Friday 9th November Great Bridge

Hospital Point anchorage

Portsmouth

After a few days R&R I decided it was time to leave, still not getting any warmer, however another weather front (bringing snow to the near North) appeared and delayed my departure, however on Wednesday 7^th I weighed anchor at 8.15 to get best use of the current and get to the first bridge by 10.30 (it only opens on the half hour) Before entering the channel I looked back to see a tug bearing down closely followed by a large container ship, so circling back through the anchorage I came in behind this convoy and proceeded without further incident to the first bridge and passed through with about a dozen assorted craft, approaching the second bridge (3 miles further on) the bridge tender announced the bridge was closing as the boat in front passed thus slamming the door in my face, again this bridge only opened every hour so we had to circle back and waste time. My next obstacle was the lock at Great Bridge, having rigged to dock on my port side (there is more hope of getting help docking on that side) I entered the lock to be waved to the other side, so frantically changing dock lines (fenders already rigged on both sides) and trying not to get blown off course we made it to the side where I scrambled about and got us docked. I intended to tie up at the free dock on the other side of the bridge after the lock, which meant that my dock lines were wrong, and another sail boat had had the same idea and docked in the middle of the dock, after a little realigning I docked in front with the help of another cruiser already docked at the end, who turned out to be from the boat in front at the second bridge and sympathised with me at its sudden closure. Thinking back this was the last place I tied up to shore, going into town I topped up my larder and caught up on laundry on a glorious warm day.

Hurricane Sandy look for the yellow cross thats me