I was just getting ready to set off for Southampton when I heard a rumble like a large trolley being wheeled down the road. The rumble continued, and was soon accompanied by a lot of banging and crashing. The lights flickered. One of the summer storms had arrived in Leicester. I opened the front door and stood looking out as the torrential rain beat down. Some of it was hail "as big as 50 pence pieces" they said on the news: more like the size of hazel nuts in their shells. It couldn't really rain any harder. Next, the drain right by my door decided to become a geyser... water from two directions. It lasted about half an hour. It seemed to make sense to be on a boat, so as soon as it subsided I was off. (I was just slightly concerned later on to see on the city council webside that the main road by my house was flooded, with a nice photograph to prove it.)
Fiftey miles south and th roads were dry. When I arrived at Toucando it was a pleasant afternoon. The bucket I leave in the cockpit only had a little water in it: so it hadn't been raining much in the South. I had a day to get ready for the weekend crew, which involved a few chores around the boat, and some victualling.
On Saturday Jackie and John arrived. I ferried them out to the pontoon. We discussed our plans. It was Round the Island weekend, so the Solent would be very busy and it was unlikely that there would be space in the Cowes or Hamble marinas. And the forecast was for fairly strong winds and rain... so we decided to stay local. We put a double reef in the main on the pontoon and had some fun springing off against the wind, leaving a rope behind in the process. Then we were off motoring down the Itchen. We sailed a bit on the staysail to begin with, at a very moderate pace. Having rolled it up we then raised the main off Weston and sailed on the reefed main and the full jib. We practised tacking with Jackie and John at the helm, sailing down to the Hamble oil terminal twice, and up to the docks once. We were pleased to see the Lord Nelson at her berth and her sister ship Tenacious come in under engine. There were a few liners and container ships around as well. The wind was pretty brisk... Force 6 and we took advantage of the wind shadow of the bigger ships to furl the staysail and jib and lower the main before returning to Shamrock Quay for the evening.
Getting off the pontoon at Shamrock in the morning was another challenge. A ferro-concrete yacht with a hole in her hull came and moored close behind us, and a motor super yacht with her wrapping still on moored opposite. The narrow gap that remained had to be navigated in reverse gear (not Toucando's strongest point). After several attempts we got through, attached T's stern line to the opposite pontoon, and warped round her bows so they were pointing the way we wanted.
When our path was clear we headed out towards Southampton water. We raised the main, unfurled the jib, and half the staysail and raced down Southampton Water. This time we continued into the Solent proper. It was a steady Force 6, gusting 7... with the wind exceeding 30 knots for some of the time. Jackie helmed across the Solent towards Osborne Bay, where the wind dropped a little in the lee of the Island (and the waves were smaller too). We waited for a small ship to pass and John took the helm on the way back. If anything the wind was even stronger. Toucando heeled over and we sped back over Ryde Middle towards Hillhead, before steering for Southampton Water. Again, we took advantage of a passing ship to furl the sails in relative calm, before heading up the Itchen back to Toucando's home berth. The rain which had been threatened by the forecast never really arrived. It was certainly Toucando's most lively sail of the year so far, and everything had gone well. Thanks to Jackie and John for picking up the basics of the gaff rig so quickly.
Jackie and John went home, Hugh arrived. We planned to go to Poole on Monday morning: then tides were near perfect. However in the morning it was wet, windy and very murky. We motored down to dockhead to have a look at Southampton Water and could see relatively little of it. The prospect of three and a half days sailing in unpleasant conditions with limited visibility didn't appeal, so we turned round and went back home, which was disappointing but prudent.
The Met Office have announced that June 2012 was the wettest on record... and that the first half of July doesn't look a lot better. In other words this is the fifth poor summer in succession. Hopefully the jetstream (which is causing all the trouble) will return to its proper latitude before long. We've had enough rain and strong wind on land and sea for a bit.
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