Walks and Wine Tasting in Bembridge 2nd-4th August

On the morning of the first day of our rally we woke up to the ominous sound of the wind whistling in the rigging.  By early afternoon it was gusting 23 knots from SW which was bang on the nose for boats sailing across from Chichester. There was also a short chop, which made for a less than comfortable ride.

The tide runs across the finger berths at Bembridge, so this, plus a strong wind, meant that mooring was going to be interesting! In the end it took at least four of us to push and pull the boats into place, as even the most experienced skippers found the tide caught their bow as they came alongside. There was much swapping of experiences later on as we relaxed at the on-shore pontoon party and BBQ.

The next morning we divided into two groups – those who planned to join the four mile walk through Brading marshes to Adgestone Vineyard and those who opted to take what Beryl from Avalon described as a ‘magical mystery tour’ to get there: water taxi across to Bembridge, bus into Sandown, second bus from Sandown to Brading and then a very steep half mile uphill walk to the vineyard.

The general consensus was that it was worth the effort.  The views from the top of the vineyard were stunning and the wine tasting session got the thumbs up too. We had a very pleasant, relaxed lunch in the garden where we were entertained by live music and also by the rare breed chickens that wandered between the tables. Afterwards some of us opted for a (rather hot) walk back to the marina while others took the bus.

We had the following morning free before an afternoon tide. It was beautiful, sunny day and some of us did more walking while others headed for the beach. Back in the harbour, the ladies from Pell Mell, Avalon and Firedragon impressed us with their paddle boarding skills.

The trip back proved unlucky for Sounio. First a boat backed into them as they were leaving Bembridge harbour, then their engine stopped off East Head. Luckily, Aquadisiac were nearby and gave them a tow back to a buoy near the marina, and from there Sea Start took them back to their berth.

Many thanks to Sounio, Avalon, Wayzgoose, Arcadia, Quintette, Saxon, Aquadisiac, Blaze Away, Firedragon, Seabird, Perfectly Fine and First Light for braving the winds to join us, and a special thanks to Peter and Sarah on Pell Mell for being such hard working deputies.

Anita Hedges