West Cowes

Friday 14th West Cowes

The day began like every classic Haslar Yacht Club rally: coffee strong enough to wake the dead, breakfast inhaled at record speed, and the usual predeparture dance of ropes, fenders, and mild confusion. Then off we went to West Cowes - although with the lack of wind, it was less sailing and more leisurely enginepowered sightseeing.

Upon arrival, we were given our berth and began settling into our floating Airbnb for the night. Little did we know… something sinister lurked below.

Yes. Something had wrapped itself around our propeller. Rick, wasting absolutely no time, leapt into action - knife between his teeth like a man auditioning for Pirates of the Caribbean. With backup from our heroic pontoon neighbour Steve, he descended into the murky depths. Moments later, Rick resurfaced triumphantly, knife still clenched between his teeth, holding the fearsome creature that had attacked our propeller.

Ill be honest… it looked suspiciously like rope. But I was assured - very confidently -that this was indeed a Kraken. A small Kraken. A ropeshaped Kraken. Definitely not our own rope. Absolutely not.

With the beast defeated, it was time for the pontoon party… a modest one at first.

But excitement struck again when a dog casually slipped off his boat and decided to go for a spontaneous swim. He paddled around the marina like he was on holiday, expertly dodging anyone attempting to grab his collar. While his owners debated rescue strategies, the rest of the marina formed a highly coordinated (ish) dogretrieval task force. Eventually, the soggy adventurer was hoisted onto the pontoon, looking rather pleased with himself.

The pontoon party resumed - now slightly larger, slightly louder, and with significantly more dogrelated storytelling.

Later, we headed to Coast for dinner. The food was delicious, the conversation toptier, and after the meal the group split: some returned to their boats, while others ventured out for a nightcap at the local pubs, bravely exploring West Cowes nightlife one drink at a time.

All in all, it was a fantastic rally - full of new faces, good laughs, and one very questionable Kraken.

Shirley

Last updated 12:47 on 29 September 2026