And we're off. We slipped from the Camber just before midday, earlier than planned but clear of the Wightlink ferry that was due to sail at 1200.
It was especially good to be able to share a cup of tea in the cockpit with Robin and Sarah Axford before we sailed. It was Robin who introduced me to Little Scarlet and to whom I am extremely grateful for ten years or so of sheer sailing pleasure and general bonhomie. I was a very fortunate to meet Robin around 15 years ago through mutual friends; we developed a great friendship and boat partnership with Little Scarlet. Most of our sailing has been in and around the Solent, gentle sunny pottering about but livened up with tea and discussions about travel, the everyday goings on onboard the Royal Navy’s training ship – HMS BRISTOL, or, the general state of politics in the UK and that referendum in 2016! If I hadn’t had the good luck to meet Robin I very much doubt that I would now be heading off on this little adventure in such a great yacht so Thank You Robin. Recently Robin’s been unwell but we look forward to more sailing, tea drinking and general ‘wittering’ with you when you are fully recovered.
Of course both Nigel and I are also thankful that we have wives who are prepared to accommodate our ‘retirement gap-year’ follies or maybe they are pleased to see the back of us for a few months! Either way it was good to see Clare and Marianne in good old ‘naval wife’ waving mode!
As the pictures show (thanks Geoff Dixon and neighbours Sue & Bob) we were blessed with perfect departure weather and we made rapid progress down the Solent and are now out in Christchurch Bay having passed Bridge Buoy, off the Needles at 1600, four hours after departure. We have main and genoa up and the engine off and with a gentle (but chilly) north-easterly we are wondering just how far we will go, especially as we are likely to be fighting the tide off Portland.
Forty Years Ago .... 1982
A passing thought ... forty years ago today Midshipman Price sailed from Gibraltar in HMS HECLA, heading for the South Atlantic. Memories are pretty blurred but having been summoned from Easter leave by phone call from the HQ in Northwood I was flown to ‘Gib’ in a C130 from RAF Lyneham. The Midshipmen (there were three of us) were probably ‘in the way’ so whilst preparations were made on board to convert a survey ship into a hospital/ambulance we had a couple of days exploring and enjoying ourselves. I do remember thinking that it was highly unlikely that there would be any sort of real conflict; if that was a serious proposition why would three midshipmen who really knew very little about anything be embarked?
At around the same date (26 Apr?) Sub Lieutenant Race also headed towards the South Atlantic, on board HMS NORTHELLA. She was one of five fishing trawlers that the Navy requisitioned and, within a few days, converted into minesweepers for Falklands war service.
If we get around to it we might share a few Falklands ‘dits’ as their anniversaries pass by...
