Now at La Manga

We arrived here early afternoon on Saturday after a 265 mile drive from Aranjuez. Again we started off in freezing fog but visibility was about 100 yds or so and the roads were virtually empty. A very easy route via Albercete and Murcia brought us to Cartagena then La Manga, our destination. We have found so far on this trip that stopping every hundred miles for a coffee and something to eat works well for us leaving whatever the odd distance is left at the end of the day. This ensures we are a bit fresher when looking for our destination. I have to say though that with using our Tom Tom and entering the latitude and Longitude of the site entrance has worked perfectly.

We chose our pitch from a few on offer when we arrived and set up the MH, cleaning the road dirt off before anything else. Very friendly neighbours around us and by five pm we were in an adjoining caravan enjoying a glass of wine with Elizabeth and Gordon from Northern Ireland.

Sunday, we woke to clear blue skies and sunshine with a breakfast temperature of about 14^oC. This is what we have come to Spain for, by lunchtime it had picked up to 22^o.

Following a coffee morning with other Rallyers we went back to the MH and erected our awning. This has only been attempted once before properly so it took some time but we are fairly happy with the end result. It had a good test last night after the wind got up and heavy rain followed. By this morning it was all over and the sun came out again, just how it should be.

Monday has been a full day with a mid morning Spanish lesson and then Sue went off to some Line Dancing while I went for a game of Boules, we lost. Tonight it is off to the local club for a Whist Drive.

It's all go here.

Aranjuez (12th & 13th January)

We are currently at Aranjuez where we are stopping for two nights.

Yesterday we arrived about two thirty having left Bilbao at about eight, right in the middle of the rush hour. Our TomTom worked perfectly, safely navigating us around Madrid and directing us right to the Campsite gates. What surprised us was the weather en route. As we left Bilbao we had a clear sky but as we climbed the hills behind the town it became frosty with thickening cloud. By the time we went through the first pass (750m) e were in thick fog and heavy frost. This remained with us for a good distance before we dropped down south of Burgos and the sun suddenly came out again. A couple of breaks on the way and we arrived in time for a relaxing coffee by the banks of the Rio Tajo where we pitched about thirty yards from it's bank.

Royal Palace at Aranjuez

Today we have explored Aranjuez with it's Royal Palace and lovely gardens although you have to imagine what they would be like in Summer as everything is currently quite bare. Lots of squirrels though. Some lovely buildings are around the town which give it quite a special feel. Back on site now for an afternoon glass of Rioja. On to L Manga tomorrow.

Red squirrel in Jardin de Principe, Aranjuez

Ferry to Bilbao (10th& 11th January)

Well, we arrived in Bilbao right on time.

After a crossing of the Bay of Biscay that can only be described as like being on a river cruise we disembarked from the ferry and drove to just by the Terminal building where we are camped for the night, along with about a dozen other motorhomes.

Loading at Portsmouth took forever it seemed. We arrived at about 14.30 in plenty of time for a 16.30 departure. At this time however we were still on the quay waiting to be loaded. Eventually we got on after wondering if they were running out of space (someone kept coming round counting how many vehicles were still due to board). There were only five after us and by 17.15 we had cast off.

The Cap Finistere ferry that we were on is about 32000 tons and can do 28knots so we made up the time easily especially in the calm conditions seeing very little other shipping on the way. Lunch on deck made a very civilised start to our trip while about five hours out from Bilbao.

More news when able to update.

Off at last !!

Well, that’s it. Off to Spain tomorrow (10^th January)

We are getting the afternoon ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao in Northern Spain. After spending a night at the ferryport we are then heading to a town just South of Madrid called Aranjuez which is the site of some spectacular Royal Gardens and a Royal Palace apparently. It sounds delightful. We plan to spend two nights here before heading on to Mar Menor, La Manga where we will be stopping for almost four weeks.

We then head North to just outside Valencia to another site where we are staying about three weeks before heading back to Bilbao via Zaragoza. We should arrive home in early March.

I will try and update here from time to time to let you know how we are getting on with our travels.

Adios

Home Again

We are home again now!

We had had difficulty finding a site that suited us to use on the journey back to Devon from Suffolk  so decided to do the entire journey in one day.

Leaving the campsite we topped up the fuel tank at a garage handily situated just as we turned onto the A12 where we headed South West for the M25. This was in a rather benign mood fortunately and we kept moving virtually the entire stretch of this notorious road. This was followed by the M3 then onto the A303 where we decided to stop.

We were ideally looking for a lay-by with a hedge or at least an island between the traffic and us. All the ones that fitted the description were on the far side of the road (I think there is a well known law that applied here) so we gave up in the end and pulled into a normal lay-by for a break.

More Time was swaying as lorries and buses roared past a few feet away and even cars caused her to rock. Although I had turned on the gas on arrival because it is on the offside of the vehicle I was glad to get back to safety after doing it so did not turn it off as we left. One holdup further down the road saw us home by mid afternoon ready for a coffee while we opened our post.

Saturday saw us cleaning and emptying More Time and winterising her ready for storage.

Next trip – Spain in January, I can’t wait.

Thursday 20th October

After visiting Southwold we had another night at the Kessingland site as we had arranged to meet the editor of our sailing association quarterly newsletter who lives at Beccles, not far away. Although we had communicated by emails for some years we had never met so thought we would take the opportunity to do so.

Richard spent a couple of hours with us and it was a really pleasurable time chatting away as if we had known each other for years. He had to go to a meeting in Wymondham so after he had left Sue and I took a walk through the village and down to the beach. Oh dear, a pub overlooked it so we stopped for lunch as well. I am sure there are lovely beaches along this coast but at high water only the shingle bank at the top was visible.

Wednesday saw us heading for Wickham Market where Ian Clays (a good friend of ours) sister lives. We spent an enjoyable couple of hours with Sheila before heading on to our site for the night at Polstead. This was another lovely site and after a walk around the village / area we headed for the pub about two hundred yards away from the site to take advantage of their steak night offer, it was delicious.

Kersey main street with More Time 

Thursday (after a quite frosty start) we left site and headed for Kersey (just outside Hadleigh) which was described as ‘a postcard English village’, it didn’t disappoint. It even had a ford in the middle of the main street. From here we headed for Lavenham which has an abundance of medieval timbered buildings, some more upright than others. It was lovely walking around the town in the warm sunshine exploring the various turnings and side roads before heading on again.

Lavenham house

 Flatford Mill & Sue

This time we were heading for East Bergholt which is where the artist John Constable lived. It is on the edge of ‘Constable Country’ and after parking in the free car park (yes, they do still exist) behind The Red Lion pub we walked to Flatford Mill and explored a little around there. Coffee and a scone in the National Trust café there saw us ready to head back to More Time via a little artisan bakers we had spotted on the way out of the village. Arriving about 15 minutes before closing our choice was limited but the cakes we got were delicious. As we passed the church we were remarking about how odd it was for a church not to have a tower or steeple. It suddenly occurred to me why this was. In the churchyard we found the Bell cage, a strong timber house for the bells built on the ground. It was built as a ‘temporary’ construction in 1531 and remains in use today. What with this and the sundial on the side of the church instead of the usual clock it is altogether rather unusual.

Bell Cage at East Bergholt Church

We only had a short drive from there to our site for the night at Ardleigh, just across the border in Essex.

Monday 17th October

After Sandringham we headed for West Runton where there is another Camping and Caravan site. We travelled via Wells Next the Sea and hoped to stop there but it seems most Motorhome unfriendly and even had a car boot sale in the main car park so we kept on moving. We were very surprised at the large numbers of ‘twitchers’ that we passed along the roads, especially as we passed the numerous marshland sites.

Our site at West Runton was about a twenty minute walk out of the village, across open hillsides and the local golf course. We found a pub that did a Sunday roast which pleased Sue no end. We made sure that the walk we did on Sunday morning was such that we arrived back at the pub in time for lunch. Two roast beefs and pint of the local beer and a white wine ensured a relaxing and not too energetic afternoon back at More Time. We were entertained later in the day by some deer rutting in the woods surrounding the site, it seemed to go on for a long, long time but not something you hear every day.

At West Runton site

We left the site on Monday morning and drove towards our next destination at Kessingland, just south of Lowestoft. We stopped at Great Yarmouth on the – we were not impressed. It is not a town I would choose to return to.

Where we are now is right next to a zoo (Africa Alive) so you can imagine the sounds that come through the hedge from time to time. We also have the sounds of two huge wind turbines close by. I’m just glad we are not here when the wind is really strong. Norfolk and Suffolk seem into alternative energies in a big way, from a couple of offshore wind farms to a field or two of the biggest solar panels I have ever seen. All we need is a wave hub and we will have the set.

This afternoon we visited Southwold by bus. I had wanted to visit this coastal town as I had visited it about fifty years ago with my Grandparents (in their Austin 16). I found the house that their friend lived in at the time, it helped that it was right at the foot of the lighthouse which is situated in amongst the houses of the town. Despite the keen breeze we really enjoyed our visit there.

 Southwold Lighthouse - just as I remember it, end of house I went to just visible left of white garage doors

Lunch with The Queen

Well, not quite but we did dine at Sandringham today. What a delightful visit it was. Bathed in sunshine we had a lovely walk from our site through the woods and arrived at Sandringham House soon after it opened.

Sandringham from across the lawns 

It is a house that although large (110 bedrooms when originally built in 1870) it was quite homely and the guides were excellent. Sue can now place exactly where the main Christmas tree is placed (one of 12 around the house at Christmas) and everywhere you looked there were personal items on display. Apparently Sandringham is one of the few places actually owned by The Queen and not the State so it is very special to her. A walk through the grounds took us to a museum where a lot of carriages and cars are on display, even the half scale Aston Martin presented to the two Princes (sons of Charles and Diana) in 1988. They even had the very first car bought by a King in 1900 (Reg No. A7). On exiting we walked through the grounds and visited the Sandringham Church where the Royal Family walk to on Christmas Day. Apparently nowadays the Queen usually goes by car but Prince Phillip walks and strides out waiting for the others to catch him up. I just hope I am the same at 90+.

Sandringham Church 

All in all a lovely day, helped by the sunshine we had until it went dark tonight.

 Sue at the main entrance to Sandringham

Moving on to West Runton tomorrow so we’ll see what that is like.

Start of our East Anglia trip

Well we stayed a night at Pershore before heading on to the NEC at Birmingahm for the Motorhome and Caravan Show. Despite many, many new motorhomes on display we did not see one that we preferred the design of so fortunately we are happy to stay with More Time. We bought a few little goodies (you can’t go to a show like that and buy nothing) and headed off to a site just outside Market Harborough for the night.

Our new TomTom satnav took us right to the farm, even telling us to turn left into the farm driveway. Once we had negotiated our way through the chickens and cockerel we found the site that has room for just five units, we were the only one there. All we could hear was the cows and sheep and the occasional whinny of a horse in the fields around us.

04.30 saw us awakened by the cockerel (a bit like being at Fowey) but he didn’t continue for long so we went back to sleep. Our facility block at this site was novel, it was a large green room, originally built as a septic tank and more often that not sunk into the ground. This one was above ground and had a double glazed UPVc door fitted to the side. On entering you found yourself inside an 8ft diameter, green walled and ceilinged wet room with heated towel rail, toilet, handbasin and shower, all of which worked perfectly. No problems with condensation here as it just ran off the walls and out of the floor drain.

Facilities block at Arthington Lodge Farm.

Inside facilities block

After a call on the way at a B&Q to get some cable for a table lamp we headed off to Sandringham in Norfolk where we are now. A lovely Camping and Caravan Club site on the Sandringham Estate. We are hoping to visit the house (Royal Familys holiday home) tomorrow (Friday) so it had better be good weather.

Off Again at last !

The Star at Ashton under Hill, good food!

Tomorrow (Tuesday 11th Oct) we are off to spend a night at our favourite little site just outside of Pershore, Worcestershire. Early on Wednesday we will continue to the NEC at Birmingham to visit a Motorhome and Caravan show there. Sue and I are both hoping to sign up for a brief motorhome manouvering lesson that is being offered there, should be fun.

Pershore Bridge

After the show (hopefully it won't cost us too much) we are aiming to visit Sandringham in Norfolk where there is a campsite actually on the Estate. A day or two to explore the area and visit the Royal home should be good.

After there, who knows?

Early October 2011

Have been a bit slack recently with updating this blog as we have been rather busy. Our son has split with his partner and it has been quite messy. Sorting out somewhere for him to live and the arrangements to achieve it have taken some time. We have also sold our boat Half Time and now hope to spend more time on board More Time our motorhome, visiting places not so easy to get to on a yacht..

We did manage to get a couple of trips on the boat in before we sold her but only as far as the River Dart.

A motorhome trip this weekend to the western edge of Dartmoor for a couple of nights provided a more than needed break which just happened to coincide with the splendid late Summer (or is it early Autumn) heat wave. Long walks and a pub about 100yds from our pitch suited us fine.

We are hoping to head off to East Anglia for a few weeks soon and we are just waiting to get our sons furniture delivered then we intend to head off for the rest of October. At least that is the plan.

Towards the end of August 2011

We had a rather damp but enjoyable weekend with our daughter Carly and boyfriend Matt in Clitheroe.

Sue found us a lovely site to break the journey at Ashton under Hill near Evesham. Just a small site with basic facilities but a jem of an area around it. We walked to the pub in the village that night (The Star) and enjoyed locally made faggots, delicious. Next morning we continued up the motorway and after picking up daughter and boyfriend in Manchester continued to Clitheroe. After a less than friendly welcome at the site we settled in and had a BBQ in the evening sunshine. Saturday saw us exploring Clitheroe with it's excellent bustling market followed by another BBQ. You have to make the most of the weather when you can. Sunday was a leisurely day with lunchtime in the pub playing darts and enjoying the local food and beer. After a walk around the park (to ease the conscience) we lazed around in the evening sun having run out of inspiration for BBQs.

Monday saw us dropping Carly and Matt off and returning to our site near Evesham. Unfortunately the pub did no food on Mondays so we ate in More Time instead and watched the setting sun for our windows. Tuesday was more driving along the motorway to complete our trip.

After a few days at home we were off again in Half Time to join a cruise along the Devon and Cornwall coasts. We met up with the rest of the cruising boats at Plymouth and were disappointed to find that the cruise was stopping there due to lack of boats taking part.We continued with Ian and Joan, our friends on board Eonmor V to Looe where Joan caught a train home after injuring her ankle a few days before.

Egret fishing in Looe harbour near Half Time

Two nights were spent in Looe and a few maintenance jobs were carried out on the two boats, one being to correct an overheating problem on Half Time that had occurred as we entered the harbour. This turned out to have been caused by a build up of mussels etc blocking the water inlet. Once cleared the problem seemed to be solved. After Looe we had a night in Newton Ferrers near Plymouth before returning to the River Dart where we headed straight for Dittisham because we found Dartmouth particularly busy due to the Regatta. One night there and we headed back to Teignmouth to put Half Time on her mooring due to poor weather forecast for the rest of the week (again).

Early August 2011

Came back on Monday night from the River Dart, arriving on our mooring and securing Half Time at just about high water, home for 22.00.



Next morning caught up with chores such as mowing the lawn, washing, ironing etc. Today (Wednesday) collected our Motorhome ‘More Time’ from storage and started to load clothes and equipment onto her. Why are boats and motorhomes always a she? Anyway, off to meet Carly (our daughter) and Matt (boyfriend) in Manchester on Thursday with a break in the journey at Evesham. Have booked a site in Clitheroe for a long weekend returning home some time next week.


We have to be home by Thursday as we are then off on Half Time to cruise the Devon and Cornwall coast. We are meeting up with friends and hope to coincide our vsits to various ports with their regattas and firework displays. We’ll see whether it works as planned and whether the weather co-operates with the itinerary. Due back home late August.

Wherever did we used to get the time to go to work?

Update to mid July

Have been a bit slack in updating this blog but we have been quite busy.


At the end of May we joined a friend on his boat and sailed off for five weeks, exploring the Channel Islands and the North coast of Brittany. We were lucky with the weather and managed to keep ahead of the strong winds etc that plagued so much of the Channel coasts at that time. We crossed to St Peter Port from Dartmouth in nine and a half hours, our best time yet. After a few days there we continued to Lezardrieux before heading upriver to Pontrieux. Our visit here was fortunate enough to coincide with a weekend of ‘ Musique Mechanical’ or to you and I a Barrel Organ fest. It was really quite enjoyable and the weather was superb.

From here we headed East and spent some time in Paimpol where our friend had to fly home to deal with a lack of water supply to his home, his wife was not amused. From here (after a stop of several days but a nice town to spend time in) we visited St Quay Portrieux then St Cast before heading up the River Rance to visit Taden and Dinan. Coming down river from these lovely places we met some friends in St Malo and after a few days accompanied them back to St Cast for a night before sailing off to St Helier on Jersey.

A stop of a few days here saw us heading off to Sark where we moored for a night before going back to St Peter Port where we waited for good weather to allow our return to the UK. At least while we waited we were able to visit Herm by ferry as it was an island that the wether had not permitted us to visit in our own boat this time. We arrived back in Torquay at the beginning of July, completing our circuit nicely.

Arriving home we unpacked quickly as we had an important date to keep. On the morning of the day we had left for the Channel Islands we had bought ourselves a Motorhome. 22ft of motorised living accommodation and we were going to collect it from near Barnstaple the day after getting back. After driving around in a Renault Clio this is a little bit larger but visibility is so good it isn’t too much of a challenge although it does take longer to stop three tons of vehicle I soon discovered.

We have spent our first weekend on it, just outside Ilfracombe where we had to take it back to a caravan workshop to get a problem with the fridge sorted out under warranty. Sue found us a lovely quiet site that had a pub within half a mile in each direction of the entrance. We fell asleep the first night listening to owls hooting in the trees surrounding us, bliss.

Because our boat is called Half Time our motorhome has been nicknamed More Time, I think it will stick.

We are now at home again for a short while before heading off, hopefully in Half Time but as always that is down to the weather.

Further updates as time allows.

Update and plans for June Cruise

Update and Plans for our June cruise


All quiet for the last couple of weeks since returning home. Getting the garden under control, washing, planning the next trip etc, the time just whizzes by.

If the weather is as forecast we should be heading off this weekend to sail across the Channel again. This time we will not have Internet access as our daughter Carly is borrowing Sues Notebook computer (it’s a long story). However, if you are interested our planned itinerary for the next five or six weeks is as follows.

Sail from Dartmouth to St Peter Port in Guernsey where we plan to stay for a few days. Then on to Herm and Sark – Anchor for a night or two here

Head to Lezardrieux in Brittany for a couple of nights followed by two nights at Pontrieux.

Out of the Trieux river to Isle de Brehat for a night or two.

Then coast hopping via Paimpol, Dahouet, St Cast & St Briac to St Malo where we hope to go up river (through the Rance Barrage) to Dinan for a few nights. There is an old Roman quay that we know of here in the middle of a nature reserve with a picnic site nearby and a tow path to Dinan itself about two miles further up river- it’s lovely there.

From Dinan we will have a night in St Malo before heading across the bay of St Michel to Granville for a couple of nights. From Granville we plan to visit the Isles Chausey which are en route to St Hellier, Jersey where we will be for a night of two.

This is followed by a visit to France again at Dielette before we go across to Alderney (our favourite Channel Island) for a couple of nights before heading back to France to Cherbourg. From here we plan to head further East to visit Barfleur and St Vaast before either sailing straight to Weymouth or having a further night is Cherbourg before crossing (it depends on the tides) After a few nights in Weymouth we will round Portland Bill (inside passage of course) before heading across Lyme Bay for Teignmouth, our home port.

We hope the weather is kind to us for this trip and any finger crossing / prayers / dances you may like to do to aid this would be appreciated.

Should be back on line in July when I can update this and let you know if our plans came to fruition.

New Season on the Water

Half Time was launched on 9th April and we went straight round to Torquay for a few nights R & R before more decorating of David &Tanyas flat.

I then helped a good friend bring his new (to him) Moody 29 back from Portsmouth to Plymouth. An uneventful trip of about 120 miles which took us 20 hrs. My highlight was on my watch during the night (just before midnight) when we were joined by four dolphins for about 30 minutes, weaving around the boat in the middle of Lyme Bay. Amazing phosphoresence as they swerved and dived, magic!

It's now Easter weekend and we have moved the boat into Torquay Marina for a night or two to enable the family to all meet up on the water. There should be seven of us on board, eight if you count Emma, our grand daughter who is almost a year old now. Altogether there should be myself, Sue, Carly (daughter) and Matt (boyfriend) down from Manchester for the weekend, David (son) and Tanya (partner), Jake (Tanyas son) and Emma

Easter Monday (hopefully) will see us heading off from Torquay west again. We hope to make it to the Isles of Scilly this year but as always, the weather will dictate. We should be away for about a month before we need to return for a dentists appointment and then head across channel with Ian ( a friend of ours) for five or six weeks exploring the Channel Islands and Brittany.

Life is for living so we are trying to as much as we can.

Wish us luck.

End of September

We have just returned from a few days onboard Half Time, again in the River Dart. It's a good job we like the river as much as we do and feel very lucky that it is within such a short distance.

This time we were in the river for a sailing rally with a diffrent group that we belong to, this time NAVA (Navigator and Venturers Association). We used to own a Venturer (built by Newbridge Boats) and beacuase it was such a friendly association we remained members when we sold it.

While in the river we had superb weather although chilly at night (it's what you have heating for) but it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip, finishing off with a night in Torquay before returning to Teignmouth on the Monday morning.

We passed the 100 nights on board while away and now have been on board for 102 nights this year. I don't suppose that will increase a lot more now that the weather is no longer so enjoyable but who knows.

Today is grey and damp so we do not mind being at home too much!

Back onboard again !

At last, we are back on the water again.

After a longer than intended stay at home in August due to cellulitis in my right leg we are back on Half Time and now in Dartmouth for a Legend Owners Association (LOA) rally here this coming weekend.

My cellulitis was picked up (we think) from showering in some facilities somewhere while away on Half Time. As a precaution now against getting it again (once is plenty) I now take a pair of flip flops to wear while showering, hopefully it will work.

We came back onboard Half Time last Saturday and after a couple of nights in Torquay headed to the River Dart where we spent a night at Dittisham before heading up stream to spend a night on a mooring at Stoke Gabriel, a delightful village that boasts what is allegedly the oldest yew tree in the UK. A further night was spent at Dittisham where we met a friend on board his boat after which he was headed for Totnes while we went downstream to a marina in Kingswear as we needed access to mains power and to fill up our water tank. We have seen two boats arrive for our sailing rally and will head across tomorrow (Friday) to join them and be ready to greet other boats and crews as they arrive.

It’s good to be afloat again ! Fingers crossed now for some good late summer weather.

Home once more

We are now at home for a couple of weeks having spent a very enjoyable few nights in Lyme Regis on a sailing rally.

Lyme is one of our favourite ports of call and it did not disappoint. Having sailed round Portland Bill from Weymouth we arrived at Lyme about an hour before high water so could safely enter and tie up. Lyme harbour dries completely at low tide so is not accessible, in fact when they launch the lifeboat the trailer almost reaches the harbour entrance before launching is possible.

While we were there Lifeboat week started and we were kept entertained by the various activities arranged by them. In addition to this we also had a game of bowls and a game of pitch and putt.

Now we are home we can report that so far this year we have visited 28 different harbours/towns/anchorages in Half Time, spent 87 nights on board and covered just over 800 miles.

We hope to be back on the boat by mid August and be out exploring again.

Now we are in Weymouth

We arrived in Weymouth at about lunchtime on Sunday 18th July after a very early start from Yarmouth. We left our berth at 05.00 and headed out into the Solent, quickly being caught by the tide and swept towards the Needles Channel. Having seen the turbulence in the Solent there was no way we were going near to the Needles so headed west as soon as Hurst Castle had been passed through an inshore channel. . From then on the seas just mounted, getting bigger and bigger. We slogged on with a reef in the mainsail and no jib, motorsailing just to punch into the waves. Fortunately the tide was in our favour as we ticked off the headlands, very rough off Anvil point and quite docile off St Albans Head where we had expected the worst seas. Forty miles later the seas moderated as we entered between the two piers of Weymouth Harbour entrance Arriving at Weymouth the sun came out and we had a leisurely afternoon in the cockpit with fish and chips on board for dinner.
We hope that boat handling skills in Weymouth are an improvement on Yarmouth where they seemed to be appalling. Examples included the following. A sailing school boat came in to berth behind us. It hit a yacht moored beyond the spot he was coming into, quite a clout. Never mind, I’ll try again he must have thought and backed out for another go at berthing. Bang went his boat into the same moored boat again. I was pleased to see he did at least admit to the harbour staff what had happened. Another boat, when leaving his berth did not look at all before heading away from the pontoon. He swung out immediately in front of the boat coming in causing it to swerve to miss him then give full astern before hitting another boat moored in front. In turn the two boats following him in had to take evasive action also.....mayhem! Another boat, a Grand Soleil 47ft with just two on board (do they really need all that space) came in and tied up on a long section of vacant pontoon. Over the next 30 minutes or so they then moved the boat a couple of feet at a time along the pontoon towards the stern of a moored boat further along. Each time they moved all lines were secured and inspected by the skipper and adjustments made. I could not believe how long they took especially as other boats were waiting to tie up. All very entertaining though.
We hope to be in Weymouth for three of four nights before heading on to Lyme Regis for a sailing rally, weather permitting of course.

Now on Isle of Wight

On Sunday we headed back to the UK before some forecast stronger winds arrived later in the week. After a twelve and a half hour passage we passed The Needles and entered the Needles Channel, hurtling along at up to ten and a half knots due to the strong tide there. I would hate to get the timing wrong and try to go against it.
We tied up at Yarmouth before going ashore for a meal (Wheatsheaf Inn, good food) shortly to be followed by a good nights sleep.
We are to explore the Island for a few days but as always keep a watch on the weather heading our way.
Our first day back in the UK and we woke to rain!. We decided to go for a bus trip and visit the Needles Battery and on the way there on the bus we brought a tree down. Our driver was just pulling out to pass a parked car on the side of the road, doing about 2 mph and the top of the front of the bus caught the branch of a tree. A loud snap followed and the tree fell down across the road. As it was an open topped bus all (including us) on the top deck could see that the tree was rotten and from the many photos that were taken there was plenty of proof that the tree was rotten. We walked the last couple of miles to the battery along the Tennyson Way across the downs which we would never have done if the tree had not fallen and blocked the road. Later we visited Newport by bus to see the berthing arrangements if we decide to visit there as well later in the week.

Not every day you bring down a tree !

Now in Cherbourg

From Guernsey we decided to visit Sark which we had previously visited as day trippers two years ago when the weather was too bad to visit in our own boat. This time we would pick up a mooring on the eastern side of the island in a cove sheltered from the west winds that were forecast. We had a good sail across and went straight to the moorings. Unfortunately instead of the twenty moorings that all the pilot books mention there are now only six or seven and these were all taken. We picked up a private mooring and waited. When one became vacant we rushed to get it as another boat was doing the same as us. It was a race to see who could drop their existing mooring and get to the vacant visitors mooring first.....we beat them, hooray.
After a celebratory coffee we headed ashore and went for a good walk to the main harbour on the island. On returning to the boat we found that a considerable swell had built in our absence and she was rolling a lot. After not a good night’s sleep (for Sue anyway) we decided to leave as we could not face another night in those conditions. We had intended to stay a second night to explore the island more but that will have to be another time.
We headed off to Alderney once the tide turned in our favour and arrived mid afternoon after quite a slow passage. After our experience of the previous night we picked up a mooring rather than anchor as the anchorage looked a little rolly, we had a good night’s sleep.
Alderney is our favourite Channel Island and we were happy to spend a few days there, enjoying the tranquillity and beauty of the island which was enhanced by some glorious sunshine each day. Time on the beach (don’t ask Sue about my method of getting changed but the beach was quiet)we spent the time walking and exploring all adding up to a totally enjoyable visit.
Time marches on and we came to Cherbourg yesterday (Thursday) and are now in the main marina here catching up with chores such as washing, boat maintenance etc. Fresh croissants with coffee for breakfast today started the day off well.
We had a busy few days (shopping) and lazing around the boat and getting to know owners of other visiting boats before checking on the weather in the local yacht club before deciding that it might be a good time to head back across the channel to take advantage of what looks like could be the last of the south westerlies...................

The next few days

A couple of days was enjoyed in Granville where we were treated to continuing superb weather, blue skys, sunshine and very little wind. Granville is quite a pleasant town to wile away the time although Sue was devastated to find that the ice cream parlour that had been recommended had closed. A G & T back on board was the only way that I could console her.

After two days here we all headed off to St Helier on Jersey. No wind to speak of so on with the iron topsail again (engine). We arrived just as the marina opened and went straight in to our berths.

After a couple of days in Jersey at St Helier marina we decided to head to St Peter Port on Guernsey. Not only did this give us more choice as to where to head next but we actually prefer St Peter Port to St Helier. It has a more compact friendly feel to it, St Helier is a little too large and busy for us.

This passage gave us the opportunity again to play 'chicken' with the high speed catamarans who ply their trade in the area. Travelling at up to 40 knots (nearly fifty mph) they thunder their way across the water causing havoc with small boats in their way. We all survived !!

Eonmor being chased.......she missed

Once more we had flat calm seas for our passage of about six hours and reached the marina t Guernsey in ample time for the sill to cover and allow our entrance. Once tied up we headed for the local, excellent fish and chip shop and carried copious quantities back for the four boats crews to enjoy along with the compulsory drinks. We had expected to be left in St Peter Port by the other boats in the group on Friday but they changed their plans and now plan to depart at 02.00 on Saturday morning to ensure arrival back in Devon on daylight. We have the luxury of staying on and have decided (at the moment) to spend a few more days on Guernsey but watching the weather forecasts carefully.

Good weather continues

As forecast the fine weather allowed us to leave St Peter Port for the short trip to Herm early in the afternoon of Monday. With some rather interesting navigation to undertake despite the short trip we were anchoring off the East coast of Herm by mid afternoon in about six metres of water but out of the main tidal flow. One boat did have to re anchor oon afterwards when some rather large rocks started to appear out of the water as the tide dropped. They eventually became a large cluster that were unmarked on any of our charts.
Arrangements were made to all meet on the beautiful white sandy beach at six and at about that time the nine of us paddled ashore from our dinghys and lit our BBQs. Such a lovely spot to hold a BBQ especially as by that time of day all the day trippers have gone back to the main islands.

Tuesday morning saw us up and about early as we were heading for Isles Chausey, a pile of rocks about twenty miles off shore from St Malo. About forty three miles from Herm we took advantage of some favourable tides and by mid afternoon we were heading for some interesting pilotage that enabled three boats to wriggle through the rocks top the south side of the islands where the moorings were. These were quite busy but eventually we were all secured and ready for another beach BBQ. Sue stayed on board as she had had enough sun for the day and when we came to leave the small island that had been selected I think she made the right decision as the tide drops so far that it was like mountaineering but carrying a dinghy etc on a slippery slope. We all slept well that night.

Wednesday saw us heading towards St Malo in mirror calm water as there was not a breath of wind. We were headed for Dinan, a lovely medieval town about ten miles from the sea but accessible via a hydro electric barrage with a huge lock in it with a second lock further up river. In between and beyond the second lock was some very shallow water. Sue and I were relaxing too much and just missed the barrage lock opening, arriving just as the lock gates clanged shut. We picked up a buoy and waited for the next opening an hour later. Due to our delay we had more water and did not touch bottom once as we headed upstream. Other boats were not so lucky, one stopped five times so by the second lock we had caught up the other three boats that were heading up river.

Tied up to the quay at Taden with friends

We stopped for two nights tied up to an old quay that dates back to Roman times in a beautiful spot near Taden, a village about two miles short of Dinan but so peaceful , too lovely to miss. We had first visited here two years ago and vowed to return. We ate onboard that night with the last of our Champagne for a celebratory glass or two. Thursday saw us exploring Dinan after a peaceful walk along the river bank using a cycle and walking path. Dinan is a lovely place with spectacular views from the old town walls but by mid afternoon a combination of a large lunch and temperatures of 27C saw us retuning to the boat.

Dinan from the quay below the town



Back downstream on Friday saw us at St Malo for a couple of nights before enjoying a good sail across the bay (about 20 miles) to Granville where we are at present. We intend to stay here two nights before heading on to St Helier on Jersey.

Sunday evening 20th June

Four boats joined us in St Peter Port yesterday after one sadly had to turn back with the crew suffering from sea sickness.

This weekend has been quite enjoyable; catching up with friends not seen for some time, making new friends and just chilling out.

Today was Fathers Day and I received two cards (well three if you count one from my six week old now grand daughter) sent to me by devious means via other friends as we had left home too soon. Lovely words and thoughts really meant a lot, thanks kids!
Tomorrow a BBQ is planned on the island of Herm where we plan to anchor for the night before heading off for a night at Isles Chausey, a remote pile of rocks just a little bit special. It should be an experience to be rembered. From there we should head to inland France and spend a couple of days moored at Dinan, a medieval Breton town that we are looking forward to visiting again.

Across The Channel at last !

Thursday morning saw us up early at just before four o clock so that Sue could make a final check of the weather and Yes, it looked good to head across channel as we had hoped.
Leaving the Dart at five we headed off towards Guernsey and with the steady north easterly wind we had we were able to sail as far as the Channel Light Vessel which is a light ship in the middle of the Channel. This is sited on what can only be described as a marine duel carriageway with the light ship marking the central reservation. We had a lot of shipping on the first side but the up channel side was quite quiet. Beyond that the wind virtually disappeared so we motor sailed the last half of the trip arriving at St Peter Port at just after five. As we approached the harbour we were greeted by a sight of the Arcadia cruise ship which was anchored off as we approached her being carried along by the tide at up to ten knots. Twelve hours to travel 72 miles so an average of about 6 knots. We were pleased with that.
We slept well on Thursday night after entering the marina and tying up. We had had a meal while waiting for the sill of the marina to cover and allow our access.
Friday was spent doing the inevitable shopping and having a lovely walk along the coast of Guernsey in the afternoon, in the sunshine. Tomorrow our friends should arrive and we should all start a cruise in company around the islands and beyond.




Half Time in St Peter Port

Monday 14th June

We came back on board on Wednesday 9th June after a few days at home. Our friend Ian very kindly gave us a lift to Teignmouth which we were very grateful for due to all the items we had to take back with us. Because of the scare we had had when sailing to Looe earlier in our cruising we had taken to decision to fit a new chart plotter. Our new one has an AIS input (Automatic Identification System) which shows you boats that have the necessary transponder (compulsory for all vessels over 300 tons) on your plotter and where they are in relation to you. This took me a few days to wire in and get working with all the equipment it is linked to but is now working properly.
We headed to the River Dart with Ian on his own boat (Eonmor V) and spent an enjoyable weekend on a sailing rally with several other boats, enjoying a BBQ on the beach on Saturday in the sunshine at Dittisham followed by a trip taking two of the boats up to the Maltsters Arms at Tuckenhay which is described in the pilot book as ‘ deep as you are likely to get by boat into the depths of rural Devon’. I can understand this as you pass the muddy patches where cattle enter the creek waters to bathe seemingly only feet from your course in the boat.
Sunday saw most boats returning to their home ports and we took the opportunity to go for a sail and check that the new chart plotter picked up commercial ships also. It did and we were rewarded with one of the fastest sails we have had on Half Time seeing 7.7 knots appear on the log, beating our previous best by 0.3 knots.
Monday should have seen us heading across the Channel for St Peter Port on Guernsey but the forecast (once again) said strong winds and with a twelve or fourteen hour crossing we decided that caution was best as we did not want to reach Guernsey feeling shattered when careful navigation was needed We had thought that we would try to make the crossing in marginal conditions but when we woke for a four o clock departure and heard the wind whistling through the rigging and the rain falling on the deck we turned over and went back to sleep, this is supposed to be fun after all. Looking at the weather forecasts now Thursday seems a likely day as long as the weather does not deteriorate by then so hopefully that will be the day we make our next Channel crossing, 70 miles from Dartmouth.

A Weekend in the Lakes

We drove to Manchester on Friday and met Carly coming home from work. We had managed to find a B & B for the Saturday night overlooking Ullswater so spent a restful Friday evening just chatting and catching up with Carly.
Saturday saw us driving to the Lake District and after catching the ferry across Windermere we headed for ‘Hill Top’, the farm that Beatrix Potter bought and lived in for some time until her death when she bequeathed it to the National Trust. So popular is the property with visitors that a timed entry system is in force so after getting our allocated tickets for just over an hour away we found a little park just down the road to have a picnic lunch in.



Hilltop Farm

What a delightful old farmhouse Hill Top is. All items of furniture, pictures etc are exactly as they were when Beatrix lived there; it was one of her wishes that it all remained that way. At different places around the house you can see areas that appeared in some of the illustrations in her books, still recognisable. After the visit and a coffee at the hotel next door we headed off to find our B&B.
‘High Barton’ at Watermillock is built on the side of the valley overlooking Ullswater.


View from High Barton over Ullswater

We found it without too much difficulty and as we got out of the car Pauline (owner) gave us a wave and came to greet us before giving us a tour of the accommodation. There are only two letting rooms but they are superb with everything you need for a comfortable night. Both have lovely views across fields and over the lake. After a welcoming scone and jam with coffee and a chat we decided to go for a meal to a pub recommended by Pauline at Dacre, just up the road. The Horse and Farrier is an 18th century pub that has quite a varied menu, unfortunately a lot of which was not available. We eventually selected something each that was and after the meal we had a walk across to Dacre Castle nearby.



Poor spelling at Dacre school
Next morning saw us, after a wonderful breakfast (so much choice) taking a walk to Aira Force, a well known waterfall nearby which, due to the lack of rain was not as spectacular as it must be at times. After that we meandered through the Lakeland scenery, eventually heading back to Manchester where we stayed at Carly’s again before heading home on Monday morning when Carly left for work.



Ullswater on a still evening

What a lovely weekend !

Home for a while

We came home on Tuesday 1st June as we were in the R. Dart and due to be there again on Friday 11th with a not so good weather forecast in between. We decided to visit our daughter Carly in Manchester for a couple of days and (if we can find accomodation) even fit in a visit to the Lake District perhaps.

Prior to coming home we did manage a visit to Coleton Fishacre, a lovely house in beautiful grounds that was built for the D'Oyly Carte family (owners of Savoy Hotel and Theatre) in the 1930s. It is on the coast, not too far from Kingswear opposite Dartmouth so is a walkable distance from there.



Coleton Fishacre near Kingswear Devon

Yes, we were in Dartmouth at the time of their big fire last week. We were about 100 yds from the seat of the fire as it must have broken out but unaware at the time. By the time we were back on board Half Time the buildings were well ablaze and the fire appliances were arriving. Such a shame for some lovely old buildings to be destroyed in such a way. Not the best time of year for the traders there either.

Our blog may go quiet for a week or so until there is something to be worth entering on it again as we head across the Channel we hope.

Later update

From Plymouth we had a relatively short passage to Salcombe having taken the decision to head towards the River Dart in view of the poor forecasts we had been seeing. We have taken the difficult decision to postpone our trip to the Isles of Scilly as we have ben uneasy about the unsettled weather there and it really is somewhere that you need fairly settled weather to visit by boat. Perhaps we will make it later in the season.

Salcombe as always was it's pictureasque self and after a good walk in the morning we left there on Wednesday to catch the tide at a favourable time to round Start Point. Although I had calculated the time and checked it when we arrived at the point the seas were still rather lively and one wave crept up on us and leaping over the sprayhood landed on Sue and I (mostly on me I think) drenching us. With a good breeze and sunshine we soon dried off though.

Entering the R Dart we tied up to an island pontoon for a couple of nights, visiting Dartmouth Castle whilst there.



View from battlements of Castle looking towards town of Dartmouth with Kingswear on opposite bank.

It is now Friday and we are heading upstream this afternoon for a couple of nights on a buoy at Dittisham before perhaps anchoring further upstream to avoid the Bank Holiday crowds. With a potential Force Eight wind though we may prefer to stay on the security of a buoy.




Classic yacht sailing past in Dartmouth in evening sunshine. Previous owners have included Ernest Shackleton

Catchup time after no internet access

Wednesday 19th May

Wednesday saw us sailing from Fowey towards Looe where we had arranged to meet our friend Ian on Eonmor. Looking at the forecast it said gentle winds if any but fog also. Visibility in Fowey harbour was not good but we had arranged to meet up so decided to go. I have to admit that I would not have left harbour if we had not had complete faith in our chart plotter.

As we left Fowey you could just about make out both sides of the entrance and once out to sea we estimated that visibility was about 200 yds. That was as good as it got. We needed to head a little off shore to clear a south cardinal buoy which was warning of rocks inshore of it. As we approached it we scanned the fog to locate it knowing that it had to be there somewhere close. Suddenly we spotted it about 50 yds away. So much for the visibility. As we changed course we heard the foghorn of a (what sounded like) a large ship close astern. Hunting out our foghorn we gave a blast back and continued every two minutes until we heard it no longer. We never even saw it. We continued on our way and eventually reached Looe although we could not see it. We saw Ian on Eonmor anchored as he had arrived slightly earlier. We anchored nearby and waited the short time for the necessary tide to increase the depth of water in the harbour to allow us to enter. All the while we could hear the foghorn on the pier head but could not see it. As the smaller boat we entered first once there was enough water for us. We eventually saw the pier head and crept in very slowly just seeing both sides of the entrance that is only about 50 yds across. As we approached the visitors berth we saw a boat already there so prepared to raft up to it. Once secured we called Eonmor on the radio and he came in and secured next to us. Ten minutes later you could see the harbour entrance quite clearly. Sue very quickly cooked a delicious chicken curry and Ian joined us on board bringing a bottle of wine with him.

Next morning we awoke to fairly clear skies and good visibility. I got some diesel from a nearby garage as we were getting low while Sue did some shopping in a nearby Spar shop. Once we floated we left the harbour and motored on a flat calm sea towards Cawsand, our next destination.

Thursday 20th May

After a relatively short passage of about ten miles we dropped anchor in Cawsand. There were just a few other boats already there, one of which was Wylo II that is sailed single-handedly around the world and is a replica of the first yacht to be sailed around the world single handed by a Joshua Slocum. We went ashore for a walk round the two villages of Cawsand and Kingsand that blend together to form one and just caught an ice cream shop before it closed. We ate ours sitting on the sea front looking across to the anchorage

Twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand bathed in sunshine

Friday 21st May

After a lovely peaceful evening and night at anchor in Cawsand (such an idyllic spot in the right conditions) we motor sailed across Plymouth Sound and headed into the River Yealm to go to Newton Ferrers where we were due to meet up with other Legend owners for a ‘Rendevous’. Seven boats were due to meet up there and by Saturday afternoon we had seven tied up against the pontoon. When we arrived there were a few boats already there and very quickly we were invited onboard one for coffee. Food was provided later by various items being provided by each crew and a very enjoyable evening was had by all.



A tranquil entrance to the River Yealm

Saturday and Sunday 22nd and 23rd May

Next day saw us on a fairly long walk around a nearby headland then along the coast before heading back inland to complete the circuit. Six of us rewarded ourselves with a nice cold drink at the riverside pub at Noss Mayo before returning to our boats. Thanks Paul and Lynn for inviting us along. Saturday night was at the local yacht club where a meal had been booked and 13 of us sat down to a delicious meal and good chat. Sunday morning saw boats begin to leave although we had decided to stay an extra night as the spot is so lovely and the weather was glorious. Being on a pontoon in the River Yealm is an interesting experience when it comes to modern technology. Mobile phones do work here but seem to be tide dependant. At high tide or thereabouts a good signal can be obtained. As the tide goes out and the pontoon drops in the valley signal strength gets less and eventually you lose the signal. This repeats itself each tide cycle and takes some getting used to. Mobile broadband is, not surprisingly not available there. Hence the lengthy catch up in this blog item.

Monday 24th May

Monday saw us heading off on the tide to Plymouth for a night in a marina so we could fulfil baby sitting duties for our son and partners daughter (our first grand child incase you were not aware.

Tuesday 25th May

Trying to decide where to go but watching the unsettled weather trying to dictate where it would be prudent to go to. We shall see ! In the meantime I gave myself a haircut while we had access to mains power. It works very well, sat on the side deck in the breeze all the hair blows away nicely, not that I have a lot to trim. Sue was busy washing and drying clothes and bedding while I carried out other maintenance checks etc after the haircut. Another lovely sunny day although localised flooding is forecast for Wednesday / Thursday. Perhaps we shall get some rain.

Is this summer ?

Sunday 16th May

We awoke to rain and grey skies but the forecast said better later in the day. A little bit of deck cleaning was carried out between the showers and we were undecided as to whether to stay where we were or to head off up the river. Eventually we decided that it was brightening up so decided to go as soon as the tide turned in our favour.

As we left the yacht haven the sun peeped through the clouds and grew stronger as we headed across Carrick Roads towards the narrower river at it’s head. As we neared the pontoon I had hoped was sheltered the wind eased and as we tied up the cloud dispersed to give a clear blue sky. There were two boats already on the pontoon but shortly after we arrived they left (was it something we said?). It left us with a perfectly peaceful afternoon and evening, sitting out until dusk arrived.

Monday 17th May

About half a mile further upstream from the pontoon is a landing stage where you can tie up your dinghy and after a short walk enter Trelissick Gardens. This we decided to do and what a pleasure it was to walk around the grounds and enjoy the very varied plantings there, especially the Azaleas and Rhododendrons. After a coffee in the attractive café we returned to the boat for lunch. Shortly afterwards our friend Nigel on Xenia (a Sadler 32) joined us on his way back up river after a sail, bringing a bottle of red wine with him. An enjoyable couple of hours was spent chatting and putting the world to rights. As he left for his mooring we spotted a seal in the river about 100 yds away, totally unperturbed by passing boats. Apparently it is a regular visitor around the turn of the tide.

We ate on board again as the nearest pub/village was about a mile away would not have been better food and certainly not as attractive surroundings.

What a lovely day it has been, this is what boating is all about!


Tuesday 18th May

A slow sail to Fowey, using the engine at times due to the light winds. We took a look in at Mevagissey on the way but it didn’t look too tempting to stop so we continued on. Had a good sail, goosewinged (sails out on opposite sides of the boat with the wind from behind) all the way from Mevagissey into Fowey. Still a bit rolly but more comfortable than last time. Our plan is to move on to Looe tomorrow after a leisurely morning, hopefully meeting our friend Ian on Eonmor there.

Weather still not wonderful

Thursday 13th May

Decided to leave Plymouth and head for Fowey after lunch today. As we left Plymouth sound by the western entrance we were joined by three or four dolphins (or they might have porpoises as our identification powers are not good). We were entranced by their antics until, almost as a finale three leapt out of the water side by side before swimming off on the hunt for food no doubt. Of course we did not have a camera to hand when needed. After a slow sail we arrived in Fowey and tied up to one of the visitors buoys there towards the Polruan side of the river. Within the hour we were dining on trout au gratin stuffed with crab (Sue made a dash to M&S before leaving Plymouth apparently), with new potatoes and asparagus, followed by apple pie and cream, all washed down with a bottle of red wine. Before too long we started to roll as the SW wind picked up and blew straight in the harbour. IT WAS NOT COMFORTABLE ! At least we were (well) rocked to sleep that night.

Friday 14th May

We were woken early by the infamous Polruan cockerel who insists on crowing from before first light onwards. Many complaints have been made about him over the years but he lives still to continue his crowing. We must be attracting birds calling as we had listened to owls while on the mooring in Salcombe only a few days ago. After breakfast we headed out, joining the procession of boats leaving Fowey for more comfortable surroundings. We were headed for Falmouth and had to pass ‘Dodman Point’, a great big slab of rock that looks intimidating on a nice day, today was not a nice day though. Big seas and an increasing wind saw us motorsailing to get past the headland as quickly as we could. Once past it the rain showers started so we were very glad to reach Falmouth after four hours and tie up at the Yacht Haven where were had the treat of hot showers and access to power on the pontoon to recharge everything again, oh and internet access using our clever little wireless dongle. No such luxuries at Fowey! A couple of friends who live near Falmouth arrived in the evening and we spent an enjoyable few hours catching up with them.

Saturday 15th May

After waking to sunshine we had a leisurely breakfast before doing some necessary shopping as some stores were beginning to run low. Lunch time arrived and with the sun still shining we decided to walk along the coast path and enjoy the shelter from the chilly wind that is still with us. We walked as far as Swanpool, about two or three miles along the coast. We found the pool but no swans on it. After an ice cream sat on the beach we strolled back before eating on board.

When is it going to warm up ?

Monday 10th May

Monday saw us heading off to Salcombe, leaving Dartmouth at just about low water to get to Start Point at the right time. I would hate to get there at the wrong time. To say it was boisterous would be an understatement although we did not get wet at all.



We moored up in Salcombe about three and a half hours after leaving the Dart on a buoy about 100yds off one of East Portlemouths (opposite side of river to Salcombe) several fine sandy beaches. On cue the sun came out and it was one of those rare (so far) occasions when you could sit in the cockpit and enjoy the sun. In fact we ate dinner in the cockpit and sat there enjoying the tranquillity until the sun set.

Tuesday 11th May

Despite originally deciding to head on for Plymouth today, when we woke to bright sunshine decided to remain where we were for another day. Unfortunately by the time we got up the sun had disappeared and it was decidedly grey. We headed to Overbecks (a lovely National Trust house overlooking the Salcombe Harbour entrance. How interesting the museum is here with its eclectic collection of stuffed birds and animals ( I wouldn’t want to be ‘pooped’ on by an albatross after seeing their size) to dolls and marine artefacts. Following this by a walk around the grounds then back to the town for lunch and return to the boat for a good read with the heating on as it has turned colder again. Better than some friends on a walking holiday in Yorkshire experiencing snow. We are forecast a frost tonight!



Wednesday 12th May

Not sure whether we had a frost or not but there was certainly a heavy dew on deck when we got up. After a swift breakfast we headed off to Plymouth to get the maximum benefit from a favourable tide, arriving in Plymouth at about 13.30. Busy afternoon ahead with washing, drying and ironing clothes and checking over the boat. Our decks were filthy so they were scrubbed off making full benefit of a hosepipe. Inside was thoroughly cleaned and all mattresses were aired in the cockpit until rain arrived. Evening saw us visiting our new grand daughter again. It was so calm in Sutton Harbour, Plymouth that we slept in late and after having breakfast completed our tasks before heading off to Fowey about lunchtime. Weather sunny but cold still, when will warm weather arrive?

Update on Grand Daughter

Emma Louise was born this morning, 9th May at 01.55, weighing in at a healthy 7lb 5oz. Mother and baby both doing well. Hope to see her later and will add a photo at some time when we are again able to get on the Internet.

Had an interesting day yesterday getting from Dartmouth where Half Time is to Plymouth where the action is using public transport. Not an experience I would want to repeat too often.

Back to the River Dart

Wednesday 5th May

Some shopping in the town in the morning left us free to leave Torquay around lunchtime and we left just after one o clock. After the wind being from the North East for the previous couple of days and even earlier in the morning, ten minutes before we left it swung round to the South East, exactly the direction we were headed. We left anyway and motorsailed (a combination of sail up with engine propelling the boat as well) to Dartmouth arriving mid afternoon.

A couple of hours on a pontoon in Dartmouth meant the current in the river had changed direction and we headed upstream to Dittisham where again, we had a choice of buoys although there were many more boats than on our previous visit. A nice chicken stir fry with wine settled us down for the night.

Thursday 6th May

Election day apparently, we voted before leaving home by post.

We woke at about half past seven, astounded at the tranquillity. Despite being afloat the river was so calm that we could have been ashore, the boat was not moving. We could hear sheep baaing in the distance and the occasional call of a pheasant, nothing else at all. Our first man made sound came at about ten to eight when we heard the bell at Dittisham summon the ferryman across to take his first passenger of the day, possibly the gardener on his way to work at Greenway.

Shortly after this we heard the pat, pat, pat as rain started to fall on the deck above our heads. It seemed a good idea to stay in bed where we were and see whether the rain would soon stop to enable us to visit Greenway. It was still raining when we got up an hour later.

Never mind, at least we have mobile broadband here. No grand daughter yet though!

May Day Bank Holiday weekend and beyond

Friday 30th April

Took our final loads down to the boat and loaded them onboard after two trips out on the dinghy. On the second return trip I discovered that the propeller was not going round therefore no drive. This ws caused by a broken shear pin which fits behind the propeller to protect it should it hit something in the water. After rowing for a while and deciding the tide was stronger than I was I tied on to a friend’s moored boat and replaced the broken pin, not easy with no tools but achieved using just a key ring – result. No more rowing.

We decided to head off to Paignton for a night despite rain being forecast. What a good sail we had, almost keeping up with friends on a larger boat (Eonmor, a Legend 33 who left at the same time) despite putting a reef in the mainsail. A night in Paignton (a drying harbour) was very tranquil with the SW winds blowing above us. Fish and chips with our friends off Eonmor and two friends who joined us by road were delicious despite a mix up with orders at the fryer.

Saturday 1st May

We left Paignton at 10.00 as we were well afloat and headed across to Torquay harbour where we were due to meet some more sailing friends who were already there having abandoned a longer cruise due to bad weather forecasts. Four boats were there with two more arriving later. To make the most of the muscle power available I persuaded and cajoled some assistance to winch me up the mast to replace a blown anchor light bulb. I explained the new method I had thought out (convinced it would work) and up the mast I shot. Arriving at the top I opened up the light fitting to be met by a bulb nothing like the new one I had bought. As I fiddled with it to see how it fitted, on it came. A dirty connection was all that caused it to fail. I dropped a long line down to the deck and explained what I wanted in the bucket to pull up so I could do a proper repair. Five minutes later it was finished. Unfortunately in the meantime it had started to rain (and rain) so while those on deck sheltered or put on the jackets I was swaying at the top of the mast getting rather wet. Such is the life of a skipper. As soon as I had finished down the mast I shot to get changed and put all the lines back in their proper places.

Later that day 20 of us sat down to a meal at the Marina Restaurant, overlooking the Torquay inner harbour. A good time was had by all. After the meal several of us retired to another boat that had just been bought by its proud owner and sailed back from Falmouth. You have to toast these important occasions.

Sunday 2nd May

Sunday was a lazy day. Some friends departed, others went to Brixham to a used boat show, only to be disappointed at the lack of sailing boats there. We did a little shopping, a little boat maintenance and some reading. All quite relaxing. Evening came and we met friends again for a drink and a bite to eat.




Monday 3rd May.

All the boats that had friends on returned to their home ports. Shortly after the last one departed we had a phone call from our son asking where we were and whether we wanted some visitors. His partner was due to have a baby last Monday so we were concerned about the stress of travelling by rail but said yes, we’d like to see them and Jake, Tanya’s son. We met them from the station and after having a meal and a walk along the seafront the day had vanished and it was time for them to return to Plymouth to await the arrival of their daughter.

Tuesday 4th May

Tuesday was spent enduring travel by bus to pick up our car from our friends drive and parking it in our garage at home to leave it before returning to our boat in Torquay. It seemed to take most of the day. Tomorrow we hope to head on again to the River Dart and maybe visit ‘Greenaway’, Agatha Christie’s home overlooking the river. Now owned by the National Trust, it is one we have yet to visit.