This year has been a real mix of tough sailing and glorious moments. The tough sailing continued once in home waters: setting off from Southampton in grey blustery conditions we hoisted the main and managed to 'lose' a reefing pennant inside the boom, in sorting this out we failed to spot a lobster pot off Calshot. Disaster as the plastic container, together with chain and rope wrapped itself around the rudder and immobilised us. No problem, we've dealt with this before ... but not in the middle of a busy shipping channel. A call to the coastguard and Mons Meg - a small but sturdy little sailboat - came to our rescue. Pulled into wind, we were then able to drop the mainsail; we then started the engine and made our way very, very slowly dragging the dead weight along with us to the Hamble River where a local diver came out and cut us free. The glorious moment: we got to Salcombe and had a truly lovely day with very dear friends in wonderful sunshine. All our traumas forgotten!!