We had studied the weather forecast and strong easterly winds were forecast for at least a week meaning that if we didn’t leave immediately we would be stuck for days making no further progress. On this basis we created a passage plan that meant leaving Brixham late afternoon and heading east overnight. We then had the options of pressing on to the Solent if we made good progress or ducking out at Weymouth or Poole if necessary to take a train to London for babysitting duties. Crossing Lyme Bay before the wind changed was the number one priority as we have been across bashing into an easterly wind, and it is not much fun!!
Pete was understanding of us leaving him early and we were out of the marina by 16:30 BST and soon on our way. The wind was still westerly, straight behind us, so we motor sailed with the genoa helping pull as along a little bit until as evening fell the wind dropped and we just motored keeping up 5 knots through the water. Happily the south westerly swell and waves were pushing us along as well so we made good progress and the tide started to turn in our favour as night fell as we approached Portland Bill. Richard on watch saw a meteor and described the moonrise as spectacular. Then we had a bit of a northerly breeze so we unfurled the genoa and were soon doing 9 knots or more over the ground as we rounded the Bill. The wind built and we were able to stop the engine and with the Hydorvane steering we made really good progress to round St Alban’s Head and Anvil Point with the last of the tide.
We were now ahead of schedule and would find it really difficult to enter the Solent round Hurst Castle against a strong tide. By now it was starting to become light and we debated anchoring in Studland Bay to wait for the tide to change. Magically the wind had taken us right into Poole Bay so instead of anchoring we just bore away and sailed gently against the tide effectively wasting time until the tide changed and took the opportunity to have some breakfast and a hot drink. We were still going a little too fast but wasted a bit of time hoisting the mainsail and tacking into the channel between Hurst Spit and the Shingle Bank.
Once in the narrows we started the engine and motored against the last of the tide into the predicted north easterly breeze bang on the nose. There was no way we were going to tack up the Solent after a long night at sea so we dropped the mainsail and with the tide turning in our favour we were soon off Cowes and ducked into the Medina to moor up on the Folly Inn pontoon. Then collapsed although it was really too hot to do anything else other than snooze before an early supper and sleep.
An epic (for us) overnighter but highly successful especially with being able to sail without the engine from Portland Bill to the Solent. Using just the genoa to sail in the night was the right thing to do even though Harvard was not as well balanced as sailing with the mainsail as well. However, it meant we could quickly decrease sail should we have needed to, the speed was good and we were ahead of schedule. Also it gave the crew confidence by not having to leave the cockpit for any reason and the Hydrovane seemed to cope pretty well.