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I was asked recently about the header graphic on this blog. It is of course The Needles on the Isle of Wight. It was taken by me in July 2007 as we were sailing from Lymington to Weymouth. We were on our summer holidays the children had broken up from school and we were going to sail to Falmouth and back via Weymouth, Dartmouth, Salcome, Plymouth, and Fowey. The first time away from home waters (Solent area). On the way back from Falmouth to Southampton we stopped over in the river Yealm, Brixhaam, Weymouth and Yarmouth on Isle of Wight.

In (July-August) 2009 We did our first trip across the channel. We had a really good sail over to Cherbourg. Whilst we were there the liner Queen Mary 2 paid a visit. From Cherbourg we went to Gurnsey in the Channel Islands via the Aldernay Race. Now that was an interesting part of the trip, speed through the water around 5 Knots speed over the ground 14 Knots and the water as flat as a pancake, though you could see lots of eddies in the water. From Guernsey we went to Jersey,  a quick trip due to the strong wind and it blowing in the right direction (over our starboard quater). From Jersey we went to St Malo, France. Then St Malo  to Granville, Granville to Isle Chausey, then to Carteret, from Carteret a 17 hour sail back to Southampton Due  again via the Aldernay Race. This time there was a big sea running, the family thought it was great fun, personally it made me clinch a few times as we rode over the big swells which were breaking at the top.  It was an interesting night sail across the channel too another first. Amazing how much traffic there is on the seas!

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