Day 86-Thursday 11th August-Sheltering in Yarmouth

Today I sheltered in the harbour, watched the white crested waves on the Solent, listened to the gusts howling through the rigging, and thought about Portland Bill. My normal shore based state of mild anxiety was not helped by the owners of the 4 boats next to me faffing and agonising about making a short downwind crossing of the Solent to the Beaulieu River

Yesterday's force 7 south westerlies continued, so there was no decision to make about whether to head out to the Hurst narrows. From Yarmouth I looked out in that direction with my feet firmly on the pier.The low cloudsand threat of imminent rain made it look even bleaker.

Looking in the other direction you get a good view of Yarmouth Castle and the pub that was built when its moat was filled in.

Staying in harbour gave me plenty of time to study the pilot books and plan for the 3 main challenges ahead.These are the tidal gate of the western end of the Solent, avoiding the races off St Alban's Head and Portland Bill and crossing Lyme Bay.

Paul Heiney explains what happens at Portland Bill, which he equates with the Pentland Firth as the two places in the British Isles which have ...
.."  a ferocious reputation.The Race occurs as the flood tide makes its way up the channel and finds the Portland Bill in the way.. The landmass deflects the flow southwards, which causes it to pick up speed. This fast flowing water now heading offshore, eventually meets the main stream of the flood tide and the result is turbulence on a grand scale, compounded by a sudden shallowing of the water over the Portland Ledge. Add even a modest wind against tide, and this becomes a fearsome place, fit only for the Weymouth lifeboat crew, who have to face it in a regular basis".

The answer to the problem, is to time your arrival at slack water, just as the stream is to run in your favour and either go in very close if conditions allow or very far off if they don't.So it's a doddle really.

I toyed with the idea of catching the bus to Cowes to savour the atmosphere of Cowes week, but the people on the boats I was rafted up to wanted to get away early afternoon. I needed to be around so that I could reposition Hylje when they left. They waited and waited to see if the wind would drop further and discussed how closely they would sail together and how they would throw ropes to assist in a tow should it be neccessary.. The afternoon sort of evaporated in front of me.

From my position I could see the dory of the berthing master going out to shepherd newcomers.It's a very friendly and helful service. I thought about what a great name he has and if he could moonlight in a maternity ward, conducting the goings on and the comings out!

I did manage to take a look at St. Jame's Church in town. It was built on the site of the two previous churches, which were both burned down on separate raids by the French. The two other interesting bit about it were the old paintings inside and the way the tower had been extended.

One of the paintings is of St. Catherine of Egypt, who was martyred in 307, by being burned on a revolving wheel. Apparently that's how the firework got its name. Pretty gruesome eh? Why have they never named one after the Portland race?

The forecast is for the winds to ease, so tomorrow, I aim to go to Poole. From there I'd like to do the attractive bit of the Dorset coast up to Weymouth. Then its around Portland to the Exe  unless it's very settled so I could go somewhere in Lyme Bay.