Forecast: Mostly cloudy showers around

Max 16 deg min 10 deg

Wind south westerly 3 or 4 increasing 5 or 6

Visibility mod or good

As usual Ian Johnson was preparing the Three Brothers for the sail when Jack and I arrived at 9.30 am. The sea looked a little choppy but the wind was not strong. The small jib was deployed and the main sail set with three reeves. The Pirate boat had to take fuel on board before coming to our berth to give the tow.

The gear was taken out of the museum locker and a new member signed up. The pump battery was again flat so it was taken out to be recharged and the hand pump used to remove the 3” of water in the bilges.

The crew had embarked by 10.10 am and the Three Brothers pulled to the head buoy, where the Pirate boat picked up the tow. The tow was slow because of the choppy sea, which was making the tow rope snatch quite viciously. The tow was released before we reached no.9 buoy so the bowsprit was run out as fast as possible, followed by the jib sail and the main. A force three breeze soon had bubbles racing from the stern as we sailed eastwards towards buoy U.

The water became choppier as we approached the Smethwick sands so we turned to head back towards the sewage pumping station. Four more turns were made as we made our way southwards towards the sewage outfall buoy. By noon we were still some 200 yards away so the attempt to round the buoy was abandoned and a course was set to the harbour entrance.

At 12.30 we were approaching the harbour from the south just as the only other yacht in the sea decided to make for the same place. The main sail was let out as we neared the entrance and the Pirate boat came out of the harbour just as we rounded the south pier. The wind had dropped away as we got into the shelter of the harbour. We sailed past the offshoot and caught the Shark Boat's buoy. The main and jib sail were dropped and removed while we waited for the Pirate boat to return and tow us the 300 yards back to our moorings. The Three Brothers was moored and the dinghy returned to the racks by 1.45pm

Three Brothers crew: Albert Brownhill, Alan Dalton, Ian Johnson, Colin Screeton, Steve Shone, Michael Hirst, E. + C + Katie Wilson, Jack and Ian.

Photos by Ian Thompson

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Contact michael.wilson@tesco.net for further information.