Follow the leader It is usually a good idea to make a plan and stick to it when sailing but I remember once sailing east along the Solent with the intention of going to Chichester when I got it into my head that it would be nice to visit Bembridge. The rest of the crew were keen on the idea and the skipper agreed to the change of plan but only after warning us that it can be tight to get in there at times. We arrived at the entrance to the channel about two hours before high water and Skip said we could probably make it through but we'd better keep the speed down and a close eye on the depth sounder. As we rounded the bend where the channel turns south I noticed that our skipper was keeping a close eye on another yacht some way ahead of us going in the same direction. "That boat," he said "is about the same size as us and probably has a similar draft, if they get through, we'll get through". He also explained that he'd checked the tides and, although it was going to be a bit of a squeeze, he thought we could make it through. It's funny how some of us put so much faith in our skippers and never really understand just how much thinking they are doing on our behalf. It wasn't long before the leading yacht shuddered to a halt and Skip ordered us to turn around. "We'll anchor near the entrance and wait for high water". While we were anchored up our skipper made a more thorough examination of the tide predictions and announced that we would be OK to get in at high water but we would not be able to leave the next day. We decided to revert to our original plan and skip across the Solent to Northney marina, which resulted in a very pleasant night sail and some unexpected night piloting practice. I have to congratulate our skipper on keeping us safe whilst trying to accommodate our incautious demands. Comment on this story Tell us your story