An early start on Saturday 20th. We had said our farewells and were out through the lock by 7.20 am and into the Channel. The weather was perfect and the forecast was good and we had all day to make Brighton.
An early start….
Through the lock and off to Brighton!
Goodbye Chichester!
After about 45 minutes we were over the Bar and on to West Pole where we put up the sails, motor off and changed course to 130 towards the Boulder buoy.
Approaching the Bar Beacon.
West Pole…it always starts from here.
We made great progress and reached the Boulder buoy, a distance of about 6.5 nm in just over an hour.
Passing Boulder buoy off Selsey Bill.
At Boulder we changed course to 090 and sailed on a broad reach for 6 nm to the East Borough Head buoy. It has a bell that rings out which we could not hear it until we were well past it.
East Borough Head buoy in the background.
On passing the East Borough Head buoy we changed course again to 075 for Brighton. As we were on a very broad reach and a rolling sea we rigged a gybe preventer, it is only a line from the boom end and towards the bow and round the forward cleats and back to the cockpit. As the genoa was not pulling well and the wind was up to a Force 5 we took it in to make it a bit more comfortable!
Gybe preventer – it gives us a lot of comfort for downwind sailing!
We sailed past Littlehampton, Worthing, Shoreham, Hove and finally Brighton. It was easy to see 10 miles off because of the “donut on a stick”!
Looking towards Hove and Brighton.
The entrance to the Marina was difficult to see so we sailed past a little way and watched a couple yachts go in and out. There was a deep swell so we took in the sails but it was too dangerous to put out the fenders. That would have to wait until we were in!
Going in was a bit exciting as our entry coincided with a fishing boat which I let lead the way. It is a narrow channel that sweeps first to port and then starboard but it is well buoyed……and has a big dredger and barge moored in the middle of the fairway!
We were helped with our lines by Hamish, the pontoon master and we tied up to the visitor pontoon for the night before moving to a long term berth for the next few weeks in the morning .
Grace safely berthed.
My completed log with a total run of 38nm.
but for the Grace 