Force Seven to Hurst Spit!

It was billed as a cruise in the western Solent. The intention was to cross to the Isle of Wight, pass through Yarmouth Harbour, under the lifting road bridge and up the River Yar to the limit of navigation. The prospects seemed good with a sunny day and winds of 13mph forecast.

Tide times allowed a leisurely start and five wanderers assembled at Keyhaven Yacht Club and rigged ready for briefing at 11.00.  Tides, timings and procedures for passing through the bridge were discussed. By 11.10 the wind sensor at  nearby Hurst Castle was showing an average 16 knots with gusts to 19 knots. Reefing was deemed prudent and we agreed to launch, assemble where the creek from Keyhaven joins the Solent about two miles away and reassess the conditions before heading for the island.

By the time we were changed, launched and out of the shelter of the seawall, it was obvious that the wind had strengthened further and in a breezy westerly (19-23 knots according to the Hurst Castle wind data record) but with reasonably flat water in the shelter of the creek, boats made brisk progress as they reached south towards the castle.

As we left the shelter of land it rapidly became obvious that original plans would have to be abandoned and the order was passed on that sailing should remain inside the creek and that crews might return to the sailing club for lunch when they had had enough. Reaching up and down the creek under reefed main provided exhilarating sailing and amply demonstrated how well wanderers cope in strong winds under reefed mainsail.

The wind was still rising and W1501 capsized in a gust near the seaward end of the spit. Despite the efforts of an athletic crew and helm, they had considerable difficulty in righting the boat and although they were eventually successful, the boat was half full of water and by now the boat was on the gravel lee-shore of the spit. Two other wanderers reached up and down some distance upwind, keeping a visual check that the crew were safe. With an incoming tide there was no danger of being swept out into the Solent where a capsize would have been altogether a different proposition in these conditions.

Andy Peter and David Davies decided to drop their main and run down to the beached W1501 under their small jib to offer assistance. Help was given to get Jonathon and Neil Hilton off the lee shore and under way again.  This left W198 preparing for its own lee shore departure as one of the local club rescue boats, having been alerted to W1501’s  capsize, arrived to offer help. Andy and David  gratefully accepted a tow off the shore whilst they hoisted their mainsail and then enjoyed a wet  but never hairy ride back up the creek to the club. By 13.45 all five wanderers were on their trolleys on the hard whist their crews enjoyed lunch in the sunshine. The wind was now averaging 27 knots with gusts to 31knots and the club racing had been cancelled. Oddly, no-one was that bothered about going out again in the afternoon…..

Participants were:

198      Andy Peter and David Davies

635    David Guy and Jonathon Pollock

680    Mike McMaster and Roy Broadbridge

1164  Colin Edwards and Rachel Edwards

1501  Jonathon Hilton and Neil Hilton