Following the UK’s hottest ever days, I had the opportunity to go sailing for a week from Gosport by Portsmouth. For once, it wasn’t on a particular qualifying course where objectives had to be met. The week was ours to decide what we wanted to do. If there were any skills we wanted to practic, we could. We could get as involved (or not) with the planning as we wanted. The scope was fairly relaxed! I had never met the rest of the crew before this week, but that didn’t phase me. I often find myself away with strangers and we soon become friends. It’s all part of the job! Now as we approach winter and summer seems a distant memory, it seems an appropriate time to reminisce…
Gosport – Lymington
On the Monday we met, received safety briefs and got to the vessel. We were expecting to spend the week on a Victoria 34 yacht, however due to another course cancelling we had a Hallberg-Rassy 342. An unexpected upgrade bringing more room and speed on the water! Once aboard and briefed by our skipper, we chatted through what we wanted from the week. We discussed the week’s plan and reviewed the weather. Ultimately this would dictate what we could do. We decided that due to practically no wind we’d be unable to do much actual sailing. This meant our speed would be restricted, so it affected how far we’d be able to go. To that end, we settled on the aim of making Weymouth and being back for Friday afternoon.
We set up our yacht, named Syrinx, ready to set off before grabbing some lunch. We slipped from the mooring in Gosport and headed out into the Solent. It was a week for ample sun cream, especially with the reflection from the sea. With the engine on we motored out, avoiding the ferries linking the Isle of Wight, and made our way West.
As expected, we were limited by wind, but the tide helped us pass through the Solent. There weren’t many opportunities for actual sailing, so we had to rely on the engine to make way. We managed to make it as far as Lymington, which set us up perfectly for catching the tide in the morning. With the right tide, the passage out past the Needles and along the coast can be made much easier!
That night, I was invited to plan the next day’s coastal passage to Weymouth. This was a challenge, as all my sailing previously had been short hops with legs less than an hour. This was a whole day plan; it took us past Bournemouth into Weymouth, with a couple of legs of multiple hours each. I took a few hours that night putting the plan together, before getting a good night sleep. Apologies to Lymington for not sampling your nightlife!
Lymington – Weymouth
We set off after breakfast, to catch the tide through the Needles at the edge of the Isle of Wight. Putting my plan into action, I took the helm leaving Lymington. This wasn’t, however, without fault on my part. As we left port, I allowed the tide to push me to towards shallow water. Our instructor gently corrected me and we spoke about considering the effects of tide. A large ferry left port behind us and I got distracted which caused me to drift off course again! Eventually I learned from my mistakes and kept a good course. It helped looking behind, as fixing on the point you’re heading to doesn’t always put you on the best course.
Surprisingly we got through the Needles at the exact time planned, despite the earlier hiccups in steerage! This was my first introduction to coastal skippering, which required regular monitoring of our course to ensure the plan was running on rails. In hindsight, I paid lip service to this and rather enjoyed being on deck. From up here I could see where we were heading, knew where the safe water was and keep tabs on the plan from my notes. If I were doing this again, I’d probably look at the chart more instead of rely on the GPS. However, we found ourselves with time to spare, so took a little detour to view Lulworth Cove from the sea.
We got into Weymouth in the late afternoon and after putting the yacht to bed, went for a wander. It was nice not having the self-imposed pressure of planning. That evening, after dinner, we went for a few drinks to sample what a Tuesday night in Weymouth is like. Our verdict? Not too bad!
Weymouth – Poole
Wednesday’s plan was to take a shorter leg from Weymouth into Poole harbour. We made our way out of the marina and headed straight towards Swanage, where we anchored up for lunch in Chapman’s Pool. It was good to revise anchoring drills, but with sore heads from the night before it was a welcome break to relax in the sun. Some people took advantage of the heat and dived into the sea, but for me it was a little power nap!
After resting up we got moving again, with stomachs full of ham wraps! We managed to catch some wind which enabled us to hoist the sails and switch off the engine for a bit. It was really relaxing being able to just embrace the elements (sun included) and be making way using nature’s propulsion. We rounded Swanage and made the short hop up past Old Harry’s Rocks to Poole. I took the helm as we made our way into the harbour, before passing over as we began the approach to the marina. Passing the sea-side houses was something else. We spoke about what it’d be like living there, with our own little pontoon and speed boat… We can dream right?!
It started getting busier as we motored our way into Poole. A combination of other yachts, power boats and little ferries kept us all on our toes. As you’d expect in the height of the 2022 summer, the South coast was bustling! When we got into port, we got showered and went for a little walk along the waterfront. It wasn’t the day to ‘sample a Wednesday night in Poole’, so we didn’t venture into any pubs. We found a quaint Italian with a balcony to sit out on, and had a big dinner as a crew. With an early night, it was a good way to wrap up a tiring day!
Poole – Cowes
Fresh from the previous night’s recovery, it was time to make our way back into the Solent. The week was drawing to a close and we still had some distance to cover. As mentioned on the way out, timing your arrival at the Needles is crucial. If the tide isn’t with you, it can be a tough slog fighting through, especially with the shallow banks you need to avoid. We could either get out early and try to make the early favourable tide, or wait. We opted for the latter.
This enabled us to have a relaxed breakfast and make our way out of Poole and down to Studland Bay for an anchorage. Sailing skills like anchoring are often overlooked, so it was good to practice again. It was also an opportunity to have a little swim. This time we all jumped in the water, as it was roasting and we had a bit more energy!
After a couple of hours enjoying ‘yacht life’, it was time to make our way towards Cowes. We hit our planned time and sailed (pun intended) through the Needles and along to Cowes. We moored up alongside the other groups who had been out this week and had our dinner sat out on deck. Having been to Cowes many times before, we actually ended up going to a mooring I hadn’t been on yet! The previous experience, however, meant I knew where to go that night! We met up with some of the other crews to share stories of the week, and indulge in some karaoke. That’s what Thursday night in Cowes has to offer.
Cowes – Gosport
It wasn’t too heavy of a night in Cowes, but a late one. This stint back over to Gosport is a relatively easy one, but it’s still important to not get complacent! A short hop meant we could take our time in the morning, and begin cleaning up the yacht. We slipped our moorings before the other groups (some hit it a little harder the night before) so we didn’t have to queue at the fuel point! We managed to actually get sailing on our way over, as there was a little bit of wind.
When we got back into Gosport, we went straight for the fuel pontoon to replace the gallons we spent from a week using the engine. This is where costs can add up when away sailing; while we weren’t paying for it, it came to circa £100 for 5 days. If we were able to harness wind more, it could have certainly been cheaper! It took a while to fill up, but we used the time to finish off some cleaning and clear out all of our rubbish. Any leftover food was split between us to take home and the sails were repacked, to reduce the risk of damage while in storage. Once we had finished cleaning and feeling, everything was offloaded and just like that, the week was over!
Key Learning Points
With a few months to digest my first sailing experience in 3 years, I wanted to sit down and think of what I actually learned. I wanted to draw lessons that aren’t necessarily sailing specific, but can also be transferred into daily life. Here’s what I came up with.
1. Skill fade is real
As I said, I haven’t been sailing in 3 years. The last time I went I qualified as a Day Skipper, from which point I could hire out a yacht and take people sailing. Would I have been able to safely take people out if I hadn’t had this refresher week? No chance! Skill fade is something I’ve come across in other walks of life and it’s something to seriously consider. Taking the week to go sailing with an instructor and refresh the skills needed to skipper a vessel has been invaluable. Could I take people out confidently and safely now? Absolutely.
2. Accuracy is key
This point is particularly pertinent when it comes to planning, but really can apply to anything. When I planned for the leg from Lymington to Weymouth, I took all evening to make sure I had considered everything. The courses to steer were accurately plotted on the chart, taking the tides and wind into account. This time taken to plan accurately meant that on the day, particularly with timings, we hit the right tide to take us through the Needles without hiccup.
3. No plan survives first contact
This is something I first learned through flying, and developed true belief in the importance of flexibility. You can spend hours putting together an intricate, detailed plan, which is important, but the likelihood is it won’t go as you expect. Plans change. Sometimes things you never even considered come into play and if you can adapt to changing situations, you’re more likely to succeed. You’re also less likely to stress too much!
4. Grasp opportunities
This one comes with a caveat. To be able to go sailing with work for a week is such a great opportunity that not many people are offered. I try to take as many opportunities as I can, but it’s important to consider balance. I sometimes tread too close to ‘selfishness’ and while I’m an advocate for grasping opportunities, I know that sometimes you have to say no. But on the whole, when chances come up to try something new, I’m all for jumping at them!
5. Comfort zones are meant to be pushed
The final lesson is another I’ve already encountered, but the week sailing reinforced this. Like many other adventurous activities, sailing is a great opportunity to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s living a week on a boat with strangers, being out in a relatively risky environment or learning a new skill, it challenges people in different ways. When we push ourselves out of our comfort zone, we develop as people and this is something I will always endeavour to do! Comfort is the enemy of progress.