The forecast was SE becoming SW about lunchtime, so imagine our surprise when we launched at 0840 into an Easterly F4. We sailed the reach and run to the Wareham River entrance in very good time with the flooding Spring tide, and arrived at Wareham, with only a couple of beats being required, at 10:17, which is an hour quicker than we had allowed. Second breakfast was taken. Roy and Jenny in the 2k held full sail, Steve ,Mel and Mike reefed the Trio mainsail and left around 11am on the first ebb for Shell Bay. By this time the wind had gone South, which made getting from Wareham to the river entrance again simple with much reaching and running and little beating. We unreefed at the river entrance and beat to Shell Bay Cafe, arriving just as the second flood began. We timed the reach back to camp to arrive just at the top of the second high at 15:00.
What did we learn? Go to Wareham on an Easterly and Spring flood. Leave Wareham on a Southerly and Spring ebb.
It was a really good day of sailing from the furthest navigable point West to the furthest navigable point within the harbour East.