Nacho raid on Yarmouth: Sat 3 Jan 2009

[PeterM]

Indeed a great day out . Cant get to the proper PC to look at pics , but I dont think mine wer very good . Too much hanging on for me to take much. Will have to look at new radios instead ! ( anyone got an ICOM handheld they want to sell ?)

Good to meet everyone & have some company on a cold day.

Many thanks to everyone & especially David for sorting & the pint. Hope I can return it soon . And everyone for 'slowing up' for me. ( I reckon I got 30ish knts at one point on the way back)

I'll be in the garage soon to check all the bolts on Streaker as I think with the amount of pounding it got something will have come out ( fire extinguisher had already come out when got back & the middle section of the A frame has swung down ) . I also managed to bend the key 90' on the way back somehow - it was about 10 minutes from snapping off . I only used about 14L petrol I am stunned.

That'll teach me for going fast

As soon as I can get to PC I'll put what pics I have & are worth while up

Great pics Steve

Pete

[Paul Beaurain]

Ribsters-
Great day good to have Met some new people today.
Images are Dizzy Lizzy Launching, and Peter 'Blackroady'.
Well done making the trip AND keeping up..
Look forward to seeing more of everybody -
cheers
Paul

[Hightower]

Looks like you guys had a great day out.

Only just got back from freezing my bits off Fishing up the Eastern end of the Solent. Was a very Steady Northerly and was biting cold. Am still trying to get feeling back in my Toes.

[PeterM]

The few I managed to take - I ended up with 97 ( yes 97!) of the inside of my pockets ! Can you tell which photo that is ?

Third one is just of 2 BWMs - one that belongs to a mate

[PeterM]

Last 2

[Avocet]

Once again, I and Scurvey Crew (Jonathan) thoroughly enjoyed the trip and, as always, it was good to see old faces and meet new ones. Most importantly, Scurvey Crew got his Natchos!

We were about ten minutes late meeting up with Serenity in Poole but caught the time up and reached Christchurch entrance for 11.15 where Streaker was waiting for us and Ermintrude was only a short while behind (picking her way very cautiously out of the channel!).

We then headed towards Yarmouth:

[Avocet]

The weather was clear and bright but very cold. Fine so long as you wrapped up well. Streaker's concerns about her speed were completely unjustified and she kept up well with the other three. On approaching Hurst Castle, we heard Stormbreaker confirm to Dizzie Lizzie on 77 that she could see four ribs approaching just as we saw them round the point:

[Avocet]

Somehow, in the fourth one above, we seem to have switched to hovercraft mode and appear to be going along the beach!

Having supped, dined and warmed up in the pub it was once again time to return. Unfortunately, pausing to refuel meant not saying good-bye properly to Stormbreaker and Dizzy Lizzie but glad to hear you had a safe trip back.

Here's some of the fleet approaching Hurst on the way back:

[Avocet]

And some of the return to Christchurch:

[Avocet]

At which point Scurvey Crew went a bit trigger haopy with the camera, but here's an edited selection:

[Avocet]

And some artistic ones:

[Avocet]

If anyone wants the originals of any of the pictures, please PM me your details and I will be happy to let you have them by e-mail or CD (depending on size). Also, there are a whole load more pictures which I am happy to forward either as a complete set or on a crew basis to anyone that wants them.

As you will have gathered, we arrived safely back in Poole, although the journey was not without incident:

After leaving Streaker and Ermintrude at Christchurch, Grimalkin (helmed by Scurvey Crew) and Serenity went to round Hengistbury when the conversation on Grimalkin went something like this:

ME: Have you seen that standing wave ahead of you?
Scurvey Crew nods.
Pause.
ME: That’s not a standing wave, it’s coming towards us!
SCURVEY CREW (with mild panic): What shall I do?
ME (it being too late to do anything else): Keep the nose pointed towards it….

Apparently the two girls on Serenity (who being about two hundred meters to our port missed the wave) did our screaming for us. Despite the wave being over twice our height, very steep and nearly breaking, we rose perfectly up it and, although we fell a long way down the other side, landed virtually level and unharmed. Serenity immediately came over to check that we were OK (which we were) and Scurvey Crew (only slightly shaken) carried on, justifiably proud of his helmsmanship.

We have no idea where the wave came from since, although conditions were choppy, the waves generally were short and comfortable. Hengistbury does, however, often have strange currents and overfalls and it just goes to show that you can never relax completely at sea…

The rest of the return journey was, I am pleased to report, uneventful and thanks to everyone for a great day out. With the first trip of the year now achieved, I’m already looking forward to the next. A Happy New Year to you all and happy (and safe!) boating for 2009.

David

[PeterM]

Hi David - sorry to hear about your adventure off Hengistbury & glad it turned out OK. I try & run well outside of it when I pass round in a boat . The Ledge & mixing currents from the 2 bays there throw up some big waves usually breaking NW/ SE - usually as you found just head on to the direction you go round. In the summer ,in clear water you can see the rocks that sit on top of the ledge - appear to be about 3 feet down !

I used to actively look for them when I had a Jetski as it was near impossible to get into trouble on it & it was happy going from 10ft up to 3feet under the water - never missed a beat !


Its a shame no-one had the camera going. I'm sure it looked impressive even if felt scary - but RIBCRAFT make them well ! Thanks for your pictures of me - I seemed to spend more time off the water than in compared to you guys - seemed every other waves I heard the prop come out .

Thanks again