Day 1 Swanage to Cowes 30miles 5/6 hours

 Passage plan Swanage to Cowes 28 miles.

Wind ENE F2-3  backing NE by evening.   

Tide  LW hurst IOW  1300hrs  giving us fair tidal streams up the solent.

Typical that the wind is on the nose on our first day, but nice that the sea is flat for our first journey.

Make best course close hauled toward needles fairway bouy.  As the wind is fairly light we will probably need to motor up through Hurst for safety's sake then resume sailing, tacking up the Solent  to Cowes.

Care to be taken nr Yarmouth and Cowes with car and passenger ferries having right of way.

Departure 12.30  ETA Cowes 16.30.

Now some of you might note That this is a average speed of around 7kts but during the 4 hour passage we will be "gaining" about 5 miles from tide alone.  

So here we are in Cowes I've berthed at Shepards marina, a reasonably secure haven a short walk from the town.    

Where shall we go?  Eat out or Eat in,  Local pubs? There is a Spanish Tapas Bar in the marina.

The Duke of Yorks just up the road if you fancy a pint and pub grub, I met ain't half hot mum actor Melvyn Hayes in there a few months back.

OK Sunday,  there's a choice from here

Forecast  Sun 10th NW f2 dry.  Monday W. F4-5 dry

• Stay where we are and await better breeze on Monday
• We can do a short hop to Portsmouth (Haslar Marina), or Christchurch (around 2hrs)
• a longer hop to Littlehampton, around 6hrs arriving 8pm. Probably lots of engine!

Trip 30,  sail 2hrs   engine 1 hr  fuel 2L

Miles so far  30