A sack of garden prunings for the rally bonfire dictated I trail to Keyhaven, but even with a 6am start from home, I was not launched before noon and low water. By then the ‘mistral’, a regular occurrence last summer, was blowing at gale force. Reluctant to sail with my unwieldy load, I started to row, but promptly blew into the shallows and I couldn’t get off. Too shallow for o/b, I anchored and waited two hours for tide to rise. I had wanted to reach Hurst beach early to assemble driftwood for the fire, but this was not to be. When I eventually made it under motor, our site was a lee shore and a nasty swell was pounding the beach. Turning to windward while I thought what to do, I became soaked in spray. Eventually found a calmer landing in Castle Creek.

With such wild weather it was tempting to assume no one would turn up, but I already knew John Perry and Mark Tingley planned to come on foot, and soon a strange little yawl rigged craft, about 8 feet long, was seen approaching… was it a canoe?… a dinghy?… or what? Whatever, it looked like DCA material, so I hastened to meet the skipper, who transpired into Keith Holdsworth sailing a prototype of a larger boat he hopes to build. Mark arrived humping a rucksack of bonfire material, as well as his tent. We had some initial difficulty lighting up due to the wind, but by the time John arrived we were able to offer him baked potatoes, sausages and tomatoes.

I had to start back early, as my car headlights had failed on the way down and I needed to be home before dark, but John and Mark came for a short sail around the Keyhaven creeks first, and we rescued a yacht’s tender which had broken loose, much to the gratitude of the owner who had been contemplating a swim.

While packing up I was approached by a man interested in my Cormorant, who turned out to be a DCA member, John Coleman. Liz Baker

Pitts Deep August 1st - 2nd

Fickle winds this weekend, and awkward tides for me, but decided to sail anyway. Crossing Chichester bar at 7am I was hailed by man from a passing yacht:

“How long have you been in the DCA?”

“Longer than I care to remember!”

“I’m John Clarke.”

“Hallo John — I remember you! Good to see you again!”

John was an active DCA member when I first joined many years ago, but now sails bigger boats. He asked to be remembered to anyone in the DCA who still remembers him.

Two hours of fair tide got me almost to Portsmouth, then I bucked the tide under motor and into slacker water in Stokes Bay, where I anchored for a leisurely ‘brunch’ and a planned snooze while the foul tide ran its course. The brunch went down well, but the snooze was a disaster as I was constantly rocked by the wash of passing ships. When the tide slackened I alternately sailed, motored and rowed as the breeze came and went, but it was slow going until past Cowes where, being Cowes Week, I had to dodge about 200 yachts returning from a race. Now 6pm and still a long way to go, when suddenly, a fair wind F4 sprang up and we stormed triumphantly into Pitts Deep at 8.30pm. I could see two little boats pulled up on the beach, tents rigged — Keith’s GP14 and Dave Sumner’s Mirror.

“Hallo,” I called, “anyone at home?”

No answer.

I fished out my map and identified a pub nearby they might have gone to, and decided to look for them there; but first I rigged my tent and made a hot drink and a sandwich. Having drawn a blank at the pub, I was startled on my return by New Forest ponies galloping up and down the lane in the dark; did they know I was there? Keith and David had been to the pub but we missed each other by taking different routes. Once reunited we sat yarning on the beach, sharing biscuits and coffee, until well after midnight before turning-in.

I had a strange experience on my return. Passing Stokes Bay, now well offshore to make the most of the east going tide, I could see a Cormorant dinghy with a single occupant anchored where I had been yesterday, bouncing round in the swell… I had the uncanny feeling I was looking at myself. Liz Baker

Cobnor Family Camping Weekend August 22nd - 23rd

George Saffrey sailed in his 14 foot Cruz, John Taylor and family in their fine traditionally planked 14 footer, John Perry and Josephine Street in their award-winning 15 foot ‘own design’, Liz Baker in her Cormorant, John Sumner in his little Mirror dinghy (fully fitted out for sleeping on board) and Len Wingfield in his 14 foot Leader. Mark Tingley was boatless so crewed. The Saturday weather was ideal, we made the usual run up to Dell Quay, exploring Furzefield Creek on the way and with the option of sailing up to Bosham on the return journey. Unfortunately Sunday brought rain and a full Force 5 with the possibility of Force 7 gusts. Len was very glad to have Mark, an experienced 13 stone crew, so was able to lead the way on a shortened course up the Thorney Channel to Pristead. With the weather worsening we then hurried back to our campsite before the F7 materialised!

Because of the limitations of the launching facilities boats over 16 feet have always been banned from Cobnor, but now the ban has been extended to heavy 14 footers. This leaves future Cobnor meets in doubt. Len Wingfield