Kalessin of Orwell: Going to Gosport

I've been falling a bit behind with this blog but we're now in Portland (of which more later) with time to catch up with Stuff. Hooray!

Passing the Horse Sand fort

So on Saturday 26th we left Chichester Marina. Because we were in a very tight berth I thought it as best to slip our lines before calling the lock, but that was a mistake as they have a waiting list and call you in by number. Still, by 11am we were out of the lock and motoring down past Itchenor, exactly on plan. The river was much fuller of water and therefore more confusing then we came in, but although David was tempted by a shallow creek which is not actually a way out, we managed to cross the bar safely and then sail the relatively short distance to the Portsmouth entrance.

At some point we had to cross or round the Horse Sand Barrier. I was of the opinion that going through the very well-buoyed gap in the submarine barrier at HW springs would be safe, but David thought otherwise, so we went around the Horse Sand fort to the south of the barrier.

Westerlys on the rally were scattered across Hornet, Haslar, Gosport Marina and probably other spots. Our allocated berth was Gosport Marina (once Camper & Nicholson's, and last time we were in there was on our competent crew course with the Westerly Sailing School in 1987!) It had been suggested that we go instead to the joint forces club at Hornet to be handy for the WOA meal, but we had decided to stick with the wide pontoons and hopefully better facilities of Premier Marinas (our fourth Premier in a row). They put us on the main walkway between two pontoons, which was great for Sam and also getting the full benefit of the swell which comes in from the passing shipping. We arrived just after 3pm which gave me just time to join a walking tour of Portsmouth, organised by two WOA members. Of course as they hadn't run it before it took longer than they thought, but it was a fascinating couple of hours. I felt bad leaving Sam for that long, though.

On the Sunday, with a group meal planned, I felt it was a good time to get Sam off and have a shower, despite the numerous heavy rainshowers. The getting off bit worked fine, the shower less so, as it transpired that the main doorway into the marina office was so narrow that Sam's wheelchair wouldn't go through.The entrance seems to have been an afterthought in the relatively new building, as it doesn't actually have a door, so rain can flood in. Hmmm. Sam walked through to the accessible shower room, which did have a wide door and was ok although most of the lightbulbs seemed to have failed.

The walk down to Hornet was damp but pleasant with a great view over Portsmouth, the club sort-of accessible via a ramp at the back and a corridor which was, guess what, too narrow for the wheelchair so Sam had to walk again.... although there was a nice accessible loo, and the meal enjoyable despite being in socially distanced tables of six. I was a bit worried about getting him back on board but with the help of another Westerly owner on the ramp and by lifing Sam from the pontoon straight down into the cabin, all was more or less well.