Picnic Lunch at Arne, Poole Harbour
Saturday 26 Sep 2009

Report and photos by Steve Drew

Lady Penelope, Caller’Ou, Heart of Glass and Tara had arrived and their crews were on the beach at Arne in the unseasonably warm sunshine enjoying the wonderful view over the harbour towards the Purbecks and Corfe Castle when Minimosh comes into view. She’s shifting, we all think - surely she’s going to slow down soon, perhaps the throttle’s stuck. Ripples lap onto the beach from her bow wave. She’s going to run aground any sec........ So she has. Full engine astern fails to rectify the situation so Graham Reed and I row out to offer assistance. The anchor and chain is lowered into Graham’s sturdy tender and deposited some distance to Minimosh’s aft. The anchor warp was then hauled into her cockpit but no movement ensued, nor with engine assistance. Finally taking the warp around a winch did the trick.

Excitement over we had a chance to catch up on everybody’s adventures this season over a picnic, followed up by the obligatory game of boules. Then as the sun began to fall in the sky reminding us that it was no longer high summer, we made our separate ways just as another Parker was arriving. It was June Tweedie and crew, doubtless wondering what they had done to offend us all.

Steve Drew
Tara of Arun 26/105