At last the time has come where I can go for a day sail.

I arrived at Quayside Marina at 0730 and made my way to Yaga. She’s been sitting here since August 2019 and the only movement she’s had was horizontal due to the rising and falling tide. She looked impeccable, this is due to the fact that I had commissioned Lewis, a local in Kemps Quay, to wash her every 6 weeks and polish her every 4 months.

If was odd getting back into the routine of preparing her for a sail, but the old routine soon reinforces itself, at bit like riding a bike, once mastered, you never forget.

By 0800, all was ready and I was just waiting for Ed, who arrived promptly at 0810. High water was at 0730 and we have plenty of water to get out.

We slipped lines at 0825 and motored up the river Itchin, past Shamrock Quays and then Ocean Village, both home of Yaga previously.

Even with no wind and motoring through Southampton Water was a wonderful feeling of freedom and peacefulness, away from the madness that has fallen upon us. Once out in the Solent the wind eventually picked up and we were sailing. Turning of the engine and listening to the wind whistle through the rigging and the sea splashing on Yaga’s hull, must be one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

We made are way to Newtown Creek and as we drew closer could see a mass of mast in the creek. So we opted to anchor outside on Hampsted Ledge. We dropped the hook at 1230 in 4 metres of water and settled into a lunch of Chilli Con Carne, which I had prepared earlier, followed by apple strudel, from my local Polish deli.

We could have stayed all day and night for that matter, if it had been allowed, but we had to make our way back to QuaySide and catch the next high tide to enable us to get back into our berth.

Sailing in Southampton Water was eerily quite and only encountering one half laden container ship and an empty cruise liner, probably going out of port to save port charges.

We managed to sail all the way back and were back on the berth by 1753

A fantastic day, with my best mate. Good for the mind, body and soul.