Hamble Cruise July 2022

Motor Section Cruise to Hamble River Point Marina 29/07/22

The weather was fine and sunny, the sea state was slight. The lock was very busy with waiting time of about 90 minutes. What could possibly go wrong? 

Quite a lot as it turned out.

6 boats were booked on the cruise, Bearfoot, Excalibur, Bellissima, Arkaig, Mascaret, Vorsitch.

 However Vorsitch had a flat battery and didn’t get off the mooring, Bearfoot had engine trouble en route which was later diagnosed as dieselbug. 

Arkaig carried an extra crew to ensure the passage into parts unknown actually ended up at the right place.

The rest arrived without drama and moored up very comfortably 

A pontoon party on Bellissima was well attended, noisy and jolly. Good job Digby & Claire have a big party boat. 

Cobbs and Lotus did their stuff and all repaired to hot cabins for a restless night’s sleep. Boats are very warm down below when there is no wind.

Excalibur left on Saturday morning, another fine day.

Bearfoot was grounded until Monday

Mascaret was awaiting an appointment with a cover company.

The plan for Arkaig and Bellissima crew was a paddle boarding trip to Swanwick, either to the Jolly Sailor or the Horse and Jockey at the top of the river, time permitting.

It took quite a long time to get 4 paddle boards, and one tender inflated even with the battery powered inflator which inflated 4 boards without recharge. The plan was to tow 4 boards to Swanwick, with 3 people and Tilly the ships dog in the tender and for 2 people to walk there, the river being much nicer there for boarding. 

We did all stand up but this was a tense moment as we berthed on the JS pontoon.

Amid much laughing and splashing and general chaos we did manage to paddle up the river  and to stop for lunch in the Jolly Sailor, and fuelled by beer and sandwiches embarked upon the trip home.

This time Heather was in charge of the tender, in charge is a rather loose term here, meaning “holding the tiller” but also in charge of passengers, Debbie and Jennie.

We got 4 paddle boards loaded up with people, and 2 in the tender and off we went. Have you spotted the deliberate mistake yet? The wind was against us and the tide swirling so it was jolly hard work, not for the tender two you understand, just the boarders. We had done several hundred yards off the shore when it was noticed that Tilly was not in the tender, but somehow in the excitement of getting off the shore strewn with concrete blocks and rubbish without clouting the prop she had been missed. Digby set off paddling at least at 20 knots back to shore to look for her, when Claire noticed a little chocolate head swimming purposefully along behind her board! Claire scooped her up and she was found to be none the worse for her extended swim. Claire & Digby elected to walk back with Tilly and all 4 boards were tied to the tender for towing back to the boat. Drama not yet finished as the Torqeedo was now very low on battery power with three people up and towing. The Skipper’s decision being final she directed the two crew to row for it to augment the failing power. Mutiny was averted but it has to be said that the combined skills of the crew would not have got them across the Atlantic! 

And finally….. Digby Claire and Tilly arrived at the pink ferry at Warsash to discover they had to pay with cash! Of course they had no cash so Heather, having moored up the tender and dead Torqeedo, trotted down to the quay with cash in hand to meet the ferry. On her arrival she was informed that the ferry had done its last trip! Claire, Digby & Tilly are now on the wrong side of the Hamble, our tender is shot, and the only solution that occurred to Heather was to chat up the boss of the ferry company who was a very personable young man ( she’s looking for a toy boy) to get him to run a final boat. This he obligingly did and all was restored. We really needed that G&T after this.

Our meal at the Banana Wharfe was excellent that evening.

Next day saw the departure of Arkaig, Mascaret, and the van Klaverens hitched a lift on their son’s sailing boat, which fortuitously was also visiting the Hamble and was Mike’s old boat, with Mike at the helm.

Digby Claire Tilly and H had a very relaxing day on Sunday with a walk and much newspaper reading followed by a final paddle up the river.

A weekend of excitement, drama, and lots of fun

Thanks to Claire, who remained calm through it all, to Digby who worked tirelessly keeping everyone happy and fielded many problems, to Tilly for being such a little star, and to Bellissima for being a great party boat and a very comfortable lodgings for Heather.

Cheers to the next trip

Heather Baker

Digby Claire and Tilly Armstrong  Bellissima

Jackie and David Thacker Mascaret

Jennie Woodcock and Debbie Cramplin Arkaig

Mike and Karen van Klaveren Bearfoot

Wendy and Quentin Reynolds Excalibur