Cowes and Island Harbour Cruise May 12-15
Published 15:51 on 19 May 2025
A few Summers days.
The 11 boats on the cruise all assembled in Cowes Yacht Haven on the 12th after a gentle sail in the sun from various locations in the Solent. The Haven crew were on hand to help with some challenging berthing situations for some.
After a pleasant Pontoon Party we made our way up to the Island Sailing Club for a BBQ on their upper terrace. We had drinks while enjoying an excellent view of the Solent and River Medina entrance. It was not as warm as hoped but they had a very nicely fitted out Marquee to keep us all warm and dry. The BBQ was excellent and as we had the space to ourselves the conversations flowed freely into the evening.
Tuesday morning was warm with gentle breeze, so we gently sailed/motored up the Medina to Island Harbour where most of us were able to enter on free flow. There was a slight drama on the way with Yalla experiencing problems with their engine. Good Time Girl towed for a while, but the problem resolved itself and Yalla was able to enter under her own power. Fortunately, Richardsons (based in Island Harbour) were able to pop down and do some maintenance to prevent this recurring. Being able to help each other like this is a great feature of Cruising in Company and Good Time Girl has been a recipient of similar help in the past.
Once we were all safely in Island Harbour the weather really started to get hot and sun shades of various descriptions were deployed it felt like high summer! We finished the day with games on the green courtesy of Coco and then a Fish and Chips supper.
Wednesday was also hot and calm with people heading off in various directions. Personally, we visited the Island Steam Railway which included a ride, lunch and a visit to their museum. The ingenuity and skill of the engineers who conceived and designed these engines never ceases to amaze me. Others visited my favourite hardware store, Hursts, in Newport and returned with various spoils and stories. In the evening most of us walked down the river bank to the Folly Inn and had a delightful meal and conversation.
Thursday started cool but bright. Everyone headed off in their own directions, for those heading back to Chichester it was a foul tide but a brisk sail which resulted in a reasonable journey time but very cold.
All in all a relaxing time had by all
Kevin and Annie Brown
