So Long Solent (May 27)


We left Shoreham with the early morning fishermen and having nervously surfed into the harbour about 12 hours previously we now chugged out onto a flat calm. The moon shimmered in the completely smooth sea and we were able to make beans with fried eggs and a cafetiere of strong coffee for breakfast as we pottered along. The atmosphere was surreal, with sunrise colouring the eastern horizon and the daytime moon shining to the south both reflected in the glassy sea surface. It is May 27th 2021.





Our plan was to motor, and if possible, sail, against the tide to get round Selsey Bill just in time to pick up the strange late tidal flow that comes round the Isle of Wight and would push us along to our initial target of reaching Cowes. The wind started to pick up and we had some good sailing making headway against a south westerly breeze but with the tide working strongly in our favour. We pushed on past Cowes then switched to using the motor to scream along in the huge ebb flowing out of the western end of the Solent and past the Needles. 



We then continued westwards into the setting sun and dropped an anchor in Studland Bay.


This day had gone from flat calm to pleasant sailing, from gritty Shoreham to the busy yachtie scene of the Solent and then on to the brilliant natural scenery of Studland. It is also the kind of mileage we will need to do quite regularly if we are to get round the UK. We are torn really, because our aim was to explore the creeks and crannies of the coastline, but in reality there is also a need to be brutally selective and to get some mileage under our bilge keels. After being pinned down in Alcatraz we are feeling the need to escape. No doubt the Solent deserves exploration, but it seemed a bit too busy for our liking and perhaps we will return another time. Meanwhile, here at Studland we are already getting a taste of what is to come in the west country and beyond. As we plan our next passage we must consider wind and tide but also what time to take for exploring – it’s a tough old man sailing gig.


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