FRIDAY, 4TH AUGUST – GOSPORT TO PORT SOLENT
It was nice to see the sun out when we woke this morning, so after breakfast, showers, etc, we took down and put away the canopy, ready for our short trip to Port Solent. We advised the marina office of our departure and just after midday, we slipped our lines, rolled up the fenders on deck and turned left out of the marina, under engine. We passed the Portsmouth naval base and a fairly big structure in the water and then turned into a channel to starboard (marked Portchester Lake on our chart) counting off the numbered buoys as we went. Once we reached no. 78 we radioed in to the Port Solent lock to request a lock-in and were instructed to proceed and enter the lock when the green entry lights were visible. We had timed our arrival perfectly as we were able to enter the lock without waiting. One of the marina staff came out and gave us our berthing instructions and security fobs, etc and within minutes we were able to leave the lock and get ourselves settled on our berth for the next two nights.
Once we had had a bite to eat for lunch, we took a stroll round the marina and were delighted with what we saw. Beautifully designed facilities surrounded by a selection of well thought out restaurants and shops for use both by marina customers and visitors by road or water. A surprising little gem! We then visited the marina office and were able to get a voucher saving us some money on a day visit to the David Lloyd Leisure here. We walked back to the boat and packed our bags ready for our visit while the sun was shining. We spent a very pleasant couple of hours using their first class facilities (heated outdoor and indoor pools, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi) followed by a nice coffee in their cafe. After a supper of spicy mince and rice, washed down with a cold shandy, we settled down for a quiet evening of reading with radio 2 playing in the background before bed.
SATURDAY, 5TH AUGUST – PORT SOLENT
The morning started quite bright, so after a first cuppa and biscuit, Carole disappeared to the laundry room and transformed a big bag of dirty washing into a row of clean, hangered clothes ready for their next wear. We then had a late breakfast and after tidying everything away, we took a walk to find the advertised Tesco Extra to top up our stores. The weather was looking a bit dubious, but we were hopeful if it rained, it would only be a light shower. We were lucky – it rained while we were in-store and when we came out, it had almost dried up. We returned to the boat for a supper of garlic bread and olives (and a glass of wine) followed by pasta and sauce. After clearing away, we watched a bit of television before getting ready for bed.