WHITE HORSE CRUISING CLUB EVENTS

Meetings are on the second Monday of each month, at the British Legion Club, Mill Orchard, East Hanney, starting at 8 pm.

RYA Muster 18/19 October 2008 - Cowes.

There are cynics out there who view RYA training as no replacement for experience and that many Yachtmasters are still to be given a wide berth in spite of their elaborately certificated qualifications. Therefore the concept of a cosseted weekend for a members' 'Muster' could well have presented a rather cliquey, regimented 'get together' swarming with Health & Safety do-gooders, well meaning but 'basic' training and providing an ideal opportunity for the various sponsors to swoop on a captive audience already suppressed by the 'credit crunch.'

Not so.

Mike & Barbara Coombes once again very kindly offered four berths for the Green family aboard 'Swift' to join them at the Muster to which they attended last year. These events are held twice a year and primarily through not owning a vessel to get us there, I had not previously considered going along. We have had some great times sailing with Mike & Barbara and the offer of a weekend away with them was enough on its own for us to jump at the opportunity. Amelia was not well so Mel stayed at home with her and poor Barbara had to contend with three chaps as I went just with Ollie (12). It was a race to get to 'Swift' on the Friday night but with the fading light and bad traffic only M & B were there to bring her into an overnight berth in the marina for us to get a good night's kip and make an early start to be at Cowes by 09:00. My guilt at arriving late was only worsened by Mike taking a fall in the low tide silt launching the tender to go out to the swing mooring - a little mud goes a long way on a boat.

Saturday 05:30. Not exactly bright eyed and bushy tailed but we soon slipped from our berth at The Portsmouth Offshore Group and joined - well, no-one actually - out of Portsmouth Harbour and around Gilkicker towards Cowes. A mild 2/3 on the nose (both Beaufort and degrees centigrade!) but clear skies and a good forecast. A total of 24 boats from as far as Swale Marina on the East Coast gathered at Cowes Yacht haven for the weekend. We signed on at 09:00 and were all given a wide array of activities to keep ourselves busy during the day. Immediately you could tell that they knew what they were doing. There were little or no queues all weekend, organisers on every corner and all about as helpful and accommodating as you could imagine. Every activity that I wished to take advantage of, Ollie was treated with equal importance. There was simply too much to do and not enough time to do it justice. We clearly weren't alone in finding that since we saw many of the volunteer organisers working well beyond their allotted slots and well into Sunday morning too. It was all really relaxed and the weather was uncharacteristically warm,dry and sunny. Perfect!

I tended to shadow Ollie for the day on Saturday so that he could get the maximum from it. This meant that we did not concentrate on the numerous 'Master classes' available. These included a practical 'whipping and splicing' class put on by Aladdin's cave and also a session on 'abandoning ship' from Ocean Safety and the RNLI. While Mike & Barbara were taking free advice from the 'Green Blue' on the environmental efficiency of 'Swift' Ollie and I underwent the RYA Powerboat Level 1 course. The four of us benefited greatly from a 'marina yacht handling' which in a School boat gives you the time to test yourself in a variety of different conditions when normally you would be hoping for the easiest berth so you could get moored before closing time (or is it just me?) Interesting that Ollie seemed to come out of that on top - maybe we adults are all beyond listening?!

The highlight of Ollie's day would be the helming of the 860 BHP Sealine Powerboat (quite palatial but no gin in sight). Navigating through the Solent on a busy weekend day was described by our instructor as somewhat akin to threading a shopping trolley through a supermarket full of geriatrics! A real treat for me to experience - let alone Ollie at his age. The sails are of course so much slower out on the water but one key point made was that the boat's wake is so much more intrusive on other vessels unless the Sealine is totally up on the plane at above 12 knots. And I just thought they were trying to be rude. So, so interesting to feel the water from ' the dark side' of motorboating and not sailing; where we cuss them for their lack of courtesy and many other things!

The day was due to round off for us two with a trip out on a keelboat with instructor laid on specifically to take the juniors out. The daylight had beaten us but at least we have something to look forward to for next time. The day's events concluded with an evening at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club with buffet meal, drinks and disco afterwards. Great atmosphere and of course so much in common with all the other guests. There was a generously sponsored raffle in which Ollie rounded his day off by winning a superb Alpine Stereo Media Centre - all he needs now is the boat to go around it!

Huge thanks to M & B for taking us to this event. It was a great surprise how well it was laid on by the RYA and packed with useful marine related activities many of which we never see the opportunity of trying/learning or being involved in. The event was friendly, relaxed, informative, good value, slickly organised and would be enjoyed by anyone from Ollie to the 'ancient mariner'. It will definitely feature on our calendar for next year.

Tim Green

2009

January 12th Club Dinner.

Some thirty members and guests enjoyed their Annual Dinner at The Bear & Ragged Staff in Cumnor.

In brief remarks the Chairman expressed the committee’s pleasure at five new members having joined since September, one of whom, Dave Townsend was present. He also reported on contact with Reg Minal (now set up in Spain), with Pat Lurcook with news of Keith who had suffered a stroke two years ago.
and through the Christensens with John and Elizabeth Spalding (now living in Woodbridge Suffolk) .

Meanwhile Judy Rudham was collecting entries for the Limerick prize draw. Two prizes were won and the benefit to the jollity of the occasion from the number and artistic merit of the contributions was evident. Can one do more than quote two of the more creditable ones just for the record?

A chap from our club climbed his mast
And up it got stuck good and fast
There came to his aid
A whole Fire Brigade,
Para-medics completed the cast
-from Terry Jones

The skipper stood on the heaving deck
He ordered the helm a-lee
He gave a cough
His leg fell off
And floated in the sea
-from Mike Coombes

Some of those we are not quoting nearly brought the house down, but those were only for the ears of those present