The last post?

I would like to say a big 'thank you' to everyone who has followed the progress of Blue Star around the GB coastline, everyone who has sailed with us and everyone who has helped us with our fund-raising! It has been a wonderful adventure - the scenery, the wildlife, the people, the sailing, the challenges we faced and the fundraising. I hope that our tale might inspire others to do something similar; if you think you might like to do it then I say 'Go for it!'

But what next of us.....?

Blue Star is soon to have some maintenance work done on her, after which she will be sold (gasp!). She was bought specifically for the GBchallenge project and it was always our intention to sell her at the end of the project. If you spot her on the water please give her crew a wave and remember what a special boat she is!

Roger has been so inspired by the project that he has decided to buy another yacht and plans to get to know the south coast more intimately. 'Star Mist' will be sailing in the Solent and surrounding waters during the summer of 2017. Do give a wave if you see her.

My sailing plans for next year are as yet unconfirmed but may well include: sailing with SCC club members, an entry in the Round The Island Race and perhaps some warm weather sailing (that would make a change!). I also hope to continue to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust through sailing activities and through giving talks about sailing. Do stop and have a chat if you see me, and do get in touch if you would like me to give a talk for your club.

The blog? This will be my final post in connection with the Blue Star project. I may continue to make posts about future sailing however, so please keep a look-out! You can also sign up to be alerted of posts via email alert form at the foot of the right hand column of the blog - just enter your email address and you should get an automatic notification. The Virgin Money Giving page will also remain active for several more months - after which I will probably start a new one!

Thank you once more to everyone who has followed and supported the Blue Star GB Challenge project!

.......oh go on then! One last joke that made me smile:
'My wife is sailing to Venezuela!'
'Caracas?'
'Yes, I said she was too!'

Lymington to Buckler's Hard, and the 'finish line' at Hythe!

Belated posts below (sorry - I had no internet, and then was busy celebrating!)

Friday 16 September - Lymington to Buckler’s Hard

Buckler’s Hard is a beautiful boatyard on the Beaulieu River in the New Forest. It is the place where ships that fought at the battle of trafalgar were built, as well as torpedo boats used in WW2. Now it is also part-museum with cottages of former boat-builders of old, well renovated, now lining the ‘high street’ (actually a grassed bank) which leads from the visitor centre to the river and to the pub and hotel. It is a favourite stopping place for many yachts, and well worth a visit if you get the opportunity to do so.

Jean-Francois and Joan left the boat this morning to deal with issues at home, leaving Roger, Judith and myself to take Blue Star to Buckler’s Hard. There we met Susan and John who were staying at the hotel in readiness to attend Blue Star’s formal arrive home in Hythe on Saturday.

Joke:

Velcro – what a rip-off!

Looking down the 'high street' towards the river

Looking out across the river

Saturday 17 September - Buckler’s Hard to Hythe

We left Buckler’s Hard at 9.00am and motored gently down the Beaulieu river and out into the Solent. There was a fair wind so we hoisted the mainsail and showed off our ‘Woolcool’ logo again! Off Calshot the North-West wind and waves came at us all the way down Southampton Water and it became quite difficult to make progress against them. Slowly we inched our way forward and finally saw the crowd of supporters and well-wishers standing on the quayside and Hythe to welcome us in. It was really good to see everyone there and it made a lovely welcome back to Hythe for us. Thank you everyone for all of your support! I did a short celebratory jig (see it here Mike's Deck Jig) on the foredeck to an Elvis's 'Return To Sender' and everyone joined us aboard Blue Star for a celebratory drink of champagne. In the evening we held a celebratory dinner in the evening at which Roger and I were each presented with a Woolcool GB Challenge trophy, a Blue Star medal and a 'shipping forecast' mug! Three trophies in one day - not a bad haul!

Joke:

A very nervous first-time crew members asks the captain ‘Do yachts like this sink very often?’  The captain replies ‘No, it’s usually only the once’. J

Friends and family gather in Hythe ready to welcome us back

Blue Star shows up as planned at 1200 hours!

Celebrations begin onboard Blue Star

Roger and I being presented with the Woolcool GB Challenge Trophy

Cowes to Lymington

We have plenty of time to spare before our formal ‘finish’ on Saturday so we took time out to enjoy some sailing in the Solent today before returning to Lymington to collect Judith who is now our fifth crew member. It was once more interesting to compare how busy things are in the Solent, where yacht crews are simply expected to exercise responsibility and care themselves, with the approach in many other ports where they consider themselves to be so busy that yachts are carefully managed via instructions broadcast over VHF radio. Today we also saw Ben Ainslie’s America’s Cup team practicing in the Solent today – they sailed within about 5m of Blue Star’s stern, so we had a great view! It was disappointing that Berthon marina in Lymington 'never do anything like support charity sailing boats' whilst east cowes marina had given us a 50% discount! Thank you East Cowes marina, your support is really appreciated! Very disappointing Berthon - 0 out of 10, we probably won't come again.

Jokes:

• A boat carrying red paint crashed into a boat carrying blue paint and the crew were marooned.
• Making a boat out of stone would be a hardship!

  

  Three vessels converge on us at the same time!

  

  Ben Ainslie's America's Cup team wizz past us!

Lymington to Cowes

This morning Peter Brown, Roger’s neighbour, came to visit us at the Lymington Town Quay where we were berthed. Peter posted several comments on Blue Star’s facebook and blog so it was nice to meet him in person. After leaving Lymington we sailed and motored to Newtown Creek where we anchored for lunch amongst the many other boats that were also anchored there. Newtown has an interesting history. There is some evidence that it was attacked by the Danes, but by the mid-14^th century it was a thriving commercial centre. Then the plague struck and the French ransacked the town after which it never recovered. Today it is owned by the National Trust and it is also a sanctuary for wildlife. Evidence of the old quay can still be seen, but there are no buildings left. After lunch we proceeded to East Cowes marina where we dined out with my sister, Pat.

Joke:

Customer: ‘Do you have a sextant please?’

Sales Assistant: ‘We have all kinds of tents sir. You can do anything you like in them’.

Newtown Creek

Looking back towards the sea from East Cowes marina

Poole to Lymington

We spoke with Lucy and with Jake who had arrived in Poole from Alderney by small sailing catamaran, ‘A Roamer of Alderney’. Jake had attended a meeting in London and today they set out for Alderney again. A Roamer had reached speeds of 15 knots and they had dealt with some rough seas on the way to Poole. They hoped to fly their repaired spinnaker to get faster speeds on the return leg! Hmmm! Interesting, considering that Blue Star cruises at 5 knots! Jake and Lucy help to run barefootboatbums.com

Later this morning Hilary and Duncan and Archie (the dog) came aboard Blue Star in glorious sunshine and we sailed out of Poole harbour to the sea, then returned when we saw the lightening flashes! Some of us got absolutely drenched bringing the boat back to the marina where we had coffee and then lunch before our visitors departed. We then sailed, well mostly motored, to Lymington, catching more rain on the way. At Lymington Judith (Roger’s wife) and her friend Jane came aboard for dinner before leaving.

Joke:

Q. What do you call dangerous precipitation?

A. A rain of terror!

Jake aboard 'A Roamer of Alderney'.

Approaching Hurst Narrows. Familiar waters after so many miles!

Weymouth to Poole

We were on a collision course with the other vessel, a medium sized motor boat. We were under sail – a reefed main and genoa. Clearly we were the stand on vessel, and the motorboat the give way vessel. We were getting rather close and starting to sweat. Stand on or give way anyway? We bore away to port, as the collision regulations require of us if it seems a collision is otherwise unavoidable. Blow me! The motor boat changed course to put us back on a collision path! We hardened up and headed more to starboard again, on our original course. The motor boat again changed course so that we were on a collision path again! There was really nothing more we could do than to allow the motor boat to approach very close, at which point it slowed right down to have a good look at us. A large sign on its side read ‘Sea Cadets’! Then away it zoomed! We gave them an icy stare as they sped off. We really could do without motorboat crews who thinks it’s a good idea to keep on altering course so as to threaten a collision. It has happened to us before, and really annoys me! I think maybe they just wanted to have a close look at the yacht with all those sponsors' names on, but even so!

Earlier John-Francois’s wife, Joan, had joined the crew. We had motored out of Weymouth into a choppy sea, heading out to avoid the army firing range zone where we might otherwise have a shell put through our hull. (Hazardous preoccupation this sailing business!). It was not comfortable at all. Once we were able to turn east, having reached the limits of the firing range, we were able to sail and the motion of the boat was slightly more comfortable. Once around St Alban’s Head and then Anvil Point the motion improved again. We took tea and sandwiches (OK and biscuits too) for lunch. We looked out for fishing pot markers that we needed to avoid hitting, then passed Old Harry and his wife before entering Poole harbour. All done after about 6 hours and 29 miles.

Joke:

They told me I had type A blood, but it was a typo.

Approaching Anvil Point

Old Harry, just outside Poole harbour

On to Weymouth

The other craft was catching up with us slowly but surely. We had full sail up already, and well trimmed, so there was little else we could do to get more speed. We considered jettisoning some weight but no-one volunteered. I gave the order to bring the cannon to the aft deck and blow them out of the water! Ahhrrghh! That last bit was my imagination, and the other craft we decided was a bigger yacht and was able to sail faster for that reason. I raised the question of skill and ability as sailors but was quickly shouted down.

Sadly we had to say farewell to Chris and to Keith earlier in Brixham as they had other commitments that prevented them staying aboard for the trip to Weymouth. Thus there were just three of us aboard today for the trip – Roger, Jean-Francois and myself. We slipped lines shortly after 6.00am and motored out into the bay and on towards Weymouth. It was still a little dark and we could see the navigation lights of a few other vessels that were also on the move. There was little wind so no sails were hoisted initially. Soon the wind filled in though and full sail was raised, and we powered along at 6 knots plus on a flat (ish) sea. Just great! It was all meant to be like this, not just the occasional day! As we approached Weymouth harbour we had to wait outside whilst the Waverley left port before we had permission to enter the harbour. One or two other boats didn’t bother to wait and promptly got told off by the authorities! There was some kind of event taking place in the town. What was it? I strode up the ramp from the harbour pontoon to make my way to the harbour office – and suddenly found myself taking part in the running stag of a triathlon! Why on earth did someone have the bright idea of placing the track where I was likely to need to walk (or should I say run)?

Tomorrow we sail for Poole.

Joke:

All the toilets at the police station have been stolen. The police have nothing to go on!

 Blue Star powers her way across Lyme Bay under full sail

The ramp from the pontoon arrives at street level and hey presto - you're in a triathlon!