3 days/ 2 nights
Delayed departure
We arrive in Portland and Jane spots that our SB Spinnaker pole is missing…. We are ready to report it stolen, but a very close look at a picture from the re-launching shows the top of the pole is not properly engaged so we have to conclude it has gone overboard ….
With the GoPro at the end of a weighted stick we start surveying the harbour seabed at ~5m depth. After some time we spot the pole, now what?
A few false starts with a line and weights leads us to drag a chain along the seabed until it is under the pole (we think). We then pull the chain through so a thin line is left under the pole. Turn this into a lasso and pull the end until it is taught and hope the pole does not slip out. It does not and after a morning of messing around we have our pole back without hiring a diver.
But boating is never this easy, and when we are ready to go all the instruments on the SeaTalk bus loose power. We take it all apart and put it together again. Seems to fix it.
On our way
By now the tide (spring) is against us and we decide to just go out for a few hours and see how it goes. Our mizzen is also not ready as I am still repairing the lazy jack bag, but with a Southerly 17kts wind we should make good progress.
As usual Portland harbour is full of small foiling dinghies, and unusually outside the harbour some kite boards, who come very close to tangling with our masts.
The trip to St Alban’s Ledge is uneventful, and we don’t really know how fast as our log is un-calibrated. Once we turn to 60° it becomes cold and the sun starts setting. Rather than continue we decide to look what anchoring in Swanage is like.
We go as close to the beach as we dare but it’s an uncomfortable night. I set a partial bridle to point the boat a little more into the waves.
Onwards to Brownsea
In the morning rowers are out early – and so are we because it is still very rolly and we want to have breakfast at Brownsea. The trip is uneventful, and unlike in summer, the Wych channel has only one boat on a mooring, making the trip much easier. We find that using the lines of mooring balls as a “road” and after the Oyster platform keeping the red stakes to port works well.
This time we anchor a bit further north from Pottery Pier, close to the first red stake.
The pheasants are very tame and it is a good thing we don’t need any chicken.
We sleep much better at anchor off Brownsea and in the morning we move to the Parkstone YC platform to go see if we can find Chris to get us a new wind instrument. He is delayed and we have to get going, so we decide we’ll get him to send us one. Good speed is made on just a yankee, and we add a main with 1 reef just passed Old Harry.
Past Peverrel Ledge it gets quite rough with frequent water over deck and the occasional spray into the cockpit. The NW wind doesn’t really materialise which means we have to tack a bit after St Alban’s. We call St Albans NCI to say hi and tell them of the conditions. We go so far south (almost 50°30’N) that we have no ill effect of the ledge whatsoever.
As it gets dark and cold we decide to add engine for the last hour, just W of Durdle Door. We have to change course to avoid a tug towing some dredging device. The Portland Harbour master allows us to enter through the West entrance – saving us 10 minutes or so.
The wind is still >20kts and worse, from the WNW, which makes it hard to get into our box. In the end we park in September Moon’s place and then winch Larksong over to the correct side.
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