Boating is not what it is cracked up to be in all the glossy magazines folks!!! In fact, having read several lately (nice wide choice of yachting mags here of course!) the Editor of Yachting Monthly did cover things by mentioning that thousands of skippers sail mostly with a reluctant or indifferent partner. He forgot those who are deranged, gullible or just plain nuts!!!

No seriously, it isn't as bad as all that....... really?..... It's been VERY windy from the west for the last 3 days, pouring with rain, and the cheery chap on the radio this morning made mention of snow on high ground during the day..... well that was it, crew lost the plot and made off the boat at some speed, into the car and to the West Gate Shopping Centre in Southampton, for some very well earned retail therapy!!!

Oh the ultimate pleasure of wandering around all the beautiful shops with lovely clothes, twinkly shop windows with breath-taking shoes, Next, Gap, John Lewis, Selfridges, Zara to name but a few. Gorgeous distractions to take my mind off the rain thundering on the Centre's roof!..... sadly time and pennies ran out and it was time to head back to the Elephant and reality where the chaps were busy securing boats and getting ready for this evening's blow.

Skip and I got snugged in to a nice meal, an excellent bottle of wine and a bit of TV, listening to the gusts and sensing 'Freedom's virtual sailing - we were a little worried about our tent that was still up, but decided to leave it. We watched the gusts hit 32 and then at midnight (about 15 minutes ago) Tom came around the berths checking lines etc, and asked Skip to move our old car as the barometer had dropped to the floor and the tide was well on the way up to where we had parked! When skip got back he reckoned it would probably be better to take the tent down afterall as Tom thought it was all going to get much worse in the early hours...... we have just got back in from the freezing wind and stowed everything down below and we wait for it!!!

In the meantime, I have been googling package holidays to Spain which if this lot keeps on going as some folk are saying it will, then we will be off!! It's that dam jet stream which just won't shift out of the way......

However, getting back to the glossies.... I just don't believe them... all that blue sky, crystal clear waters, bikini clad, bronzed people. It's all a myth I tell you! Rather check out the thermal underwear, spotty socks and various layers of T shirts, jerseys and wet weather gear, to say nothing of my very smart Durbarry sailing boots which are so very comfortable.... I almost sleep in them, just so I am ready to go in the case of an emergency!

It all does wonders for the sense of humour of course, I think it becomes a sort of hysteria in the end. We were due to go out to Bembridge today, but thank heavens sanity prevailed. Bramblemet has Force 7 earlier this evening, gusting higher so that would not have been any fun at all.

As Skip mentions from time to time, it is all character building stuff.... did I say there are times when I want to flatten him and donate his body for medical science!!!..... until next time.....