CHICHESTER HARBOUR WATER TOUR
Wednesday 21 July 2004

Changeable weather greeted the full house of fifty-two members and guests as they met to embark on the historic Wingate III. Some of the more athletic members (Kanchu McAllister and John Tudor) ran back to the car park for their umbrellas - they may just as well have not bothered. The dark clouds lifted as we set sail. Why was the boat 'historic'? It seemed quite new! We soon discovered from a photo, handed around after we boarded, that Wingate III was converted from a pinnace involved in the rescue of victims of the bombing of the MV Sir Galahad in the Falkland Islands War.

Our cheerful captain, 'born and bred on the water' she said, gave us a very knowledgeable tour of the Chichester harbour area, pointing out interesting boats, expensive boats, houses and other buildings as the rain clouds threatened the happy band - but the clouds never followed through on their threat.

We learned about boats that had recently returned from foreign waters and gave cheery waves to sailors who had been forced to turn back from recent trips because of bad weather. 'It's good to see them safely back in port', our captain said.

With the boat at full capacity, a cosy intimacy was the order of the day, and friends shared glasses of wine and an appetising ploughman's lunch. Much joking ensued as some of the funnier boat names were applied to different members of the group.

Adam Shore*, the owner of Wingate III, welcomed us back to shore after a memorable day 'messing about on the river'.

*A reassuring name for a charter boat owner.

Ann Windows