We needed to get the hydraulics fixed on Trouper.  That meant a visit to Hamble Yacht Services as they know the boat and had originally installed the hydraulics.  We decided to make a long weekend out of the chore.  Friday morning we set off on the early falling tide.  Getting up before you’ve gone to bed, as they say in Monty Python, is not much fun but we were rewarded with a calm, warm day and Chichester Harbour looked like a publicity shot for the Caribbean.

The light airs meant that we motored for some of the way.  Once past Portsmouth we stayed snug to the Portsmouth coast and rounded into Southampton Water.  Then we had to take the sails down and motor from the entrance to Hamble River.

It was the first time we’d taken Trouper up the Hamble; we’ve both done the trip in numerous other boats.  The marinas seem to get larger every year as it’s a prime location to keep a boat with easy access to the Central Solent.  You pass all manner of yacht and powerboat from the small to the huge from the sporty to the staid.  It’s a beautiful river but I think nearby Beaulieu is a calmer spot to visit.  Needs must and the boat services available due to the high volume of boats moored here are some of the best in the UK.

After passing Hamble Point and Port Hamble we moored at the visitors berth at Hamble Yacht Services.  There was a strong tide running which made the mooring interesting, especially as we had to move Trouper to a different mooring so the work on the hydraulics could be attended to.

The marina is a relatively short walk into Hamble village where there are a wide range of restaurants and pubs.  Port Hamble is a more pleasant marina with better shower and shoreside facilities.  Hamble Yacht Services is where you get work done and so there’s less attention paid to modern conveniences.  In particular it’s where Swan owners seem to get work done.  We had time to snoop around the other Swans that were either on the water or in the yard.  All very large and very beautiful.

To stop Tom from getting too many ‘bright’ ideas (also known as upgrade ideas) we left the folk in the yard and walked into the village.  We ate lunch in the Bugle Pub and by the time we got back the work that we’d thought would take most of the day was complete.  We were left in the position of wondering whether to stay or go.  In the end, with a sea breeze in full flow, we decided to head over to Beaulieu and had a good sail out of Southampton Water and up the Beaulieu river before the rain caught up with us.