RIR but not as it ought to be !

It's been nearly a month since I've seen my skipper, but as thought the scaffolding around his house has meant his attentions have been on Dagmar House and not me.

This weekend was this years Round the Island Race, but I knew something wasn't usual as I had no visitors leading up to the weekend or on the Friday before the race itself.  However on Saturday I heard the Yamaha outboard heading my way will the skipper on board, bu the didn't set about fitting the AIS properly nor getting the Webasto heater ducting sorted out, but he was preparing me for sail. Then it hit me, the river taxi pulled up near by and off loaded six other people including a small child.  The wind fairly strong didn't take long to blow me off the pontoon once the guests had been put through the safety talk and had warm tea inside them.  It was quiet out in the Solent but the wind blew quite hard from the West.

My engine was left on tick over but in gear and the Jib was unfurled but reefed slightly to prevent a roll developing making the newcomers from feeling the effects.  With the wind refusing to ease, I was guided over to Osborne Bay where my anchor came out.  Skipper realising that the further East I went the further they'd have to endure the effects of a head on wind.  Incredibly as lunch was being prepared, Pheado 3 a trimaran was heading for the finish followed shortly afterwards by Leopard a huge mono hull.  There was a lot of activity on CH16 as boats broke, people went over board and even one sank, wind increased if anything, but following lunch the opinion was to return home under the lee of the island to keep out of the waves as best as possible.  The new prop biting hard in to the water maintained a healthy 5.1 knots despite 27 knots of actual and 32 of apparent wind speed.

Skip knows his stuff and the pontoon was clear of Polly & Craftmans Art, probably still the other side of the island, so had a free run back to the pontoon against the wind.  With another brew on go until the allocated free ferry time had surpassed allowing the crew to disembark, then Skip tidied me up.  I'm pleased to report that no hick up occurred, everything that work before worked now.

That didn't include the Marlec wind generator, whose absence is still felt since I've been back in the water.  I think that one's going to end up in court.  Still the alternator and intelligent regulator had been running all afternoon and so my batteries had been replenished.

So it's now July and thoughts must be focused on the one purpose I have.  That is to take my regular crew away for August and provide them with a stress free time.  Although I think Skip still likes to clean here and there, or tweak something, as he has the time to just wallow in self indulgence whilst on board. I'm also of the belief that we'll be leaving a week early.  I'm so looking forward to being out, away from the confines of the muddy Medina river, that tries to blemish all the hard work my Skipper did to my hull over winter and give something back.