It was a white frost on the 21st of April but it was the first fine morning for a long time, the forecast was good for that day but rain to follow. At 1000 hours a cruising dinghy, straight from her winter store, slipped onto the Warsash shingle and waited for the flood; by noon three D.C.A. boats were afloat and ready for a three day cruise.

The wind was strong sou’westerly and each boat had to work hard to clear the Hamble river. Calshot was the first objective and all three dinghies, all single handed, reached the rendezvous as planned; the boats were beached while the skippers picnicked for lunch.

The smallest boat in this south coast fleet was only nine foot long and was carrying an experimental Junk type sail; the wind grew stronger and reluctantly it was decided the Solent was not on. Each with only a few square feet of canvas the dinghies cruised in company back across Southampton Water and up the Hamble against the ebb until they rounded the corner to the shelter of Bursledon. Here, between two new mooring piles, the three cruisers tied in line and rigged themselves for the night, one a pram hood type cover on folding hoops, one a ridge type cover over the boom, and one with her mast lowered to support a wedge shaped cover.

For the next hour quietness fell over the camp; all were at supper. As darkness approached the three members gathered in the largest boat each with their own mug. They brewed coffee and talked cruising in dinghies. Before each was back in his own boat the threatened rain had begun and it rained until the following noon.

With no prospects of sail in company that day it was decided to sail up river in one boat, on top of the spring tide and with a half gale behind they roared up that beautiful river almost to Botley; all that was missing was the sun. As they turned into the wind it started to rain and by the time the battle down stream was complete all were soaking wet.

The third day was a dry morning but too much wind for open water. The sail back to Warsash was hard with neither wind or tide friendly. The last boat was beached about 1500 hours and before she was dismantled for her trailer the rain was back.

As a three day cruise in the Solent the trip had proved a failure, but three members had made a good start to the season, got rid of their winter cob-webs and had all gained a little more experience of the delightful sport.