Yarmouth (IoW) addendum

Lesley admiring classic boats

Fri 23 May:  It is a pleasant evening now, back on the boat in Yarmouth harbour, relaxing after a large stir-fry topped with fresh tuna steak courtesy Waitrose in East Cowes.  We'd hopped on the bus from Newport to go to the Classic Boat Museum, which was brilliant - a slightly chaotic treasure trove of pictures, documents and models of the beautiful racing yachts of yesteryear, plus a variety of ancient dinghies and miscellaneous small boats lovingly restored by the museum volunteers.

NB we are putting up smaller pics to take less space, just click them to enlarge

ocean-going China Blue

Nic 35 Coriander at Yarmouth, 
as mentioned in previous blog

Going back to yesterday, in Newtown Creek, there was a very interesting little yacht at anchor - we had to pass very close on our way out due to the lack of water - called China Blue.  A little googling showed this is a famous boat, a folkboat with a junk rig - there's lots of background at this link

Storm and fury

We're writing this in a cafe in Newport as the rain beats down outside. 
Yesterday started peacefully in the glorious calm of Newtown Creek. Later that morning a violent thunderstorm burst above the boat, with driving rain and rumbles and flashes for hours. We felt safe and cosy inside Sirena IV. Later that afternoon the storms blew away and we set off, at half tide, for the short journey west to Yarmouth. It was a tricky departure. As Lesley detached us from the big mooring buoy, Nic had to swing the boat around in about 2 feet of water under the keel to find our way through a narrow deeper channel, using the chart plotter (like a satnav) and the depth gauge. 
We did touch bottom but reversed off successfully! 
The rest of the trip was pleasant and straightforward, and the harbourmaster at Yarmouth  showed us to our berth just before the rain began and the giant Wightlink ferry barged into the harbour. 
We spotted another Nicholson 35, Coriander and spent some time with its owner Adrian in the Kings Head nearby. We took a taxi to do some food shopping because we planned to be away from land for a while anchored off Studland beach, Nic's childhood sailing ground. The plan was to leave at 0630 today, to catch a good tide for going through the Needles channel. 
But when day dawned, the weather forecast had worsened. We would be anchored at studland in force 6 or 7 from the southeast, the worst possible direction. It was blowing a hoolie as we made the decision to go back to bed. And that's why we're in a cafe in Newport, having come here by bus, as a way of making some fun out of a filthy day.