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Lymington Rally - 19-21 April 2024 Yet again the weather turned out not to be as forecast. Luckily we had a lovely gentle sail over to Dan Bran on the Thursday along with Pikorua and were surprised to find Ismana already happily berthed. The rest of the fleet arrived almost all together around midday on the Friday after a fairly windy and very cold sail (or a slighty warmer motor-ed). Lymington Harbour had given us nearly all of South pontoon and their berthing plan so via the WhatsApp group members were informed of where to berth and which boat to raft on, only 2 abreast, and help was at hand for each incoming boat. Most stayed around the pontoon in the afternoon trying to get warm with pontoon drinks at 18.30 hrs. near Bright Future. Dining was own arrangements and most went to the Mayflower for a delicious dinner. Westray was the last to arrive at around 20.15 hrs and luckily Legato was on hand to assist. Saturday was beautifully sunny, but a cold wind blew around the pontoon – not very April like at all. The morning was free to walk into Lymington or around the Keyhaven Marshes. At 13.30 hrs. most crews gathered around Bright Future for the Scavenger Hunt. Teams were formed, rules were read and as the foghorn sounded they were off. They were tasked with photographing various items around the area including 3 items on their sail over to Dan Bran. For example, a transit, a menu, a marsupial, a defibrillator, the highest SSR number when all the numbers are added together, neoprene and a reflection of a team member. There were 37 items to photograph in all and most items were not too far away, but some teams went all the way up Lymington High Street in search of a marsupial (found in a toy shop) although there was a huge stuffed kangaroo in the window of a house near Bath Road Park! It was fun to watch all the headless chickens running around asking do you mean a Transit or a Transit van? The choice was theirs. All team members had to report to the Mayflower pub garden at 15.00 hrs otherwise they would lose points. Bathia arrived on the Saturday just as the hunt got started which was fortunate as Rob and Katie had been coerced to adjudicate the scoring. Photos were examined, discussed and disputed, bribes were taken and eventually all the clues scored. At 18.00 hrs we gathered again for pre-dinner drinks and the Grand Prize Giving. The Motor Boaters (Saskia and Lucca) came in third, largely down to Mike failing to take a photo of a date even though Hilary was pointing at it! Pikaleg (Pikorua and Legato) came a close second having found all the clues but finding a lower SSR number and Ismana won having found all the clues in record time – they were back in the Mayflower by 14.36 hrs. They were duly presented with a magnum of champagne. At 19.30 hrs we strolled over to the Haven where we enjoyed a fabulous meal, great company and plenty of wine. Sunday dawned again sunny, cold and with a North-easterly pinning us onto the pontoon. Some went early to catch the tide, some went later when the wind was a bit gentler and some, with discretion being the better part of valour, decided to stay another night. Thank you to all for joining the rally, it was refreshing to see so many faces new and old and a good time was had by all. Jane & Alan - Bright Future Time to get back on the water Live Weather & Radio Checks National Coastwatch Institute volunteers regularly transmit details of current weather conditions at their local watch station on VHF Ch 65. The timetable for their regular transmissions is available as a PDF NCI Broadcast Times - Solent.pdf You can also call up the local NCWI station on VHF Ch 65 for current weather details or simply to test your AIS or VHF radio signal. Winter Talk no. 3 Gas Safety on boats The last talk this winter was given by Dave Waugh of Apollo Gas together with Izzy his attractive four-legged assistant. Dave is a PSYC sail member and keeps his boat in the marina.
Dave reminded us the need to keep gas pipework, fittings and cookers under review at least annually. He told us in particular how LPG eats the inside of the orange pipework from the inside so boat owners don’t know they have a problem until the worst happens. I heard one or two sharp intakes of breath as he said that these need to be changed every five years (they are all date stamped). He also reminded us of the importance of having a carbon monoxide alarm in the cabin which should be positioned at head height and a gas alarm which should be positioned as low as possible. He advised us how to check regulators and clean cooker burners from time to time. For those boat owners who do not have gas on board and believe this talk is of no concern to them, Dave suggested that a fire caused by a gas leak on the boat on the next-door berth might not be covered by the owner’s insurance if the pipework and fittings are not regularly maintained. Dave has offered a 10% discount for gas services to all PSYC members and would be pleased to hear from any boat owner. Gail | Upcoming events! May has arrived at last some dryer weather and even some sunshine in the forecast – fingers crossed. The rally season is well on the way, each venue has a different limit on the number of berths available. If you find the rally you want to go on is “full” please put your name on the “waiting list” as unfortunately - life gets in the way, sometimes members have to cancel their booking – if you are on the waiting list you will automatically move on to the booked list (and will be notified by email). Currently we have a few spaces on the upcoming rallies – so it’s not too late to register! The Summer Staycation is now open for bookings – please, book in early to avoid disappointment, again we are restricted on numbers at the evening events. This year we have a wide range of things to do over the weekend, the first one, a Caribbean evening at Oyster Quay, Saturday afternoon picnic with friends and families – lots of fun and games on the park. Then, Saturday night, dust off your dancing shoes, DJ’s and posh frocks for the Summer Soiree at the Port House. Then to round off the weekend on Sunday, it’s off on the tenders to Trafalgar Wharf (or a gentle stroll) for brunch! Please contact me directly if you have any thoughts for next year’s events or places to rally to. It’s always good to have new ideas. I look forward to hearing from you. Gail - Commodore Events
Winter Walk no. 3 Northney Circular After a week of almost continuous rain, all awoke to sunny skies and a gentle breeze. We had previously found deep pools of water barring the planned route, an early recce found the flooding was still there, Plan B - slightly longer was invoked. We returned to The Ship Inn to await arrivals at the already bustling car park. 22 members arrived; after a short briefing we set off dodging traffic to cross the busy Hayling access road and over the bridge for the Hayling Billy Trail. Competing for space with other walkers, cyclists and joggers, we turned off the track after 300 yards to follow the edge of Langstone Harbour. To our side, we could see the old oyster beds,killed off by sewage outflow in 1902. Half an hour into the walk, we had a coffee break at the ‘truck’, then assembled for a group photo, with The Spinnaker Tower in the distance as back-drop. We took a narrow footway through a ‘kissing gate’ and into the tranquility of the churchyard of St Peter’s Church. This Norman church (1140), is the oldest on the island and still in regular use. Dodging the stream and daffodils, a few of the group made a short detour, to find the headstone of Russian Princess Catherine Yourievsky [1880-1959], a daughter of Tsar Alexander II. Onward across heavy wet terrain, we rounded fields until briefly joining Northney Road. 150 yards further took us to a farm track, heading westwards. A zigzag along the ensuing paths brought us to a stile, at the rear of the petrol station and the end of our walk. Members then made their own way back across Hayling Bridge to The Ship and to their cars, which were still secure at low tide. Thanks to all for your company and conversation. Richard and Carole and Ruby. - ‘Thomas Hardy’ Ed - a full report appears on the Social Page of the website. |
We re-traversed the A3023, and endured a not-so-pleasant stretch along the main road before turning towards Northney Farm. A sign to avoid the farmyard, took us through a heavily-sodden energy-sapping field, before emerging onto a wide hard-core track. This soon met up with our original route past the dormant sunflower fields, these glorious flowers are grown by the farmer and sold on site.Need Help on the website- click here