Down Channel 6

 

Beyond the lock, seals luxuriate amid the unctuous undulations of a glistening mud bank.

Watching the Bank holiday boaters' antics. An unusual preponderance of north easterly winds, over winter, has driven silt into the approach channel. Reducing depths by a metre and a half. Snaring the unwary, in the four hours surrounding low water springs.

The spectating family's heads swivel in unison, as boats glide to a silent halt and engine revs rise in vain. Indignant voices too. The lack of depth will be a factor in our departure plans. Ordinarily, dead low water would be our choice, westbound.

Inside the harbour basin craft flit busily to and fro.

And make their preparations for sea.

The powerful passage making breezes, of our cruise thus far, have puffed themselves out. Stargazer's ensign, streaming steadily this past week, is barely aflutter. The forecasts suggest that this may remain the case, for ten days or more. We will need to rethink our plans, for a single multi-tide hop past Selsey Bill. But move on we shall.

Sovereign Harbour is possessed of everything that a boat on passage may need, for her upkeep.

That of her crew too. 

But it is not a place to linger for pleasure's sake. We must make more westing to find such spots. 

The light winds lend themselves to a series of short, single tide hops. With dark still falling at twenty one hundred, this early in the season, and the tidal clock setting arrival times very close to that critical hour (and growing later by forty five minutes daily), we will likely put in some consecutive passages.  Until we find somewhere scenic to wait, for a fair wind to France.