We woke at 0600, to leave at 0700, and the wind was good, not long after turning off the engines we were once again graced with a third visit from the dolphins. Hugo really earned his Dolphin Scout badge this trip. Sadly my Dolphin Photography badge was very much not earned this trip but hey, it was great to see them and I hope it’s the first of many encounters in our sailing.
I did manage to capture a flock of Northern Gannets flying across our bow which was another very pleasing sight.
The wind started great and we sailed for about 4 hours but we knew it would drop, and the next 6 hours were motor sailing as the wind dropped approaching the Isle of Wight. It was a long trip and I took advantage of it by having a long power-nap. I love solo sailing but having a crew on board certainly has its advantages.
On the trip back we encountered far more ships to which we had to pay attention than on the way out, but we were never in any danger. A few degrees here and there made sure we passed them with plenty of distance.
With the good weather the Isle of Wight was visible from a long way out. At first I was confused by the shape having never seen it from this direction, this far out. Eventually though, I realised the white cliffs were the western part of the island, and the dip was Freshwater.
As we got closer we got some great views of the Needles, passing closely as we pulled in to anchor in Alum Bay. The bay’s layout combined with the wind direction meaning that we were sheltered, surprisingly for me as I’d never considered Alum Bay as an overnight stop.
The day ended with me writing this blog, watching the sunset’s colours fade from the sky but reflecting magically off the small waves. We bob gently up and down with the sound of the seabirds calling, and water splashing off the hull. Surrounded by the cliffs of Alum Bay. It couldn’t be more perfect.
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