In October every last good day for sailing is precious. So we were pleased to be able to get out for an "end of season" sail on the Solent in our yacht at the weekend. The weather was dry with a rather chilly Northerly breeze blowing in our faces as we made our way down river and into the Solent, but once out there the wind eased completely! We raised the sails and tried to sail East, but to make any headway we needed to have the motor on too. Looking up at our Main it seems I have a bit of sail repair work to do over the winter months- our sail number is now a little tattered.
Of course if you are a speed boat, it was perfect conditions as the sea was smooth. I had to be quick with the camera for this shot as it whizzed by!
The water and sky look so amazing on a calm October day, the sun was trying to break through and bring us a little warmth. A woolly jumper, headband and a flask of hot coffee was keeping me snug.
At this time of year Norris Castle is more visible through the trees.
After enjoying our packed lunch on board we headed back to our mooring, a very light breeze started to blow in from a SE direction, we left the Main up and when the wind occasionally blew more Easterly it filled the sail and aided our speed and passage home.
Even though we didn't have much of a "proper sail" as we had to keep the motor running for the day, (there wasn't enough wind to sail without) it was still wonderful to shake out the sails and give them an airing. Nearing the end of our sailing season means weather and tide opportunities to sail are much less so days like today are special.
