Solent Sailing

17 June 2019 Scrub Day Thunderbolt gets her bottom spruced up Monday was scrub day. We had the maintenance grid booked at the RAF yacht club, paint, rollers, anodes and willing volunteers. We were on the grid by 1130 and waited for the tide to drop - and waited and… well it is the Solent. Drying out Thunderbolt is always interesting as she has a tendency to settle at the stern. Lines have to be rigged from the primary winches forward to substantial cleats onshore keep her level. Once the tide had dropped the hull wasn't too bad at all but a blast off with the club's pressure washer had it squeaky clean. Many hands made light work of masking the waterline and rolling on a couple of tins of anti fouling paint. We also changed the hull anode and all was well. While waiting for the tide to return we hauled our anchor cable out onto the lawn and fitted little plastic markers at 5m intervals. The chain calibration disappeared eons ago so judging the amount of cable to use when anchoring has always been a case of ‘plenty - plus a bit for luck’ (a variation on ‘if in doubt - let more out’) which works but is a bit un-scientific for a training boat. After far too much pizza (thanks Rick) most club members disappeared off home. Two of us stayed behind to await high tide. We floated at about 2330 and made it back to Southampton Town Quay for around 0100. Huge thanks to Steve, Rick, Norm and Peter for their time, energy and enthusiasm.

22 June 2019 Osborne Bay Wind: 09 - 15kts - E - E.S.E. Tides: 0310 - 4.31m 0833 - 1.28m 1552 - 4.34m 2055 - 1.54m Destination: - Osborne Bay Depart Southampton Town Quay: - 0925 Return Southampton Town Quay: - 1845 Maximum speed: - 9.5kts Distance covered: - 23.6nm We started the day by sailing close hauled down Southampton Water against the tide. Once into the Solent we shaped a course that took us roughly along the North channel - all good upwind sailing practice. We turned south at East Bramble cardinal and made our way to Osborne Bay. We tend to anchor to the East of the main anchorage - just west of the restricted area. We can get closer inshore here which makes for a nice view over lunch - a bit Swallows and Amazons I like to think… After a morning of upwind sailing it was nice to ease the sheets on the way home and romp across the Solent and up Southampton Water. We were back at Town Quay quite early so we headed on to the container docks and then beat back again in a failing breeze. A great day out, plenty of variety and a lot of ground covered.

Solent Sailing Thunderbolt’s Log On this page you will find a log of Thunderbolt’s sailing adventures as she sails the Solent in pursuit of pleasant days and learning opportunities. Sailing from Southampton Town Quay gives the club access to the central Solent and endless opportunities to develop every facet of a sailors knowledge. Not every trip is listed here - we sail every week - this is just a sample.

Wind: 10 - 16kts - SW Tides: 0313 - 1.53 1022 - 4.09 1528 - 1.38 2245 - 4.39 Destination: Newtown Creek Depart Southampton Town Quay: 0935 Return Southampton Town Quay: 1845 Maximum speed: - 10.7kts Distance covered: - 33.2nm A lovely day-sail to Newtown Creek - one of my favourite places on the Solent. A reach down Southampton water was followed by a beat into the western Solent before dropping the sails and motoring into the creek and anchoring for lunch. This is one of those situations where modern GPS navigation makes life easier and safer. We conned the boat in using an iPad in the cockpit running Navionics software. The ability to zoom right in and pick a route through the shallow bits is just priceless. Coming home was all off-the-wind stuff - nice easy post-lunch sailing. Days like this are of huge value when building skills - we sailed every point of sail, dealt with Solent tides, lots of traffic, demanding pilotage and selecting a suitable anchorage in a crowded spot.

31 May 2019 Newtown Creek - IOW

21 July 2019 Ryde - IOW Wind: 10 - 18kts - SW - WSW Tides: 0247 - 4.33m 0809 - 1.16m 1525 - 4.40m 2027 - 1.36m Destination: - Ryde Depart Southampton Town Quay: - 0945 Return Southampton Town Quay: - 1845 Maximum speed: - 10.3kts Distance covered: - 33.1nm A south westerly gave us a reach down Southampton water and across the Solent. Much like the day below we headed for a sheltered anchorage under the lee of the island - this time opting for a spot just west of Ryde pier. Unseasonably grey weather made soup seem like a sensible option for lunch. Again the Navionics software proved useful in picking a good spot to anchor - see screen- grab below - and for monitoring our position over lunch - again see the screen grab. We have dragged our anchor a few times and so far have always caught the situation early enough to take remedial action. Over lunch the wind piped up a bit and blew away the grey so we put in a reef and had a thoroughly enjoyable sail home hitting a maximum speed of over 10 knots, albeit with plenty of help from the tide.

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17 June 2019 Scrub Day Thunderbolt gets her bottom spruced up Monday was scrub day. We had the maintenance grid booked at the RAF yacht club, paint, anodes and willing volunteers. We were on the grid by 1130 and waited for the tide to drop - and waited and… well it is the Solent. Drying out Thunderbolt is always interesting as she has a tendency to settle at the stern. Lines have to be rigged from the primary winches forward to substantial cleats onshore to keep her level. Once the tide had dropped the hull wasn't too bad at all but a blast off with the club's pressure washer had it squeaky clean. Many hands made light work of masking the waterline and rolling on a couple of tins of anti fouling paint. We also changed the hull anode and all was well. While waiting for the tide to return we hauled our anchor chain out onto the lawn and fitted little plastic markers at 5m intervals. The existing calibration disappeared a while ago so anchoring has recently been a case of ‘plenty - plus a bit for luck’ - which works but is a bit un-scientific for a training boat. After far too much pizza (thanks Rick) most club members disappeared off home. Two of us stayed behind to await high tide. We floated at about 2330 and made it back to Southampton Town Quay for around 0100. Huge thanks to Steve, Rick, Norm and Peter for their time, energy and enthusiasm.

Solent Sailing Thunderbolt’s Log On this page you will find a log of Thunderbolt’s sailing adventures as she sails the Solent in pursuit of pleasant days and learning opportunities. Sailing from Southampton Town Quay gives the club access to the central Solent and endless opportunities to develop every facet of a sailors knowledge. not every trip is listed here - we sail pretty much every week - this is just a sample.

22 June 2019 Osborne Bay Wind: 09 - 15kts - E - E.S.E. Tides: 0310 - 4.31m 0833 - 1.28m 1552 - 4.34m 2055 - 1.54m Destination: - Osborne Bay Depart Southampton Town Quay: - 0925 Return Southampton Town Quay: - 1845 Maximum speed: - 9.5kts Distance covered: - 23.6NM We started the day by sailing close hauled down Southampton Water against the tide. Once into the Solent we shaped a course that took us roughly along the North channel - all good upwind sailing practice. We turned south at East Bramble cardinal and made our way to Osborne Bay. We tend to anchor to the East of the main anchorage - just west of the restricted area. We can get closer inshore here which makes for a nice view over lunch - a bit Swallows and Amazons I like to think… After a morning of upwind sailing it was nice to ease the sheets on the way home and romp across the Solent and up Southampton Water. We were back at Town Quay quite early so we headed on to the container docks and then beat back again in a failing breeze. A great day out, plenty of variety and a lot of ground covered.

31 May 2019 Newtown Creek Wind: 10 - 16kts - SW Tides: 0313 - 1.53 1022 - 4.09 1528 - 1.38 2245 - 4.39 Destination: Newtown Creek Depart Southampton Town Quay: 0935 Return Southampton Town Quay: 1845 Maximum speed: - 10.7kts Distance covered: - 33.2NM A lovely day-sail to Newtown Creek - one of my favourite places on the Solent. A reach down Southampton water was followed by a beat into the western Solent before dropping the sails and motoring into the creek and anchoring for lunch. This is one of those situations where modern GPS navigation makes life easier and safer. We conned the boat in using an iPad in the cockpit running Navionics software. The ability to zoom right in and pick a route through the shallow bits is just priceless. Coming home was all off-the-wind stuff - nice easy post- lunch sailing. Days like this are of huge value when building skills - we sailed every point of sail, dealt with Solent tides, lots of traffic, demanding pilotage and selecting a suitable anchorage in a crowded spot.

21 July 2019 Ryde - IOW Wind: 10 - 18kts - SW - WSW Tides: 0247 - 4.33m 0809 - 1.16m 1525 - 4.40m 2027 - 1.36m Destination: - Ryde Depart Southampton Town Quay: - 0945 Return Southampton Town Quay: - 1845 Maximum speed: - 10.3kts Distance covered: - 33.1nm A south westerly gave us a reach down Southampton water and across the Solent. Much like the day below we headed for a sheltered anchorage under the lee of the island - this time opting for a spot just west of Ryde pier. Unseasonably grey weather made soup seem like a sensible option for lunch. Again the Navionics software proved useful in picking a good spot to anchor - see screen-grab below - and for monitoring our position over lunch - again see the screen grab. We have dragged our anchor a few times and so far have always caught the situation early enough to take remedial action. Over lunch the wind piped up a bit and blew away the grey so we put in a reef and had a thoroughly enjoyable sail home hitting a maximum speed of over 10 knots, albeit with plenty of help from the tide.

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17 June 2019 Scrub Day Thunderbolt gets her bottom spruced up Monday was scrub day. We had the maintenance grid booked at the RAF yacht club, paint, anodes and willing volunteers. We were on the grid by 1130 and waited for the tide to drop - and waited and… well it is the Solent. Drying out Thunderbolt is always interesting as she has a tendency to settle at the stern. Lines have to be rigged from the primary winches forward to substantial cleats onshore to keep her level. Once the tide had dropped the hull wasn't too bad at all but a blast off with the club's pressure washer had it squeaky clean. Many hands made light work of masking the waterline and rolling on a couple of tins of anti-fouling paint. We also changed the hull anode and all was well. While waiting for the tide to return we hauled our anchor cable out onto the lawn and fitted little plastic markers at 5m intervals. The chain calibration disappeared eons ago so judging the amount of cable to use when anchoring has always been a case of ‘plenty - plus a bit for luck’ (a variation on ‘if in doubt - let more out’) which works but is a bit un-scientific for a training boat. After far too much pizza (thanks Rick - it was awesome) most club members disappeared off home. Two of us stayed behind to await high tide. We floated at about 2330 and made it back to Southampton Town Quay for around 0100. Huge thanks to Steve, Rick, Norm and Peter for their time, energy and enthusiasm.

22 June 2019 Osborne Bay Wind: 09 - 15kts - E - E.S.E. Tides: 0310 - 4.31m 0833 - 1.28m 1552 - 4.34m 2055 - 1.54m Destination: - Osborne Bay Depart Southampton Town Quay: - 0925 Return Southampton Town Quay: - 1845 Maximum speed: - 9.5kts Distance covered: - 23.6NM We started the day by sailing close hauled down Southampton Water against the tide. Once into the Solent we shaped a course that took us roughly along the North channel - all good upwind sailing practice. We turned south at East Bramble cardinal and made our way to Osborne Bay. We tend to anchor to the East of the main anchorage - just west of the restricted area. We can get closer inshore here which makes for a nice view over lunch - a bit Swallows and Amazons I like to think… After a morning of upwind sailing it was nice to ease the sheets on the way home and romp across the Solent and up Southampton Water. We were back at Town Quay quite early so we headed on to the container docks and then beat back again in a failing breeze. A great day out, plenty of variety and a lot of ground covered.

31 May 2019 Newtown Creek Wind: 10 - 16kts - SW Tides: 0313 - 1.53 1022 - 4.09 1528 - 1.38 2245 - 4.39 Destination: Newtown Creek Depart Southampton Town Quay: 0935 Return Southampton Town Quay: 1845 Maximum speed: - 10.7kts Distance covered: - 33.2NM A lovely day-sail to Newtown Creek - one of my favourite places on the Solent. A reach down Southampton water was followed by a beat into the western Solent before dropping the sails and motoring into the creek and anchoring for lunch. This is one of those situations where modern GPS navigation makes life easier and safer. We conned the boat in using an iPad in the cockpit running Navionics software. The ability to zoom right in and pick a route through the shallow bits is just priceless. Coming home was all off-the-wind stuff - nice easy post-lunch sailing. Days like this are of huge value when building skills - we sailed every point of sail, dealt with Solent tides, lots of traffic, demanding pilotage and selecting a suitable anchorage in a crowded spot.

21 July 2019 Ryde - IOW Wind: 10 - 18kts - SW - WSW Tides: 0247 - 4.33m 0809 - 1.16m 1525 - 4.40m 2027 - 1.36m Destination: - Ryde Depart Southampton Town Quay: - 0945 Return Southampton Town Quay: - 1845 Maximum speed: - 10.3kts Distance covered: - 33.1nm A south westerly gave us a reach down Southampton water and across the Solent. Much like the day below we headed for a sheltered anchorage under the lee of the island - this time opting for a spot just west of Ryde pier. Unseasonably grey weather made soup seem like a sensible option for lunch. Again the Navionics software proved useful in picking a good spot to anchor - see screen-grab below - and for monitoring our position over lunch - again see the screen grab. We have dragged our anchor a few times and so far have always caught the situation early enough to take remedial action. Over lunch the wind piped up a bit and blew away the grey so we put in a reef and had a thoroughly enjoyable sail home hitting a maximum speed of over 10 knots, albeit with plenty of help from the tide.