friend in hospital on the way, and also calling in on some friends who have just taken over their new house.

The harbour is still lively, and we watched a crab race down the nearby slipway. We know how to live!

Crab racing on the slipway

Monday April 14 More fun in the sun

Today the Sun seems brighter and warmer, and the wind has all but died. The harbour is emptier than it was over the weekend, but there are still yachts full of Easter Holiday kids, and little dinghys are scudding about in between the pontoons.

Christina has returned to finish off the job, and has left "Middle Watch" bright and shiny. Jason, not content with his 62 mile cycle ride of yesterday has just returned from a mammoth 5-hour walk along the ridges of the Western Wight, and we are just about to sit down to a farewell curry before he sets off on his journey home.

It's a great life!

Gill chats with Christina, our glamorous boat cleaner

A Managem - "The Dinosaur's Tail" and a sunny Sunday

The Sun has been shining since early morning, and we have arrived at the boat for lunch. "La Ina", the yacht which bumped us yesterday has departed (without any further damage), and the harbour is looking great. Jason has set off to complete his "Round the Island" cycle route, an amazing 62 miles, and all is well.

Yarmouth is a lovely port, and especially welcoming for a stroll around the Square, with its shops, bars, clubs and ice-cream parlours. Today's chosen flavours were Vanilla and Rum'n'raisin, contentedly licked away whilst basking on a bench facing the large flotilla of visiting yachts in for the weekend.



Today's "Managem" contains a little parable concerning organisational change. The full text will be published in the book, but the theme is that all organisations grow and change through a series of "evolution-revolution" phases.

During these revolutionary periods, there are often some very intense power struggles between "The New Blood" and "The Old Guard", with occasional casualties on both sides.....

Beware The Final Swing of the Dying Dinosaur’s Tail

“The Dinosaurs are dead”, he said

“Their days on Earth are done”

“Look here”, he said,

I’ve done the deed”

“I’ve shot the final one”

And as he grinned triumphantly,

His foot upon its head,

Its tail swung round

In Death’s last throe

And killed him-

Killed him dead.

APRIL 12 A visit from Jason and an interrupted nap

The promised sun did not turn up today, but happily, the promised son did.

Jason arrived in the morning, just after we had laid out the sunbeds on the patio. We had a very pleasant morning before Jason set off to explore the Island by bike, while we went down to inspect the boat following its spring clean yesterday by Christina, an attractive young blonde, who must surely be the most glamorous boat cleaner ever.
The weather was not in the slightest conducive to sitting out, so we retired to separate music stations for an afternoon nap, which was proceeding dreamily until the rather clumsy, noisy and disruptive arrival of a 38 foot yacht to the neighbouring berth. The noise of the collision had me tumbling off the wheelhouse couch to inspect the damage, which, thankfully was light. The offending skipper  was most apologetic, and more than a little embarrassed.
As my Mum would have said, "Worse things can happen at sea"

And then, just when it was too late in the afternoon to be of any real difference, the Sun made a very brief  appearance so as not to make a liar of the weather forecaster. Ho hum.

"The Journey of a Thousand Miles" - introducing the "Managem"

Hello, and welcome to the 2014 "Middle Watch" Summer blog!

This year, for the first Summer in about seven years, "Middle Watch" will not be heading off on a long Summer Adventure, but will remain tied up on home berth in Yarmouth harbour here on The Isle of Wight. This is because its skipper is waiting to be called for some surgery in the next couple of months, and this will be followed by another couple of months recuperation.

However, a stay in the lovely harbour of Yarmouth with all its bustle and nearby attractions is a delight in itself, and with all the comforts of home just a mile away, it will be a fabulous way to spend a Summer enjoying also the company of friends, family and visitors.

Although there will be no foreign ports or new sights to blog about, the skipper has embarked on a "literary" project - another book, which will follow up on "Rhymes, Songs, and Scribbles", published privately in 2012.

The new book will be based on so-called "Tomisms", which are the quips and tips formulated during a working life in management, and which have been quoted time and time again to the unfortunate victims the author felt in need of advice. But, since the term "Tomism" might be too self-indulgent, even for me, I have re-christened them as "Managems", since their purpose is to distil the essence of management training into memorable epigrams for their given situation.

Here is the first example, which illustrates the conflict between "Look before you leap", and "he who hesitates is lost":

The Journey of a Thousand Miles....

 The journey of a thousand miles
(Confucius used to say)
Needs only just a single step
To get you under way.

Confucius, yes, was very wise
And still that wisdom sticks,
But yet he missed the concept
That you need a double-six

 But those of us of recent times
Brought up in Western ways
Have learned the rules of Ludo
Which we played from childhood days

And there we learned, frustratingly,
(Though sometimes losing heart)
You have to throw a double six
Before you get to start.

 Yes, some conditions must be met
Before you start to run
Like athletes, we must learn to wait
Until we’ve heard the gun

The double-six in life can be
Disguised or out of view
But those who make a foolish start
Must plan to start anew.

So, bearing this in mind, from now

We all must understand

The Journey of a thousand Miles

Begins with - first - A PLAN.

That was The Summer Cruise, that was...

Tuesday 3 September—Home  to Yarmouth.

 

It turned out that the extra wait in Brighton had been very worthwhile, as we had a very enjoyable cruise home. The conditions were near-perfect, with flat seas, no wind, good visibility, a following tide, and no incidents.

A slight course variation needed here

Extracts from the ship’s log:

Engines 984, water 1/2, Fuel full, All checks OK.

 Waypoints: Looe buoys, Horse Sand Fort, Cowes, Home.

A waypoint reached on a tranquil sea

This pot can be seen in most seas

0855 cast off.  Cloudy, dry, slight, F1. 2800 16.3 log 15.5 sog, AOK, ( port engine temp 200F, dropping to 90C)

1000 13nm@255T to Looe. Slight. Bright,

 

 

 

  

1030 5nm@257T to Looe. Diversion for  fishing fleet.

 

 

This one is completely invisible at any sea state 

1100 Smooth. Sun. Crew sunbathing aft. Ideal. 16.4 log 17.5 sog. Great conditions. AOK.

1120 Horse Sand Fort. 2800rpm 16.5=. Sunny. AOK.

1200 +3 kts of fair tide. Egypt Point. Flat. 18.5 sog.

1225 Yarmouth fuel dock. Fuel 197 lt, £156 plus vat.

Osborne House, Isle of Wight

 John & Sue, our “shore crew”, were standing by to welcome us and give a lift to pick up the car, which we did after a lunch and a rest. It is always great to get home, and to sit basking in the Yarmouth Harbour sunshine, being welcomed by familiar faces.

 

We took just the essentials home for the first run, and we enjoyed just being back again in “Westward”.

After a  few cups of tea, and a nap, we went out for dinner at “The Hut”, in Colwell Bay nearby, and we watched very contentedly as a magnificent Sun slowly sank into the Western sea, bringing a fabulous summer adventure to a lovely close.

The Sun goes down on "Summer 2013"

 

 

Monday 2 September -Ready for the last leg

Monday 2 September



Loitering with intent?

 This was a very tranquil day, and all the more so in contrast to the lively excitement of yesterday. Gill made a short pilgrimage to the Marks and Spencer shrine in town,

If only they all used such visible markers

 while the convalescing skipper sunbathed, snoozed, watched the traffic, and chuckled at the antics of a nosy seagull on the boat next door.

We had a very nice dinner at “Memories of India” on the boardwalk, and we were ready for the off.

 

Friday August30 to Sunday 1 September - Recuperating in Brighton, and a family party!

August 30 to 1 September in Brighton

The combination of post-viral effects and a hard day at sea had been too much for your blogger, and a period of enforced rest was necessary. Although feeling OK at rest, the short walk to and from the nearby “Asda” was enough to completely discharge all stored energy levels and reinvigorate all kinds of muscle pains and aches, so immediate onward travel plans were cancelled.



Built from scratch by hand 13 years ago

Friday August 30 remained much windier than forecast, although there were welcome sunny periods between showers. Brighton marina dues were £26.10 per night, with an underwhelming discount of 10% after 7 days. The resident nurse on “Middle Watch” removed the stitches from the biopsy of 10 days ago, and the rest of the day was taken up with communicating, resting and watching the ever-changing comings and goings of the marina. No outings.

Recuperating like this

 

Saturday 31 August was a very pleasant day, with ample sunbathing, and no excursions, except for Gill’s foraging trip to the supermarket, where she gathered up the ingredients for another superb dinner on board.

 

 

Pizza delivery

 

Sunday 1 September began rather earlier than hoped, at 6am, when an enthusiastically noisy party of Sunsailers arrived on the adjoining berth and had a lively meeting about the overnight sail they had had. The big event, however, began a few hours later with the arrival of of our family visitors for a boat party.  Michelle and Jason, with Dylan and Macy, and Nadine and Jeremy with Molly, plus ourselves, made a total of nine happy souls for most of the day.

Nadine does story-time

 

Always best to start young

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a welcome drink and orientation, “the boys” were dispatched to the pizza shop, while all manner of party antics were carried out aboard. It was a great family day.

 

 



Tom, Gill, Macy, Jason, Michelle, Dylan, Nadine, Molly and Jeremy

 

 



 

 

29 August At Sea Ramsgate to Brighton

Thursday 29 August  Ship’s Log At sea, Ramsgate to Brighton

Approx 5 hrs at 15 Kts sog.

Engines 978, water 1/2, fuel full (196ltr, £165)

Waypoints: Ramsgate, Gull Stream S, S Sands Clg, Dover Ent, Dungenness Clg, Beachy Clg, Brighton Ent.

We meet a bigger cousin in Ramsgate

 

1115 Cast off. Clear port. Set at 2750 15.6 kts =. Flat. Bright haze. +0.4 kts tide. AOK

1150 Sea increased to moderate. 15 log, 15.3 sog. Bright haze, AOK, but port engine running at 200degF

Dodging Dover ferries

1215 Sea stronger at dover. Avoiding 3 ferries. Bright haze. Port engine now cooler at 195F

1300 7.5 nm to Dungenness. Lumpy sea (S/M). Wind F3 increasing (not forecast) Vis 3nm. AOK

1330 Sea now choppy. Waves 3-5 ft occ higher, but wavelength is the problem, giving slamming.

At Dungenness.

 

 

A welcome sight indeed

 

1400 Slamming continues. 13log, 14sog. AOK

1430 Fishing pots difficult to see in mounting seas.

1500 9nm to Beachy Head. Wind F4. AOK, but very uncomfortable  passage.

1530 Beachy Head. V.choppy. 17log, 14.5 sog. AOK

1630 Thankful arrival at Brighton Entrance.

1700 Fuelled up. 273 ltrs, £301.61 engines 984.

Sunset in Brighton
 

 

We arrived in Brighton after one of the most uncomfortable passages of recent years.  As an example of the strength of some of the slams, the bulb in an Anglepoise lamp came free from its bayonet fitting. Luckily, the crew (bless her) had done her usual great job of stowage for sea, so no other damage done, apart from seawater on the Basil plant.

When we had rested up and done our communications, we  walked up to the  bright lights of the Brighton Boardwalk, and treated ourselves to some posh Fish’n’Chips. On our travels, we chatted to the crew of a “traditional” gaffer, who had built the boat from scratch 13 years ago.

The Bright lights of Brighton Marina Boardwalk

 

 

 

 We will rest up and recover here for a few days.......

 

28 August At sea London to Ramsgate

Wednesday 28 August began with a 5am  alarm clock, and a fog so thick that we couldn’t see The Shard, but after a hasty breakfast and a very tricky manoeuvre out of berth, we were in and out of the lock and away from the nearby fuel dock by 6.30. On the river, visibility was OK, and we were on our way home...

Top bankers in the cloud

Wednesday 28 August  Ship’s Log At sea, Tower Bridge to Ramsgate

Engines 979, water 5/8, fuel full (196ltr, £165)

0545 Cast off. Tight extrication from mooring.

0600 In lock. Port navigation light out.

0630 Cast off from fuel dock.

Glorious Greenwich



 

 

0700 Greenwich.  9 knots, waiting fair flow. AOK

0730 Woolwich ferry. Tide now fair. 2500 13knots =.

0800 Flat calm. No wind. Chart 2650. 14.5 log, 15.5 sog, Erith Rands, thames 15 mile mark.

The flood barrier

0815 Chart 1186 1 B. Brightening. 2500 12.7 log, 15.1 sog ( tide of +2, ref says 1.8)

0840 Coalhouse Point. Chart 1186. AOK

0945 At Medway Entrance Dangerous Wreck. Cop peras 15.6 nm @106T. Bright haze. Flat.

1030 5.5nm@106T to Copperas. Slight. Vis 1nm.

1050 Copperas. Depth 3m below bottom. .

Graceful beauties
 

 

And scenic views
 

 

1130 Sea change at N. Foreland Pt. Choppy AOK

1140 Sea back to slight.1150 Ramsgate approach.

1200 On Ramsgate fuel dock. 247 ltr, £274.69.

 Berth fee £26-10.

Wednesday afternoon was taken very gently, in a berth very conveniently situated just across from the fuel dock.  As well as doing the next day’s navigation, we had lots of phone calls, texts, and messages from friends and family, many concerned for the well-being of the skipper. (Thank you all!). Ramsgate is as nice as ever, although we can’t figure out why it is so quiet and in places obviously run-down. We had a ramble around the town, calling in at the well-appointed Yacht Club, and we enjoyed a delicious Thai Curry on the picturesque Arcade which rises in a sweep over the scenic Harbour and marina.

Then back to Middle Watch for an early well-deserved bed.