We walked for miles yesterday and awoke achy (yes I am rather unfit!)and to the sound of rain on the roof again. The plan was to get up and away for around 10am. After pressing the snooze button on the alarm twice I reluctantly got up and went for my shower. As I got off the boat the lady who owned the boat next to us advised me that the berth holders of the mooring we were on were due back around 10.30am - better get a move on then! The weather looked a bit dodgy to say the least! Black clouds dominated the skies and the rain started to fall again. What would we do? I got back to the boat and told Martyn that the berth holders were on their way back and we would have to move one way or another. We checked the forecasts, we now use four different websites! All looked OK except for one which was forecasting moderate seas and force 4 to 5! This was enough to put serious doubt in our mind. Ever since the Dungeness trip we have been more than wary of relying on just the Met office forecast. We ummed and aarghed for ages, the skies got blacker. Martyn went to the office to see if they would have another berth if we decided to stay. We were told there was room and initially decided that if neither of us was sure we shouldn't go. OK - let's move on to the other berth and stop for another 2 nights....... or poke our nose out and see what happens, we can always come back in! We decided to give it a go we didn't really fancy another night at Southsea. There was something strange and a little claustrophobic about the marina. The people were lovely but we just didn't feel comfortable there. We headed back out, through the wibbly wobbly channel and towards the imposing looking Isle of Wight. The sea state was very strange, sometimes calm, other time rolling, then choppy. The sky looked as though at anytime we would be in for a storm. We crossed the shipping channel with caution, both on lookout. We saw a pilot boat heading back into land and immediately starting looking for the moving ship! All the ships remained at anchor and we passed through without problem. As we approached Bembridge it got busy again, everyone appeared to be coming out as we were coming in! I never cease to be amazed at the age of some of the kids out there sailing without a care in the world, I wish I could remember what it was like not to be so scared sometimes!!
We followed the channel in looking for the visitor pontoons which weren't hard to find. We fit perfectly on the end which is where we always like to be - out of the way! Bembridge is very pretty but dries out so we have been back on the mud again! There are some amazing houseboats here. We have done the usual trek for provisions (why am I not a size 10 yet?)and had a quick look around Bembridge. It's picture postcard stuff here. We have a neighbour, it's really common to raft up down here i.e. moor side by side. So far that has not happened to us - until now. Not a problem for us but I do feel sorry for the people on the small fibre glass sail boat tied alongside! They seem like very nice people so I hope they don't mind too much! Tonight we are going for a walk along the beach - weather permitting and tomorrow we might head for Ryde, the town that hosts the annual scooter rally and home of The Cod Father - the fish and chip shop Martyn always insists on going to when we're are there! It was quite apt that we should see a group of scooters riding through Bembridge this afternoon - they are a little early for the Bank Holiday though!
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