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Saturday 9 July 2011

Day 6 RBE Brighton to Portsmouth


Finally free of Brighton!
Weather held us here since early hours of Wednesday.  We really appreciated the local Wetherspoons (see more in yesterdays blog) and the fact there was an ASDA within a stones throw (great for me holding the budget for food for this leg!) However, we were keen to get going!
Called for fuel on the way out and it was my job to fill the tank - I figured it was just like filling my trusty old Ford Focus and, although the gauge reached full, I continued to fill until it clicked off - followed by a gush of smelly pink fluid - all over my lovely new sailing jacket - now I smell like a mechanic!


Bye bye at last to Brighton

We poked our nose from behind the breakwater to realise the protection it affords us as we were soon bouncing around! We pointed the bow into the sea and headed out for about 8 miles which seemed to take forever with each wave (about my height) knocking us back continually.  We never seemed to break clear of Brighton - it seemed to stay on the horizon forever!
The smell of diesel over my jacket eventually made me feel nauseous - so I retreated to my cabin to take it off and rest for half an hour (of course it wasnt sea sickness - for I would never admit to that!
I woke to find the boat continuing to bounce around - and started “extreme sandwich making”  A big pile of ham, cheese, pickle and mayo sandwiches brought up on deck and we piled into them, all of us apart from Chris.  She said she didnt like white bread - I had used entirely white bread as it needed using up having found 2 slices with mould on (please dont tell the others!)  so she decided to go and make her own - she was back on deck within 2 minutes and started shouting from the stern to her 2 friends “Hughy” and “Ralph” then disappeared to her cabin and we never saw her again for the remainder of the trip!
Now able to change direction and make use of the wind, we brought the genoa out for the 1st time during this trip.  How lovely that felt - I so enjoyed being on the helm as we sailed a close haul and tacked along (all the nautical terms coming now….!)
Again, it took an age and we continued to bounce along getting sprayed at frequent intervals.  We each took it in turn, and we always knew when John was at the helm.  We have now called him ”The Hooligan” you can just imagine why!  A lovely guy with a ready smile and a fab sense of humour and he laughs at my jokes - albeit 30 seconds after everyone else (particularly the dirty jokes!)
John The Hooligan

Mike kindly went into the galley to make us a cuppa which then made him feel queasy and rendered him sick for the remainder of the trip!
Sea sickness must be terrible.  The advise is to try to eat when you can and if you feel sick, lye down, close your eyes and wait for it to pass apparently!
We have been studying our buoys, shapes, lights etc and I’ve tried to memorise them using my manual and study cards, however, it is when we are out at sea that the theory really starts to gel.  We journeyed through a channel where we could see from the chart there were boulders to a depth of only 2 metres - so seeing the lateral marks and cardinal buoys guiding our way illustrates the importance and certainly helps to set it in your head!
You are in a time warp when you sail and it is only your stomach which serves as a reminder of the passage of time.  As we neared Portsmouth I ventured down into the galley to prepare food.  Its great catering for people on a boat as its usually met with such enthusiasm and sounds of appreciation regardless of what you seem to present.  So far this week I have been cooking one pan creations - spag bol, thai green curry, sausage and bean casserole and tonights meal was a mixture of all the leftovers, with a tin of kidney beans and a flurry of mixed herbs and some worcestershire sauce heated up and poured over a pile of doritos and salsa with cheese sprinkled on the top - in the oven for 15 mins and topped with sour cream.  This was met with the usual enthusiasm and amazement of how a meal can be concocted so quickly as they did not recognise the ingredients they had been eating all week!
Portsmouth looked beautiful as we sailed in at dusk
Difficult to control long hair whilst sailing!


We eventually made it into Gosport Marina and I was at the ready to tie on my fenders and managed to fail at my first test as I tied it to the guard rail which you remove to exit the boat.  Anyway - I was then ready with my stern line having secured it correctly on the cleat on the boat, but we were being blown away from the pontoon so Duncan took my line and in James Bond style jumped onto the pontoon relieving me of my duty!
All of us knackered and ready for sleep we settled down - apart from Chris who has slept the day and is now ready for breakfast!

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