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Poole 15th July

Yacht Quintet
At Anchor
South Deep
Poole Harbour
Dorset

15th July, 2005

The sun shone and a gentle breeze rippled the waters of Poole Harbour when we got up this morning. Really. No joshing.

So, as it seemed too nice a day to waste sailing, we had a leisurely breakfast, showered, donned new team shirts and strolled in to Poole town.

It's changed a bit since I was last here when there was a choice of tying up against the quay or tying up against the quay. There is now an enclosed marina the signs for which say it is Dolphin Marina although when one telephones, they insist it is now Town Quay Marina. And on the other side of the quay there pubs and pubs.

We chose the Poole Arms for lunch, with its green tile cladding and cosy, homely interior. Clive took the herring roes on toast and I went for a pan-fried mackeral and they were both delicious. The Ringwood bitter was also very fine.

But we stopped at just one pint and headed into town for boring banking and the odd provisions; fresh bread, salad, yoghurt, mushrooms and Araldite (the Araldite is for the broken strut on the skylight).

Then it was back to the boat and a jug of Pimms to prepare for the marathon voyage around to South Deep to anchor for the night.

We did help another sailor turn his yacht prior to his departure for a weekend of creek crawling inside the harbour. Pretty boat, built in Christchurch, and obviously much loved. Shame the skipper wasn't around to help us get out. With a following wind and pretty narrow channels between the finger berths, we finished up leaning against the boats downwind before extricating ourselves without damage, to us or them. Then we motored out into the North Channel and headed for our chosen anchorage in South Deep.

We had considered getting the water taxi back to Poole Quay for the evening but having seen the water taxi on our way over, we have decided a night on the anchorage, drinking our own wine might be better.

The channel into South Deep is broad and well marked but finding an appropriate anchorage with the depth sounder on the blink called for courage and faith in the lead line. At least it still works when damp. So we are parked in a little more than two metres at high tide but with a tidal range in here of less than a metre we should be fine.

So we've had some fine Lincolnshire sausages, fitting as we began our voyage on the Lincolnshire, with potatoes and salad and a bottle or two of our cheapest French wine and it has been very pleasant.

We have had a call from friends who are sailing a Hallberg Rassy down to Poole tomorrow and we have decided to defer our departure from Poole to meet them. Mind you, it's a bit of a bugger that Dolphin Marina, or whatever they're calling it this week, is full. We shall have to renegotiate with Parkstone for another night. Hope we didn't bend a boat on the way out.

Now where is that bottle of wine? And maybe I'll prepare the lee cloth in case she leans in the night. And should I sleep in a lifejacket?

Les Sutcliffe