Mud Larks

A couple of weekends ago some of the members of the Ancient and Vulnerable St Deny's Sailing and Rowing Club took a trip downstream to Ashlett Creek. It was their sailing club's annual regatta, to which they had invited the Drascombe Association of which we are members. So it was like being invited to a party held by friends of a friend. 

We set off on the tail of the tide at around 5.30 am. A beautiful morning with hardly a whisper of air, so we motored out under the Itchen bridge then set sail for a very leisurely drift down stream. We weren't in any hurry as Ashlett is very tidal and we would have to wait until 2.00 pm for enough water to get in.  

We sailed up into the Hamble River for second breakfast and to pick up one of our party who had decided he'd rather miss the dawn and laze in bed. 

Captain Bill took the opportunity to have a snooze. 

Ashlett Creek is a super little place which is very picturesque if very tidal. It is squeezed between the Esso Oil Refinery at Fawley and its close cousin the oil powered power station. Thankfully once you are in both of these are largely invisible. 

Did I say there was a lot of mud? 

On the way home on Sunday the wind picked up and we had a great sail. I was very impressed with the performance of the Scaffie which pi**ed all over the Drascombe Lugger and even managed to keep up with the Long Boat Cruiser belonging to John, one of our members. 

Here he is dodging the Isle of Wight Ferries 

And now ladies and gentlepersons;

 I give you the Ancient and Vulnerable St Deny's Sailing and Rowing Club Pantomime Horse Caption Competition. 

No I don't know either!

What larks!