The long awaited day has come. After over three months of lockdown we were finally allowed to venture out onto the water. I had arranged to meet Jack, a friend of mine from my Ealing days. I arrived earlier, 0730, to prepare Seraphim for her first sail of 2021.
The morning was glorious and Universal marina was drenched in sunshine. A perfect day for a sail with light winds and certainly no more than Force 4 from the South West.
Jack arrived promptly at 1000 and we were soon springing the bow out, using an aft spring and entered the mid channel of the river Hamble. After a few manoeuvres, to familiarise myself with Serphim, we motored towards Southampton Water, raising the sail as we headed into wind.
It was wonderful motoring out through the river Hamble. Many memories flooded back of my early sailing days. It was here that I did all my yacht training, from Day Skipper to Yacht Master Instructor. It was here that I sailed my first yacht, Edal, co owned with my best friend of 55 years, Edward. Familiar home waters and the very heart of English sailing.
Once in Southampton Water, the engine was turned off, and we were under the graceful power of the wind, probably the most wonderful sound in the world, is the cutting of the engine and the gentle splashing of wave against the hull of a graceful yacht. There was not much traffic, but we were greeted by two Isle of Wight ferries.
We tacked our way through the Solent and towards Newton Creek. Seraphim performed wonderfully and gracefully. And we managed to sail all the way into the creek and if we a little bit more adventurous would have picked up the mooring buoy under sail, but we only just stopped short of that.
Being in the creek again was serene and we settled into our tranquil surroundings with good lashings of homemade soup and homemade sourdough bread.
After lunch, and with the tide turning Eastwards, we made our way back to the river Hamble. We goose-winged eastwards down the Solent and the entered Southampton Water with the wind on our beam.
We finished the day, arriving back on our home berth at just before 1800. A beautiful day, with great company.