Cruising in Company

The weather forecast for our sail to Limekilns was the worst – heavy rain and no wind, as Rog pointed out to me on Thursday. On Friday morning I alerted the other two (AJ and MrT) and asked if they were really keen or it we should call it off. Off, it was called. 

But I felt bad about that, being so quick to quit – and young Ben (OK, he’s 50) was looking to crew, so I thought, well at least he knows what it might be like. 
So after a briefing at 9am, ten boats set off up river to the FCC at Limekilns. 
A motorsail up there – t-shirt weather! These forecasters have a lot to answer for. 
Anyway, some kerfuffle berthing up – the clown in a certain blue hulled small boat managed to smack my stern, breaking my stern light – he seemed to be attempting a u-turn at speed. Some people. These things happen I wisely and kindly told him afterwards as he offered to pay for the damage. It’s a learning thing so it shouldn’t happen again, right?
Anyway, we sat out the front of their lovely clubhouse (their patrician owner, yes Lord Elgin, leases the house, pier, the lot for a peppercorn rent) and then off homeward we headed – a really fine southerly wind all the way – and it stayed dry right until we’d moored up. And who was nestled in Dumbo when we arrived but the SK, getting birrled around the harbour by young William. 
A perfect end to a lovely day.