Cyclone of Langstone: It's a small world....

Our renowned dedication to detailed planning and sheer hard graft ensured that, with 6 months advance knowledge of our intended departure date and no jobs to go to we, er..., weren't ready. Still, it's unlucky to leave on a Friday and to do so on Friday 1st April would surely be pushing it!

So it was on Saturday 2nd April that our friends and neighbours Janet and Geoff kindly dropped us off at Chichester marina from where we set sail for Brighton.

Leaving Chichester Harbour

This was one of those trips where the wind direction was such that we couldn't steer our desired course - when we changed our course, the wind changed direction too! Welcome back to the realities of sailing...

So it was 8 hours of tacking later that we finally reached Brighton - a bit chilled, truth be told, as rain had replaced the sun we'd started off with.

Brighton Marina

So why the reference to a small world? Well, on only the second day of this year's cruise, I saw a familiar looking boat tying up to a nearby pontoon. On board were Mike and Kate who we'd last seen in Laboe on the Kieler fjord! It was great to catch up with them and we had an enjoyable evening at the nearby Wetherspoon's discussing what we'd each been up to since we last met.

On our return to our respective vessels, they realised that the boat tying up across the pontoon from them belonged to two Australian friends of theirs. We all retired to Mike and Kate's boat where we learned that the Australians - Phil and Katrina of Restless Spirit - had sailed from their home country 3 years ago and made their way here via Brazil, the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Azores - oh, and they'd circumnavigated the UK and Ireland for good measure too! This year they're heading to the Baltic where they intend to visit Russia and the Baltic states amongst other countries. Sure puts our little jaunts into perspective.

So it truly is a small world and yes Nigel, I know you wouldn't want to paint it!

We're now tied up in Eastbourne, after an 0600 departure from Brighton, deliberating over our next move. We had intended to go to London - and still might - but, then again, it is a bit out of the way and very expensive. Mike and Kate spent £80 a night to moor their 12.5m yacht in St. Katherine's dock (by Tower bridge) and it must therefore cost £60+ a night for our smaller boat.