Today we reached Cowes. The morning started with lots of sunshine. It appeared that there is a SWAN regatta, planned for tomorrow, so there was a lot of activity going on in the harbor; we could hardly find a berth. Being in the UK, we decided to have some fish and chips, which was quite good actually. Right now we have to perform some small repairs, read books, take a nap, enjoying all kinds of yachts passing by etc etc.
We expect to leave for La Coruna tomorrow about 1.00 PM. After that there will be a ‘radio silence’ probably for about 5 days: we won’t be able to perform any uploads. I haven’t sailed that long before, neither of us did, so it’s a real challenge. The wind should be ok; N/NW 3-4, but there is also a high-pressure area at the Gulf of Biscay, possibly leaving us with less wind. Well, we’ll see what happens.
Between Dungeness and Beachy Head my watch has the pleasant challenge to round Beachy Head, at least trying it. What in former days turned out into the battle of Dungeness turned this time out into the battle of Beachy Head due to much stream coming from the west and to less wind coming from the north direction.
During the first days of our trip we all learned much about
noises a ship can make. Each new noise is immediately located and interpreted.
In the late night just after my watch has started I heard a crisping noise in
the cabin. It look likes eating chips, Doritos chips or “kroepoek”. (Eating
with mouth open or talking at the same time?!) The Doritos chips and the
tortilla chips belong to the meals. So my first thought was: just chips, that is
OK. But during the next watch I found out coincidentally that it wasn’t the
tortilla chips, but the “kroepoek”. So I will divide the “kroepoek” when
the belonging diner will be served in disproportional portion, and I know in
which way (read the confession of Johan , and his watch). Nevertheless until now
we have no problems with the provisions, so we all have to be flexible, at least
it could be.
Back to the battle of Beachy Head. During that battle another battle came up: the toilet, especially a blocked one. In the next harbor I have to unblock it. The visible stuff is removed, in the harbor the invisible stuff in the disposal tube has to be removed, from the inside or the outside, we have to decide about it. Next to Beachy Head New Haven and Brighton appear in the horizon.
Rounding Beachy Head we decide to go for Brighton or Cowes depending on the wind. The best chances are for Brighton, but endless the wind changes from West to North and all of a sudden Cowes is reachable in one tag with an average speed of almost 6 knots. So the decision is: Cowes, the wind has voted.
A few days at sea you feel the differences of the weather.
Within three days we have experienced all kinds of weather, from no wind to
gale. We have changed the saying: “nothing is changeable than a human being”
into “nothing is changeable than the wind”.
Again a day of relaxing started, when I woke up the sun was shining brightly and we sailed on the Solent and entered Cowes soon after. The marina we envisaged to stay in was fairly crowded due to an upcoming regatta as we later learned. It was decided to stay for a day in the port and leave Sunday morning at twelve taking advantage of the current. Half the crew decided to take a shower, whereas the other half headed again in town for buying spare parts and repair stuff. Sailing is not just a hobby it is a way of life as during sailing the sailing vessel is permanently falling apart despite the high quality materials which are used. It shows the harshness of the environment.
At lunch time JD showed his regular survival drift, proposing to go for a lunch and dinner onshore, saying he was starving. This is a recurring phenomenon; every time JD feels he survived a sailing trip he confirms his existence by allowing himself to do a lot of eating; I eat so I exist. I opposed the plan but had no change and decided just to stay onboard and do some calling and reading. It turned out to be providence as soon an aged couple and an old man arrived giving a showpiece of clumsyness when trying to moor alongside us. He almost immediately started with a bang on our hull, followed by a manoeuvre which ended up perpendicular to the quay behind our boat. After taking the first line, not aware of what was going to happen, and handing it back, nothing else was left than finishing the job. So I jumped for bumpers to hang between our boat and theirs, as their bumpers were not even sufficient to stop a duck. Afterwards it became clear that no real damage was done to our vessel (and theirs).
The ongoing regatta preparations showed lots of people busy folding and unfolding sails and at the end of the day to our surprise appearing from under deck in blue suits and ties looking better then mine hanging at home at a decent place. The town turned out to be filled with many copies of these gents.
In the evening we had dinner in High Street in a typical English pub/ restaurant with the usual French fries, steak, green peas and some weak lettuce. The pub was typical in its not too woman friendly advertisement back from the sixties saying: ’Let not work kill your wife, let electricity do it’. Over diner we had serious discussions about what to do in all kind of emergency circumstances. It is good to be prepared and to know what to do in case of man over board, sinking vessel etc. Everyone should know about the handling of the relevant equipment and communications.
The evening was quiet, without wind and some moon later in the evening. Due to the ongoing regatta parties and the six boats besides us, people were running over our deck till late at night.