IOW festival Saturday..

[NickT]

I popped over to the IOW with my sons last night and trundled up the Medina to the festival site.

Quite a few boats and yachts rafted up listening to the music.

Well managed anchoring - the harbour master, police and berthing dory were all in attendance, we were directed to the port side of the river as the main channel had to be kept clear. If you were staying then it was £5 overnight which is very reasonable I think.

Lots and lots of ribs out - not many "hard boats" there. I was feeling quite inadequate beside twin 350hp Yamahas and blue LED lights in the water....

We took a portable stove which we placed on the cockpit table and sizzled some sausages much to the envy of the rib chaps who could only drink (and p***s over the side as they had no loos on board!!).

We offered to raft up an inflatable with 8 people on board as they were driving round and round which wasn't much fun. Pino Grigio all round then!

Son No 2 wanted to hear/see Blur and just as I said its time to go they came on stage so we spent another 45 mins listening to them (oh joy).

We set off at around 11pm and dodged the numerous inflatables with a head torch as navigation lights.

I haven't navigated across the Solent at night before and it is VERY different to daytime. There was much less traffic as you would expect but just keeping in the channel as we approached Cowes was interesting as there are many other competing lights vying for your attention.

Once past the outer bouys we set up the Plotter for Calshot bouy but the lights on the mainland are very deceptive - especially as you can see fawley tower so clearly. I wanted to head straight for the tower but reason said that I should follow the plotter which we did.

Coming into Hamble was interesting too as there are so many lights to potentially follow. We also saw some unlit bouys which would have been fun if we hit them!!

Apart from the normal Nav lights on the Fletcher (which are huge for the size of boat and v bright), I brought a powerful torch

http://www.torchdirect.co.uk/fenix-prof ... torch.html

which has about 1/2 mile throw on it. This was used every 30 seconds or so to check for obstructions ahead.

Without the extra light from the torch I think we would have struggled - it was reassuring to know that we had the illumination ready if we needed it.

Got back to the mooring at around 12.30 so just moored up, locked up and went home.

I saw another Fletcher 19 up at the festival but no one who I recognised from the forum.

Did anyone else go there as well?

[Ianfs]

I popped over to the IOW with my sons last night and trundled up the Medina to the festival site.

One of the most memorable things a father could do with his sons.

We took a portable stove which we placed on the cockpit table and sizzled some sausages much to the envy of the rib chaps who could only drink (and p***s over the side as they had no loos on board!!).

Oh dear, what a shame, never mind!

I haven't navigated across the Solent at night before and it is VERY different to daytime. There was much less traffic as you would expect but just keeping in the channel as we approached Cowes was interesting as there are many other competing lights vying for your attention.
Once past the outer bouys we set up the Plotter for Calshot bouy but the lights on the mainland are very deceptive - especially as you can see fawley tower so clearly. I wanted to head straight for the tower but reason said that I should follow the plotter which we did.
Coming into Hamble was interesting too as there are so many lights to potentially follow. We also saw some unlit bouys which would have been fun if we hit them!!

I can absolutely relate to this, as anyone who has navigated, or even tried to find their way in the dark can verify. Simply that during daylight, your eyesight will take reckonings regularly to correct your course.

[ColinR]

Night navigation is, as you say, totally different. On a raggie (cough) it's quite relaxing as everything happens so slowly but on a sports boat it is quite a strain. Especially up Southampton water as it is quite hard to pick out cardinals. I always plot a course in advance to make sure we miss the unlit stuff. A good tip is, if going out in daylight, take a course that you want to follow back and reverse that on the way home. At least you know you won't hit anything.

[Matt13]

Sounds like a good day out, yet to do the IOW festival but it is one for the future. Night time nav sounds interesting!

[ColinR]

You really should try it Matt. Usual caveat of PPPPPP (the number of Ps may vary)

It's a whole different world out there at night.

[_Ed_]

I like night time nav. Must do some more of that

[annageek]

I saw another Fletcher 19 up at the festival but no one who I recognised from the forum.

To be fair, I haven't been on here for a long while (well not since it moved from the old sportsboat forum)... but it was us!

We were planning to stick around for a bit, but literally just as we approached freeloader's bay, our engine temperature started to rocket for no good reason. It wasn't overly hot but was much higher than we'd seen before, and was steady. So, we headed back down river to grab an easy mooring (rather than faff around trying to anchor with virtually no space and a potentially overheating engine) to check things out. Turns out it was a load of sludgy weed sucked into the water inlet on both sides of the leg... water was still circulating (and seemingly keeping our impeller from melting) but it's probably a good job we were travelling at 4knots max, or the increased engine speed combined with lack of water would have caused us much worse problems!!

Nevertheless... got the weed cleared and went and stayed overnight anchored at Osborne Bay - great fun in a Fletcher 19GTS! So much so, I think it's probably our 5th or 6th time spent on the hook there!

It's a shame we couldn't hang about at the festival though... the atmosphere felt great, and in fairness, the sound/visual wasn't as bad as we'd anticipated. May try again next year!

[NickT]

Hi Anna

I am glad that you managed to sort out the overheating issue. I noticed a lot of weed coming down the hamble as we returned later.

Must be the time of year.....

What was it like sleeping on board at anchor? I have often wanted to spend a night aboard but swmbo killed that idea hence we also have a fully heated caravan which is a poor substitute in my view.

Do you leave your nav lights on as well?

[betty boop]

glad to hear it was a good trip and brae trip back across. Ive stayed over a couple of times with the kids and it was a great laugh although we opted for a muddy walk ashore and a pizza this year was too far to come on a whim giventhe weather and the 12.30 gettign out time then a 3 hour drive home. shame though would have been a laugh, but as Ive said for the last 3 years- Ahhhh may be next year.

[annageek]

What was it like sleeping on board at anchor? I have often wanted to spend a night aboard but swmbo killed that idea hence we also have a fully heated caravan which is a poor substitute in my view.

It's great fun. As I say, we've done it numerous times now, and never tire of it. We tend to opt for Osborne bay, despite that it's a bit rolley (even when there is no wind). Many people complain about thins, but for us it just adds to the fun! And you soon get used to it... or seasick... whichever comes first

We don't have the sides/back part of our camper cover, so up goes the bimini top, and that's been enough shelter for our needs. It can get a bit chilly if there is a breeze blowing across you, so if you do have the sides to your camper cover, they'd probably come in handy... but it's nothing a big coat and can't solve!

We opt for Osborne bay, but if the rolleyness isn't your cup of tea, then I'd imagine somewhere like Newtown Creek would be good. We've never stayed the night there though, and I always worry about swinging on the anchor there... not much room for error if you do drag a bit, and you have to account for the yachts that seem to turn up in the middle of the night and anchor about 10ft away from you for no apparent reason.

Do you leave your nav lights on as well?

I bought a replacement Carling switch (one of these: http://www.mudstuff.co.uk/products/carling-switches-accessories/switches/carling-on-on-off-switch.htmlthe cap just pops off and can be replaced with your original one from your old switch) for the Nav light switch, which is DPDT rather than the original SPST. It now has an extra detent in the middle between the off and on position, which powers the all-round white light, so now we can have the white light only as an anchor light, or white light + sides on. Works nicely! The only thing is, with the canopy up, the white light on (mounted on a pole on the stern quarter) is about equal in height to the canpoy's top, so probably gets obscured a bit from one angle. However, we're normally bobbing around a bit, so it's likely to be revealed from all round at least some of the time and it's so bright, it lights other parts of the boat (including the cockpit - which is handy) so we are visible assuming there's no fog or anything. I keep meaning to make an extender for it to add an extra 30cm or so for when we're anchored, but something always distracts me!

Also, there is the added safety in Osborne bay that there are normally a handful of yachts around, and the beach's swimming area buoys have a flashing orange light atop them, so we normally stay fairly close by.