From the Commodore

Published 15:38 on 22 Aug 2024

From the Commodore (and Editors) Wheelhouse

By Steve White F34 Wight Mistress)<1493149(

What a year it has been for us. Most of my time (and for the last 2 years) has been taken up learning how to be the Commodore (work in progress), working on Fisher LITE and preparing for NEPTUNE80 (more of that later.)

Wight Mistress has been in use all through the winter but April and May was spent servicing all the bits that needed it, helping our friend Mike with CF28 EX- REA (year 6 of the refit) and generally getting our act together. We departed these shores on 27 May and after a 25 hour, 105 mile voyage in F4 6 gusting 7, arrived at Ouistreham at lunch time, where we saw. SAS EN COURS on the lock, meaning it was in process of letting us in. So, a 5kt average speed, mostly under sail. Not bad. After all the NEPTUNE 80 (again, more later) we visited St Vaast, Cherbourg and Alderney, at which point the decision was whether to head further south and continue the cruise or pick up the favourable weather and come home. The pull to come home was a bit too much so we are home for a rest.

Barbara and I are going (by car) to Holland in September to attend the Fisherclub Nederlands southern rally at Hellevoetsluis. We did consider taking Wight Mistress but we have an important baby-sitting duty for our youngest granddaughter immediately after the rally, and even Wight Mistress isnt fast enough to get home in the short time needed.

With the desire and intention to forge a closer link with the Fisherclub Nederland, and after chatting with Frank Sangers (F34 White Rose) the chairman, I decided to join them. They have the intention of a group of Dutch Fishers coming to join in with the Fisher 55 rally next year and with our International Committee Member Tim Schneiders help, I want to do all I can to encourage this.

Finally, I make no apology for this special edition for NEPTUNE 80. It was an excellent rally for both the FOA and FSMBC and I had so much to write, it would have swamped out any other articles. TW12 is in the hoist and will be out soon. (Good thing the commodore and editor are friends......)

Happy Fishering

Steve White

Last updated 20:12 on 17 September 2024