Eight Wanderers (and a Laser) attended the West Solent Cruise based at hospitable Keyhaven Yacht Club on Saturday 11th June. Single handers Errol Baker and Bob Palling were first visiting boats on the hard, soon followed by Wanderer cruising stalwarts Tim and Niamh Robertson and three more visitors. After a briefing on the Yacht Club lawn and a unanimous decision to head for the Isle of Wight, the fleet set off in a gentle south easterly  with a favourable east-flowing tide and bright dry weather.

The wind swung immediately swung to the south making it a beat out of the Keyhaven River with moored yachts, fishing boats and some just covered shallows to contend with. The leading boats waited for the stragglers on Hurst Spit and then all set off on a close reach towards Yarmouth. It was a smooth uneventful sail until we tried to find somewhere suitable to land. Andy Peter had a close look at the beach just to the east of Yarmouth pier but some large stones and the ferry wash proved unwelcoming and the fleet headed east along the north shore of the Isle of Wight only to find landing on the next sheltered sandy beach prevented by a manmade shallow water barrier.

With the tide turning to run west, we took advantage and reached back past Yarmouth and pulled the boats up at the west end of the beach to the west of Yarmouth harbour. With a plan to get back to the Keyhaven Yacht Club bar before closing time at 3.00 some boats set sail again fairly quickly but only a few were successful in their quest for refreshment as both Winton built boats launched only to find fine gravel had jammed their centreboards. Although Salt Peter's was freed relatively easily, Swallow has to be lifted out of the water and laid on its side in an attempt to move the board. Despite lots of effort it could not be freed. Luckily the sail back to Keyhaven was a broad reach and Bob and Karin made light of sailing back with no centreboard down.

Once back at the Yacht Club, Swallow was tipped up on the grass and brute force and a hammer eventually triumphed over ingenuity and a hosepipe and Swallow was relaunched. Four crews decided that their trip to the isle of Wight was enough excitement for one day but four wanderers went out again to take advantage of the double high tide to sail in Keyhaven's creeks and channels, not returning until after 5.15 which gave just the right amount of time to pack up before the bar opened again at 6.00.

Those attending were: