Poole to Poole - glorious day sail

Top day ... again.  We are constantly amazed by how lucky we are being with the weather - and how civilised the tide timings are as well.  Last year we were still wearing thermals, and getting up at 4am.

So today we ambled through ablutions (Port of Poole Marina) and breakfast (on-board - resorted to cereal as too hot for porridge, even for Lesley).  Then we joined the Sunday morning exodus of yachts and motor boats out through the harbour; not much heed is paid to the rules of the sea, there are boats going in all directions - it's a big test of our peripheral vision, especially as we were hauling the sails up.  The wind was a decent F3-4 from the East, better than the virtual calm forecast.

We sailed over to Studland, just because for Nic it's an echo of sailing the dinghy here with his Dad, and to see how many boats were anchored there ... loads!  Then we did a 6 mile leg over to Hengistbury Head (Christchurch) on a close reach, and then a broad reach back along the seafront of Boscombe, Bournemouth, Branksome and Sandbanks.  This was the quintessentially perfect sailing.  The entry to Poole Harbour through the Haven from this direction is along the East Looe Channel to avoid sand banks (Sandbanks - geddit?) and even there we only had 0.7m under the keel at times - we would not attempt this in rough conditions.

Bournemouth and it's captive balloon ride

Bournemouth beach was busy

passing close to The Haven, entering Poole Harbour

Then the climax of a perfect day sail, again especially for Nic given his history, was sailing through the Haven - the wind was astern and dying, the tide was with us causing strange waves and pulling the boat around, and we got lucky with the Ferry who has absolute right of way, he was loading as we (and numerous others) swirled past.  We had the engine on in neutral just in case, which is good practice but we did sail in.  The sky was still blue, the sun shone, and the sea sparkled - just like it's supposed to in flaming June.

Har, har - sailed past the Ferry

Pottery Pier, Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour
- there's red squirrels in them pine trees

We downed the sails in a quiet patch of the harbour (well, relatively quiet - it is almost un-be-lievable how many boats of all sorts and sizes are traipsing, swishing and zooming about), and we moseyed between lines of moorings to an area recommended by the Pilot book for anchoring - Pottery Pier on the west end of Brownsea Island.  There were 15 or so boats here when we arrived, with much shrieking from those who threw themselves into the water (not us this time).  We sat and drowsed and read books - so lovely to have idle moments.  Then the welcome jingle of the Cadburys Boat - an ice-cream van on the water, who we first saw in Studland 2 nights ago - another ice-cream for Nic.  Now at 2130 it is still broad daylight and there's just 3 boats sitting in glass calm water watching the dying embers of the sunset.