In 1991, six of us chartered our favourite yacht, Sea Tramp, and sailed over to Alderney. When we arrived on Saturday afternoon after a seventeen hour crossing, we were eager to tuck into any food more substantial than sandwiches and Cup-A-Soups. We picked a restaurant near the harbour and grabbed a table. The restaurant was divided into several rooms. Our room contained our table and a larger table which had been empty when we arrived, but was soon filled with a party of eight as we enjoyed our starters.

I believe that water is for sailing on; not drinking.¹ If the water in question is the Solent, it’s not even for swimming in. I should know, I’ve tried it on a busy Saturday afternoon.

Years ago, I used to deliver yachts during the summer holidays. It was a great way to get a cheap holiday and explore a new place every night. We would sail the yacht Sea Tramp from its home on the Hamble to wherever most people wanted to charter it from over the summer, which could be Cornwall, the Channel Islands or Brittany, for example.