All good thing come to an end and we had to set sail back to Southampton. After a leisurely start we prepared Yaga for the short hop across the Solent and back to Southampton. We slipped lines at 1020 and Nick reversed Yaga out of her berth in the most professional of manoeuvres, must be the benefits of having such a good instructor ?⛵️.

Sail went up immediatelly and we sailed slowly, but surely out of East Cowes marina an up the river Medina, only putting the engine on to cross the chain ferry.

The sail back was fantastic and the latter part was complted under sail alone and all the way to our berth at Quay Side.

After putting Yaga to bed, we completed our four day adventure with a fantastic meal at Banana Wharf.

What a fantastic four days, with the best of friends and a truely wonderful son.

An early morning start, leaving at 0630, to get to Yaga for a timed departure, on a rising tide and our sail to our first port of call, Beaulieu.

We are joined by our neighbours, Kate and Nick, for a four day extravaganza encompassing Beaulieu, Bembridge, Cowes and finally Southampton.

We slipped lines at 1035 and motored into Southampton Water and after a combination of motor sailing and sailing, and then event entered the beautiful Beaulieu River and made our way upstream to Bucklers Hard and our berth for the night.

After mooring up an a light salad lunch, we made our way on foot to the village of Beaulieu, some two miles upstream.

After enjoying the sights of Beaulieu village, we headed back to Bucklers Hard and our evening meal in the Master Builders’s pub and gardens. Again, followed by football and almost loss of said ball, but this time rescued by Nick.

My usual early morning start to catch the 0840 flight from London Luton to Gdansk. Can’t wait to see my Alex and spend some quality time in the UK for the Easter period.

Together again, in the wonderful city of Gdansk, with glorious sunshine, but max temp of 6 degrees. Back to U.K. on tonight’s flight and to our proper home.

After arriving in the U.K. Alex and I went through the usual rituals of catching up on the usual and normal things in life, that unfortunately he doesn’t get in Poland. That being cycling, swimming and badminton. I must say that he’s a champion fighter at badminton and won all the matches. No photos as I’m embarrassed with my defeat.

We then planned a trip to Lymington, to see Uncle Warren, and help put back his repaired sail cover onto Honolee.

Lunch was provided by Uncle Warren in a fantastic restaurant at Brockenhurst station, “Enzee Ristorante”. Then a quick trip to Yaga, on her new mooring of Quay Side marina on the River Itchin, to tidy up for our Easter adventure.

As Alex wasn’t in the U.K. to enjoy Christmas, my neighbours, Kate and Nick, and I decided to surprise Alex with a mixture of Christmas and Easter. We name this day Eastmas. Whilst Alex and I were out swimming, Kate and Nick went to work in preparing the Christmas tree, decorations and off course the Eastmas egg hunt.

Alex was delighted and surprised when he got home to find a trail of Easter bunny footprints leading to clues and ultimately chocolate eggs.

We had a wonderful Christmas lunch of turkey breast with all the trimmings. Lots of fun and laughter followed by the customary football match in the back garden, only stopped by the loss of the ball into the bramble, by yours truly.

Great fun and a big thank you to our very good friends Kate and Nick, who are now very much part of Alex’s life and like family.

After a wonderful day and night at Bucklers Hards Alex had his customary three “Minute Steak” breakfast and we prepared Yaga for our journey to Bembridge. We slipped lines at 0925 and set sails immediately.

It was delightful sailing out of Bucklers Hard under Gods own power and sailing upstream along the Beaulieu River and into the Solent.

A pleasant sail in glorious sunshine passing Cowes, Osbourne Bay, Osbourne House, Wooten Creek, Ryde and Portsmouth and then a leisurely entry through the winding buoys and into Duvers marina and onto a finger pontoon, mooring up at 1345. The marina was absolutely full, with yachts rafting 5 to 6 in places.

We had the foresight to book “Baywatch on the Beach” for 1815, but prior to that we took the tender out for a potter to the east side of the entrance and Alex had fun digging in tunnels and playing in the sand and all this in amazing sunshine and 26 degree temperatures.

And here is our Easter Weekend story in video format. My first attempt at using LumaFusion a video editing package.