Chain-Eating Monster Fish

Bob the welder, fixing it

We finally left Brighton!  After almost two weeks there, our stern frame is all finished and is as sturdy as a rock.  Bob, the welder we found, did such a good job and we're now confident that our solar panel, wind generator, and any soggy clothes we have hung up to dry won't drop off and sink to the bottom of the ocean, along with the frame, at the first bit of heavy weather we get (which was our worry before we got Bob involved).

We left Brighton in the late afternoon on Weds 28th Aug and put our first night sail under our belts, which was great fun.  I have already spent a fair number of nights ghosting along under canvas through the inky black and I really enjoy it.  You have an amazing view of the stars and can spend the quiet time on watch gathering your thoughts, contemplating the hugeness of the universe, and watching phosphorescence glowing in your wake.  This was Kate's first night sail, though, and was also her first time in charge of the boat on her own.  She handled it like a pro and kept us on course and clear of ferries, fishing boats and the rocky shore while I counted sheep below decks.  We ran a 3 hours on, 3 hours off watch system during the night and 4 hours on, 4 hours off during the day.  After 31 hours, we dropped our anchor in Swanage Bay.

Funny swans at Brighton Marina.  The male is called Colin

Kate commented on how hard it was to stay awake during her night watches, which she had spent staring out, non-stop, into the pitch dark, straining for any glimpse of approaching vessels.  When she heard from me that I had spent most of my time on watch reading my book, and that being on watch doesn't mean you have to literally be watching out into the darkness the whole time, she was not impressed.  She thought this information should have been volunteered much earlier on in the proceedings.

Another first was catching a fish.  Kate caught a mackerel which went straight into the frying pan and tasted delicious.

Approaching Swanage bay near midnight was a little tricky, as there were lots of boats on mooring buoys that we could only see when we were almost on top of them, as they don't show lights like a boat at anchor would.  We managed OK, though, and after resetting the anchor which didn't seem to be holding properly on the first attempt, we got ready for bed.

This was when we noticed a strange sound coming up through the hull.  It sounded like the sea was full of Rice Crispies, which were snap, crackling and popping underneath us.  Kate was worried that it might be 'chain-eating monster fish' working their way through the feast that we had just dropped off our bow to hold us in place, but I reassured her that we don't have to worry about them until we get to the Pacific.

Caught it...

...cooked it...

...ate it!

Passing The Needles, on the western tip of the Isle of Wight

Kate eating vegetable curry

Anchored at Swanage Bay, the evening after we arrived