Weymouth to Poole

We were on a collision course with the other vessel, a medium sized motor boat. We were under sail – a reefed main and genoa. Clearly we were the stand on vessel, and the motorboat the give way vessel. We were getting rather close and starting to sweat. Stand on or give way anyway? We bore away to port, as the collision regulations require of us if it seems a collision is otherwise unavoidable. Blow me! The motor boat changed course to put us back on a collision path! We hardened up and headed more to starboard again, on our original course. The motor boat again changed course so that we were on a collision path again! There was really nothing more we could do than to allow the motor boat to approach very close, at which point it slowed right down to have a good look at us. A large sign on its side read ‘Sea Cadets’! Then away it zoomed! We gave them an icy stare as they sped off. We really could do without motorboat crews who thinks it’s a good idea to keep on altering course so as to threaten a collision. It has happened to us before, and really annoys me! I think maybe they just wanted to have a close look at the yacht with all those sponsors' names on, but even so!

Earlier John-Francois’s wife, Joan, had joined the crew. We had motored out of Weymouth into a choppy sea, heading out to avoid the army firing range zone where we might otherwise have a shell put through our hull. (Hazardous preoccupation this sailing business!). It was not comfortable at all. Once we were able to turn east, having reached the limits of the firing range, we were able to sail and the motion of the boat was slightly more comfortable. Once around St Alban’s Head and then Anvil Point the motion improved again. We took tea and sandwiches (OK and biscuits too) for lunch. We looked out for fishing pot markers that we needed to avoid hitting, then passed Old Harry and his wife before entering Poole harbour. All done after about 6 hours and 29 miles.

Joke:

They told me I had type A blood, but it was a typo.

Approaching Anvil Point

Old Harry, just outside Poole harbour

On to Weymouth

The other craft was catching up with us slowly but surely. We had full sail up already, and well trimmed, so there was little else we could do to get more speed. We considered jettisoning some weight but no-one volunteered. I gave the order to bring the cannon to the aft deck and blow them out of the water! Ahhrrghh! That last bit was my imagination, and the other craft we decided was a bigger yacht and was able to sail faster for that reason. I raised the question of skill and ability as sailors but was quickly shouted down.

Sadly we had to say farewell to Chris and to Keith earlier in Brixham as they had other commitments that prevented them staying aboard for the trip to Weymouth. Thus there were just three of us aboard today for the trip – Roger, Jean-Francois and myself. We slipped lines shortly after 6.00am and motored out into the bay and on towards Weymouth. It was still a little dark and we could see the navigation lights of a few other vessels that were also on the move. There was little wind so no sails were hoisted initially. Soon the wind filled in though and full sail was raised, and we powered along at 6 knots plus on a flat (ish) sea. Just great! It was all meant to be like this, not just the occasional day! As we approached Weymouth harbour we had to wait outside whilst the Waverley left port before we had permission to enter the harbour. One or two other boats didn’t bother to wait and promptly got told off by the authorities! There was some kind of event taking place in the town. What was it? I strode up the ramp from the harbour pontoon to make my way to the harbour office – and suddenly found myself taking part in the running stag of a triathlon! Why on earth did someone have the bright idea of placing the track where I was likely to need to walk (or should I say run)?

Tomorrow we sail for Poole.

Joke:

All the toilets at the police station have been stolen. The police have nothing to go on!

 Blue Star powers her way across Lyme Bay under full sail

The ramp from the pontoon arrives at street level and hey presto - you're in a triathlon!

In Brixham

It is about 50 miles from Brixham to Weymouth, our next port of call, that is about 10 hours at sea. If things go wrong, or the weather turns bad, you just have to manage the situation or tough it out for several hours that might seem an eternity. So we wait until we are confident of good weather at least and thus here we are still in Brixham. Nuff said.

Yesterday we walked into the town and met Charlie who is re-fitting his old sailing lugger, which has no engine. ‘How do you get it out of the harbour?’ we asked. ‘I drop an anchor over there’ he said, pointing to a position just out from the harbour wall, ‘and haul her off the quay then just raise the sails’. Hhmm. Easy then? ‘What about bringing her back into the harbour, you must need some help for that?’ we asked. ‘Well I just sail her in and run her onto the mud, then let the sea do the rest as the tide comes in’ he answered! Anyway we got ourselves invited aboard Iris to view things from deck level. Iris looks very smart, but apparently there is still much work to do below deck! We retired for coffee and scones at the shop just across from where Iris was berthed. Later we walked to Berry Head and looked out from the cliff-tops over the sea we had sailed in from Dartmouth. Berry Head was fortified from iron-age times but more recently in the 1700s to protect against an invasion attempt by Napoleon. It was also a defence post in WW1 and WW2 and now hosts a lighthouse and radio beacon to assist modern traffic. It also has a coffee shop!

Today was the food and music festival of the sea in Brixham. We took a quick look then made the journey to Dittisham, by bus and river ferry. It is still just as picturesque there as when we last visited. We also spoke with a group of sailors on the table next to us in the Ferry Boat Inn; they were very impressed to hear of our shortly to be completed circumnavigation of GB and asked how they could make a donation to our cause, which was very kind. The marina here in Brixham has also given us a free night which is also very welcome! Thank you Brixham marina. Tomorrow we plan to depart around 0630.

Joke:

Broken pencils are pointless!

Charlie's Lugger, Iris

The crew talking to Charlie

Looking out from Berry Head towards Dartmouth

Old Brixham trawlers ready to take part in the festival

Dartmouth to Brixham

The forecast was for the wind to strengthen during the day so we decided to leave as soon as convenient in order to make our passage before the worst of the weather. First things first though – we motored proudly along the river Dart with our huge ‘Woolcool’ sign showing on our hoisted mainsail! As we motored out of the river the wind died to near nothing, then out in the bay it suddenly rose to force 6; we immediately put 2 reefs in the mainsail and rolled away some of the headsail to wrest back control of the boat which was rolling and yawing rather wildly. That task completed, things were in more control but we still romped away out to sea on a broad reach. The waves were quite high, 2-3m perhaps, and we had to concentrate well to maintain control. After a while we gybed the sails and headed for Berry Head, just off Brixham. The sun shone, and it was exhilarating sailing. After rounding Berry Head we hardened up to reach up towards the marina at Brixham, and after tacking to get a little closer we dropped the sails and motored into the marina. Once in the marina we were visited by a film crew who were making publicity material to appear on the marina website; they filmed Blue Star on a 360 degree view film accessable via the marina website where they said they would put a link to Blue Star's website. They were very impressed by all our sponsor's stickers! We haven't yet wangled a discounted marina berth though!

Joke:
Velcro - what a rip-off!

How to write good:
1. Always avoid alliteration
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with
3. Avoid cliches like the plague, they're old hat!
4. Comparisons are as bad as cliches
5. Be more or less specific
6. Writers should never generalise
seven. Always be consistent
7. Don't be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous
8. Who needs rhetorical questions?
9. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement

Showing off Woolcool

Belting along in F6!

Salcombe, and on to Dartmouth

A heavy mist hung over Salcombe so we delayed our departure in the hope and expectation that the sun would soon prevail and we would have an enjoyable, sunny sail to Dartmouth with an opportunity to appreciate the coastline. Earlier there had been a mix up with the showers. We had decided to use the ones at Salcombe Yacht Club in preference to those at the end of the pontoon for visiting yacht crews. The yacht club facilities were much better. However, during official closing hours the facilities were made available via a somewhat hidden side passage leading directly to the showers. Safely after leaving Salcombe I learned that certain crew members had not located the correct side passage and had instead forged a way past the bins and in through another door, and in the absence of a clear route to the men’s showers had made use of facilities clearly labelled for the use of ‘ladies who launch’ only; sadly I must add that use of the facilities was made by torchlight too, since the aforementioned facilities were not lit or ‘switched on’. I would like to say that it is not official Blue Star policy to misuse facilities in this way but sometimes you just can’t get the crew!

Anway, the sky had brightened in Salcombe so we resolved to leave. (A good job too bearing in mind the shower debacle!) As we motored (the wind was on the nose in normal Blue Star fashion, so no sailing) clear of the river we set a course past Gammon Head and towards Start Point en route for Dartmouth. It seemed like a lovely sunny day was to pass, but once clear of the river we passed the Nation Coastwatch Institution lookout point at Gammon Head and a heavy mist returned. Visibility was reduced to about 300 yards so electronic navigation, navigation lights and radar were used. We had to stand several miles out from Start Point as there were strong overfalls causing uncomfortable waves closer in. Even at our distance the boat’s motion was very erratic because of the waves. Slowly, in the murk, we inched our way past Start Point (although we could not see it). We had several ‘engagements’ with other vessels – fishing boats, yachts and motorboats) that we ‘saw’ on AIS and radar and manoeuvred to avoid, catching the odd real glimpse of them in the mist as they passed by. Half a mile out of Dartmouth the fog lifted and suddenly we were experiencing a hot sunny day in Dartmouth!

Joke:

When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.

The Ferry Inn at Salcombe

The mist over Salcombe seemed to be lifting

Motoring out of the river at Salcombe

The NCI lookout at Gammon Head

A sunny day in Dartmouth!

Plymouth, and onwards to Salcombe

This morning we walked to Plymouth Hoe where we had coffee and scones and fed the birds with our crumbs. We identified the bowling club where Drake played (J) and then continued our walk into the town to get some more supplies. We departed the marina soon after lunch, bound for Salcombe. There was little wind so we didn’t hoist the sails, but the uncomfortable swell that we experienced yesterday was still with us today as we rolled our way along the attractive coastline. We passed Hope Cove where past holidays have been spent, and on into Salcombe where we berthed alongside the town quay pontoon. Woolcool, as represented by Keith, bought dinner out in the nearby restaurant for everyone! Thank you Keith! After dinner we visited the local yacht club for a final evening drink-  and familiarisation with facilities!

Joke:

Plymouth’s a right laugh! Hoe, hoe, hoe!

Keith, with Plymouth Sound behind

Coffee and scones! Yum yum!

The birds help out with the crumbs

Err!? Where Drake used to play?

The coastline, Hope Cove towards the left of the picture

Blue Star on the town quay in Salcombe

Fowey, and on to Plymouth

We left the marina at Penmarlam at 0900 and motored the short distance to the life-boat pontoon in Fowey. After radioing the harbour master we received permission to stay a while and we walked into town and found a coffee (and croissants) shop that looked out over the river. The plan was to sail out to the Eddystone lighthouse on our way to Plymouth, but a damp heavy mist hung over Fowey so we resolved to stay a while longer, postpone the trip to Eddystone and hoped the weather might improve. A local shop selling Cornish pasties beckoned which we felt we should respond to prior to leaving Cornwall. We wondered whether we would come across border guards off the Cornwall-Devon coast? More gloom arrived in the form of a phone call about the cost of a new hot-water tank. Gulp!

After lunch we decided that things might be less grim at sea, as the sky out at sea looked brighter. Once at sea we did find a brighter sky, but the sea state was less than comfortable with a 1.5m swell rolling in on us and causing an uncomfortable motion of Blue Star. We motor-sailed for a while, then the wind dropped to near zero so we took down the sail to stop it slamming from side to side with the motion of the boat. We passed Polperro, and Looe, and eventually the sea state improved. We continued mopping the engine bilge every hour when we made a log entry and plotted our position. We spotted warships far in the distance and speculated which faint silhouette that we saw might be the Eddystone lighthouse. Eventually the murk came down again as we motored past Plymouth break-water. We passed through a lock into Sutton Harbour where we rated the facilities as 9.5/10!

Joke:

I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.

The marina at Penmarlam near Fowey

Pollux (quite!) was moored opposite the marina

Coffee and croissants in Fowey

Looking out at the murk whilst we had coffee

Blue Star on the pontoon in Fowey

Plymouth breakwater appears out of the mist

Blue Star in Sutton Marina, Plymouth