Around the Next Corner?

Left Studland Bay early yesterday to catch the tide. It was beautiful weather but not much wind.
We were booked into the amenity berth at our club in Portsmouth Harbour but this wasn't available till 6 pm so we anchored in Priory Bay (just outside Bembridge) for the afternoon..
This morning the weather was still glorious so we decided to head out to Priory Bay again. It's a good place to chill out in the sunshine under the boom tent in the forward cockpit.
Our friends Iain and Tamara passed nearby in their lovely boat Naida. We waived them down and they rafted up to us for a while.
We're in our club marina in Gosport tonight and going round to Chichester Harbour tomorrow. We have a winter berth booked in Hayling Island from 1st October and they are going to find us a berth from Tuesday until then.
We have to be home for various reasons but we will of course be sailing some more this year but not to any new places so I've decided that this is the end of this year's blog.

2 boats rafted on to us Tuesday evening, the second one at 11pm so that there had to be an adjusting of lines to support the 5 rafted boats. By that time every spot on the pontoon was rafted 5 deep.
Yesterday morning, the joy of rafting, the German boat inside us wanted to leave. After a bit of unknitting of lines and electric cables us and the 2 boats outside moved to let him out. However the very inside boat had said he was moving at 9 am but there was no sign of him slipping to the outside before then so the last boat decided to go off to find somewhere else, presumably Portland.
I hadn't bothered to get dressed, deeming it acceptable in the circumstances to steer the boat in my dressing gown, although I did have to go outside to take lines once we were in again. We returned to bed for an hour then got up and had breakfast by which time the inside boat was ready to move so out we went again. Up side was that we then had an alongside berth. We managed to get to the showers by 11 am - it was a long morning.
Mike went to the fresh fish shop and bought some lovely crab meat and fresh place and also changed a gas bottle at the chandlers.
After crab sandwiches for lunch we walked into town and did a bit of shopping. We popped into Argos to check out some folding chairs that we thought might be nice for our back deck. We found they were reduced in the sale and only 2 were in stock so we bought them.
Our friends Vanessa and Richard joined us in the evening for dinner. Mike cooked the fish and they brought desert. All washed down with some wine from France it was a very nice finish to a busy day.
This morning we had a lazy start and left Weymouth at 10.30am. Not a lot of wind so we motorsailed round to Studland Bay where we are anchored for the night.
It's been a warm and mostly sunny day.

We had a lovely few days in Cherbourg. Some lovely sunshine and lots of good food.
Yesterday evening we set off for Weymouth. It was a lovely evening but not enough wind to sail. We changed watch after 3 hours and as I handed over to Mike I pointed out the beautiful display of stars. We opened the window to have a good look and as we shut it the fog came down. Fog patches were forecast but this patch lasted the whole way to Weymouth. Thank goodness for modern instruments and AIS. We juggled through the shipping lanes only having to change course once and if anything else came near we didn't see them.
Arrived in Weymouth at 7.30 am and had a good sleep followed by a good brunch.
This afternoon Mike fixed a boat who had their in-mast furling jammed.

Woke up this morning to hear the on ship announcements from the biggest cruise liner ever.
The Independence was docked just next door to the marina.
Last year we came across it in the middle of the night when crossing the channel but when it left Cherbourg this evening we could get a better idea of it's massive size.

Set off from Dartmouth Tuesday evening and arrived around 11 am yesterday. Nice smooth crossing although could have done with a bit more wind.
Caught up on sleep and rest yesterday and today it was time for cleaning and washing.
A Frenchman berthed next to us commented that my sheet pegged out front was our spinnekar.
Off out to a nice restaurant tonight to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

Electrician arrived when he said he would. Diagnostic tests proved it was the fluxgate compass which was faulty. He had a good used one available and went and fetched it straight away, fitted it and then helped us swing the compass. All fixed now - so nice when you find someone that helpful.
Will try for Cherbourg again tomorrow.