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Welcome to the Cornish Crabbers Club
For owners and admirers of all boats built by Cornish Crabbers
Cruise Report
Cornish Crabber Club - Solent Rally 2015
Thursday 18th June - Bembridge to Cowes (Cont.)
We all berthed in Shepards Marina in what turned out to be quite a small space once we were all rafted up. This provided some amusing sights the next day as crews employed differing methods of exiting the marina. This seemed to become a feature of the rally, of which more anon. We were joined in Cowes by William Pelly and Ricky Ferguson on Mellow (C22) who had sailed up from Poole. Supper in Cowes was at the Royal Ocean Racing Club, which has recently merged with the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club. Their premises which stands on a slope behind the Royal Yacht Squadron provides the most wonderful Solent views from the terrace where all had drinks before going to supper within the Club where we were looked after extremely well.
 
Friday 19th June - Cowes to Beaulieu
It was time to leave our tightly packed berthing situation. Most boats were berthed bow in, and rafted up against two pontoons. This left little manoeuvring space in the middle. Three or four boats elected for marina staff assistance and were swung out by an attached tender. Others reversed straight out. One or two showed off their engine skills and turned on a sixpence. For Summer Breeze it was a straight reverse all the way, coinciding with the arrival of a yacht from France. The “entente cordiale” was maintained as we both neatly avoided each other.
Everyone anticipated a very quick trip to Beaulieu, it being just four miles across the water from Cowes. The journey took a lot longer than any of us expected due to the increasing strength of the SW wind. By the time we were off the entrance to the River, the wind was blowing a good F4 with quite a lot of 5 in it! There was no real shelter until we were up beyond Gins Farm. After that we were in the comfort and beauty of the Beaulieu River. It doesn’t matter how many times one goes to Beaulieu, the beauty of the place still strikes home. It is a wonderful place to visit. We berthed and rafted up some four abreast on the shore-side pontoon at Bucklers Hard, giving us easy access ashore. Christopher and Sue Pryke on Creekability2 (C26) joined us here, as did Peter Clay in his C24 Inyanga.
Once everyone was securely berthed, it was time for BBQ preparations. Now this is no competition, but it seemed clear to me that everyone was doing their best to outdo the others. The selection of bangers, burgers, chops, curried chicken fillets, not to mention the variety of salads on display was truly wonderful. The smell of BBQ food wafting down the river must have had other mouths salivating. Well ours were! As we prepared our BBQs we were joined by Mary Montagu Scott from the Beaulieu Estate who showed some of us the new building which is to contain the new Bucklers Hard Shipwright School. This initiative by Mary is to in some way re-create the work that was carried on at Bucklers hard so many years ago. I’m sure we will see a lot more progress when we return again in the future. The building has been created using entirely traditional forms of construction with similar materials. It looks as though it has been there for years. Mary was to have joined us on the rally in her Yawl, but sadly had to withdraw at the last minute.