9 July 2024
Dover Marina to Gillingham Marina
Another 5am ropes off and on to the final leg of the journey home. A 56 mile passage exiting through the Eastern Entrance of Dover harbour just after day break once again found us in choppy waters.
A steady motor around South Foreland swishing from one side to the other on the last part of the tide, preceded a rolly passage up to North Foreland. Another 4 layer day, wet weather gear donned, the rain started as we passed Broadstairs and carried on as we turned west up the Thames Estuary for most of the journey home.
Retracing our route of the outbound journey, we enjoyed another look at the Red Sand forts and the Wind farm now we are armed with our new knowledge after visiting the exhibition in Brighton!
11 hours later we entered the lock at Gillingham and into our berth, swiftly followed by a hot shower and Fish and Chips in The Waterfront restaurant. Now onto coffee and chocolate......sometimes that's all that is required in life!
Sleeping on board tonight, the morning will bring more energy to unpack the boat and repack the car to go home.
Lots of exciting family time coming up with Katie and Joe home from Bangkok for a month next week, and a visit from the Devon crew - lets hope the sun comes out to play.
Hoping to spend another few weeks on the boat up the East coast late August/early September...so watch this space:)
8 July 2024
Eastbourne Marina to Dover Marina
What a difference a day makes...from the 2-3 metre waves of yesterday to 0.5 metre waves today!
Whilst the weather was forecast for showers, we only felt intermittent specks of rain as we crossed Pevensey, Rye and Hythe bays to Dover with a F2/3 southerly breeze in the sails (but sadly yet another 4 layer kind of day!)
A single Dolphin and a seal grand totalled the wild life and otherwise the passing coastline in good visibility provided the entertainment for the day.
A hold outside the Western entrance of Dover harbour whilst a Cargo ship departed slightly delayed our entrance to the Marina, before being given permission to enter by Dover VTS.
Homewards bound tomorrow:) !
7 July 2024
Royal Clarence Marina Gosport to Eastbourne Marina- worst passage ever!
Well this is a day of my life I never want to live again!!
Having checked and rechecked the forecasts we decided to make a run for it today following the strong winds of recent days.
A 5am calm exit from the marina and out through Portsmouth Harbour as the sun rose seemed to bode well for the day. How wrong could we be....
The winds forecast for 3/4's rose to around constant F6 very quickly as did the waves and although we had both wind and tide behind us it was a pretty hairy 11 hours or so riding up and down 2-3 metre high waves, with both ourselves and the contents of the boat being thoroughly tossed around.
With no chance of getting the sails up to stabilise the boat as it was just too rough to manoeuvre, nor any possible bolthole, we dug deep and just kept going. Dave handled the boat incredibly well and Serendipity kept us safe as we sailed westwards past Worthing, Brighton and on around Beachy Head.
We have never been so relieved as we were to enter the safety of Soveriegn Harbour! Probably our roughest passage to date anywhere on our sailing adventures.
Once berthed we both needed an immediate nap, followed by some light dinner and bed by 9.15pm!
Tomorrow is another day.......
2 July to 7th July
Royal Clarence Marina and Portsmouth
An unexpectedly long stay at another Transeurope Marina to wait for the strong winds to pass and conditions to calm down. Very quiet and lacking in the buzz of other Marina's we have visited, the facilities are very good and once we had established we could catch the Waterbus from the nearby Explosion! museum, we were able to easily cross from the Gosport to the Portsmouth side of the Harbour.
Wed 3rd July - a day of boat jobs, washing and generally chilling. The (actual) sheets flying from a temporary washing line confirmed that today was a day to be safely tucked away in the Marina
Thurs 4 July - a trip to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. What an unexpected pleasure this was; so many iconic craft to explore including Queen Victoria's flagship The Warrior, Nelson's Flagship The Victory and the fascinating remains and exhibition of the raising of Henry V111's the Mary Rose which in itself is a great tourist attraction - highly recommend!
A harbour tour on a Catamaran of the modern Naval dockyard was also thrown in as part of our visit.
The obligatory spin around Gunwahrf Quay Shopping outlet and on to The Banana Garden for delicious Thai food rounded up a great day :)
Fri 5th July - after catching a bit of Politics on Iplayer following the General Election yesterday, and to make further use of our Dockyard tickets, we bounced across to the Dockyard and then back over to the Gosport side to the Submarine Museum on the Naval Waterbus. Another fascinating exhibition and a tour of HMS Alliance a World War II era Sub, as well as visiting one of the original submarines of the Naval fleet.
Sat 6th July - another boat job and largely restful day to prepare ourselves for the 3 very long days at sea to come; before The Bakehouse Pub on the Quayside by the Marina played host for us to watch England play in the Quarter finals of the Euros and those nail-biting penalties.
The old provisioning and Ammunition stores for the Royal Navy, Royal Clarence Marina, with a great view of the Prince of Wales Aircraft carrier, has served us well this week and we will definitely return when on passage through the Solent in future.
2 July 2024
Cowes Yacht Haven to Royal Clarence Marina, Gosport
A shortish hop today, so a detour to see what the River Hamble had to offer en route. Goodness are there a lot of yachts moored there...nothing much moving today but it must be chaos on a nice summer's day!!
Fly fishermen on the River entrance didn't seem to be having much success.. nor did we attempting to sail to Portsmouth with the NW wind directly on our stern!
As we headed west, we managed to motor sail with just a little more than tick over on the engine to maintain some forward propulsion.
Entry to Royal Clarence provided a few challenges; the usual pinch point of the entry to the harbour was congested with a hovercraft, a catamaran ferry, a container ship, a police boat and 2 ribs plus the IoW main ferry all vying for position, whilst the small boat channel saw a procession of vessels before and aft of us!
The next issue was berthing master 'Andy' at the Royal Clarence Marina who had turned off his radio as he was 'trying to get some jobs done!!' . Fortunately the office phone diverted to his mobile and we were able to get our berth allocated!
Unless the weather changes, we will probably be here for a good few days whist some breezy weather passes through... we will wait and see but looks like Sunday may be our onwards passage day.....so some boat maintenance and watching Wimbledon looks like the order of things for the next few days!
1 July 2024
A day out on the Isle of Wight
With a day booked in Cowes Marina, there were 2 places to visit today - one was the Mermaid Gin Distillery (Rosie's gin of choice!) and the other Osbourne House - summer residence of Queen Victoria.
Following consultation with Google Maps it transpired both locations were accessible by bus, so armed with Dave's Freedom Pass and some £2 card taps for Rosie (yes the £2 bus trip scheme is still in place!).. we walked from Cowes Yacht Haven to take the Floating Bridge Chain link ferry from Cowes to East Cowes then on to catch the No4 Bus to Ryde with breakfast refreshments on the bus!
Bus timings didn't align to move on to the Distillery, so a taxi sufficed for the 2.5 mile trip out of the town.
A lovely time was had at the Island Distillery; a very small operation but with very good ethics around plastic and supporting the shoreline and development of sea grass as a CO2 absorber, we felt obliged to try the 7 flight tasting experience with 3 x gins, 1 x vodka, 1 x spiced rum and 2 x navy strength rum and gin! A delicious lunch to follow ( & to mop up the alcohol!) was enjoyed ovelooking the rolling hills of the IoW.
Fortunately there was a bus stop outside the Distillery, and with connections aligning, we took the no8 then No4 buses back to Osbourne House via a walk along the pier at Ryde with the obligatory Mr Whippy, watching the hovercraft come in!
Osbourne House was very interesting as were the grounds, which we spent 2 or 3 hours exploring and some time spent sitting on the Private beach. There was a real sense of the family home it had been for summer holidays and the freedom Queen Victoria and her family must have felt there.
A final 2 mile walk back to the marina via the Floating Bridge and tired legs with 8 miles ticked off today!
Back across to the mainland tomorrow to hide from the strong winds approaching form the Atlantic before we make a run for home.
30
JUN
2024
Buckler's Hard Yacht Haven to Cowes Yacht Haven, Isle of Wight
It was a strange experience to wake up to rain pattering onto the decks of Serendipity; thankfully short lived, but a grey morning with NE winds dawned for us to bid farewell to our New Forest break.
Low water was 12.09 which meant careful timing to arrive at the sandbar across the entrance to the River Beaulieu with enough water to clear the bar safely. Ropes off at 12.00pm and with the engine just on tick over we spent a leisurely hour drifting slowly down river with just the NE wind pushing us along. Bar cleared with 1.1M beneath us, we pointed across the Solent to Cowes and with a strong cross tide from west to east again we leisurely motored across.
With time on our side, a motor up the River Medina to The Folly was in order before returning to Cowes Yacht Haven (another TransEurope Marina), entering through the South basin to 'white top 8' pontoon - it made more sense when we got there!! A minor technical issue with the radio transmission called for our hand held VHF radio back up, but otherwise a smooth entry all in all.
After the purgatory that is watching England play football, a long walk was required to stretch our legs before settling for the night. Cowes is very geared to the yachting community with lots of bars, restaurants and pubs interspersed with Yacht clubs and sailing establishments. With the tide in and waves crashing over the sea wall, there were some interesting properties to see along the Egyptian Esplanade as we walked a circuit to Gurnard Point.
A day on the IoW tomorrow :)
26th to 29th June 2024
Buckler's Hard Marina
Such a lovely week to be living on the boat in a beautiful setting. The weather has been glorious, with Tuesday and Wednesday temperatures being in the high twenties and not a speck of rain since we arrived last Sunday. A great mix of chilling with lots of cycling thrown in too.
Tuesday 25th - Cycle to Beaulieu for lunch at Steffi's cafe and a wander around the village itself.
Wednesday 26th - Cycle to Lymington; a 17 mile round trip, passing through St Leonard's and East End villages on the way there and East Boldre on the way back along quiet country roads with views out across the fields to The Solent. As regular visitors to Lymington, a lunch stop at The Ship Inn on the Quay, a hunt for some boat grease at the Chandlery, a walk around to the Marina with an ice cream from the sea water pool cafe and some shopping on the high street ticked all our usual boxes!
Thursday 27th - Boat jobs and cleaning, a videocall with Rob, Jade and Ollie, a late afternoon 10 mile cycle ride to Exbury with a beer at The Royal Oak Pub on the way back pretty much filled the day.
Friday 28th - Another long 20+ mile circular cycle ride this time to Brockenhurst. Stopping by a newly opened community venture in a converted chapel for water, East Boldre community stores had opened in January this year and was both a surprise inside and a delight to chat to the locals who are passionate about their new social enterprise. Our annual pilgrimage for a Cream tea at The Thatched Cottage in Brockenhurst was thoroughly enjoyed and equally disappointed as the previously collocated Gin Bar has closed and is now merely trading as Esme's Tea rooms....end of an era as we have been visiting for probably 10 years, supplementing scones with a local Gin tasting :(
The ride was largely off road along the many cycle paths within the forest; deer and ponies a plenty the vegetation was as green as we can ever remember.
Asda obliged with an early evening delivery to the Marina to restock Serendipity for the next leg of our journey.
Saturday 29th - after 55 miles of cycling over 4 days today was a day on the boat; moving berth, re fuelling, washing, sorting, planning our next moves and enjoying watching the Marchwood Yacht Club Rally arrive with the harbour masters skilled berthing of 25 yachts between the pontoons. The day finished with a delicious pizza at the Marina's pop up River Kitchen, sitting on the benches in the sunshine.
Our 7 nights at Buckler's Hard will have been completed in the morning. We've had a lovely time a this friendly marina, with the best berth looking out with uninterrupted views down river - we will certainly be back again one day!
Unfortunately the weather is looking very windy for the next week or so with Force 7's forecast Wednesday, so instead of our planned amble around the Solent's anchorages, we have booked into Cowes Yacht Haven for 2 nights from tomorrow to explore that area and be proper yachties(!) and then moving back eastwards to a marina in Portsmouth for 3 nights whilst the worst of the winds blow through. Fortunately the winds are largely South westerlies, so they should make for a comfortable trip back home hopefully towards next weekend with the wind behind us - watch this space!
25 June 2024
Glorious weather at Buckler's Hard
Finally living the dream on Serendipity; with temperatures in mid 20's and sunny skies from dawn to dusk, we have enjoyed a couple of days chilling on the boat.
A few maintenance/life tasks, a walk to Buckler's Hard village and a cycle today to Beaulieu itself is the limit of our exertions!
We have a fabulous berth, with uninterrupted views down the River and across to the shore.
Some more energetic cycling to come after today's 5 miles or so warm up trip, a dinghy trip up river to Beaulieu itself and visits to Brockenhurst and Lymington in the planning... but for now it's time for another GnT in the sunshine!!
23
JUNE
2024
Brighton Marina to Buckler's Hard Yacht Harbour, Beaulieu.
Waking relieved to see clear blue sky and to light winds, ropes off at 9.30am and a careful transit to the Port side of the dredger, then a turn west and we were back on our way. After a passage planning 'meeting' last night, #plan 1 was to head to Portsmouth, overnight in the Royal Clarence Marina and head on to Beaulieu on Monday morning.
With the wind (as always) on the nose, we motored past Brighton and with winds strengthening, the waves got bigger and we bounced along the coast. Progress picked up with the turn of the tide and the prospect of reaching Buckler's Hard today became more of a possibility. A call to the Harbour master confirmed we would be able to cross the sand bar (with minimum 40cm clearance) even at low tide, so #plan 2 came into operation and, with a slight re routing on Navionics, we entered the Solent passing south of Bramble Bank to Cowes and then across to the Solent to the entrance to the River Beaulieu.
Navigation into Beaulieu is tricky, there are transit lines to find to ensure safe crossing of the sand bar, and VERY shallow waters. Tentatively we lined up the no.2 Port mark with the end of Lepe House and with 80 cm of water below us and breaths held, we crossed the bar safely and were on home run.
A cheery harbour-hand met us to take lines and moored us at the end of the Visitors pontoon until there is a reshuffle tomorrow morning. A stunning location in one of our favourite places - a bit of a surreal moment to think we had sailed here rather than having driven down the M3 !
Now to relax for a week's holiday in the New Forest..the sun is due to shine and bikes are ready to go :)
10.5 hours
22
JUNE
2024
A day in Brighton
Goodness how the wind blew for 36 hours whilst we were in Brighton! It was an ear plugs in to sleep kind of night, with the boat being bashed from port to starboard ....even with the bow bridled.
A lovely catch up with Katie on Videocall...and some boat cleaning both inside and out took up most of the day, but the deluxe marina facilities were ery welcome for a lovely shower before we headed into Brighton itself late afternoon on the no. 7 bus.
The priority today was a visit to the Ramping Wind Farm Visitor's centre, which is beneath the Arches by the i360 tower. A small exhibition about how Wind farms are erected, produce power and especially what they look like inside as well as their maintenance schedules. We have passed so many Wind farms on our travels observing visiting maintenance crews disembark it was cool to get a deeper understanding. A brilliant VR experience gave us a 'look' inside....no more questions!!
Brighton was buzzing and a walk back along the lower promenade was party central with every walk of life represented. A pit stop at Ohso Bar for a Pimm's and Beer fuelled our walk all the way back along the newly developed Marina Parade to the Marina for a top up shop at Asda and an early night.
21 June 2024
Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne to Brighton Marina
Today's short hop was intended to place us in a good position to sail on to the Solent over the weekend. The forecast has remained accurate all week and with strong winds forecast for later in the day today, we decided to leave Sovereign Harbour slightly earlier than planned, accept there would be some tide against us and arrive to Brighton in good time before the winds were due to pick up and with plenty of water to enter the silted Marina entrance. The lock out challenged marital harmony - IFKYK fellow sailors......but by 9.15am we were on our way.
Once past Beachy Head, with both sails flying, we had a beautiful sail in 2/3's SW winds along the East Sussex Coast. The spectacular Lighthouse, the Seven Sisters Country Park and a skilled Parascender gave us plenty to watch as we headed westwards. Entertained on Ch16 by a Lifeboat rescue of a vessel out of Fuel and reflecting empathically following our own slightly dubious fuel level yesterday, it was once again reassuring to hear the Coastguard / RNLI and local sailors calmly coordinating the proceedings after a red flare had been seen out to sea.
The forecast was correct and the strong winds seemed to appear from nowhere when we were about 1 mile East of Brighton! The sea swelled, white horses appeared, the winds blew up to a Force 6 and we rolled gratefully behind the safety of the Marina wall. The huge dredger positioned in the entrance to the harbour made entry slightly tight and we stuck to the port markers in the channel on the way into the allocated Pontoon 9 Berth 33.
The information we had been given by the Marina office was misleading as to our exact orientation, so after some great boat handling by Dave, and Rosie's frantic running around the decks to adjust lines and fenders, whilst being overtaken by impatient commercial vessels and the Force 6 SW breeze pushing us in the wrong direction it is safe to say we were happy to be safely berthed without any damage!
It has blown a consistent Force 6 ever since we have arrived, so after a nap and trip to Asda for provisions, we have battened down the hatches, tightened the lines and are being rocked in our berth with the volume up on the IPad!
A day in Brighton tomorrow whilst these winds settle so no blog...then on to the Solent on Sunday for our week at Buckler's Hard hopefully!
A quick shout out to all the family on holiday now: Katie and Joe having finished their first year in Bangkok, Rob, Jade and Ollie in Majorca and my Dad and Sue in the Isles of Scilly :)...have fun everyone! xx
20
JUN
2024
Dover Marina to Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne Marina
A 5am ropes off came as a bit of a shock...but the reward was us picking up the tide as it whistled passed the Dover Harbour entrance.
The blustery conditions of yesterday in the marina had settled this morning for which we were grateful as we manoeuvred out of the berth, radio'd through to Dover VTS and gained permission to exit through the Western entrance. Winds were immediately more obvious, but thankfully were from a NE/ E direction so with the Genoa flying we were ushered across first Hythe, then Rye Bay before rounding the headland at Fairlight and crossing to Eastbourne, with a quick wave to Dave's brother Richard who was standing onshore at Hythe as we passed.
It was sooo chilly today - a thermal vest and 4 layer kind of day...and with his hood up, Dave braved the elements at the helm whilst Rosie may have sneaked in a nice little nap!!
Sovereign Harbour seemed to appear fairly quickly and at 12.45pm, we were entering the Port Lock. Unfortunately the wind was blowing across the Lock and the watching crowd were treated to an exhibition of how NOT to rope onto the pontoon !! Finally settled, the Lock Keeper appeared with our G35 berthing instructions.
A righthand turn through the lock took us to the Fuel berth ad we were quite surprised by how much the tank drank....good to have now refreshed the tank and have a point of reference for the rest of the trip.
Duly checked in with the Marina office, the sun came out and it was beer o'clock; showers and with dinner made, now it's time to settle down to watch England play in the Euro's!
Onwards to Brighton tomorrow ....
19
JUN
2024
Dover Marina
A quiet day today in Dover Marina. It has been soooo windy here today - a 2 layer kind of day - but the sun has also shone whilst the Force 4- 6 winds blew through. Hopefully as we progress along the South coast the winds will drop and the summer sun will stay to play!
A trip to Sharp and Enright Chandlery, a traditional old school Chandlers was like a sweetie shop for Dave with a few DIY products acquired for the next projects!
To stretch our legs, we ventured into the very run down Dover Town Centre. With the Dour River Walk signposted, we thought we'd follow the signs in an attempt to see a prettier side of Dover.. well all I can say is the person who is responsible for signage in Dover council needs sacking as the signs were non-existent or reversed; but the River Stour had very clean water as there were lots of lovely plants in the stream and there were pretty pockets of scenery! It took us away from the blustery coast and put 5 miles on our trainers!
A lovely evening was spent with Tony and Rachel on Duet sharing some drinks and nibbles whilst comparing boats and sharing sailing adventures...we hope our paths will cross again (& Dave and Tony's WhatsApps comparing notes most certainly will!).
An early start tomorrow to head to Eastbourne :)
18
JUN
2024
And we are off on our next adventure..!
After much deliberation yesterday morning, with weather forecasts/ tidal streams and life commitments duly considered, and in anticipation of the great British summer making an appearance in the next couple of weeks, we decided to make a dash for it and attempt a few weeks away on Serendipity. The plan is to sail to Buckler's Hard Marina at Beaulieu in the New Forest and spend a week living on board and enjoying some cycling in another of our happy places.
This prompted manic sorting of the house, packing for both ourselves and the boat, and getting ourselves to Gillingham before dark with the car loaded to the brim and our bikes on the bike rack....so loaded were we, our route had to be adjusted to avoid speed bumps in the road!
Finally settled and packed away (with our full size bikes as our boating companions in the fore peak cabin!) by midnight we were settled and ready for an 8am ropes off.
The day dawned fair as per the forecast; despite the assumption summer has finally arrived in the UK there are some difficult NE winds still in the forecast this week. The first challenge was to pass along the North Kent coast and tuck in to Dover for the first leg. We have never attempted this 58 mile passage in one go before, but Dover Marina is great and 'turns the corner' for us onto the south coast so felt it was worth the extra effort to make some ground.
After motoring down the River Medway, we attempted to motor sail and then sail past the Isle of Sheppey whilst SS Richard Montgomery's masts gave us a nod as we passed by. In order to play the Tidal streams to our advantage, we needed to be at North Foreland by 14.30 and sadly the wind and tide alone only gave us approx. 4 knots speed, so engine back on we continued to motor sail most of the rest of the passage, maintaining 6.5 - 7.5 knots most of the way.
We navigate with the aid of Navionics, a clever electronic Chart plotter which takes into account all sorts of factors for our passage on a particular day. Interestingly this time, it took us through the Princes Channel which is further out into the Estuary. Whilst this meant there was little to see of the coast, it did provide lots of interest
- The Red Sands Forts; these were army forts built in the Thames Estuary in WWII as gun towers. Very interesting to see close up as they are usually on our horizon
- Shivering Sands Forts at a distance
-The Kentish Flats wind farm which we passed to the North
- a large sand bank by Princes no 2 Buoy covered by 50 plus seals. Very surreal in the middle of the 'sea'
Turning the corner at North Foreland it is always interesting to see Broadstairs and Sandwich Bay before turning again at South Foreland and the challenge that is Dover Harbour! With ferries passing in and out of the Outer Harbour, close contact with Dover Port Control on VHF 74 is required from 2 miles off and they asked us to circle for a while whilst several ferries manoeuvred in the Port before being told to 'follow the Irish Ferry Isle of Inisheer' in through the Eastern entrance!
The new marina is excellent and we were met not only by a member of the Berthing crew but amazingly also by a couple we met here almost a year ago to the day, Rachel and Tony! Like us last year, they had just collected their new boat Duet and they are on passage back up to Suffolk. Their new boat is 4 feet longer but is the same type & make of yacht as ours so Dave and Tony have been enjoying exchanging tips on renovations! What are the chances...??
We are port bound tomorrow, so it's a lie in first and then possibly a trip to Dover Castle. Onwards to Eastbourne on Thursday :)
57.8 Nm 10 hours 6 mins
8-9th June 2024
A 'Shake down' trip to Stangate Creek, River Medway
The first time out of the Marina for Serendipity this year, we took the ebbing tide down River towards the Thames Estuary. A 'shake down' trip was required to ensure Serendipity was performing well, we had everything back on board and could actually remember how to sail her again!
Never a dull moment, so as we relaxed following a smooth exit from the berth, through the lock and out onto the river, we encountered our first drama of the sailing season. A yacht, Calypso II had managed to ground itself high and dry on the banks of the Medway by Port Buoy 20. Perhaps easily done if unfamiliar with the Medway topography and without consulting a chart, as on Spring tides it looks like there is water for miles. Seemingly they did not have a VHF radio and a second vessel also seemed reluctant to help, so after ensuring the occupants were safe (if very lopsided) a call was made to Medway VTS to report the location of the stricken boat. It would have been a long wait until the early hours of the morning for the next high water before they could float themselves free!
A leisurely sail with both sails flying and airing off took us almost to the mouth of the Medway, before re-tracing our track. After dropping the sails and popping along to Queenborough to give the engine a good run, we finally chose our anchorage spot in Stangate Creek for the night. The wind dropped, out came the BBQ and a couple of G& T's and beers were enjoyed watching a beautiful sunset.
We were delighted to be greeted with knock and a cheery 'Good Morning' on Sunday by Ricci, Kit (aged 2) and Gareth. Ricci's boat Dreamtime was anchored further up the Creek in 'the pool' so they had taken a trip on their tender to visit us; it was a lovely start to the day to welcome our marina neighbours aboard for an early morning drink and chat!
Blustery and overcast conditions developed as the morning progressed, some pottering for Dave and a nap for Rosie pretty much concluded our stay before returning under power to Gilingham, with a head wind and wind over tide conditions. The highlight of the return trip was free flow through the lock - a rare situation on a Spring tide where the Marina water and River heights are equal and we could therefore pass through without the need to 'lock in'.
It was fab to be back on board Serendipity again and we are hoping for a longer trip in the very near future!
6 June 2024
2024 Sailing season
Summer is once again a bit slow to get itself into gear and provide some sunshine and fair winds for sailing this year.
Dave has worked very hard over the winter months and has fixed the leaks, replaced the linings and insulated the hull, repaired the Starboard rail and cleats and renovated the decks so Serendipity is looking good. An engineer from Highway Marine Services completed a full engine service earlier in the week and so we are good to go!
Due to several constraining factors, we aren't embarking on a long trip this summer as we don't want to be too far from home, but are hoping to complete a few shorter trips over the coming months, starting with a 'shake down' this weekend down the River Medway with an overnighter in Stangate Creek.
Do check back for updates on our adventures
16 Sept 2023
Ramsgate, Kent to Gillingham Marina, Kent
And so to the final leg of 2023 Summer's adventure.
In total contrast to our arrival into Ramsgate yesterday, the day dawned clear and calm. Blue skies and glassy sea saw us leave Ramsgate Harbour with permission of Harbour control on CH14, and head out in a northerly direction, quickly passing Broadstairs and Joss Bay.
The tide in the Thames is quite a force to reckon with, so we had timed our ropes off to ensure we caught the tide as we turned westwards again into the Thames Estuary. The Thames looked like the Mediterranean, with wall to wall blue skies and waters. Sailing out into the middle of the estuary, the tide whisked us along at around 7 knots close to the Kentish Flats Wind farm. Watching with interest as 3 workers had supplies dropped to one of the turbines by a support vessel ...a trip to Brighton to visit the Wind Turbine exhibition was planned to understand more about their technology as the pure scale of them close up is quite staggering.
The entrance to the Medway beckoned and we entered the river exactly at High Water - great timing to have made the most of the Thames tide. A poodle up river with the main sail helping against the now out going tide and we arrived at Gillingham around 16.00
Safely in our new berth - 34, a quick rinse off of Dipity ready for packing up tomorrow and it is definitely wine o'clock!
Planning to stay on Serendipity at the marina for a couple of days to catch our breath and get some sleep after our marathon Torquay to Gillingham 6 day passage. Then it's time for packing up and returning to life on land.
Blog complete for 2023.....watch this space for next year's adventure.....there are a few ideas being bounced around.......!!!
15 Sept 2023
Eastbourne, East Sussex to Ramsgate, Kent
Another day of evolving plans and early starts! Part of the reason for our long passages this week are the early morning tides moving in our direction; with the days shortening, we need to maximise daylight hours, so with another 6.30am alarm, we were off again as the tide began to rise.
Today's objective initially was to get to Dover, but looking at the weather forecast after Saturday, there are horrible winds building up for the next 10 days or so ... with home almost in sight, we again changed plans as we progressed and opted to sail on to Ramsgate.
Once the murky morning cover burnt off, the sun came out again, but with easterly winds on the nose and the dreaded wind over tide it was a bouncy, uncomfortable ride across Normans Bay, Rye Bay and Hythe bays, passing Dungeness before reaching familiar Folkestone and the white cliffs of Dover.
The Coastguard and Channel VTS ( Vessel traffic services) were giving hourly messages to watch out for small boats of migrants as many had apparently been spotted overnight. Border Force were visible and we heard of one rescue but fortunately we didn't spot anything untoward; the advice is to give the boats a wide berth and radio to the Coastguard on CH16.
After playing ferry dodging round Dover Harbour entrance, the decision to progress to Ramsgate didn't seem like such a good idea. The Easterly winds picked up, as did the waves, and whilst the wind helped us make steady progress, the 1-2 metre waves were side on making us rock , with waves crashing over the bow and spray even making the cockpit occasionally.
Keeping our minds positively focused on the final leg home tomorrow, we dug deep and finally arrived into Ramsgate in at least Force 4 gusting 6's winds. Wind whistled around the marina and berthing was a challenge with the boat being pushed off the pontoon by the wind; thankfully 2 kind chaps came to our aid securing us to our berth.
Pleased to have made it this far as the tides from here again tomorrow morning are favourable, we have a berth allocated in our home port of Gillingham, Kent for tomorrow night for the winter season.
It's been quite a week and a test of our stamina....229 miles covered in 6 days from Devon, and 44.5 hours of mainly motor sailing; but home is in sight and conditions have thankfully been largely sunny and calm.
Last leg tomorrow.......
14 Sept 2023
Haslar Marina, Gosport to Eastbourne, East Sussex.
A daybreak ropes off, a beautiful sunrise and a close encounter with a massive P&O ferry started the day!
It was an ever evolving passage as Plan A - to go Brighton Marina, progressed to Plan B - to go to Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne, to Plan C to anchor off Eastbourne pier and avoid both the locking in and out time and the cost of just 12 hours in Sovereign Harbour itself!
A stunning day with blue skies and sunshine as we sailed past the Witterings, Bognor Regis and Shoreham before Brighton seemed to be approaching and us passing it for hours! The knitting and sun cream came out and all was well :)
There is a 3 day weather window in the SE until Saturday eve....so as the passage was going well, the seas were slight and the sun shining a decision was made to drop a stop (and a walk and ice cream on the prom and pier at Brighton) and push on past the South Downs and Seven Sisters rounding Beachy Head to Eastbourne.
Anchorages are marked with an anchor symbol on our charts and with one indicated, we dropped anchor in 2.8 metres of water near the pier. Looking to shore, and arriving at low water, we realised there was going to be quite a rise in the tide.....and as we are on spring tides there certainly was to a depth of 8 metres! Having marked the anchor chain and rope when in Plymouth, we had measured out 25 metres to allow for the rise of tide and were spot on with the 3 x rule.
Unfortunately a slightly uncomfortable night ensued with a swell on the incoming tide and rolling as it went out again! Dave was on anchor watch and got up 3 times through the night....but the pier looked fabulous lit up and the winds were very light so overall a good decision made. Maybe not a regular place to consider using but it did the job this time.....though we got some funny looks from other boats who clearly hadn't considered the anchorage previously. Perhaps we will have started a trend!
Miles travelled 58.7 in 11 hours 39 mins.
13 Sept 2023
Beaulieu River, Buckler's Hard Yacht Harbour, Hampshire to Haslar Marina, Gosport, Hampshire
Waking up to a beautiful calm Beaulieu river with views across to Buckler's Hard was slightly surreal this morning. The facilities at the marina are first class and even had access to a plug for hair maintenance - believe me this is a rare treat!!
Making the most of the opportunity for a brief New Forest experience, we took the 2 mile well established path through the Beaulieu Estate walking through ancient woodland adjacent to the River. A fellow boatie had recommended Steffs cafe, which was within a hidden garden centre. A delicious breakfast with locally produced fayre and a good Cappuccino went down a treat.
A quick walk up and down the main Beaulieu village road, before we hot footed it back the 2 miles to Serendipity for ropes off before our Noon 'checkout' with 10 mins to spare!! Some great boat manoeuvring skills by Dave saw Serendipity rotated through 180 degrees in a tight and fairly shallow channel, then we bode farewell to the New Forest and were pleased to have taken the time to visit.
Leaving just after High Water, we left the engine on tick over and drifted down River admiring the beautiful properties, boats and wetlands as we headed towards the sand bar to cross back into The Solent.
With the sandbar easily navigated this time, we hit the powerful tide nose on, so had a slow hour whilst it slackened, before passing Southampton Water, Bramble Bank, Stokes Bay and turning into Portsmouth Harbour and back to Boatfolks' Haslar Marina.
We were delighted to welcome Kathy on board for Prosecco and chat in the late afternoon and early evening sunshine, whilst Dave kindly cooked us dinner. So lovely to have some time together.
Early start again tomorrow as we progress eastwards towards Brighton.
12 Sep 2023
Studland Bay Dorset to Beaulieu River, Buckler's Hard Yacht Harbour, Hampshire.
(& Happy 1st Birthday Ollie )
What better way to start a day than with a videocall to sing Happy Birthday to your Grandson! Clearly relishing the birthday vibe, Ollie was in chirpy happy birthday and holiday mode!
With the rest of the morning spent passage planning for the next 10 days or so, looking at options for best days and conditions to complete the heavier legs of the journey, we have decided to jump quickly along the coast in the next 4 days to make good ground to Kent. With the nights drawing in and the weather becoming more changeable we are restricted with tides in daylight hours; we will forgo a visit to the Boat Show and Portsmouth and hopefully make Eastbound by the end of the week.
Our next passage today, however, was to Bucklers Hard Yacht Harbour in the Beaulieu River; the New Forest has a special place in our hearts and it was surreal to arrive to Bucklers Hard by sea rather than on our bikes!
A tricky navigational day; with a quick videocall to Katie enroute, we timed our passage to enter The Solent as the tide began to rise and with quite a strong SW wind behind us too, we made 7.5 knots as we passed the Needles and Hurst Castle. The entry to the Beaulieu River was a challenge as it required passing over a sand bank, then passing between marker boys and withies (sticks in the river) to remain in the dredged channel. As Bucklers Hard and the 'on river marina ' came into view, we passed to the inside of the Visitors Pontoon at the direction of the helpful harbour master who was also there to catch our lines and help us to manoeuvre into a tight mooring.
A pretty location with great facilities, we are disappointed to just be here for 1 night.......definitely another 'we will be back' location!
11 Sept 2023
Torquay Marina to Studland Bay, Dorset ( 68 killer miles!)
And so our summer travels come to an end and we begin our journey home. After some discussion over medium term weather and tide forecasts, it was decided we'd tackle a long first leg to cross Lyme Bay and head to Dorset today. Plan A was to get to Portland Harbour...with a plan to carry on further to Studland Bay if conditions and time allowed.
With an early 5.30am alarm, and ropes off at 6am just before sunrise, we left Torquay in light drizzle, but for once with the tide and wind behind us. Rolling along with the waves and with the rain clearing, we were lulled into a false sense of security, with Rosie even getting her knitting out for a couple of hours!! As we approached Portland Bill everything changed, with the tide having turned and Serendipity hitting the turbulent waters of the 'race' around the headland (which seemed to have moved further out to sea than we had anticipated), we rock and rolled in the waves.
The weather was grey and overcast, with rain showers threatening most of the day. Dave was in salopettes and wellies, and for Rosie it was a 4 layer kind of day! The only saving grace was the frequent appearance of dolphins.
As we were around 3 miles offshore, it was as easy to carry on to Studland, than turn to approach Portland Harbour...... we decided to grit our teeth and continue our passage on to Studland Bay. As before, Lulworth ranges were active, but this time we were far enough offshore to avoid a telling off by the security boat and luckily the firing stopped at 16.00 before we needed to cross back towards the shore.
13 hours from ropes off and under really quite challenging conditions at times, we turned around Old Harry Rocks into the beautiful sanctuary of Studland Bay around 7pm. Too tired for anything other than a snack( we had enjoyed a left over party Pastie on the way) and a quick drink, we were in bed and asleep by 21.15......exhausted, but delighted to have made such a great first leap on the way home :)
10 Sept 2023
Ollie's Birthday weekend
Once again the Government's '£2 bus rides' came to good use, as we travelled from Torquay to Exminster using the 22 and 2 Stagecoach buses via Teignmouth on Saturday afternoon after a Morrison's Delivery for re-provisioning first thing.
Making full use of facilities at The Buntings (!) the washing was done by the time Rob, Jade and Ollie arrived home on Sat afternoon from a prior social engagement. Always such a pleasure to spend time together, we enjoyed Ollie time, before an evening catch-up with R&J.
Sunday was party day - Both sets of grandparents and his Auntie Hayley and cousins Jude and Win, were joined by his little friends Freddie and Olive and their parents for lovely food and playtime in the garden (thankfully the rain passed in time!!)
A great time was had by all as we celebrated the first year of a very special and much loved little boy!
R, J and O left as we did late Sunday afternoon to go to North Devon for further birthday celebrations as a little family, and we retraced our steps to Torquay by bus to prepare to start our journey home to Kent tomorrow.
8 Sept 2023
Salcombe Harbour to Torquay Marina, Devon
It was a hazy farewell to Salcombe as mist had settled in the valley overnight. As we motored out to sea, we enjoyed reminiscing about our long walk earlier in the week and retraced our steps visually from the water as we exited the mouth of the harbour.
Seas fairly smooth to begin with, and becoming glassy at times, made the now very familiar dolphin spotting a much easier task and we were treated to lots of sightings, with one pod of around 8 dolphins bow riding with us for a while. Not enough wind to fully sail, the main sail gave the boat some lift as we motored along the coast passing Start Point, the Dart estuary and with Berry Head as our mark, we made good time to Torquay entering the marina around 14.30.
In preparation for our departure on Monday morning, a visit to the empty fuel berth to top up was in order before navigating to our allocated berth.
Torquay earned its name as the English Riviera today; with the Super yachts feeling more like they were in the Med rather than a slightly run down seaside town! Cloud cover and a rather muggy feeling saw the day out - Dave washed down the boat and Rosie had a quick trip into town. Fish n Chips on the quayside sufficed for dinner due to a lack of energy for much else!
Interestingly , we have once again found ourselves at the centre of the sailing community events - it's the Dragon Yacht World Cup event here this week. 50 International crews and their boats have arrived by road and it was cool to see them all rigging up last night. They have a practice race today and then race all week; in order to avoid race carnage on Monday morning as we saunter out across Lyme Bay on our passage (!) a quick chat with the organisers ensured an understanding of the race course and how to avoid it!
A Morrison's delivery booked for the morning to restock for next week, then we are on to Exminster by a scenic bus journey for Ollie's 1st birthday celebration. Blog back on Monday night!
7 Sept 2023
A Dipity Day in Salcombe!
Our final day in Salcombe, and the Saharan sand in the atmosphere is polluting the sunny skies making things a little bit murky. A heavy shower in the night also deposited red sand all over the boat and at around 24/25 degrees the hazy skies mean it's also been a bit 'muggier' than previous days.
Taking advantage of the 11.40am High Water, we followed a recommendation of the harbour master and launched Dipity for an adventure up river to South Pool and The Millbrook Inn. So far we have only used Dipity for short hops to shore, however, it was a good opportunity to test our electric battery over distance. A trip of around 2 miles upstream was a great success (now we have re arranged our seating positions!!!), and we landed on the South Pool pontoon, which has a free section for visiting tenders. The creek is only accessible 1.5 hours either side of HW and dries out at other times, meaning we had a very limited time onshore to ensure Dipity was a float and there was still water to get us 'home'!
South Pool is a delightful Devon village with pretty cottages, a ford, a church and a Pub! A wander uphill to the National Heritage listed 14/15th Century Church of St Nicholas and St Cyriac, revealed an interesting Rood Screen - a wooden feature with original paintings.
Retracing our steps, we arrived at The Millbrook Inn, a well known haunt locally..... 10 mins before opening time. Needing to be back to Dipity by 12.45pm, we had to pass up on the delicious food options and let a beer and homemade crisps suffice! If we find ourselves in Salcombe again and tides allow this is definitely one to return to!
Fellow boaters visiting the pub (who had clearly done this before) made a swift exit at 12.40pm, so we followed in their footsteps and released from the jetty with time to spare.
A snooze in the afternoon sunshine, more rafting ( the French replaced by locals on Spenlee), a trip to the rubbish pontoon and on to the shore for a letter box drop and a few supplies, and the day was pretty much done. We've had a great time in Salcombe and been so blessed to have had time to enjoy the unexpected September heatwave here.
On to Torquay tomorrow for Ollie's 1st Birthday celebrations.
6 Sept 2023
Salcombe, Devon
What a wonderful day.....the sun shone from dawn until dusk and with just a slight breeze on the water it seemed crazy to think it is September !
Salcombe harbour is a busy environment on a sunny calm day ...and we whiled the day away watching swimmers, paddle boarders and sailors do their thing....and the harbour masters maintaining discrete control and keeping everybody safe.
Dave pottered on the boat doing little jobs and Rosie caught up on some reading and sunbathing on the rear sun deck...finally being used for the purpose it was designed for!
Our peace was slightly disturbed around 4pm, when the harbour master approached to tell us he was going to raft 2 French boats onto ours. This means the other boats use us as a pontoon and secure their boats onto ours on the mooring!! Entente cordiale reigned as we safely secured their lines to Serendipity and chatted about their journey.
A race of Salcombe Yawl's ( a local type of wooden sailing boat) took place this evening in the harbour, with our boat feeling like a race marker; we had some close shaves as the boats jostled for position in light winds - though one crew seemed to think we may be a good option for a passing GnT...no idea where they got that idea from!!!
Another fine day tomorrow...we are just debating our options for between now and arriving to Torquay Marina on Friday.
5 Sept 2023
Salcombe, Devon
The wind howled for a fair proportion of the night last night, so a slightly disrupted sleep pattern ensued. The wind has gradually dropped off during the day today and the harbour is like a glassy lake this evening with the sound of the people on the shore drifting across the bay.
A long videocall catch up with Katie was the pleasure of the morning, and all continues to go well as Katie and Joe find their feet in Thailand.
We thought it likely we may be back after dusk to Serendipity and not fancying a night passage with our stealth like electric outboard giving no warning to other water users, we made a call to the water taxi to take us ashore mid afternoon.
The South West Coast path website provided another excellent walk. It had been graded 'challenging' and oh my goodness it certainly was!
We had to walk a mile or so to North sands (and the obligatory Salcombe Dairy ice cream!) before heading uphill and through some beautiful rolling Devon countryside, the chocolate box villages of Combe and Rew and on to Higher and Lower Soar before arriving at Soar Mill Cove. A boutique hotel positioned just above the cove provided a quick stop for refreshments and an opportunity to catch our breath.
The route then turned left onto the South West coast path and we walked up and down along steep cliffs and valleys and across The Warren to Bolt Head. A wrong turn added half a mile to our route, before we tracked across to Starehole Bay and up and around stunning Sharp Tor. Entering Fir Wood brought us back to civilisation under the NT Overbecks gardens, before passing through South Sands with its 2 hotels and returning through North Sand bay back to Salcombe.
Super glad to have had my walking poles with me again, my poor knee started to moan by the end of the walk, but we were proud of ourselves for completing 9.5 miles of the most strenuous but spectacular walking we have done this trip.
The Harbourmaster office provides lockers on shore and we had future proofed ourselves by taking our shower gear ashore earlier. There are 2 shower 'rooms' on the Quay with modern shower units and we both enjoyed extended showers to cool down and freshen up after all our efforts. It was 9pm by the time we got the water taxi back across to the boat.....good decision to have left Dipity on board!
4 Sept 2023
Salcombe, Devon
Waking to the stunning backdrop of Salcombe harbour, we had a slow start to the day before summoning the Harbour Water Taxi on CH12 to go ashore around lunchtime.
The wind is howling here today, so whilst the blue skies are inviting launching Dipity in the choppy waters wasn't! The Water taxi is a very modest £1.50 each way, collects us from our boat and drops us off in the Town; a much smoother and drier option today!
Landing at Whiteshore Quay, we checked out the harbour facilities before picking up pasties from the local delicatessen and enjoyed them whilst sitting in the gardens by the War Memorial looking at the estuary views.
A nice saunter through the shops - usual suspects including my favourite Quba HQ shop, and a trip for provisions to the Co-op ensued. A beer was enjoyed at the Kings Arms, in the shelter of its sun terrace, before catching the Water taxi back to the boat.
It's due to be force 6/7 winds this evening, so there are lots of yachts arriving to the shelter of the harbour at the moment. Whilst we aren't on a pontoon mooring, we are safely double roped onto our mooring buoy, so with the bouncing around and the definite howling of the wind, it will be an ear plugs night for sure! Winds due to die off again tomorrow late afternoon so we'll just sit tight and are grateful our mooring is protected out of the main channel and somewhat by the hilly shoreline just behind us!
3 Sept 2023
River Yealm to Salcombe, Devon
With a 9.00am ropes off this morning to catch high water across the sand bar, we left the delightful River Yealm. The hype from both the pilot book and several people we have met along the way was completely justified and we will definitely visit again if the opportunity arises.
Another left turn eastwards and, with the sails flying, we scooted across Bigbury Bay. Wind direction once again was not playing ball; the seasonal SW'lies have now turned ENE which meant, yep wind over tide once again! Not moaning though, as the easterlies seem to have drawn in this wonderful high pressure system, and the wall to wall blue skies more than made up for the slight bumpy ride and a tack well off course to maintain wind in the sails!
Falmouth Coastguard kept our interest on Channel 16, with 2 Panpans and a Mayday call - it was clearly a busy day on the water everywhere!
Wildlife today was also interesting - pretty sure I spotted a whale breaching twice, hundreds of jellyfish and we also sailed very close to a Sun fish, whose fin ran alongside us for a little while!
The entrance to Salcombe Harbour opened up as we rounded Starehole Bay and Bolt head. Another sand bar to cross, once again we followed the transits to ensure safe passage. Lots of craft on the water proved challenging at times, but we were safely into the natural Harbour before we knew it. Interestingly, Salcombe is not a River estuary, but a 'ria' - a submerged river valley, which makes it super safe for water users. The tidal movements draw the water in and out.
An extremely helpful harbour master on his tender directed us to V13 mooring - by East Portlemouth Beach and directly opposite the Town Quay. Just perfect!
A most beautiful afternoon to be on board, with clear blue skies and the sun shining onto the cockpit of the boat, brought out the prosecco and nibbles........a snooze in the sun, and finally a long anticipated swim off the back of the boat for Rosie along the shoreline and onto the adjoining beach!! A quick check around the boat at water level revealed no damage from those logs on the Yealm, and preceded a shower on board to freshen up.
The sun is due to shine for most of the week, though the winds are freshening for the next couple of days. We are going to stay safely here and enjoy everything Salcombe has to offer!!
2 Sept 2023
A day around the River Yealm, Devon
The change of mooring turned out to be a blessing in disguise (except for the lack of Wifi connectivity to write my blog!) A peaceful mooring away from arriving and departing vessels, we had a wonderful nights sleep. The exceptionally high spring tides have swept the shores of all their detritus, and the only disturbance was an occasional log bumping into us on its way down stream!
With Dipity launched again, we headed to the Harbour masters pontoon at the junction of the River Yealm and Newton Creek.
A stunning day and lovely to be walking in shorts and light T-shirts we headed up the north shore of Newton Creek to the hamlet of Newton Ferrers. We learnt a new word today - Voss - a causeway which uncovers at low tide. There are 2 of these linking the hamlet of Newton Ferrers with Noss Mayo...those spring tides working to our advantage today meant both were uncovered for most of the day for 2- 3 hours either side of Low Tide so we could walk across to the south side of Newton Creek and then again across Noss Creek to The Ship Inn for welcome local beers of Korev and Ebb Rock on the quay edge.
Causing a bit of a stir locally, this lovely riverside pub is up for sale. Gordon Ramsey has put in an offer for the Goldmine that it is, but apparently the locals aren't so keen.......can't think why?!!
A well trodden but stunning walk ensued - Noss Mayo and Revelstoke Drive - part of the South West Coast path but owned largely by the National Trust. The track took us along the south side of the River Yealm, with views over the sand bar ....which made much more sense when viewed from above than on our approach yesterday.... past Battery Head, Mouthstone Point and onto The Warren for a picnic lunch admiring stunning cliff top views and the rocks below.
A loop brought us back across farm land to Noss Mayo for a retrace of our steps across the voss to Newton Ferrers and along the shore to the Harbourmasters office. A quick shower in the facilities there and we were back to Serendipity fresh and ready for dinner.
7.5 miles walked
1 Sept 2023
Mayflower Marina, Plymouth to the River Yealm, Devon
In direct contrast to yesterday, today dawned sunny and fair. Making use of the facilites before we left, we headed out of the marina just before low water.
We needed to play the tides correctly today, as due to the Blue super moon 2 nights ago, there are exceptionally large Spring tides for the next few days; this presents challenges with extra high and extra low waters and faster running tidal streams.
We motored back to our old favourite Cawsand Bay and dropped anchor for 3 hours in the glorious sunshine waiting for a rising tide to enter the River Yealm. A snooze on deck for Rosie and some sign writing of Dipity for Dave, and we were ready to attack the tricky navigation into the Yealm.
To add to our challenges, a large Naval Frigate decided to 'dance' in our path, before heading out to sea! The River Yealm has a sand bank at it's entrance; there are 2 sets of leading lights to ensure safe transit, plus 2 port markers to show the end of the sand bank. Despite this, we cleared the sandbank with just 0. 4 m to spare...a bit close for comfort and we were thankful we had sat the afternoon out in Cawsand Bay for those few hours first.
The rule in the Yealm is that if a buoy doesn't have a tender nor a note on it, it is classed as free for visitor use. We spied a buoy quite soon after passing Misery point and set up our mooring lines. The harbour master - a chirpy chappie named Steve, came for a chat and his Harbour dues assuring us the buoy was free for the 2 nights and giving us lots of information about the area. Settling down with nice glasses of GnT and red wine, we were soon to be disturbed by an irate yachtsman shouting and telling us we were on his mooring and to 'get off'!
Fortunately Harbour master Steve was still at hand and he guided us up river to a delightful mooring whose residents had just left for the weekend!! The new mooring is very pretty and away from the swell of the tide....silver linings!
Dipity will be launched tomorrow to go ashore for us to explore Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo.
31st Aug 2023
Mayflower Marina Plymouth
Following a really lovely weekend seeing Rob, Jade and Ollie, celebrating the wonderful wedding of Zoe and Weg (aka Mr and Mrs Ighavini), a trip to St Mary's Bay to visit Dave's family, dinner with friends and lots of gardening and home life catching up, we returned to Serendipity courtesy of GWR from London Paddington yesterday afternoon.
Our hopes for a quiet journey to catch our breath was dashed as 'Peggy from Hawaii' clearly thought we looked like friendly souls and regaled us for the whole 3 hours about her (slightly dubious) adventures travelling alone in Europe!! Entertaining to say the least....but we were pleased when Plymouth station came into view!
Serendipity was in good shape on our return and it felt good to be back on board.
Torrential rain arrived at 3am as predicted and with electrical thunder storms forecast all day, we decided to stay for another day in Plymouth. Provision delivery by Mr Morrison coincided with a break in the showers and lulled us into a false sense of security, as we headed on foot to the Everyman Cinema at Royal William Yard.
Oh my goodness, did we get wet on the way; the heavens opened as we left the marina for the 1.5 mile walk!! We arrived dripping like a pair of drowned rats, despite our sailing jackets. The Everyman Cinema was fab with comfortable settees (though I had to sit on a bag as my dress was so wet!!) and with a glass of wine and beer served to our seats by the Cinema staff, we settled down for the slightly disturbing but engrossing Oppenheimer Movie.
Drying room back in action on board this evening, with warm sweatshirts on and a hearty dinner!
The weather is due to change for the better and for the next week from tomorrow, so we hope to be on our way again in the morning :)
24 Aug 2023
Returning to Mayflower Marina, Plymouth, Devon.
The wind blew as predicted leading to a very quiet, calm night on anchor last night in Cawsand Bay.
A leisurely start to the morning, before raising the anchor and motoring into Plymouth Sound, through 'the Bridge' and into Mayflower Marina to be met once again by a member of staff to take our lines at F31 Berth. Mayflower is the friendliest and most helpful Marina we have come across, where nothing seems too much trouble.
The rest of the day involved some boat maintenance, anchor chain evaluation, washing and life admin. The Laundry turned into my office and some great chats with the locals ensued....and the washing took a lot longer than it should have!
A few showers through the afternoon cleared away, so an early evening walk to Plymouth Hoe and the Barbican was in order. Very familiar territory to us as Rob was at University here and we had many a trip (usually in cold and rainy conditions!) to see him. Today it was great to see the Sound in all its glory in the sunshine and clear blue skies.
A pint each of Proper Job and Pimms at The Ship Inn on the Barbican was most welcome, before returning to the marina - with another 6 miles under our belts.
We are leaving Serendipity here for the next week or so whilst we spend time with Rob, Jade and Ollie tomorrow, then on to celebrate the wedding of Zoe and Weg in Lewes, followed by a few days at home.
Back to the boat on Wed 30th August and the blog will continue on Thursday 31st as we continue our passage eastwards and back towards home...see you then!
23 Aug 2023
Cawsand Bay, Cornwall
Summer arrived in Cornwall for 2 days only....and today has felt more like we were in the Mediterranean!
The new anchor held well overnight, and whilst we bounced a little on the swell of the waves, and needed a 4.30am anchor check (which coincided with a beautiful sunrise), we finally awoke to beautiful clear skies and wall to wall sunshine.
After a lazy morning on board, we launched Dipity and went ashore, leaving the tender on Kingsand beach up against a wall....this time knowing we could walk away with 10 hours grace before the next high tide!
An ice cream stop at the Cawsand Bay Vintage Scoops Ice cream van set us on our way; heading up through Penlee Woods to Penlee Point along the SW coast path. Queen Adelaide's Grotto stood on the headland -it's lookout is from where the Spanish Armada was spotted approaching Plymouth in the 16th Century.
Walking on to Rame Head, with the wild horses which we had seen on our way westwards by sea earlier in the month, we stopped for a picnic lunch and to admire the views all the way along the coast eastwards past the Mewstone. Eddystone Lighthouse which stands 9 miles out to sea was also clearly visible. Whitsand Bay, with its clear blue waters had lots of day boats at anchor (something we couldn't have done in yesterday's SW winds) approached and, after a slight deviance from the coast path, we found ourselves on the main road. We had planned to catch the bus back to Cawsand, but decided to walk back instead, cutting the headland off.
6 miles walked all in all.
A slightly hairy return to Serendipity ensued as the winds had turned to the SE and were blowing waves and wind on shore; wet shorts and a scramble back on to the rolling boat preceded a few hours of late afternoon sunshine on deck, enjoying just being in the bay on such a beautiful day.
22 Aug 2023
Fowey to Cawsand Bay, Plymouth via Polperro!
There was a Plan A and Plan B as we left Fowey in stunning conditions with clear blue sky and sunshine this morning.
Casting off from Grid Irons Pontoon for the last time, we had a short stop on the pontoon at Berrill's Yard to refill the water tanks - as we had been off grid for 7 nights water levels were getting low. Taking the opportunity of a land linked pontoon, a quick trip to the Quay Bakery brought great reward in the form of Almond Cruffins, home made scones and sourdough bread to further top up supplies!
As we left the mouth of the estuary we continued the 'turning left', Eastwards tack. Sea state was slight once the turbulence of the harbour mouth subsided and we quickly raised both sails, turned off the engine and glided through Mediterranean blue waters with tide and wind both on our side.....what a difference that makes! A Video call from Rob and Ollie provided further joy the passage :)
Plan A was to take up a mooring in Polperro's 'deep pool', just outside the harbour wall. The Pilot book reported 6 fore- aft visitor moorings, and a conversation with a fellow yachtsman in Falmouth had also raised our awareness of this being a possible stop-off on the way back. Sadly, as we approached the small harbour entrance, the swell of the tide and the SW winds made the approach feel like we were in a washing machine; there were some small rowing boats attached to a couple of the moorings, plus somebody trying to sort out another of the mooring buoys in his tender. The rocks on the eastern walls were getting perilously close, so Dave upped the engine revs and spun Serendipity out into the calmer waters....on to Plan B!
Plan B was to continue our passage on to Cawsand Bay, just inside Plymouth Sound,. We thoroughly enjoyed being in the sunshine and light breezes as we slowly crossed Whitsand Bay reflecting that this was the sort of day to remember from our 2023 Sailing adventures!
Safely anchored in Cawsand Bay we plan to stay here for 2 nights on anchor, before heading to Mayflower Marina to 'park'the boat whilst we head home for a wedding reception and a few days off the boat at the weekend.
Weather conditions are quite calm and settled, though the wind is changing direction through 270 degrees over the next 24 hours! We are sheltered on 3 sides....so we'll just have to hope that's the arc of wind covered!
Another trip to shore on Dipity and a walk along the South West Coast Path around Rame head and on to Whitsand Bay planned for tomorrow.
21 Aug 2023
Fowey, Cornwall
A pretty quiet day today.
Always such a pleasure to catch up with Katie, we spent a couple of hours on videocall with her this morning - all going very well in Bangkok - then with a bit of general life admin completed, we popped ashore at Berrills' Yard on Dipity in the late afternoon.
Terra firma was a bit of a novelty today and it felt good to have a stretch and a walk. A top up shop, a shower at the Yacht Club and a treat of dinner out at The Luggers Inn on Fore Street were all appreciated. Some delicious Fowey mussels and a Fish pie went well and it was nice to sit to eat in the Pub and watch the world for a while.
On return to Serendipity a yacht had rafted up to us - we have done well to avoid his on all our travels so far, but for some reason (perhaps everyone is on the move again after Storm Betty) Fowey Harbour is very busy with no spaces left this evening! Fortunately our 'enforced' neighbours have just finished building their boat and were very mindful to set fenders and lines carefully for both our sakes :)
20 Aug 2023
River Fal to Fowey via St Maws, Cornwall
A calm dawn signalled the end of Storm Betty and the pontoon we were attached to began to empty out as the boats and crews continued with their journeys.
Leaving at high water, we motored towards the open sea down the River Fal, taking a turn east just before the mouth of the river into the pretty bay of St Maws. A visitor mooring was clear, so we picked up the buoy and settled ourselves to watch the Women's World Cup final. It was a shame the Lionesses didn't get the result we all hoped for, but a month of quality games has certainly kept us all excited and entertained.
With the match and interviews complete, and the tide turning eastwards, we nosed out into the sea and headed eastwards to Fowey. For once, the SW wind and tide were in collusion and it was nice to feel us 'surfing' along on the rolling waves rather than our seemingly usual pattern of bashing through them! With blue skies and sunshine, lots of gannets and auks diving around us as we crossed St Austell Bay, two pods of dolphins came to surf and bow ride with us. Always fun to watch and always elusive to catch on camera!
As we entered Fowey Harbour a choice of visitor pontoons was available, but knowing how rolly the swell can be in the harbour, we once again motored on to the Grid Iron pontoon for a guaranteed peaceful couple of nights sleep.
Trip to shore planned for tomorrow to buy provisions as we have been 7 nights off grid and have eaten ourselves out of food!!....then we will return to Plymouth by Thursday. Good weather forecast for the next few days, so hopefully it will once again feel like a holiday rather than a mission!
19 Aug 2023
Storm Betty #2
We survived!! The rest of the night last night was wild! By midnight, the >50mph winds and boat rocking and pulling on its lines, was starting to ease and Rosie went to bed with earplugs in situ! Ever mindful of the boat and our safety, Dave stayed on 'sofa watch' and dozed there until 4am when the gusting stopped and the wind speeds became more like 30 than 50 mph!
No damage to the boat, nor any of our neighbours thankfully. The RNLI paid a visit to the pontoon at 1am as the boat at the other end was concerned about their safety and a potentially drifting mooring buoy. A false alarm it seems, but good to know the RNLI are there at times of need.
The wind continued to rage until around 5pm, and only 1 boat left the pontoon, with us all of a similar mind to let things settle today and stay put.
A quiet and slow start to the day today; before relaxing on deck, feeling like a tourist attraction to the passing FalRiver boat tours!
A lost towel overboard in the winds, some minor running repairs, a lovely catch up chat with Bernie and a knitting project started pretty much sums up the rest of the day.
Returning to Fowey tomorrow, after a potter upstream to see more of the River Fal, a pause in St Maws Bay to wait for the tide ( Oh and there might be an important game of Football to catch....) and then a sail back eastwards with SW winds behind us and wind with tide conditions - won't that be a novelty!!
18
Aug 2023
Storm Betty!
Storm Betty arrived exactly as predicted....with the Met office, BBC and the Kernow Weather Team all being spot on with their timings and predictions.
The morning dawned fair and calm, and a lovely Face time catch-up with Rob, Jade and Ollie before the impeding unpleasantness of the day was much appreciated.....and proudly, we watched Ollie demonstrating his new skill (of 2 days) taking a few independent steps aged 11 months :)
A flurry of activity on the pontoon developed; watching the large catamaran moored on the opposite side of the pontoon being turned through 180 degrees led us to reconsider our positioning too, with the approaching storm now being predicted from the south east veering through south to south west as opposed to the easterlies of yesterday. Our neighbours on Indy, helped us to similarly spin Serendipity through 180 degrees, using the stern line and bow thruster to control the move. Now positioned more safely with the bow pointing to the wind, the rain came right on cue at 13.00 and has continued relentlessly ever since.
The winds have built up through the late afternoon and early evening and are currently being reported at around 50 mph and maybe gusting slightly more at gale to storm force 8 - 10.....hopefully we are at the peak of the storm now (21.00) and as we bounce around and tug at the triple lines securing us to the pontoon, I am hopeful that the forecasters will be correct and the storm will have largely passed by 1am! I don't think we will be going to bed before then as we are keeping an active watch and ear to the activity outside. Certainly an experience and feeling very grateful to be moored 4 miles up the river and away from the coast!
Tomorrow is forecast calmer and sunnier.....phew! We plan to stay here tomorrow whilst the swell and the seas settle, then move again on Sunday.
17 Aug 2023
Helford River to The River Fal, Cornwall
Our morning slumber was rudely disturbed when the Easterly winds arrived as forecast around 8am. Suddenly, the boat was lurching and rolling as if we were at sea! A swift exodus of the boats moored around us, confirmed we too needed to get on the move. What a difference a day makes! The Helford River is notoriously uncomfortable in Easterlies as it runs in an almost exact east/west direction, accepting the swell pushed in by the easterly winds.
Retracing our steps out of the estuary, across Pendennis Bay, we entered Falmouth's natural harbour. It is one of those vast harbour areas that looks to be safe to sail anywhere, but in reality has very shallow drying heights. The channel up river is known as the Carrick Roads and is a very defined and well buoyed channel...veer off course by a few metres and you are likely to go aground.
There is a severe weather forecast in place for Friday and Saturday in Cornwall. Gales are expected and torrential rain. Sadly the organisers of the Tall Ships Race have had to cancel the Parade of Sail planned for tomorrow, and the official start of the race has been put back to Saturday; each boat will now leave at the discretion of its Captain and the the race will be a virtual timed affair rather than from a start line. Such a shame after all the organisation and a 4 year wait for Falmouth to host the event.
With this in mind and having maintained a vigilant watch over the last 24 - 48 hours of the Met Office and various other weather information services, we motored up the River Fal and into the protection of its banks for shelter. There are a couple of pontoons we could have tried to access, but as the first we approached had berthing available, we decided not to chance our luck further up river and take this 'sure thing'. The pontoon is managed by Cornwall Council and is very reasonably priced. It's a concrete pontoon, with rubbish and recycling facility which is really helpful when you are living on board and off grid. The boat batteries are well charged and we have plenty of food and water.....so it's time to batten down the hatches and hold tight until later into Saturday when the low pressure will have burnt itself out.
We are moored beneath Trelissick House, a National Trust property, so Dipity got another outing this afternoon and we pottered 0.4 miles up river to a pontoon where we were able to leave the Tender whilst we visited NT House and gardens, grab drinks and cake at the cafe and then complete the Woodland walk around the estuary and grounds. Another 5 miles covered!
No photos again for a couple of days until We have stronger Wifi for uploading.
16 Aug 2023
The Helford River, Cornwall
Wall to wall sunshine and no wind made the Helford River THE place to be today but as the locals are saying it was the place to be TODAY...but won't be the place to be by Friday! Lots of people on their boats, paddle boarding and generally messing about on the River.
The Lionesses took our attention for the morning and Congratulations to them for making the World Cup Final.....iPlayer and signal part of requirements for Sunday's mooring please!!
After the footie, Dipity came back into play and we headed to the North bank of the River to Helford Passages. It was not long after low tide when we arrived, so we carried the tender up the beach and positioned it by the other tenders in a similar position.
A delicious local Ice cream - orange and mascarpone for me and Clotted cream Vanilla for Dave on Helford Passages beach set us up for another foray along the South West Coast path. This time we headed towards the mouth of the estuary, past the beautiful Trebah Gardens and beach, Durgan and on to Grebe Beach for a picnic lunch. The tide began rising quite quickly ( we are on big Spring tides at the moment) necessitating us to hot foot it off the rocks we had settled on.
A circular walk over the hill and down to Bar beach returned us to Halford Passages - just in time as the water line was now just a metre or so from our tender!! This could have been an embarrassing story....note to selves, make sure we secure the painter ( the rope at the front ) to something secure on the beach just in case next time!
Back to the boat for a couple of hours of late afternoon sun on deck, before another trip to the River Halford Sailing Club for showers and a sundowner.
We are on the move tomorrow - needing to reposition ourselves before the anticipated bad weather on Friday and Saturday. We have a couple of ideas...watch this space!
15 Aug 2023
Falmouth to the Helford River, Cornwall
The forecasters got it right today... and we woke to sunshine, glassy seas and Dolphins in the Harbour. Our reveille was signalled by the Mexican Boat's rendition of the National Anthems together with a lot of ships' company noise, whistles and shouting!
Dues paid and a leap of faith after yet another 'we can't promise you a mooring' conversation, we left our Port Pendennis berth with the help of the Challenge Wales crew! Falmouth has a 4 day Tall Ships event now, with the race starting amidst the bad weather forecast for Friday. Whilst it has been fantastic to be in the midst of the action for the last couple of days, we were happy to take our leave from the chaos today!
Motoring out past the Tall ships was quite something having spent a very memorable couple of days in their company, then it was a short 8 mile passage across Pendennis Bay (and the beaches we had walked along yesterday) before we entered the mouth of the River Helford.
The River was full of moored boats, but we spied a well positioned vacant green visitor buoy and speedily took up the trailing line and secured our position with a sigh of relief!
The river is very pretty indeed and with glassy waters, blue sky and sunshine it was idyllic Cornwall.
Taking the tender across to Helford Village and leaving it attached to the pontoon by the River Helford Yacht Club (RHYC) we wandered through the thatched village, crossing the ford, right through to the ferry point, with it's unsual system to summon the water taxi from the other side of the river.
The RHYC was very welcoming and has showers etc we can use if we please. It also had a sunny terrace where we finally enjoyed a cold beer and stunning view....this has been the promise all trip, but will probably just last for a day!
14 Aug 2023
Tall ships in Falmouth
It seems without knowing it, our luck was in when we were allocated our slightly unusual berth in Port Pendennis Marina.
After a leisurely morning of showers , charging and sorting, we headed off into Falmouth Town for a wander. As we looked back to our berth from the Town Quay, around the corner with the tooting of horns and tug support came the first of the Class A Tall ships, the Dar Mlodziezy. What a sight....she then proceeded to the industrial berthing directly across the water from us!
By the time we returned from a 5 mile walk through the town, across to Swanpool Beach, along the SW coast Path to Gyllngvase beach and back to Discovery Quay, two more Tall ships had also arrived including the very impressive Mexican Ship Cuautemoc with the biggest Mexican flag ever seen! There was much activity to watch, along with chatting to the 5 crews of the smaller Class C and D boats who were actually berthed on our pontoon. Our clear view of the bigger ships was dashed when Challenge Wales arrived into Port and on the other side of the Visitors pontoon, but her crew were great and chatty so we excused them ( & I had photos by then!)
At 9pm, the Mexican ship which had been pumping out Latin American music all evening piped out our National Anthem, followed by the Mexican anthem across the harbour which was actually very moving. As dusk fell and the boats lit up it was quite a spectacle.... a totally unintentional experience but very special indeed!
Tall ships - Class A -Cuauhtemoc (Mexico), Dar Mlodzizy ( Poland) Captain Miranda (Uruguay), Fryderyk Chopin (Poland) Georg Stage (Denmark)
Class C& D -Jaun De Langara (Spain),Stella Polare (Italy), Jolie Brise (England), Maybe (England), Challenge Wales ( Wales)
Amongst all the pomp and circumstance we were actually feeling quite stressed as the weather is once again thwarting our plans. Whilst the next couple of days are looking wonderful, there is a nasty Low pressure approaching the SW and the forecast is for heavy rain, strong winds and heavy seas for the weekend. As the summer is coming to a close and with a trip home for a wedding also in the mix, we have decided we sadly probably wont make it around Lands End and up to Lundy to complete our circumnavigation this year :(
The weather becomes even less predictable as we head towards September and the days are shorter ...like the dilemma we also had last year. So the plan now is to travel to the Helford River on the Lizard tomorrow for a couple of days - it's known as the prettiest River in Cornwall - then back up to the River Fal for a couple of days on a mooring safely up river whilst the weather passes through (we can't get berths in Falmouth nor Fowey due to their sailing regatta weeks and the Tall Ships Race). After the weekend, everything will calm down and we should find berthing easier.... fingers crossed! We'll travel slowly back up to Devon for Ollie's birthday and then back to Kent through mid September.
All a bit frustrating, but there's always another year and we've learnt a lot about the South coast this year which will certainly help planning easier next time!
13 Aug 2023
Covid intrupts play....and Fowey to Falmouth on 13/08/23
Sat 12/08/23 - Best laid plans for a weekend off the boat were thwarted due to 2 positive Covid tests for close contacts of both Penny &Jason and Rob, Jade & Ollie....after much deliberation and in an attempt to keep the dreaded C away from Dave (in particular whilst skippering a yacht).....we decided a non contact lunch date in a well ventilated pub was as good as it got. It was super hard not to have any physical contact, especially with our darling Ols, but it was nonetheless great to spend time with all 4 of Ollie's grandparents together for the first time since he was born.
A walk around Fowey before returning to the boat to watch the replay of the Lionesses Quarter final match of the Women's World Cup pretty much rounded off the day.
Further deliberation of weather, wind and tide brought a decision to move on to Falmouth a day earlier than originally planned to beat the next weather front.
Sun 13/08/23 - Waking to torrential rain with full jacket, salopettes and sailing wellies type of protection required!, we left the pontoon at 7am....well we tried, caught a line on the cleat and required a second figure of eight loop and jump onto the pontoon to release before we headed off to the mouth of the estuary!
Another right turn in a westerly direction around Gibbin Head passing the day mark, we sailed on across St Austell Bay towards Pentewan Sands, Mevagissy and Portmellon. The sea state got progressively more choppy as we headed westwards, but the skies cleared ahead and we dried off.
Rounding the next headland, Chapel Point we crossed headland to headland spotting Gorran Haven, and Caerhays Beach (where Rob and Jade got engaged), before passing between the mainland and Gull Rock which was covered by cormorants and a few seals lazing around.
Several sightings of dolphins moving in both directions and the obligatory fishing pot minefield later, we headed into the Fal River estuary via St Anthony's Head. Careful navigation was required to cross the River to the harbour entrance including avoiding lots of sailing boats, motor craft, a Square rigger (pirate type ship!) and with a helicopter circling over head it felt quite intense after being on our quiet little pontoon on the River Fowey!
The Tall Ships are arriving in Falmouth tomorrow to begin the Magellan - Elcano race to Spain on Friday. This has caused yet more issues for us finding a mooring....after a fair bit of badgering, we finally secured a berth in Port Pendennis Marina by the National Maritime Museum. As has been our luck recently, this wasn't a handy little berth...it was a space at the end of a fairway between 2 pontoons. A bit of a 'hang on a minute moment', and a shout to 2 boatie onlookers to come to take lines rather than stand looking on with smirks on their faces (!!) ...and we were safely secured to the dock.
Come to Cornwall they said....it's beautiful.....well not this evening!! Rain has been torrential, we have been soaked to the skin and have had to re invent the drying room on board 'a la Ventus' to dry ourselves out! Fish and Chips was the best we could muster and now the hatches are batoned as we listen to torrential rain hammer onto the decks!
Good news is there are much better weather forecasts from Tuesday and we are in a good position to potentially do that final push around Lands End....watch this space!
11 Aug 2023
Fowey, Cornwall
Finally the mist has cleared, the rain passed through and the sun came out for the day! The day was spent
- airing the boat
- airing and drying the bedding and our wet clothes from last night
- reducing the condensation that had formed as a result of the mist and the wet clothes etc over the past few days
- Dave developing a new arrangement for mounting the out board on the back of the boat after the bracket disintegrated last night
- doing some remedial work to establish the non return valve in the tender's bung hole!
Rosie took the water taxi over to the Town Quay to do some shopping and enjoyed a long anticipated shower at the Royal Fowey Yacht Club.
Fowey Regatta starts on Sunday and the town was even busier today than earlier in the week. The visitors moorings all appear to be full and the harbour is springing to life with rows of pretty sailing dingy's, and lots of retired Life boats are starting to arrive for the week's events.
Dinner on board this evening with light cloud and no wind - we are winning!
No blog tomorrow as we are going ashore for the day/night.
Positive news is that a marina in Falmouth has taken a provisional booking for Monday and the weather forecast is much improved for next week... so hopefully we will be on the move!
10 Aug 2023
Fowey, Cornwall
Our little 'mini break' in Fowey continued today. Hearing of the beautiful warm weather at home in Kent has been a little frustrating as Fowey has been beneath a sea mist all day :(
Having got Dipity up and running yesterday, we took a ride on the tender to Berrills Yard by the town (saving a return fare on the water Taxi!) The electric outboard is performing well and we are getting better at both positioning ourselves within the dinghy and also getting in and out less precariously!!
Once on land, we did a reccie of the 2 options for showers in the town - the 2 yacht clubs. We found a gem in the form of the Royal Fowey Yacht Club, who were very welcoming and have recently updated their facilities.....so that will be tomorrow's excitement. We are out of hot water and a nice shower and hair dry will be most welcome.
Catching the 25 bus out of Fowey, we then headed for Carlyon Bay. Disappointed to find it too immersed in sea mist, we nonetheless headed to the beach where there were some cool pop up food stalls. We were rewarded by a delicious Cream Tea ( well Cream Coffee really) from Manor Made of Cornwall. We couldn't see the sea due to the mist, but were impressed watching families still trying to make the best of a day on the beach. It seems this sea mist was very localised as there were reports of sun as close as the North Cornish coast.
Walking westwards towards Charlestown along the South West Coast path, we happened upon one of the National Coastwatch Institution towers. We spent an interesting half hour with Del, a volunteer, and felt reassured to know our progress will be monitored as we pass both across St Austell Bay, and in fact all around the coast, by these amazing volunteers.
Charlestown loomed atmospherically out of the mist and was very Poldarkesk....with 3 Tall ships on the dockside and mist surrounding the entrance to the harbour ( there will be photo's eventually when I have stronger signal!!). We then headed up the steep hill to Asda - much less salubrious - for a top up shop and to catch the 25 Bus back to Fowey.
Dipity had remained safe in the dinghy park, but as we set off the heavens opened and despite our waterproofs we were soaked though by the time we got back to Serendipity. The outboard bracket broke...and we now have soggy clothes strewn about the boat! Hopefully the sun will be out for a while tomorrow to dry us out!
We do have a nice weekend to look forward to though...Jades's parents, Penny and Jason, live 30 mins from here - they are meeting us with R,J & O plus Jade's sister and children for lunch on Saturday in Fowey and have invited us back to their home for a very welcome overnighter off the boat. Hopefully that will give time for the weather to reset and we can be on our way again next week.
9 Aug 2023
Fowey, Cornwall
We found ourselves facing a difficult decision this morning. An 8.30am call to the 3 possible marinas we could visit in Falmouth all informed us that either they were not taking reservations, were issuing berths on a first come first served basis only or they could only offer us 1 night stay at a time.
There are a few issues around this
- There is some very windy weather approaching on Sat/Sunday - we need to be in a safe haven for those 2 days and after Falmouth the next stop is Penzance; anchoring sites are really out of the question as a lot of them are vulnerable to the predicted Southerly winds. If we were to get kicked out of Falmouth in a day or two we would have to retrace our steps to Plymouth (as Fowey Regatta is also this weekend and they are expecting the visitor berths to be full)
- It is Falmouth sailing week this week ....which means there a lot of extra visiting yachtsmen and boaties competing for marina berths
- We also discovered today that the Tall Ships are arriving into Falmouth for 15th to 18th Aug before their race starts on the 18th down to Spain and some are arriving early! Lovely...but extremely inconvenient!!
- The weather forecast into next week is inconsistent - it seems to be improving and may provide a weather window, but we may also have to decide to abandon our attempt for a passage around Lands End if there isn't a week long settled spell of in the forecast.
With all that in mind, we finally decided to stay put in Fowey on our very comfortable and pretty pontoon mooring. We can stay here as long as we want to, and better the devil we know and to be safe. Whilst we need a day in port in the next little while to charge Serendipity's batteries, fill up with water and take on more food and supplies, we are OK for the time being.
We may try a call again tomorrow to see if there's been any movement in Falmouth, but realistically we will probably be here until Sunday or Monday. Not the end of the world; we just need to careful on our water usage and power uptake!!!
The upside of a day on the pontoon was a wonderful videocall with Katie for a couple of hours to hear all her news and excitement following her induction week in Bangkok. All is going exceptionally well and she and Joe are very happy with their move so far.
Next on the agenda was the Tender. After the disastrous semi sinking of the old tender in a bay off the Isle of Arran last summer, our new purchase, a Seago Spirit 240, had yet to see the light of day! 4 hours later, Dipity was inflated, rigged and ready to provide opportunities to go ashore if the weather turns in our favour and we are in anchorages next week. A trial run up river to find proper showering facilities was also fruitful, so happy days!
We attempted to explore further up river on the tender but with a mist descending over the hill tops and mizzle settling in we returned to Serendipity before the visibility dropped to around 10 metres for the rest if the evening!
We will see what tomorrow brings ; there are plans a foot for a sociable weekend and the weather is in the lap of the Gods!
8 Aug 2023
Fowey
A very rolly ( is that a word??) night on the swinging mooring with a regular 'bash' onto the neighbouring buoy meant a very disturbed nights sleep :(
The harbour master visited for his dues around 10am and after quizzing him for local knowledge, we swiftly released our lines and motored up river to Pontoon 6 ( Grid Irons). Chatting to other boat owners on the pontoon, it seems 4 had experienced the same conditions as us last night and had also motored up this morning!
We are now nicely attached to a floating pontoon in calm waters, away from the Atlantic swell and on shore winds.
Catching the Water Taxi (calling on VHF Ch 6) we headed off into Fowey for the afternoon. It was a typical Cornish mizzly sort of day and there were a lot of families looking a bit cheesed off! We wandered along the Main street, picking up delicious Ice creams at Ruby's on Rob's recommendation!
Retracing our steps, we then headed along the Esplanade to Readymoney Cove and St Catherine' s Castle for stunning views over the estuary and then on to the South West Coast path for a circular walk via a pretty little bay and hike up a very steep hill to complete the loop back. A stop for 'refreshments' with a view over the Foy estuary at Bufala ( though the food was tempting and also looked delicious!!) ... preceded a Water taxi ride back to Serendipity.
Hoping for a quieter night tonight.....though the local herons may have other ideas.....!!
Apologies for lack of photos..they are coming but Wifi not strong enough to upload on the moorings.
7 Aug 2023
Mayflower Marina, Plymouth to Fowey, Cornwall
Having arrived back to Serendipity on the afternoon of 6th August, we prepared her for our onwards journey. July and the beginning of August have been unseasonable, and poor Serendipity had pulled and strained at her lines so much one had snapped and 2 more have severely frayed beyond repair. Thankfully, she had remained safe in her berth and many thanks go to the staff at Mayflower Marina who monitored her safety whilst we were away.
The morning dawned very fair. An oil change, a Morrison's delivery and a nail biting England Women's World Cup match later (oh dear LJ!) and we were ready to visit the refuelling station and on to catch the ebbing tide out of Plymouth Sound.
A reverse passage through 'the Bridge', past Cawsand Bay and then a right turn out of Plymouth Sound saw us heading Westwards along the Cornish coast.
Rounding Rame Head, an interesting combination of the ruins of a chapel on the headland and roaming horses (very random) before we progressed across Whitsand Bay. Sadly the skies clouded over and it was a grey and quite lumpy passage across the bay....a 3 layer sort of afternoon! Looe and Polperro stood proud along the coastline until Polruan Head opened up to the estuary of the River Foy and our entry into Fowey. Following a quick call on the radio to the Harbour master patrol on Ch12 , we took up a swinging mooring (S24) in the river opposite the Town Quay.
It's a bit rolly on the mooring, but a beautiful and safe location for the night and we plan to stay here to explore on land tomorrow.
It all felt a bit strange to be back on board today after a fantastic month at home, but by the time we had moored and had a beer enjoying the beautiful surroundings we felt ourselves slipping back into boat life again!
Miles covered 22.7 Nm
July 2023
Family time....
July lived up to it's promise of being a month of family time.
Katie and Joe flew in from Shanghai on 2nd July and after a few days to decompress, we all flew out to Puerto Pollensa, Majorca for a Family holiday. After the long anticipated meeting of Aunt and Nephew a week of wall to wall sunshine, pool and beach ensued! A wonderful time had by all as a belated celebration of Rosie's big birthday in May!
Further family time continued when we returned home, with visits from both Grandad and Sue, and 'Kissy' Grandad too!
Katie then enjoyed Kate's hen do, and both she and Joe enjoyed celebrating the wedding of Joe's sister Kate and Dexter.
Plenty of catch ups with friends and relations all round, some house and life admin and a lovely day out at Wilton House near Salisbury for some more nephew time for Katie, before sadly July came to an end.
Katie and Joe flew off for their next adventure to teach in Bangkok, Thailand on 2nd August.
A swift close up of the house again and hand over of keys to our wonderful neighbours Debbie and Mike...and we were back on our travels too.
A great overnight-er with the Mason- Elias crew, and a weekend with Rob, Jade and Ollie preceded our transfer (courtesy of Rob's taxi support) to Plymouth to recommence and hopefully finish our circumnavigation of the UK.
30 June 2023
Cawsand Bay, Cornwall to Mayflower Marina, Plymouth, Devon.
What a a difference a day makes! From Blue sky and sunshine yesterday, to heavy rain, mist and raging winds overnight and typical SW 'mizzle' today. It wasn't a very comfortable night on board last night, with the boat creaking and groaning as it swayed around its anchor and the swell rocked us to and fro. A few trips out of bed by us both to check all was well with the anchor, led to a broken night's sleep all round!
A call to Mayflower Marina first thing confirmed they were happy for an early arrival, on the Low Water slack tide, and so with the anchor raised we set off into Plymouth Sound.
Visibility was poor and on listening to the Longroom CH 14 VHF who control the harbour from a Naval and commercial perspective, we decided to wait for the big P&O Ferry which was due to pass though the western breakwater imminently and followed on behind!
Drake's Island sits in the entrance to the River Tamar, east of the river entrance, with 2 routes around it - one is the circumnavigation route that the ferries take, but as a small craft, we were able to cross 'The Bridge'. This is a narrow, buoyed channel between the rocky outcrop and the mainland. With a couple of metres water underneath us, we gingerly edged our way safely through.
Mayflower Marina came into view as we rounded the corner of King William Yard and a kind Marina chap, Andy, came to catch lines to aid us to our berth as the wind was a bit of a challenge coming into the Marina.
Serendipity is now settled in her holiday home, with lovely views up and down the River Tamar! Washing and boat cleaning complete, we have a leisurely day tomorrow before heading to the railway station to catch the train home. Excitement is building now for Katie and Joe's return on Sunday :)
Signing off for the next month for summer with the family. We will be back to Serendipity around the 3rd of August to complete our circumnavigation of the UK around Land's End; potentially with a trip to the Isles of Scilly - weather dependent - and on to the Isle of Lundy. We will then hang around the South West until Mid September and Ollie's 1st birthday, before heading Serendipity home to Gillingham for the autumn/winter.
Blog tbc......
29 June 2023
Noss on Dart Marina, Devon to Cawsand Bay, Cornwall
The plan for today was to sail from Dartmouth to Salcombe for the night, then move on to Plymouth tomorrow .
Slipping the lines at 8am, we left Dartmouth in near perfect conditions with the sun glistening on the water and the inevitable fishing pot buoys! We passed across Start Bay and just before the headland were greeted by a passing pod of Dolphins. We've spotted a few this trip, but this was the best show to date.
Checking on the weather as we went along, brought realisation that the forecast was changing for tomorrow (Friday) which is now due to be a very wet and windy day in the SW. After consulting all the weather Apps, we decided a change of plan was in order and headed for Cawsand Bay just outside of the Plymouth Breakwater instead, so it's just a 2.5 mile motor to the Mayflower Marina whatever the weather tomorrow.
It was a 35 mile passage in the end, and the undulating Devon Hills and bays we passed included Blackpool Sands, Langastone Point, Gammon Head, Thurlestone, Bantham, Bigbury Bay with Burgh Island and onwards towards the Mewstone Rock. This rock was the signal for a slight Starboard turn into the mouth of Plymouth Sound and then across to the pretty Cawsand to drop anchor in the bay for the night.
An interesting 'buzz by' from the Coastguard Helicopter, who clearly thought we were looking fishy (!), Naval ships coming and going through the Sound and some tricky grazing grounds for the local livestock were amongst other distractions of the day.
So just a short motor into Mayflower Marina, Plymouth tomorrow and we will sort the boat out to leave for the 4 weeks whilst we are on 'home' leave.
Total miles travelled: 338 Nm
28
June 2023
Noss on Dart Marina and Greenway House National Trust Property
An enjoyable day; using Noss Marina as a base, we explored the Dart Valley trail again but this time heading up river. Having checked it out on Google Maps and the National Trust Website, it seemed the Greenway estate was a 3.5 mile stroll along the water's edge...we should have consulted an OS map (!) as the terrain was anything but level, with steep ups and downs all the way, through Long Wood and onto the Greenway estate itself! Luckily I had my walking poles with me, so no harm done to my knee which screams at me without them on these sort of gradients. The path ran upwards of the Dart Valley railway, which we saw passing though along with some very recently singed/burnt woodland, with the fire likely started by one of the steam train's sparks.
Greenway was the holiday home of Agatha Christie - who knew she was such an interesting lady; in my head she was an old lady writing 'safe' crime novels, but it seems she was quite before her time with two marriages, 6 properties and taking part in archaeological digs in Syria and Iraq in the 1920's. She was a great collector and the house was left as it had been in the 1950's with lots of interesting artifacts from her travels. The house was requisitioned during the Second World War and used by the USA Coastguard to sleep its officers, whilst they prepared for the D Day landings. A blogger before his time, Lieutenant Marshall Lee had illustrated his boat's passage from USA to the River Dart via Bermuda and Italy as a frieze around the study/library - quite something to see.
The usual well kept gardens and tea room provided some refreshments with a walk down to the River Ferry Quay completing our visit.
The views from the top of the hills were fabulous both up and down river and well worth the effort involved. 8.5 miles walked today, I think we will feel our legs in the morning!
27 June 2023
Brixham Marina to Noss Marina, Kingswear, River Dart, Devon
Leaving Brixham in very overcast conditions, we headed westwards around Berry Head and along the coast passing hidden coves and seeing the South West Coast path cut into the cliff sides. Approaching a group of rocks, the Mewstone, Shagstone and Shooter specifically, marked a starboard turn into the mouth of the River Dart. The pretty River Dart, DartmouthTown Quay, Kingswear and The Royal Naval college opened up in front of us as we passed through the breaks in the cliff between Dartmouth Castle to the West and Kingswear Castle to the east.
The river had its challenges in terms of ferries, watersporters and other leisure boats but a slow meander was fascinating and the riverside properties incredible. It felt a bit surreal to be there on our boat having visited several times before on land.
Opting for the newly re developed Noss Marina (with the best showers to date!!) a little further up river from Dartmouth Town, we had been advised to arrive at slack High Water as the tide runs strongly on the Ebb making the approach trickier- and our timing was perfect !
Before radioing through for our berthing instructions, we motored up river in search of our previous boat, Ventus, as the new owner expected to be berthing her on the River Dart at Dittisham. Disappointingly we couldn't find her, but she has a very picturesque new home!
After settling into our berth, and watching the Navy recruits practice man over board manoeuvres with a dummy, we set off for an afternoon in Dartmouth. A 1 mile walk along the South West Coast path to the Dartmouth Higher Cable ferry included an encounter with the Dart Valley steam train. A very reasonable fare of just 70p paid, and 5 minutes later we were on the West and Dartmouth Town side of the river.
In search of a cream tea and a view, we walked along the waters edge and up to the Castle Tearooms which we had spied on the way into the river. The stunning view and walk compensated for English Heritages very poor attempt at a cream tea!!
Back to the boat after a beer from the Dartmouth Yacht Club on the Promenade and a return ferry crossing, made for tired legs after a 7 mile walk and a lovely shower in the new facilities.
26 June 2023
Torquay Marina to Brixham Marina, Devon
After a lovely weekend, and with a bit of time to spare and strong winds forecast for the afternoon, we decided to just do a short hop today to Brixham Marina on the other side of Torbay.
Refuelling at the fuel berth before we left Torquay prepared us for the rest of our journey to Plymouth, and we slipped quietly out of the marina just after noon. After a gentle trip around the bay to see Paignton and a few smaller bays en-route, we entered Brixham Marina only to find the berth we had been allocated was a tad narrow; fortunately the Harbour master was out on his rib, and redirected us to a wider, but perhaps slightly more exposed berth. It's been very windy this afternoon and the decision to go with a marina berth rather than stay on anchor overnight feels like a good decision.
The afternoon passed with some life admin, Dave completing some necessary boat maintenance and a catch up both with Faye on the phone and Glastonbury on iPlayer!
Finally time to stretch our legs and have an ice-cream - it's been a while! - and a walk around Brixham including a walk out to the lighthouse on the end of the harbour wall.
Onwards to the River Dart tomorrow :)
25 June 2023
A weekend on the English Riviera!
Saturday presented with clear blue skies and temperatures of 23 degrees. It was lovely to welcome more visitors to the boat as coincidentally my Cousin Ralph and Barbara are holidaying in Torquay this week, having driven down from South Shields. It was great to catch up with all the family news on board for the morning over a cup of coffee. Rob, Jade and Ollie came along to say Hi too, so it was a full boat !
Our home from home aka The Buntings ( Rob and Jade's home) is just 30 mins from here. so once again we made the most of the facilities on offer! A BBQ on Saturday afternoon, coupled with a sleep in a normal bed, washing machine access to freshen our laundry and a Morrisons Delivery of supplies for the week were all much appreciated!
A belated Father's Day brunch and walk at the lovely Exeter Quay, followed by lots of Grandson playtime on Sunday afternoon wrapped up a great weekend!
We now have 6 days to get to Plymouth - hopefully this will include a couple of days on the River Dart around Dartmouth, and a visit to Salcombe before our hop to Plymouth where we will leave Serendipity for July as we welcome Katie and Joe home for a month. We plan to resume our travels in August to join the dots back to Lundy and complete our circumnavigation of the UK.
23 June 2023
Portland Marina Dorset to Torquay Marina, Devon
Following our discussions last night with the Marina chap and some time spent debating our passage plan before bed last night, there was nothing for it but to bite the bullet and set the alarm for 4am.
The 55 mile, 10 hour + passage across Lyme Bay presented its first challenge in the rounding of Portland Bill. There is a 'race' which is an area of bubbling water where tides collide and this moves depending on the time relative to High Water. Many a sailor has come unstuck in this cauldron, so we chose to motor 2 miles out of the harbour to round the Shambles buoys and its shelving sea bed, rather than sticking close to the land and getting in the midst of the 'race'. Once on our way, this felt like the right decision as we could see the very lumpy and unappealing water landwards from our track.
Day was dawning as we left Portland, then watching the sunrise at 04.57, picking up the tide and with speeds of up to 7.5 knots as we headed westwards, the miles soon ticked off. Both sails flying nicely, the engine was turned off for a few hours and with the yacht well balanced and heeled it performed well to skip across the waves.
Unfortunately three hours from Torquay it was all change, the wind suddenly increased to 4's gusting 5 or 6's and with wave heights increased too, wind over tide once again made the final hours of the passage slow and uncomfortable with a few waves even crashing over and giving us a soaking in the cockpit!
Reward came swiftly, as once we were safely berthed in the Marina; Rob, Jade and Ollie arrived and we spent a few hours of family time introducing Ollie and Jade to Serendipity, and with Rob and Dave starting Ollie's initiation into the world of watersports...not bad for 9 months :)
Today's 10.5 hour crossing completed the next leg of our journey - we can't quite believe we have made it to Devon in 12 days. We plan to be here for 3 nights to spend time with R, J and O and also to see my Cousin Ralph and his wife who are holidaying here this week. I'll be back on the blog on Monday!
22 June 2023
Studland Bay, Dorset to Portland Marina, Dorset
An unscheduled wake up at 5am, meant we saw Studland Bay at its most calm and beautiful ...glassy clear waters teeming with fish and the terns diving for breakfast.
Lulled into what turned out to be a very false sense of security, in the very protected bay, we enjoyed watching all the water-sports, including the electric wake boarders, as the morning passed waiting for the afternoon tide for a 25 mile passage to Portland. An amusing moment when I thought I was going mad as I heard an ice cream van...which did actually turn out to be a passing Ice-cream Rib boat, supplying boats in the bay!
Thinking we had a leisurely poodle along to Portland was a mistake and a few learning points ensued!!
1. Studland Bay provides incredible protection from SW winds. We knew this which is why we had chosen to anchor there...however, when we rounded Old Harry rocks it was a VERY different story, with blustery winds and heavy seas and poor Serendipity bouncing up and down every wave. An uncomfortable ride, but she handled well in the conditions, so that's a 'good to know'
2. When you listen to the Safety information broadcast on Channel 67 and it mentions live firing on Lulworth ranges - it does in fact actually mean there is live firing on Lulworth ranges!! As we passed Durlston, then St Aldhelm's head, we had a visit from the Military Patrol Vessel.....informing us we needed to be at least 3 miles off the coast on Latitude line 50'35". Unfortunately, this had not been our passage plan....we had hoped to sail close to the shoreline and enjoy seeing Chapmans Pool, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door! Seemingly the MOD had other plans and sailing 3 miles off in windy and bouncy seas was not the pleasant afternoon we had hoped for!!
3. Portland Harbour - This was developed for the 2012 Olympics; once a naval and commercial port it now hosts a new Marina and water sports centre. There are 2 entries to the harbour and they prefer leisure craft to use the north entrance - not an issue if the MOD hadn't relocated you 3 miles to the south!! Once in the outer harbour, it was still a further 30 mins trudge into wind to get to the marina avoiding the windsurfers, paddle boarder etc. It seemed like a very looonnngg afternoon!
4. Local knowledge is always best! Once to settled in our berth at 18.30, we headed to Boatfolk's Marina office to pay our dues and meet a super helpful seadog sort of chap. Picking his brains on what the locals do to avoid 'The Race' - a body of water around Portland Bill where tides confluence is a well known navigational challenge. He was old school and helpfully spent half an hour with Almanacs and charts enabling us to understand the passage planning decision making needed for our passage to Torquay.
5. Lidl - they get everywhere!! There is very little around Portland Marina area....but there is a brand new and well stocked Lidl. We hadn't been on land for 3.5 days, so were in need of a few provisions and some 'grounding'. With an early start beckoning, Lidl oblidged and was as exciting as it got to stretch our legs!!
Finally, with tidal streams and The channel Pilot consulted, we had a plan for our passage to Torquay in the morning - including a 4.15am ropes off!
Ollie is ready for Grandad and Grammy's arrival!
21 June 2023
Newtown Creek, Isle of Wight to Studland Bay, Dorset
Waking to much more settled conditions, we left Newtown Creek just before High Water around 12pm. The Solent looked much more inviting today and as we passed westwards out of the creek, the water had just a gentle swell. Dave was keen to exit the Solent at High Water slack state of tide, which we achieved perfectly. Hurst Castle and Keyhaven to the north and Fort Albert to the south providing impressive protection to the entry point on the Solent Western approaches.
The Needles were in sight as we headed across Christchurch Bay, avoiding Christchurch Ledge and Dolphin Sands. Both sails set, we had a slightly bumpy wind against tide scenario, but nothing we couldn't handle easily on this bigger boat.
Christchurch Bay passed by with Milton on Sea, Christchurch and then Bournemouth visible up on the Cliffs with the Chines running down t the beach.
Studland Bay is of scientific interest, mainly for its Seahorses. The Eco buoys and other buoys were all taken on our arrival, so reluctantly we dropped anchor as far out of the bay as we could so as not to disturb the sea grasses. Anchoring is discouraged, but not prohibited so with little other choice as Poole harbour was emptying fast of water, we made as good as we could!
It is an idyllic setting and with paddle boarders and canoeist pottering around us, we enjoyed a drink in the sunshine on our arrival.
Fortunately winds are forecast light for this evening whilst we are just on anchor; we will be heading on to Portland tomorrow, before heading across Lyme Bay to Torquay for family time at the weekend :) Tonight is our 3rd night off shore, so stepping onto land will feel strange tomorrow for sure!
PS...another first - we used the shower on board today. 6/10 for pressure, but did a great job for a freshen up whilst we were in the Creek for an extra night!
20 June 2023
Newtown Creek, Isle of Wight
Whilst the predicted storm from Sunday didn't come to anything, the storm of the early hours of Tuesday certainly did!! Thunder, lightning and torrential rain arrived with a vengeance, as did the forecast Force 4 gusting 5 SW winds, with wind over tide, down The Solent today!
After a broken nights sleep, we woke to grey skies and a fair amount of chop in our little creek. The forecast improves as the week goes on, so we decided to 'call it' today and have a chilled day on the boat whilst the weather settled a tad. Not sure where the day went... mostly watching boats arrive into the creek, being pleased we weren't riding the white horse waves we could see in The Solent and watching the ebb and flood of the tide showing the Creek's wildlife and topography in it's different forms.
A visit from the harbour master and his mate was our only interaction of the day - Monday must have been his day off, as they didn't call yesterday; we claimed the National Trust's 2-4-1 offer of the week on buoyed berthing !
Very much hoping we will be on our way to Dorset tomorrow - fingers crossed.
19 June 2023
Haslar Marina, Gosport to Newtown Creek, Isle of Wight
The predicted storms didn't come to anything other than very heavy rain yesterday, and with the forecast for today being much more settled, we waited for the 13.15 High Water tide to continue our journey westwards along The Solent.
Kathy popped to see us and after providing yet more services in the form of ice supplies and photography, plus a big hug, we were off. Needing to refuel before the next stage of our journey, we turned up river and headed to the refuelling berth at Gosport Marina, with Kathy capturing the classic Spinnaker Tower shot for us en route! The refuelling berth was self service.... very straightforward, a bit like a pre pay pump at a petrol service station...and we were soon topped up and good to go.
The entrance to Portsmouth Harbour was very busy this morning and with both the tide on the turn and a southerly wind blowing against the tide, we exited in really quite choppy conditions. Turning westwards and with one final wave from Kathy who had positioned herself on the sea wall, we headed towards Newtown Creek on the Isle of Wight. The Solent was also busy for a Monday morning with Cruise liners, schooner yachts and pleasure craft all requiring us to pay careful adhesion to the Collision regulations for sailors!
After a couple of hours Newtown Creek came into view - there are a clever pair of transits/ leading lines to guide sailors into the Creek, where a ball has to line up with a guide....I'll try to catch a photo tomorrow! The creek is owned and managed by the National Trust; with 2 strings of mooring buoys available on a first come first served basis, we chose to head up the creek and position ourselves in the lee of the land in case the Westerly winds build overnight. A buoy easily hooked and secured, we settled for the afternoon and evening in beautiful sunshine.
With fish jumping and clearing the water all around us, Dave got the urge to catch some dinner .....out came the fishing rod, but the fish were only teasing and we had to revert to our original dinner menu! Meanwhile it was a good book and GnT opportunity for Rosie - perhaps this is really what leisure sailing is all about!!
Dinner on deck and a stunning sunset.....a lovely end to the day.
17th and 18th June 2023
A weekend in Haslar Marina, Gosport, Hampshire
After 6 continuous days at sea, it was nice to wake up on Saturday without a passage planned and knowing we had a sociable day ahead.
With a list of actions for Gosport High street , including a trip to Santander whose electronic banking has not liked my vagrancy (!), we met up with our friend Kathy B (who lives in nearby Alverstoke) in Morrisons! Personal taxi services supplied to transport our large quantities of provisioning back to the marina, Kathy also provided delicious pastries for us to enjoy as she came on board to 'meet' Serendipity!
Introductions duly made, and pastries and coffee consumed, we returned to Kathy's lovely cottage to avail ourselves of her washing machine too ( you may remember some dodgy dealings with marina washing facilities last year!) A lovely sunny afternoon spent with a beer and GnT in her garden whilst we caught up and the washing dried, was followed by dinner in the lovely Pebbles restaurant overlooking Stokes Bay. Once again there was a lot of chatting and few photos taken, but we had a really lovely day together !
We had intended sailing to Newtown Creek on the Isle of Wight today, but with heavy rain and thunder and electric storms forecast it felt wise to stay in Haslar Marina for another night until this pressure system passed today. A good decision as it has been raining heavily all afternoon - no thunderstorms as yet, but not very nice conditions to just be at anchor in a creek! A list of boat jobs are now complete, a lovely afternoon nap enjoyed by Rosie but most importantly we spent most of the morning having a joint Fathers Day video call with Katie in China and Rob, Jade and Ollie in Devon. The wonders of technology allowing us all ' to be together' for a couple of hours :)
Happy Fathers Day to all the dads reading this, but a special shout out to Rob on his first Fathers Day, Dave for being a brilliant Dad to our 2 children, and to our own 2 dads (both celebrating their 90th birthdays this year), Ken and Ronnie xxx
PS With the weather lifting early evening, (and after blog writing!), we had a wander up river along the waterline, finding both Round the World Clipper yachts in training and a huge Aircraft carrier!
16 June 2023
Brighton Marina, East Sussex to Haslar Marina, Gosport Hampshire
Waking up to yet more blue skies and glorious sunshine, we departed from Brighton Marina at 9.30am. Once again negotiating the dredger in the marina entrance; fortunately it was almost high water this time and there was much more water to play with!
We turned westwards immediately on leaving the marina and stayed quite close to the shore, enjoying spotting the Brighton landmarks we grew to know so well whilst Katie was at University there.
We punched the tide for 1.5 hours, to ensure we caught the tide heading in the right direction around Selsey Bill later in the day. Both sails flying nicely, we motor sailed with just enough tick over to keep the wind in the sails.
Yesterday we had issues with our Navigation tablet closing down due to the heat....so a temporary solar deflector was rigged up with great success!
Passing Hove, Shoreham, Worthing then onto Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, before negotiating Selsey Bill and eventually 'turning the corner' with the Isle of Wight in front of us we entered The Solent.
Some useful time was spent pouring over The Channel Pilot, checking out information to ensure safe navigation through The Solent and into Portsmouth. The impressive Solent Forts of Horse Sand Fort (north) and and No Man's Fort (south), signalled the narrowing of the channel towards Portsmouth. There's a small craft channel to keep yachts and smaller boats out of the way of the massive ferries and freight ships which seen to appear from nowhere! Coupled with the Isle of Wight ferry AND Hovercraft AND Catermaran, plus some ill disciplined fishermen and other yachtsmen who clearly hadn't read the 'rules of the road' we finally safely identified the Haslar Light ship indicating the entry to Haslar Marina. One last puzzle to try to work out the numbering system on the pontoons and we berthed safely into G39!
We are so pleased to have completed 6 hops on the trot and sailed 172 miles this week towards our goal of Plymouth by the end of the month! However, we are looking forward to a couple of nights here to spend some time with our friend Kathy and catch our breath before continuing with our passage.
No blog tomorrow night - but I'll be back on it on Sunday!
Miles travelled: 43.7 NM
15 June 2023
Sovereign Harbour Marina, Eastbourne to Brighton Marina, East Sussex
It was great to welcome Nicola on board today for our passage from Sovereign Harbour to Brighton Marina today. With sailing in Nicola's blood, it was great to be able to both share Serendipity for the day and enjoy her company.
Exiting the berth smoothly, we headed out of the marina on the 10.30am lock out, passing Eastbourne on on towards Beachy Head. Impressive in the sunshine with the contrast of the very blue sea, the cliffs are showing some slightly worrying cracks, with one particular area looking like it may crumble soon near to the light house on the shore. The original lighthouse, Belle Tout, was decommissioned in 1902 as its height on the Cliff top lead to its invisibility to ships in sea mist. It was relocated back from the cliff edge in 1999 and is currently a hotel. The new lighthouse is on the shore's edge and is much more fit for purpose.
With both sails flying and just a gentle breeze, we took our time to amble along the coast, taking in the Seven Sisters and small hamlets including Birling Gap on the way to Brighton.
A berth had been booked before we left home, but the marina team had failed to mention that the marina is working in very shallow depths and that the marina entrance is currently being dredged. It would apparently have been advantageous to have arrived 2 hours before low water........ As it was, we carefully passed between the sea wall and the dredger, keeping to the port markers and then the fairway markers. We made it to the berth, but the 0.4m of water under us at times was cutting things a bit fine!
With Nicola heading off to find the Scenic Coastal 12A bus back to Eastbourne, we prepared for our next social engagement of the day!
Margaret and Richard arrived around 6.30pm for a GnT on board before we headed for a delicious dinner together in Prezzo. A little trip down memory lane for me as Katie and I often ate there when I did a flying 'mum support' visit when she was at Uni! Unfortunately there is no photo of this lovely evening - those who know Margaret and I will appreciate it may have been forgotten as there was a lot of chatting!
Miles travelled: 19.8 Nm
14 June 2023
Dover Harbour Outer Marina to Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne, East Sussex
Following an extremely noisy, bumpy and windy night in Dover marina, the wind miraculously dropped around 5am.
Waking up to clear blue sky, sunshine and lighter winds today was the day sailing dreams are made of! Leaving the marina with permission from Dover Port Control, we crossed the west side of the outer harbour and exited via the western entrance. Taking a sharp right, we then trailed the White Cliffs passed Samphire Hoe to Folkestone.
It was amazing to see the ensuing Hythe Bay from the sea; Dave and his family had many happy holidays at their caravan there when the boy were growing up, a tradition continued with our family when the children were younger too. We tracked all the landmarks from Sandgate to Hythe, Dymchurch to Littlestone and along to Dungeness, reminiscing about all the happy times spent there over the years.
Dungeness is the only desert in the UK and this is perhaps even clearer to see from the water than from the land. It was slightly worrying however to see the contrast in the seawater colour outside the nuclear reactors (though we suspect it was more to do with the change of tide than any nuclear waste!!)
Proceeding to cross Rye Bay, it was lovely to see Camber Sands and Rye from the sea where Rosie had enjoyed some of her 60th Celebrations recently with friends. The tide turned and we spent several hours with the Genoa sail up; wind and tide pushing us along from the stern with just a very gentle 800 rpm on the engine.
One final headland and Eastbourne was in sight across the bay with Hastings, Bexhill, Cooden,and Pevensey Bay passing gently by. Sovereign Harbour is actually to the east of Eastbourne town. A huge modern development of properties along the beach, with restaurants and several marina areas.
It was a delight to be met at the outer harbour entrance by our friend Nicola, who provided photographic services on our approach. With the starboard lock duly negotiated behind a Navy training vessel, a berth was allocated - the pontoons in this marina are super short and incredibly wobbly - 2 fellow sailors kindly took our lines and one of them had to drop to all 4's to stop himself from falling in!
Following a guided tour of Serendipity and a GnT on deck, Nicola treated us to a delicious supper in the garden of her new home; most welcome after 9 hours at sea today.
Distance travelled : 45.6 Nm
13 June 2023
Ramsgate to Dover Harbour Outer Marina, Kent
Today was a relatively short hop of 15.9 Nm, but with the winds being slightly stronger than forecast, it was a bit of a leap of faith to set sail. The factor in our favour was that once out of the marina, we would have that the wind behind us and the tide with us - the opposite to the wind over tide conditions we battled with last year.
A kindly old sea dog sort of chap from along our pontoon clearly overheard our discussion about how we were going to slip our lines, and kindly came along and offered to help; I think we may still have been there without him (!) as the wind was pushing us onto the pontoon with some force. Just as we successfully left the berth a huge 49 foot yacht came into the marina, blocking our exit. This required some considerable boat handling on Dave's behalf to keep control, and running around the boat by Rosie in preparation to fend off whilst we waited for them to painfully manoeuvre out of our way to the exit!
Once out on the sea, the conditions were lovely, we hoisted the Genoa (fore sail), engine off and we sailed along enjoying Pegwell Bay, Deal and Walmer, with several Border Force vessels for company.
Lulled into a false sense of security, we then turned the corner at South Foreland to hit Force 5 gusting 6/7 winds with increasing chop to the water! The White Cliffs of Dover sped past in a bit of a blur, with the necessary communications with Dover Port control on CH 74 underway. When approaching from the East, a call has to be made 2 miles before Dover and then again at 200 metres before the harbour entrance. We entered by the East entrance ( where all the ferries come in and out) and then were held by the outer harbour wall, waiting for clearance to cross to the inner harbour with a call to CH80 and the Dover Marina Team securing our berth. As we entered the inner harbour, we were protected somewhat from the wind and met at Berth 72 by a member of the marina team who caught lines for us - what a welcome sight he was!!!
Once settled, we had a wander to pick up a few supplies into the rather run down and multi national town that is Dover. The marina however, has only opened in the last couple of years and is a fantastic facility - wide berths, super facilities, showers etc . A great addition to the South East Coast marina options.
PS. If you haven't seen it yet there's a new video tour of Serendipity on the Home page!
12 June 2023
Stangate Creek to Ramsgate Royal Harbour Marina.
Following a comfortable night's sleep and with the alarm set to catch the morning tide, we woke to misty conditions on the Medway with visibility of about 1 mile. Sea conditions were thankfully flat calm and winds very light as we lifted the anchor at 8.30am and headed out of Stangate Creek turning seawards into the Medway, keeping out of the way of the pilot boats lurking whilst awaiting for their ships.
As we turned eastwards out of the Medway into the Thames estuary, all was eerily quiet with mist cloaking the Isle of Sheppey in the shadows. Very light NE winds on the nose meant sails were not tenable, so we motored steadily, enjoying the run of the ebbing tide as we passed Whitstable and Herne Bay. Choosing the Princes and Queens Channels as our route to avoid the treacherous Margate sands, we sailed a couple of miles off the North Kent coast, with little to see other than wind farms in the mist. We had spotted a cloud burst on the mainland and from nowhere it was suddenly upon us too; with thunder rolling, thankfully the storm was quickly past us, proceeding westwards up the Thames meaning after a slight soaking we were clear of any drama!
As we came closer to land North Foreland lighthouse appeared out of the gloom and we enjoyed seeing the familiar territory of Palm Bay, Botany Bay, Joss Bay and Broadstairs from the sea in the now clear sunshine.
Ramsgate harbour was in our sights in no time; a call to Ramsgate Port control on channel 14, followed by further radio contact with the Royal Harbour marina on CH 80, gave us permission to head into the marina and berth E23. We are still learning to handle this bigger boat and so a little manoeuvring ensued (!) before a successful berthing by 14.15.
Arriving to beautiful sunny skies, we headed off to pay our dues to the Harbourmaster and then on for a lovely circular 5 mile walk along the coast and beaches to Broadstairs ( with a '99 of course) and then back via the coastal path. A GnT and dangle of feet in the cool marina water wrapped up a successful first day at sea!
Distance 38.4 Nm
11 June 2023
And we're off!
After successful trials on Saturday evening and refuelling on the fuel berth (a first for us at Gillingham), today was largely a 'get set to sail' day.
Mr Morrison arrived with provisioning at 10am, grass cutting and watering systems in place, packing complete, hand over to our very kind neighbours the Little's (who are on tortoise and house minding duty for us) and car loaded, we headed off around 4pm down to the marina. With the car unloaded, Rosie whizzed back up the A2 to return the car to the drive at home, returning by train to Gilingham from Albany Park. Dave meanwhile found homes on board for all of our belongings - finally Serendipity feels like she is ours!
Leaving our berth around 20.30 an hour after High Water, we took a slow poodle down river to Stangate Creek. A calm evening and deserted River Medway, we arrived at Stangate at dusk with the anchor dropped and secured for the night around 22.00.
We are feeling relieved to have finally found a weather window to begin our clockwise circumnavigation around the UK to join the dots round to Milford Haven where we ended the 2022 section of our trip
8 June 2023
Maiden voyage, Renaming ceremony and plans evolving to set sail!
This week has finally seen some progress. The winds have generally remained ridiculously strong and cold from the NE but on Monday we took a gamble and ventured out from Gillingham Marina to do some boat tests and perform the renaming ceremony in 3 gusting 5 conditions.
Not trusting the wind prediction, we set sail up river to wards Rochester Bridge. This was a gentle motor, with the tide pushing us nicely along. All appeared well with a smooth ticking engine and with both Dave and Rosie having taken the helm, we decided to chance our luck and sailed back down river, past the Marina entrance and out towards the Thames Estuary and into Stangate Creek. There we dropped anchor (using the newly installed remote control windlass) which held well whilst we completed the renaming ceremony.
You will remember the boat was called Goldfinch when we bought her in November 2022. Not inspired by calling a boat after a bird, we settled on the new name Serendipity as it was through a serendipitous series of events that she came to be ours last Autumn.
Sea faring folk are superstitious about renaming vessels, so with research duly completed we decided it prudent to follow the ceremony as follows
- remove all traces of the old name - This was completed including removing the brass plaque with Goldfinch written on by the chart table.
- complete the purging ceremony - a metal ingot (brass plaque in our case) was then cast to sea so Goldfinch 'ceased to be an entity' in Poseidon's kingdom. There was also some words to accompany this and half a bottle of champagne to be poured into the water from east to west ( yes, we checked the compass first!)
- complete the renaming ceremony - more words to Poseidon asking for safe and rapid passage and announcing the renamed vessel as Serendipity with more pouring of champagne into the sea , this time from west to east.
- appease the four wind gods - finally renaming of a boat involves asking for fair winds and calm passages to the Great Boreas (ruler of the North wind), Great Zephyrus ( West wind), Great Eurus ( East wind) and Great Notus (south wind) with a toss of champagne and more words in each direction from the boat.
- enjoy the remaining champagne! - not much of this left after all the pouring and tossing , but a small glass each to toast adventures ahead.
All a bit of a pa-larva, and incredibly superstitious, but as suggested on the forums, would you rather tempt fate?
Renaming complete, a rather bumpy passage and hairy re entrance into the lock completed the day and all in all a great success.
Finally the wind is settling this weekend. We need one more boat trial sail to raise the sails and check out a couple more things on Saturday. If all goes well, we will aim to leave Gillingham on Sunday evening, 11th June. We have 3 weeks to do 10 hops clockwise along the South coast to Plymouth as the first part of our summer sailing adventures, before leaving Serendipity in Plymouth to come home for family time and Katie and Joe returning home for a month from China .
We will return to the boat in August and hopefully complete the circumnavigation by continuing clockwise around Lands End to the Isle of Lundy and if the weather is settled, we may get out to the Isles of Scilly too.
Watch this space!
30 May 2023
Sailing update - those pesky North Easterlies again!
With diaries cleared, Rosie achieving NHS pensioner status and Serendipity nearing readiness to set sail, VERY strong North Easterly winds have set in over the South East of the UK :( Whilst the South West is basking in lovely hot sun, the South East is at the mercy of strong on shore winds racing across the North Sea ( this all seems a familiar tale!).
We have been trying to find weather slots for sea trials for the last 10 days, but each day the winds have been blowing at least Force 4's and gusting up to 7's right into the mouth of the River Medway! Not the conditions to tune our boat handling skills on an unfamiliar vessel safely.
The time has not been wasted and Serendipity is looking great down below, is sparkly clean and re kitted ready for sailing when we can.
Electrics are being added and serviced today and maybe, just maybe, we will be able to get out even for short practises in the next little while.
Serendipity has a berth waiting in Plymouth for the month of July, when once again we are looking forward to Katie and Joe being home form China and a family holiday to Majorca; with a view to returning to the boat in August and sailing through into the autumn. We just need time and a weather window to make it down to the South West!
Please check back to watch our progress!
Ventus put to bed for the winter and introducing
Oliver Robert Hill
A busy fortnight started with our return to Milford Haven on 12th September 2022, just as Jade went into labour. During what has got to be the longest day ever, we waited for news driving along the M25, M4 and then all the way through Wales to the SW corner of Pembrokeshire!! Passing more time over dinner and a few drinks at Martha's Vineyard overlooking the marina before finally, after a long labour and tricky delivery the news came through that Oliver Robert Hill had entered the world at 21.35, weighing 8lbs exactly.
In order to digest the news, walk off the long journey and our adrenaline from the previous day, we spent the 13th September walking the Pembrokeshire coast path.
Starting with breakfast at The Ocean Cafe in Broad Haven, we then drove to St Brides and walked a circuit via Marloes with a welcome rest to miss the rain at The Lobster Pot Inn, before returning along the stunning Pembrokeshire Coast path back to the car.
Back at the marina, a fast and furious pack up of the boat ensued, with 4 months of 'life' and laundry loaded into the car!
An early start on 14th September, enabled us to pass through the lock on free flow and sail up river with the Spring tide to a holding berth at Nayland Marina, before Ventus was lifted out of the water at the neighbouring Dale Sailing Boat yard for the winter. A slightly precarious mission, the skilled operators first lifted out, then pressure washed and finally moved Ventus to her spot in the yard for the Winter. Whilst Dave did the final checks at the boat, I took the 325 bus back to Milford Haven to collect the car and return to complete the final packing.
As we knew we would only need a place to sleep, we tried the new Premier Inn ZIP Hotel in Cardiff for the night. A great experience in a clean and comfortable POD and a good sleep with no frills and no expensive price tag to match!
Continuing our journey to Exminster from there, we went straight to meet our adorable grandson Oliver ( Ollie). The BEST cuddles ensued and it was great to meet the first of the next generation of our family.
In order to support Rob and Jade and to have lots of opportunities for cuddles, we had booked an Airbnb mobile home on a small holding,Gulliver Side, for the next 8 days. What a privilege it was to be able to spend some time on most days with Ollie........and Mummy and Daddy too!
Home finally on 24th Spetember 2022 via the Boat Show at Southampton on 23rd September.....window shopping mainly......but watch this space!
5 Sept 2022
Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales - Calling it a day :(
Ventus 0 Weather 1
Another very rocky night on board and intermittent heavy showers throughout today, continued to be the pattern of life in Milford Haven.
A morning spent pouring over long range weather forecasts, wind and wave predictions and synoptic charts, sadly brought us to the conclusion that it is time to curtail our adventure for 2022.
The next passages on from here are quite precarious including anchoring off the Isle of Lundy, then entering the River Camel and Padstow (with a tight tidal harbour entry window) before a long passage around Land's End to Newlyn or taking an anchorage just around the tip of Land's End. In reality, we need a week of calm weather to ensure safe passage and that isn't anywhere to be seen for the next few weeks in any forecast. The South West is extremely vulnerable to the weather fronts coming from the Atlantic, and hurricane Danielle is already developing out there. The meteorologists are unsure if it will head towards the UK or veer up to Iceland.....frankly we just don't fancy meeting her!
Our other limitation is Ventus realistically does not maintain more than an average of 5 knots over a full passage, which means we have no power to get us out of trouble should the weather deteriorate suddenly; plus with Autumn approaching and much shorter daylight hours, we have less tide windows to play with.
Milford Haven marina is unable to host us for the winter months (there is an 18 month waiting list apparently) and several other local marinas and boat yards were unable to help; we finally connected with Christine at Dale Marine boat yard. She had one slot left this month for a 'lift out' next Wednesday and a cradle available to hold Ventus - so we snapped up the offer very quickly as we were fast running out of options!
Ventus will have Welsh winter ashore at Nayland, Pembrokeshire. Not ideal as Dave will lose his 'place to potter' and it will require a couple of trips back for maintenance, but that's a small price to pay for our safety ( & if anybody in Gillingham would like a crew member at any point over the autumn or winter please do get in touch with Dave!)
We have had a wonderful adventure, seen so many new parts of the UK and interacted with some fantastic wildlife. Covering 1,172 Nautical miles and spending 85 nights on board.....we have had a wonderful time together with so many unforgettable memories made.
We will head home tomorrow by train to collect the car....hopefully become grandparents, and return to the boat next week to put Ventus to bed for the winter.
Excitingly, we will return in May 2023 for the final leg of the journey; the huge advantage in this decision is that we will return to long evenings and a summer opening up....our grandchild will be 8 months old (& in Rob's words will be able to wear a life jacket!) and we will be able to spend lots of summer time with Rob, Jade and the baby as we travel around the south west coast...... we can take our time enjoying the Cornish coastline, Devon rivers and bays and the South coastline rather than just dashing past in an effort to get back to Kent quickly. So all is not lost...a pause rather than the end of the journey.
I hope you have enjoyed sharing our adventures...I plan to continue my blog next year (a bit like Lady Whistledown!)
4 Sept 2022
Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Last night brought winds in excess of 45 mph and the boat rocked and rolled. Dave was on watch and was up and down a few times, checking the lines etc, whilst I jammed my ear plugs in as far as I could and blocked out the storm!
Today was a day of fighting to use the laundry facilities but making the most of a sunny afternoon for a good walk!
The marina has free laundry facilities and it seemed that all the locals had brought their weekend washing to complete at the marina! Finally getiing the first wash in at 5.30pm after many frustrating 10 mins walks to the marina buildings from our berth, we will hopefully turn it all round before bedtime!
Deciding to make the most of a sunny afternoon, we strerched our legs initially walking east along a disused train line and then up to The Rath ( an open area of grassland with lots of memorials and views across Milford waterway), before heading inland along a small tributary to a nameless small village housing an unlikely old Priory ruins with a pub built into some of the stonework. Clearly not used to visitors, the landlady was not exactly welcoming, but a cold beer was welcome before our return journey.
We are going to The Harbourmaster Pub/restaurant this evening as a warm calm haven and for a meal out ( though not a roast in sight on the menu!)
The weather has once again turned and the rain is torrential as I type. The long range forecast is shocking ( watch the SW corner of the UK on the Weather forecast if you see it!) so we are considering our options and may need to change our plans for the next couple of weeks....watch this space!
3 Sept 2022
Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Unfortunatley the wonderful conditions of yesterday were a one off, and today the rain and winds have taken hold as forecast in this part of the world (it is torture to look at the Sidcup forecast!), with 45 mile an hour winds due this evening. The marina is very sheltered and we are happy to be safe here to ride out the weather.
We orientated ourselves today, took shelter in a nice restauraunt for a coffee for a while, stocked up on some provisions and sussed out a venue for a Sunday Roast tomorrow (apparently they aren't a thing here in the summer and most places don't start serving roasts for another few weeks!)
We are at the mercy of the Weather Gods for our passage onwards; the weather is forecast stormy and windy until midweek, so once again we are port bound for a while. The train station is just across the road from the marina so we are going to look at our options, potentially taking a couple of days away from the boat.
2 Sept 2022
Kilmore Quay, Ireland to Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales
We made it safely across the pond - fantastic conditions, calm seas and light winds....and lots of dolphins :)
With ropes off at 6.45am, we left Kilmore Quay to a beautiful sunrise and relatively calm seas.
Then the 'fun' started...having been so careful in dodging fishing pots all the way up the east coast of the UK, we caught 2 lines in quick succession. One had a submerged 'float line' and the other was drifting free. Fortunately we spotted Ventus dragging them quickly and killed the engine; the danger being that if the line gets wrapped around the propeller we lose the use of the engine. Luckily, both times the lines became caught on the keel, so a sharp knife to cut and release the first pot and a drift back off the other line meant no harm done...just 45 mins wasted of our passage time.
Our passage plan for those interested
- south passage out from the Kilmore Quay harbour towards The Saltee Islands
- a turn to the east between the St Patrick's Bridge marker buoys, picking up the tide ( which randomly ran eastwards for 3 hours prior to HW Greater Saltee) to 'kick us off' the Irish coast just south of Carnsore Point
- then taking a bearing of around 120 degrees directly across St George's Channel between Ireland and Wales, with the tidal stream intially flooding northwards, then turning southwards mid afternoon and slightly south easterly into the Bristol channel as the afternoon progress
- Grassholm Island was the first land mass, followed by passage between the Welsh Islands of Skomer and Skokholm before approaching St Anne's Head marking the entrance to Milford Haven natural harbour
- finally a passage of around 5 miles into the natural harbour and up the River Cleddau to Milford Haven Marina.
We were rewarded for our patience waiting for the weather window with perfect, calm seas and light winds; stunning all day and a rarity for the Irish Sea. Motor sailing with both sails flying we maintained a steady cross tide 4.5/5 Knots.
For 2 to 3 hours through the afternoon, there were dolphins everywhere and once they spotted us, they sped over to bow ride and interact. The sea was crystal clear and the dolphins appeared to be watching us as they glided beneath the boat. Just magical!
We arrived into Milford Haven natural harbour at sunset, with misty conditions and the visibility dropping. It was dark in no time and we navigated up river, negatioting large tankers, tugs and other small vessels along the way. The navigation lights lit up our view and Navionics certainly helped us to find our way! We were pleased to have had previous experience of the River Thames and its navigational buoys and lights at night.
Fortunately we hit the marina lock during its HW freeflow and with permission from the PierHead harbourmaster, passed straight through into the marina. One final hurdle of our booked berth having been taken by an earlier arrival, a reallocation and torch to try to establish our berth number and we were done for the day.
69 Nm in 14.5 hours!
Country no. 5 !
Delighted to be safely back on this side of the pond.
1 Sept 2022
Kilmore Quay, County Wexford, Ireland
A very quiet day in port. With passage planning completed, we took a long walk along Inish Bay beach by Ballyteige Burrow with an Ice cream from the Saltee Chipper! At low tide the unspoilt beach was deserted and the sea calm in the sheltered bay.
Boat prepped and ready for us to leave early tomorrow morning for our long passage to Milford Haven Marina, Wales before storms move in over the weekend. We are very ready to make our dash back to the mainland!
31 Aug 2022
Kilmore Quay, County Wexford, Ireland
Not much to report today from Kilmore Quay.....other than another beautifully sunny but oh so windy day!
The harbourmaster reported that even the fishing boats haven't been out for the last 2 days which made us feel like we had certainly made the right decision to stay safely in harbour too.
The resident harbour seal kept us company on the slipway, Dave pottered on the boat and I got onto my next knitting project! It was lovely sitting on deck in the sunshine, thinking about our soon-to-be new addition :)
The Saltee Chipper is legendary in these parts, so we had delicious fish and chips for dinner as a treat.
Wind still not playing ball tomorrow, but with everything crossed, Friday is looking promising......
30 Aug 2022
Kilmore Quay, County Wexford, Ireland - Day trip to Wexford
As we knew today was a no sail day, we planned a day out to Wexford on the 390 Bus which was around 25 Km away instead. We have used public transport lots of times on our travels, but this was probably the most expensive so far at an eye watering 12 euros return each for a 25 min journey! (Dave thought it must have been a weekly pass!!)
Wexford was a strange town; it is the county town of County Wexford (obviously!) and was a mass of cars and car parks!
The first line of the town was the harbour, mainly Musselling boats with a chilly and gusty on shore breeze. The second was a high street of at least half a mile - no closed shop fronts, just a thriving mix of stores, boutiques, book shops, hairdressers etc as well as the usual bars and pubs and lots of shoppers. The third line and highest up the hill from the harbour was a band of churches and a Franciscan Abbey which were all beautiful inside. Wexford also hosts the Irish National Opera house!
We had enjoyed coffee and a muffin at Waffel Haus as we arrived this morning sitting out in the sunshine behind wind deflecting screens, which then meant we didn't fancy the lunch out we had intended! ...instead a gentle meander around the town was the order of the day, ending up with a quick beer in the Bullring square before a trip to Dunnes for food shopping and the return bus trip to Kilmore Quay.
We had really hoped to sail tomorrow and had optimistically both settled our bill with the harbourmaster this morning and booked a berth in Milford Haven for tomorrow night. Unfortunately the winds today have been much stronger than were forecast at 5's and certainly gusting stronger, and whilst tomorrow's forecast is for slighlty lighter winds, they are still in the East and judging by number of 'white horses' at sea today it was pretty rough out there and we need things to settle before we venture out into St George's Channel. So, we have to remain patient and it looks like there may be a window coming up towards the end of the week for our crossing; we will remain positive and sit tight for another day.
29 Aug 2022
Kilmore Quay, County Wexford, Ireland
A day of 'being around' today; an oil change, impeller check and a few minor boat maintenance issues completed by Dave. Rosie managed a day in shorts and vest T -shirt and mostly chased Wifi around the harbour and tried to find somewhere open this evening for dinner ( actually nowhere doing food at all except takeaway pizza)!
A call from the harbour master at 2pm requested us to move the boat to a different berth (which later actually proved to have been unnecessary) and whilst certainly a noisier position, we watched the fishing boats come in and the friendly harbour seal enjoying fishy cast offs from the boats.
Once all chores complete, we explored the local area on foot; the small town beach with its leading marks and St Patrick's causeway, Forlorn point and the Memorial garden, followed by the town nature trailof 3 miles walking behind sand dunes ( and fish processing factories) and returning along the beautiful deserted beach.
A couple of drinks at The Wooden House restaurant and bar on their balcony with a view over the harbour (& excellent Wifi!!), before visiting the Horse box wood stove Pizza for a takeaway to complete the day!
It has been a beautiful. sunny day today and we have accepted this is where we need to be for now. Winds remain unfavourable tomorrow, so we are taking the bus to Wexford to explore and top up on provisions.
28 Aug 2022
Kilmore Quay, County Wexford, Ireland.
A disappointing day on the passage planning front.
Unfortunately having made great time down the Irish coast to pretty Kilmore Quay, the winds forecast for the next few days have changed and are now Force 4/5 Easterlies. This is the one direction we really can't make the leap across with :( Not only would it be a very bumpy ride but we would struggle to make the tides with the added resistance of heading into wind.
As we know from earlier in our trip, forecasts are not always right, so after a dip in morale, we have set a passage plan for each day in the week hoping the wind direction changes at some point to give us a window of opportunity to move. We will provision and prep the boat tomorrow so we are ready to go ....and then just wait it out for a safe passage opportunity.
Options explored and solutions found for ways to return to the UK ( Exminster specifically!) at any point as required.....as we have learnt, there is always a way!
On the plus side, we had a good catch up via video call with Katie who is back in full swing in Shanghai, Rob helped us with some IT / data issues (we are basically running out fast!!) and a delicious coconut icecream from the Icecream parlour Lick'd on the harbour whilst we turned some washing round was a real treat!
We will explore the area on foot tomorrow - there's a nature trail across the sand dunes and I'll upload some photos when I find a reliable Wifi hotspot!
27 Aug 2022
Arklow, County Wicklow to Kilmore Quay, County Wexford, Ireland.
The final leg of our Irish adventure, was a 51 Nm passage down to Kilmore Quay on the south east tip of the Irish coastline. Luckily the weather was kind, with blue skies mostly and the tide running with us for 6/7 hours of the 10 we were on the move.
The southwards passage saw us pass Wexford harbour and Rosslare with its Ferry terminal, before rounding Carnsore Point to head west to Kilmore Quay.
The pilotage to the harbour was very specific, with St Patrick's Bridge Port and Starboard buoys to be passed before a 90 degree turn northwards, being guided safely in by leading lines on the shore, with a final 90 degrees turn again into the harbour.
Having seen nothing but sandy shoreline and no habitation for at least 15 miles, the harbour was surprising; with a large commercial fishing fleet moored to the harbour walls and busy marina pontoons tucked into the corner. The village centre surrounds the harbour and was bustling with visitors, crabbing, eating fish and chips and ice creams! There are thatched cottages further into the village which we will explore more tomorrow.
So a day's rest tomorrow (having covered 90 miles or so in the last 2 days), for planning our jump back over to the Welsh coastline. The stars need to align with tide, wind and weather all working in our favour, so some careful calculations are required with fresh heads!
26 Aug 2022
Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland to Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland
And so our journey south continues; for once the wind (unusually NE) and tide were working together and we flew down the coast with a smooth passage. Averaging 6.5 knots ( well above our usual 4 knots of late) we arrived at Arklow in just under 6 hours.
The scenery was beautiful as we passed Dalkey with its beautiful properties, Bray, Greystones and the Wicklow mountains. Wicklow head provided the usual headland washing machine conditions temporarily, before we emerged to Brittas Bay and then on to Arklow. It was also impressive to see the Dart train we had used yesterday blending into its surroundings as it too progressed down the coast.
After the beautiful scenery en route, Arklow was a bit of a disappointment as it is quite industrial and the Marina Village looks more like a prison camp than an up market development!
We are moored on a pontoon actually on the Avoca River which passes through the town, but safely up river from the harbour entrance. Struggling with WiFi connections, we are bizarrely only around 200 metres from a shopping centre - so a Costa visit it is and frantic uploading, blogging and electronic chart updating in progress along with our coffee!
We have hit a good weather window ( not particulalry hot, but calm seas and winds which are more important), so we will head on tomorrow for Kilmore Quay - the South East tip of Ireland from which we will do our crossing back to Wales and the mainland in the following few days.
25 Aug 2022
Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland
A good night's sleep and back to business as usual today!
Passage planning, refuelling, a trip to Tesco and finising a knitting project kept us busy for most of the day.
A trip to Teddy's Ice cream stand was on our essential 'must do' list in Dun Laoghaire as it claims to be the 'home of the 99' and has been trading since 1950. To be fair it was a very good 99...and I've had a fair few in my time!!
It was great to catch up with Rob and Jade on Facetime; Jade is now on maternity leave and Rob has finished work to ensure he is present and not underwater when Baby Rade arrives! We are all very excited!
Dun Laoghaire is just 20 mins via the Dart train into Dublin; so not wishing to miss out on an opportunity, we jumped on the train around 7pm into the Tara Street Station by the River Liffy on the south bank of central Dublin. A 15 minute stroll and we were in the heart of The Temple Bar area. In search of an authentic experience we went into The Temple Bar Pub where an excellent 2 piece Irish duo were pounding out classics from Country Roads and The Wild Rover...to Coldplay and the classic Mr Brightside on Accordian and guitar! With the whole pub stamping and singing along, we enjoyed a couple of drinks and an excellent pizza before walking back along the Liffy and onto the Dart back to Dun Laoghaire all by 10.30pm. An evening to remember !
Heading off again tomorrow on our mission southwards....
24 Aug 2022
Skerries Bay, Fingal to Dun Laoghaire Marina, Dublin, Ireland
Boy were we pleased we had picked up that mooring buoy last night! Pobably the worst night of the entire journey, with a gale force wind whipping across the bay from 3am, the boat lurched and rolled for 3 or 4 hours. Everything held firm and other than a few hours lost sleep (and a few grey hairs) no harm done. We had heard on the Maritime information broadcast that high winds were due....but they had been forecast much higher north and west of us, that's the weather forecast for you !
The morning brought some calm with winds at 3/4's so we made a dash for Dun Laoghaire Marina( Dun Leary to you and me)! Passing between Colt Island and St Patrick's Island of the Skerries archipelago with Rockabill Lighthouse out to sea, we headed south along the coast, passing the privately owned Lambay Island famous for its wallabies and Baily Lighthouse at the entrance to Dublin Bay.
En route today, we passed the milestone of the 1000th Nautical Mile of our trip ....amazing to have seen so much of the UK coastline. Felt like a real achievement!
A careful passage across the shipping lanes of Dublin Bay and we entered Dun Laoghaire outer harbour. What a pleasure to see so many young people out in small boats. We counted in excess of 7 groups of 10 youngsters on a variety of small boats having a great time and making lots of noise!
Naps necessary on arrival, then out for a delicious dinner and cocktail at Casper & Giumbini's in an outside eating area not far from the Marina. Felt like we were on holiday for a couple of hours, quite a contrast from 14 hours earlier!
A day to take stock and plan ahead again tomorrow before we continue on our way...
23 Aug 2022
Carlingford Marina, County Louth to Skerries Bay, Fingal, Ireland.
The original plan for today was to sail directly to Dun Laogaire, but at over 50 Nm and with minimal tidal streams around this area of the coast to help us on our way ,the passage plan was adjusted to add a stop in Skerries Bay overnight at 32 miles, with a 20 miles hop on tomorrow morning.
For once it was a bit warmer on the water and with only 1 or 2 jumpers required, we bounced our way steadily southwards bidding goodbye to the Mountains of Mourne which have been our scenic companions for the last few days.
Skerries is a protected anchorage, with a few visitor mooring buoys in the bay. Luckily we knew only 1 boat was ahead of us today, having parted company with 'Bridgeen' with whom we have moored at each of the last 3 marinas, this morning. Safely moored on the buoy for the night, we will bob in the bay until the morning tide; now dinghyless there is no option for onshore activities unless we chose to swim ashore!
Finally, I suddenly felt old today as my eldest Goddaughter turned 40!.....Happy birthday Rachel xx
22 Aug 2022
Carlingford Marina, Carlingford Lough, County Louth, Ireland.
Torrential overnight rain passed through as forecast, finally clearing around 11am, but leaving low lying mist over the hills surrounding the lough.
It seems Carlingford is a hen and stag weekend hotspot in Ireland; hard to believe of a sleepy Irish seaside location until we walked the 1.5 kms, partly along a seaweed strewn rocky beach, into the town this morning! With a pub or bar on every corner and a multitude of outdoor adventure centres it was easy to imagine it buzzing at the weekend ( it is also apparently situated within easy reach of the motorway running between Belfast and Dublin). This had an upside in that we could use sterling for our icecream...(handy as we don't have any euro's - rooky mistake!) and a downside because today is Monday and everywhere was shut for cleaning and staff rest days after a busy weekend!
Finally the opportunity arose for us to get the folding bike we have been dragging around the UK out of storage and into action! A designated cycle route - The Greenway, ran 8km from the Marina car park to Omeath at the head of the lough. Fortunately 'On yer bike' cycle hire is also located in the marina carpark which meant neither of us had to jog! It was a picturesque ride along a disused railway and we avoided the rain.....just!
Planning to move on again tomorrow.....it's going to be a long day!
21 Aug 2022
Ardglass Marina County Down NI to Carlingford Marina, Carlingford Lough, County Louth, Ireland
Waking up to Mediterranean blue sea and sky this morning, we waited until midday and the rising tide to make our dash out of Ardglass.
A question was answered as we passsed the outer harbour, a colony of seals were basking on the rocks and were the source of the 'whaling' sounds we had frequently heard during our stay.
We proceeded south past the golf club with some interesting tee off points and with the seemingly inevitable wind on our nose, made steady progress south to Carlingford Lough passing St John's Point, Newcastle, Annalong and Kilkeel. It felt like a bit of a slog today, but the Mountains of Mourne were stunning; having appeared as just 3 peaks from the north on our walk on Friday, we circumvented them today and there were actually around 12 mini peaks, with slopes that ran out to the shoreline. We also did a bit of research on cloud formations as they were fantastic today.
Now in the 4th Country of our journey, the Irish/ Northern Ireland border runs right through the centre of Carlingford Lough ( Lough = loch= lake). Whilst it is a safe haven, the lough entrance can be tricky so we played the tides and currents carefully, passing through the north channel to then sail a further 4 miles into the lough to get to the marina. It is very pretty indeed and we will look forward to exploring tomorrow once the heavy rain forecast overnight has passed.
20 Aug 2022
Ardglass Marina - Day out to Castle Ward, County Down, NI
Another day, another adventure!
Ulsterbus once again provided the opportunity for us to explore a little further afield. The 16a took us to Downpatrick and then the 16 on to a National Trust property near Strangford, Castle Ward.
Not being Game of Thrones fans, we hadn't realised that this is also the home of Winterfell and the location setting for much of the series! People dressed in costume and guided tours of mainly American visitors gave us a clue and the many brown plaques around the grounds turned out to be related to significant scenes!
We, on the other hand, enjoyed a tour of the very interesting property...Georgian on one side and Gothic on the other, with a boudoir reminiscent of the Middle East. As usual the National Trust provided a good cup of coffee, an actual sofa to sit on (this was a real treat) and a beautiful walk with views over Strangford Lough, including a climb to the top of Audley Castle (also featured in GOT).
We returned to Ventus via Downpatrick. A pretty nondescript town in general but the resting place of St Patrick of Irish Patron Saint fame in 461 AD....who knew?
Another 8 miles walked today - we are shattered!
Weather looking like it may be OK for tomorrow, so hoping to make our next jump down the coast
19 Aug 2022
Ardglass Marina, County Down, NI
Strong winds this morning meant we, along with 2 other boats in the marina, were unable to continue our journey south today; and with even stronger winds forecast again tomorrow we are port bound in Ardglass until Sunday.
Researching the local area, it seemed St Patrick’s Well was the main local attraction; there was also mention of a coastal trail, the Lecale Way, which wound around a coastal path to Ballyhornan. Amongst the very limited visitor information in the Marina office was a hand drawn route which encompassed both these attractions, so with walking boots and poles at the ready we set off around the bay North from Ardglass.
The Lecale Way was a 5 mile coastal walk of raw, unspoilt and rugged scenery. A few rain showers as we started walking cleared to lovely blue skies and views over to the Isle of Man, approx. 30 miles away. With only cows for company, we wound our way around beautiful inlets, stopping to admire the clover and the prettiest red flying beetles. At Balllyhornan beach and opposite Guns Island we persuaded the coffee trailer to serve one last customer before they went home - and finally a decent cup of coffee, thank you Kerries!
The return leg was along the A2 ( slightly different to our A2 in Bexley!) and 3 miles of country road with views across green pastures to the Mourne mountains. Fortunately, Curran’s Bar at Chapeltown which is the oldest local bar/ restaurant in the area and handed down through the same family since 1826, was open and provided a welcome pint half way home.
Hungry from our 8/9 miles walking, patronage of the local ‘Doc’s Fish and Chip shop’ seemed the right thing to do and delicious local Scampi and Chips was enjoyed on board in the last of the evening sun.
18 Aug 2022
Ardglass Marina, County Down, NI
A day in port waiting for the weather to settle.
With the boat cleaned inside and out, more knitting completed for the next Baby Rade project this afternoon, I am now writing this from Ardglass Golf Club. Allegedly the oldest clubhouse in the world c 1405 and located within Ardglass Castle; the golf club itself has been here since 1896. Positioned in a stunning position above the cliffs, the attraction for us was not the golf, but free Wifi in the Clubhouse as we have very limited signal for anything in the harbour! (Sorry Tony!) This elevated position also gives us an idea of what the wind/tide combination looks like!
We have passage planned to sail tomorrow, but the wind sadly doesn't look very promising. We will be port bound until Sunday if we can't move tomorrow....but the good news is the long range forecast is much calmer for next week; hopefully enabling us to hop down the Southern Irish coast and cross back over to Wales. We will be patient and see what the morning brings.
17 Aug 2022
Bangor Marina, County Down to Ardglass Marina County Down, NI
Lulled in what turned out to be a false sense of security, we awoke to light winds and slight seas. As planned, we set out at low water Belfast to catch the flood tide southwards to Ardglass. Our excellent pilotage book had warned of fierce tidal streams and a 3 hour window to pass through the Donaghadee Sound between Copeland Island and the mainland. What it didn't warn us was of the rising Easterly cross tide wind, combined with large waves and washing machine style 'chop'! The sailors will understand this phenomenan....it makes for a very uncomfortable passage!
Once clear of the most aggressive waves, we maintained our course down the coast with a cross tide wind ( which was definately not the Force 2/3 predicted and more like a steady Force 4/5) with precarious trips down below to get drinks, waterproofs and eventually break the toilet seat which couldn't cope with the combined challenges of waves and bottoms!!
Our course today passed Groomsport, Copeland Island, Donaghadee Sound, Millisle, Portavogie, North and South Rocks near Kearney (which were another source of washing machine conditions) before crossing the entrance to Strangford Lough ( a mile out as suggested in the pilot to avoid the overspill currents) and finally around Guns Island to turn west into the safe, protected haven of Ardglass harbour.
We had sunshine and showers along the way, but as we arrived the skies cleared in order for our early evening walk to 'ground' ourselves. Much like following a few of our North sea passages in May, it took a while for the ground to stop moving beneath us today!
Dave and I have a food philosophy that you should always choose the local fayre from a menu....so you would imagine in a small Irish fishing village that fish or stew would have been the order of the day.......but no! As there is an exception to every rule, Ardglass has the only Turkish/ Mediterranean cafe /restaurant outside of Belfast in NI! Intrigued by the number of people who appeared to be visiting the small converted fishing shack, we found a gem named ..Summer Flame BBQ! Delicious food, freshly cooked and served to us by a young waiter from Leicester!!! Maybe it was the long day at sea, but how we enjoyed our dinner!!
Weather not great again tomorrow and after a tough day today we will rest here and hope to move on Friday...we will see!
PS...Baby Rade scan today - 6.5 lbs and cooking nicely :)
16 Aug 2022
Bangor Marina, County Down, NI
A very quiet day to catch our breath....and a very blustery day here too. It was certainly a good decision to stay put for the extra day as the wind has been blowing a steady force 4 and gusting to 6 or 7! The wind has whistled through the rigging and there is a lot of clanking of loose lines onto masts around the marina.
A nice video catch up with Katie, a few jobs on the boat ( & a trip to Dave's kind of Aladdin's cave - Bosun Bill's) an afternoon nap and a trip for provisioning to Tesco's pretty much sums up the day!
All being well with the wind behaving as forecast, we are planning to move southwards to our final port of call in NI, Ardglass, in the morning.
It is likely WiFi connections may be a bit fickle over the next week or so, so apologies in advance should the blog be a bit hit and miss!
15 Aug 2022
Bangor Marina - A day out in Belfast
A 30 minute train ride took us directly into Botanic station in Belfast. Having prebooked a free walking tour with 'Yellow Umbrella' walking tours, we met our guide Brian, outside City Hall.
An interesting and informative chap, Brian gave us insight not only into the City and its surroundings but also a political overview of the 'troubles/conflict' and the issues around Unionist and Republican differences; from the differences in education through to employment discrimination, and also the historic difference of nationality versus identity. He gave just the right amount of detail and made us realise our lack of depth of understanding of recent Irish History. Belfast City centre is an interesting mix of new and old for obvious reasons. The Titanic memorial, the Crown pub ( owned by the National Trust) the Salmon sculpture by the Lagan River and a subway from a popular TV drama ( starters for 10....) also added interest to the tour.
Having peaked our interest, Brian gave us directions to walk to the Peace Wall that still seperates West ( Republican) and East ( Unionist) Belfast. Surviving an absolute cloud burst in the shelter of a bus stop, we walked on up the Shankill Road and down the Falls Road....names of places so often in the news. It was quite shocking to learn they still close huge gates between west and east at 7pm to limit extremist and reactive interchanges between the communities.
Last on our itinerary for today's Wigsy tour was the Titanic Experience in the Titanic Quarter of the city. An award winning tourist attraction which deserved its awards and was well worth the 2 1/2 hours we spent there. Lots of interactive exhibits about Belfast history, ship building, Titanic reconstructions, films and audio presentations plus a disney style ride through the Shipbuilding process. Very well done.
We walked our socks off today - over 10 miles again! My brain is overstimulated but a great experience and a city trying really hard to re-establish itself as a tourist destination with a vibrant heart.
Strong winds forecast for tomorrow so it will be a day of rest and catching up tomorrow at the boat.
14 Aug 2022
Glenarm Marina to Bangor Marina, County Down, NI
Calm, glassy seas bade us farewell to Glenarm. Another sunny day and as we progressed southwards in light NNE winds and with the tide running with us, dolphins once again joined us. Definitely camera shy creatures, the mere unzipping of a pocket to reach for a phone makes them magically disappear! At one point though, a dolphin steamed in from the rear port quarter of the boat, passed alongside the stern and blew as it descended back into the sea. Made me jump out of my skin!
We passed Ballygally, Larne and Island Magee before coming across The Gobbins. This is a series of caves and coves, straddled by bridges at the waterline....and has been a 'walk' since the early 1900's.
The passing of Black Head with its lighthouses and the pretty houses of Whitehead signalled our entry into Belfast Lough and a swift crossing north to south to Bangor Marina avoiding the incoming Stenna Line ferry!
A quiet afternoon following our busy day yesterday and a day out by train to Belfast planned for tomorrow.
The weather is due to break, with thunderstorms forecast and very strong winds due on Tuesday meaning we will stay here for the next couple of days until things settle, hopefully moving further South on Wednesday.
On a family note...I was so sad to miss Jade's baby shower today. 36 weeks now and blooming......please hold on a little longer until we hit the South West England!!
Katie and Joe meanwhile are now out of quarantine and back to the social whirl that is Shanghai and ex-pat life
13 Aug 2022
Glenarm Marina - Trip to the Giant's Causeway
Today was a 'Wigsy tour' - otherwise known in the family as Mum's had an idea which usually involves some madness or 'alternative' activity!
As it was Saturday nothing was straightforward as it seems the bus timetables are considerably reduced. With the help of Mr Google and the Ulsterlink website, we managed to travel by 3 buses to get to the Giant's Causeway and 2 buses back!
Arriving at the bus stop 10 mins early as suggested by a local as the buses speed through and may be early (!), our first bus actually arrived 5 mins late! This was a potential problem as we had a connection in the next village....we also had minimal cash with us (as most places have declined cash on our travels) ! The Bus driver had good and bad news.....the 162 bus we were climbing aboard actually became the 128a bus when it arrived at the next village, Carnlough....the bad news he only took cash! After a brief discussion he suggested we jump on board and he would stop at the cash point in Carnlough for Dave to jump off whilst he turned the bus around and we could pay then... only in Ireland!
The 128a bus took us to Ballymeena ( approx 45 mins) and we changed there for the 221......now it appears this was also a strange occurrance as the bus station manager didn't know such a service existed ( Bus manager 0 Rosie 1). Another 45 mins at beakneck speed and we arrived at The Nook, right by the Giant's Causeway National Trust visitor centre. Yayy!
The Nook provided refreshment in the form of a beer and cream scone ( another frequent feature of a Wigsy tour!) before our designated entry time to the Causeway.
Taking advantage of a National Trust tour guide, Neil, and wearing very natty ear pieces so we coud hear him as we walked the 1.2 Km to the Causeway, he gave just the right level of information on the geology and geography of the Causeway. He also pointed out physical features features such as the camel, the sea cave, the organ pipes, the Giant's shoe as well as lots of interesting anecdotes including about the 'Kelp women' and their work to produce Iodine.
The National Trust have switched to sustainable tourism and now limit the number of coaches and vistors to ensure the Causeway is enjoyed by all. Apparently this is also the most visited Nationa Trust property in the UK....and a UNESCO site.....it was very well done indeed.
It was amazing to see the hexagonal stepping stones and pillars and to be able to climb up onto the Causeway to appreciate its scale. A few photo's later and we walked on along the Red trail to see the amphitheatre in the next bay before heading up the 128 Shepherds steps to the cliff top above the 3 adjoing bays and taking the cliff top path back to the Visitor Centre.
A welcome '99' Icecream in the vistor centre - yet another essential feature of a Wigsy tour...whilst looking at the exhibition and 4 hours had passed !
The journey back to Ventus was buses in reverse with a slightly nail biting 3 minute connection at Ballymeena!
Whilst eating dinner ( the second dish from last night's takeaway ) we imagined we were hearing a pipe and drum band; slightly bizarre for a tiny village like Glenarm. In the end our curiosity got the better of us ( well mostly mine) and indeed there was a marching band, complete with its banner leading the way through the village. It seems today is The Apprentice Boys of Derry day for the Unionists who had all been at a big parade in Derry. Nobody seemed to be watching here, but as we followed the sound, we arrived in time to hear their rendition of the National Anthem ( supported by 4 armed policemen...
12 Aug 2022
Sanda Island then North Sea crossing to Glenarm, Mid County Antrim, Northern Ireland
After a 4.30am start, we made it to our 3rd Country of this adventure - Northern Ireland :)
Rewarded by a simultaneous spectacular full moon to the west and the Sun rising from the horizon to the East, we were also delighted that the weather forcast was correct and light winds and a calm(ish) sea state prevailed. The crossing needs careful passage planning as the tides between Scotland and NI can be ferocious and our little boat would not have the power to sail against them. We took the ebbing tide from the Firth of Clyde, hit slack water as we cleared Kintyre and then picked up the incoming tide from the north to drag us down to Glenarm.
What we hadn't bargained for was Scotland providing authenticity to Wings classic 'Mull of Kintyre' - as literally 'the mist rolled in from the sea' onto the Mull as we passed and then sat as a 10 mile wide band of sea mist. Initially we could see over the mist to mainland Ireland, so we knew there was land there! but then as we passed into the sea mist, visibility dropped to just 75 metres. It was very cold and very wet; we could see our breath and were back to the 4 layers and a hat routine!! We saw a cool rainbow of mist which was colourless but a complete arch and had to be on high alert for the sound of any other boats that may have been around us.
The crossing was 25 miles in total and with just 3 miles to go, NI appeared from the mist in its green, emerald glory! Dodging a large fish farm on our approach, we entered Glenarm marina, to be met by the harbourmasters to help with lines at around 10.00am.
Glenarm is quintessentially Irish, a tiny village - 2 pubs, 3 churches, a tea shop and a local shop pretty much covers it ....oh and a castle! We enjoyed a delicious sandwich and coffee at Art House Tea Emporium - a 50's sytle tea room in what I'm sure had been a pub previously which could have been breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea so confused were our body clocks!
Our 4.30am wake up call got the better of us, so a nap, some very welcome shower facilities and laundry took up the rest of the afternoon.
We completed a 4 mile circular walk though Glenarm forest and along Glenarm River, part of the Castle grounds in the early evening air, before returning to the boat for a delicious red thai curry c/o the local chinese ( & everything else) takeaway delivery recommended by the Marina chaps!
11 Aug 2022
Sanda - North Bay anchorage
Sanda is simply an idyllic spot in 23 degrees of clear blue skies, sunshine and a glass like sea state. Pretty sure these conditions are quite rare, so we decided to stay here for the day and just appreciate the privilege of the moment.
Dave attempted to lash the transom onto the tender and managed to row a short distance with the hope that we might paddle ashore for a BBQ on the beach. The oar rowlocks then disintegrated too... at which point we decided the tender really had come to the end of its sea worthiness!!
With a reputation as master BBQ er, Dave did not disappoint and we had a delicious BBQ and a few drinks on board instead. Dave pottered and Rosie read a book - it was like being in the Meditteranean! We had the bay to ourselves for most of the day, with one other yacht arriving to overnight with us. It really made all those hard days slogging up the East coast worth it!
10 Aug 2022
Brodick Bay, Isle of Arran to Sanda Island anchorage
Passing out of Brodick Bay, we headed south down the eastern side of Arran; Lamlash, Holy Island and Whiting Bay led onto a more barren area on the south east coast of the island. Once again the weather was with us, sea state calm and the waters were crystal clear, with a number of large barrel jellyfish and an occasional seal popping by.
As we cleared Dippen Head, we headed south west to a tiny Island, Sanda, off the manland of Kintyre. We had been recommended an anchorage there by an Irish lady in Dunstaffnage as a good option to break the passage to Northern Ireland and this was corroborated by Andy on Topsy. Sanda is owned by a Swiss multimillionaire and it was previously a resort island. Sadly it is now deserted except for a few sheep! With southerly winds, it's northern bay provided a protected and tranquil anchoring in just 5 metres of sandy bottomed sea bed. So clear was the water that I coud see the anchor and chain to the sand. There were 6 other boats in the anchorage; it was the most beautiful and tranqil spot. Very intermittent signal for any of our electronics meant we appreciated the nature and were less distracted.
We slept to the sound of birds and seals and a gentle lap of water. The night sky was filled with stars and a very good night's sleep ensued.
9 Aug 2022
Brodick Bay, Isle of Arran and Goatfell.
With the tender and new electric outboard at the ready and after a safe transfer to the slipway, we were all set for a days walking , aiming to attempt an ascent of Goatfell. Goatfell is the highest mountain on Arran at 874 metres and is where some of my dear friend Heather's ashes were scattered. It was a glorious day with clear blue skies and temperatures in the low 20's - unusual for Scotland and polar opposite to conditions when we attempted the same walk in 1987 in torrential rain!
As we were anchored on the far side of the bay to Brodick Castle and the starting point for the 'tourist route' up the mountain, we first had to walk 1 1/2 mles along the Fishermans Walk to Cladach. Largely a boardwalk, the pretty path skirted the golf course and ran along the edge of Brodick bay beach.
The main route up starts by the Arran brewery - but we decided Ice cream was a better option to start the climb! It was approx. 3.5 miles to the summit, initially through Forestry commision woodland, gradually opening out to a rocky and steep path. Making steady progress, we had a lunch stop by a bridge over a stream with lovely views back across the bay. After a further mile or so we reached the final section which is a less defined path and involves some scambling. Knowing we had 3 miles to get back down and with my knee beginning to make itself heard, we decided to call it a day. My knee is always worse coming down and with some serious sailing still to be done, a good decision taken. There was a beautiful patch of multi coloured heather by some boulders so we took some time just to sit and remember Heather and the good times we had together with just a few tears thrown in too.
A well placed hostelry, The Wineport, at the bottom of the track provided welcome refreshment, before we returned along the Fisherman's walk to the tender. 8.5 miles walked in total and around 500 metres height gained.
Sadly some of the seams and the back board of the aging tender had parted company whilst we were walking resulting in a slightly hairaising journey back to Ventus and a swift recovery of the outboard engine and shopping whilst Dave slowly got wetter and wetter. Oh dear.......
8 Aug 2022
Portavadie to Brodick Bay, Isle of Arran
With preparations duly made to be able to go ashore when we arrived at Brodick Bay, we set off for the 20 Nm sail southwesterley to Arran. The weather was stunning, with calm seas and largely blue skies. Little wind to help us on our way, but with sails flying nonetheless, we motor sailed down with the tide at a steady 4 to 5 knots.
The Isle of Arran soon appeared and we enjoyed the dramatic coastline and imposing mountains at its Northern end on our approach. Brodick Bay has municipal vistor moorings - free of charge on a first come first served basis. We were lucky to find just 7 buoys taken and selected a mooring close to the town slipway.
Sea trials of our new Electric outboard engine complete, Dave set up his fishing tackle to catch some mackerel for our dinner. The sea was bountiful and Dave was able to select the bigger fish from his endeavours to fillet for a meal this evening.
Meanwhile the sun shone and for the first time on this trip, Rosie was able to sit on the foredeck and enjoy her book in shorts and a T-shirt!
The imposing Goat Fell dominates the landscape above the bay, where some of the Ashes of my very dear friend Heather are scattered at the summit. We are planning to attempt an ascent (as far as my knee will allow) tomorrow to be with her for a while.
7 Aug 2022
East Loch Tarbert to Portavadie Marina
A short hop in a easterly direction of just 3 Nm across Loch Fyne completed today in very misty and mizzly conditions.
Portavadie is a purpose made leisure resort with holiday accommodation and a marina.
https://portavadie.com/
A very pleasant couple of hours in the Leisure Spa for Rosie, with heated outdoor infinity pool, outdoor jacuzzi's, an 18 M indoor pool and sauna. A real treat to enjoy a little bit of luxury!
The restaurant provided delicious takeaway Pizza ( another recommendation from the Topsy crew - thank you !) enjoyed after a couple of drinks in the bar.
We are heading to Arran next, and then an anchorage off Sanda, an island south of the Mull of Kintyre before heading over to Northern Ireland. Weather forecast is promising, but communications may be unpredictable so bear with me if the blog is a bit hit and miss this week!
6 Aug 2022
East Loch Tarbet
A land day today to catch up with ourselves after a busy week.
With passage planning completed for the next few days, we headed off to the village for a wander around the gift shops and picked up our provisions from the trusty Co-op for the next 4 or 5 days. We failed in our attempts to book dinner out - it seems we hit 'rush hour'here too, with a British Cycling 40 mile road race and a 15 team 5 aside tournament dominating the Village and restaurant bookngs for the day! It will have to be Curry a la Co-op instead!
In order to test our legs for the propsed ascent of Goat Fell on Arran later in the week, we embarked on a 9 km walk. Heading up behind Tarbert Castle for amazing views over Loch Fyne and the harbour, we eventually joined the Kintyre way until we passed to Carranbuie and West Loch Tarbet. A bit of a slog back on the road, and it's definitely beer o'clock!
Amusing event of the day came when passing through quarry works on our walk; having duly read the instructions to follow the pedestian access Rosie decided that the path was too bumpy and uneven for her slightly dodgy knee and as no workmen were about we passed through the works access road instead only to set off the most loud and startlng alarm system ever, with video footage taken and alerts telling us that the Police were on their way!! Thankfully nobody appeared but lesson learnt to follow instructions in future!
5 Aug 2022
Cairnbaan to East Loch Tarbert, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
A further couple of hours motoring completed our passage through the Crinan Canal descending 4 locks and passing through a couple of swing bridges to exit the canal through the Sea lock at Ardrishaig. We continued through with Topsy, and the boys once again did us proud helping with the lines and the lock gates. The final 4 locks were also manned by the Scottish Canals Lock keepers so a much less strenuous affair all round than yesterday.
Once out of the canal we headed south into Loch Fyne for a passage of around 10 miles . Conditions were perfect for sailing, a westerley wind and fairly calm sea state, so up went the sails and off went the engine for a peaceful sail down the Loch to East Loch Tarbert Marina. As on so many previous occaisions, the wind blew up with a rainy squall shortly before our arrival into port so a quick drop of the sails and don of the sailing jackets whilst avoiding the incoming car ferry caused a last minute stir!
The harbour here is stunning; it combines the old Historic fishing port, which remains functional, with a large leisure marina. I'd had it on good authority that the showers here were good and was not disappointed!
A double bubble catch up with both Rob by phone, and Katie ( who is now at day 9 of 12 days hotel quarantine in Shangahi) by videocall completed a lovely afternoon.
We joined Andy, Carol and the boys aboard Topsy for delicious Fish and Chips and a sociable evening's chat to round offf the day. Thank you for having us!
A day in Tarbert tomorrow to catch our breath, top up on provisions and have a walk to West Tarbert Loch before continuing with our journey.
4 Aug 2022
Crinan Canal Basin to Cairnbaan, Argyll & Bute
A great experience! Having had a casual start to the day, and a nice brunch onboard it was suggested by the Lock Keeper at Crinan basin that we might like to go into the canal system through Lock 14 with a yacht which had just entered Cinan Basin from the Sea Lock - what a good suggestion that turned out to be! Unlike the Caledonian Canal, after the initial Sea lock, all the locks are old style and self serviced. 'Topsy' had a crew of 2 adults and 2 delightful 10 year olds, Nick and Ambrose, whose energy and enthusiasm was not only welcome but invaluable!
The locking procedure basically involved
- Motoring the boat into the lock
- Lines being thrown and secured on the lock edge
- The lock gates being manually closed by pushing the long lock gate arms through 90 degrees and long metal pin locked onto a rock to brace it closed
- Closing the sluice gates using a handle and pin winding system
- Then moving to the opposite lock gates to wind open the sluice gates on the other side of the lock to allow water to move into the lock, then waiting for the pressure to equalise in order to
- once again manually open the next lock gates by pushing the lock gate arms through 90 degrees.
This was much more strenuous than it sounds and after throwing lines back to the boat then involved a quick walk or jog ahead by the land crew to the next lock gates before the boats arrived for the procedure to be repeated! Fortunately Topsy and her crew had done all this before and with 4 of us ashore - the kids, Carol and Rosie doing the maual work and with the 2 guys coping with the tricky boat handling with cross winds playing havoc with the steering, we had a good system going! Lock keepers and swing bridge operatives appeared at regular intervals with advice but the manual work was most definitiely left to us!
We got soaked though from squally showers a couple of times which arrived with no warning at all, but generally the sun shone and it was a beautiful day.
It took 5 hours to travel 4 miles, clear 9 locks - 5 up and 4 down plus passing though 3 swing bridges. Having arrived at Cairnbaan in the nick of time before canal movements were stopped for the evening, we headed to the pub with our accompanying crew for a well earned drink together.
Sadly there was no room at the Inn for us to have dinner; an early night definitely in order and boy, am I glad I did those Body Pump classes before we set out on this adventure!
3 Aug 2022
Dunstaffnage Marina to Crinan Canal basin, Argyll & Bute, Scotland
We took a gamble today with the weather and winds; Dunstaffnage felt like it had us hostage and at some point we needed to make a run for it ! With Westerley winds and a decreasing risk of rain from 80 % to 40 % as we travelled south, we summoned our courage and committed to the passage.
The first challenge was leaving our berth - the 4/5 force wind was blowing us onto the pontoon, so strategic rope work and a quick jump back on board by Rosie meant we were safely away!
The passage was challenging at times, but stunning and exciting in equal measure. We recorded our fastest ever speed of 9. 4 knots as we hurled through the 'washing machine' in the Sound of Luing, and our slowest coming out of Dunstaffnage Bay at just 2.5 knots. Oban Bay was very busy with ferries and a 27 boat flotilla on its way to the Highland races, the islands were remote and beautiful, the sea extremely varied in it's sea state and finally the entrance to the Crinan Canal surprisingly quick upon us and most welcome.
For the boaties, our passage was
- Dunstaffnage Bay
- Oban Bay
- Kerrera Sound
- Sound of Insh - between Insh Island and Seil Island
- Sound of Luing ( passing the Gulf of Corryvreckan and its crazy rip tides and overfalls)
- Passing between Luing and Lunga isalnds
- and then Luing and Scarba
- Before turning east between rocky outcrops between Craignish Point and Garbh Reisa and heading across Loch Craignish directly to Crinan Bay and the Sea lock 15 of the Crinal canal into the Crinan Canal Basin
We are so pleased to have completed this tricky passage today and be well on our way south. We only had one squall of rail to deal with despite seeing rain all around us. ( Kathy - Clive is back from his holidays!)
The Crinan canal basin is so pretty and so tranquil! We have just completed the Crinan Woodland Walk circuit which took us high above the Canal basin with stunning views across the islands we had passed through today. A real sense of achievement. Definitely an evening for a Mermaid Gin!
We are going to enjoy the Crinan canal at leisure for a couple of days and will pop out to Loch Fyne towards the weekend :)
2 Aug 2022
Dunstaffnage Marina, Argyll
Luckily, the Marina management team agreed that we could stay for an extra 24 hours here as the weather overnight and for most of the day has been shocking! Force 5 winds gusting to 7 rocked the boat through the night even within the protection of Dunstaffnage Bay.
Not being ones to miss out on local things to do, as the rain cleared this afternoon for a few hours we visited an Oceanographic Centre and a Scottish Castle just a couple of miles away on foot.
SAMS (The Scottish Asocaition for Marine Science) which works alongside The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) has its HQ right by Dunstaffnage Castle. We spent a very interesting couple of hours learning about Hydrographics and 3D charts, plastics in the ocean, Algae and Whales. As divers and sailors, it was fascinating stuff!
Dunstaffnage Castle stands on the headland in full view from the Marina. It appeared to be a tumble down ruin, but it is managed by Historic Scotland and was actually well maintained; whilst being compact there was a lot to see including a chapel in the woods and it gave us an insight into the potentail layout of Castles we have passed on our way down the coast.
The rain and winds have returned this evening, but the forecast is improving as the week goes on, so we are passage planning and hopefully will get on our way late morning tomorrow. It is the Highland Sailing week and our spot is required for visiting yachtsmen for their Prize giving and social event at the end of the week!
1 Aug 2022
Sidcup, Kent to Dunstaffnage Marina, Argyll
So our adventure continues....
With Katie and Joe dispatched to China and already on Day 4 of quarantine, a brief visit home from Rob, visits to Ron and friends, and some essential life maintenance complete, we returned to the boat as planned today.
Starting our journey at 9.10am with a South Eastern train from Sidcup to London Bridge, we continued on the Northern line tube to Euston, Euston to Glasgow Central on Avanti West Coast trains (via a pit stop in Preston), a walk from Glasgow Central to Buchanan Bus station, a 3 hour coach ride on the 975X from Glasgow to Oban and finally a taxi to the boat via Tesco......we arrived at the Marina around 8.30pm !!
It was a very smooth and actually quite relaxing journey, all on time and very little waiting for connections. We listened to an excellent pianist who was being filmed for a Channel 4 production 'The Piano' at Glasgow Central staion, passed through beautiful scenery along Loch Lomond and Loch Awe on the coach and best of all we jumped off the train at Preston at 12.38 and back on at 12.41 for a hug with my Dad and Sue who came to the station to catch us passing through.
We have arrived to Dunstaffnage looking exactly as we left it - pouring with rain and very grey. Unfortunately the weather isnt great for the next couple of days so considering our options...watch this space!
23 July 2022
Dallen's Bay, Argyll to Dunstaffnage Marina Argyll.
With only 10 miles to travel this morning, we took the last of the ebbing tide leaving our anchorage by the Isle of Shuna at 7.00am and arriving to Dunstaffnage Marina by 9.15am. Whilst it was misty, still and calm as we left, rain moved in as we arrived to the Marina not answering their phones or radio! After some discussion, we negotiated a berth for the next week - not easy as it is apparently West Highlands Sailing Week and they are expecting 600 visitors!
Today has been a complete contrast to the last few days; winds blew up this afternoon and torrential rain moved in. So we focused on travel plans, washing and general 'boat keeping' ready for the next stage of summer!
We had sad confirmation yesterday that Katie and Joe have to return to Shanghai a week early on Wednesday, so we are dashing home to spend the last few days with Katie. Travel logistics are not easy from the West Scottish coast, so we have a 3 hour coach ride tomorrow to Glasgow airport in preparation for flight at 6.40am on Monday. Let's hope Easyjet play ball this time!
We are returning by train on Monday 1st August and will then be living aboard Ventus until the Autumn, completing our UK circumnavigation and spending time around South Devon for the arrival of our grandchild in September.
Please come back and join us next week :)
22 July 2022
Gairlochy, Loch Lochy, Scotland to Dallen's Bay, Argyll, Scotland.
The final leg of our Caledonian passage began at 9.00am as the lock keepers arrived; assisting us through Gairlochy Top Lock and the Gairlochy Swing bridge closely followed by Gairlochy Bottom Lock. The 'mobile' lock keepers then jumped into their vans to move along the canal path to open the next swing bridge, Moy Bridge, before our convoy of 3 boats arrived! Moy bridge is interesting as it bisects Moy Farm where the farmer still has right of way over the canal.
There is a staffing crisis on the Caledonian Canal, and we heard today that there are going to be limited transits over the next few weeks. The 'West team' are mobile between locks and the bottle neck which is Fort Augustus is only going to lock for half a day - this will cause chaos and a lot of frustration. Thank goodness we arrived when we did!
Onwards with our journey was the excitement and challenge of Neptune's' Staircase, a spectacular 7 flight lock system. We arrived at Bannervie at 10.30am, but had to wait for the Lock keepers lunch break again (!) and were given a 1.30pm slot. This was fortuatous really as we wandered along to the lock flight and spent 45 mins with the lock keepers having a Masterclass in lock management! With one exception the Lock keepers have been an amazing bunch; helpful and reassuring as well as ringing ahead to organise the next lock or bridge opening for us.
Once through Neptune's, we just had the final challenges of Corpach Basin locks and the final Sealock.
We feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to pass through the canal system in largely dry and calm conditions. It is an amazing feat of engineering and absolutely stunning scenery. 60 Miles, 29 locks, 11 swing bridges and a summit of 106 feet in Loch Oich - Caledonian Canal complete.
Once out of the Sealock, we entered Lock Eil on the calmest of afternoons and decided to make as much progress Southwesterly as possible. Fort William, Ben Nevis and it's range and the Coran Narrows were breathtaking and the sea was like glass.
An interesting moment 1 hour into the journey saw our depth guage switch from 108 metres to 4.5m...after a few minutes of confusion we realised we were in a submarine manaoevres area and were being passed a few metres beneath us by a moving Sub! A strange feeling!
Seals and dolphins played in near waters as we finished our passage through Loch Linnhe to our anchorage at Dallen's Bay. Another stunning spot to spend an evening and after a rain shower as we were anchoring, we managed to sit out for a drink before bed.
21 July 2022
Fort Augustus, Loch Ness to Gairlochy, Loch Lochy, Scotland.
Wow, the middle section of the Caledonian Canal didn't disappoint today. A very heavy downpour first thing slightly delayed our departure from Fort Augustus, but as it eased we headed for Kytra Lock, the first of the day. Smooth passage here was quickly followed by Cullochy Lock and the swing bridge at Aberchalder before we entered the highest Loch on our journey, Loch Oich.
Loch Oich was much smaller than Loch Ness and very pretty. A buoyed channel all the way through kept us in deep water and a fairly straight transit.
Next came another swing bridge at Laggan followed by the first 2 descending locks into Loch Lochy. We rafted up to another boat of Scottish 'geezers' by the bridge for 45 mins as the bridge keeper was on his lunch break !!
It was a very calm day today, with minimal wind and though we didn't see many rays of sunshine it was a lovely passage of around 8 miles across Lock Lockie to our mooring at Gairlochy for the night.
Each lock area has toilet and shower facilities for which we were given a key as we entered the Sealock on Monday. It's great to be able to have a hot shower and the boating community are a very friendly bunch! We have learned to chat with locals and lock keepers - some get frustrated by visitors, but generally they are keen to share thier experience and local knowledge; and are equally interested by our story too!
We are moored beneath the Nevis range and Ben Nevis is a few miles away. It too seems to have been suffering from the heat as there is only a few small areas of snow visible; climbing that is not on our agenda, but we grounded ourselves with a 4 mile circular walk this afternoon walking parallel to the range of mountains in a wooded area with wonderful pine scents and wild thistles.
Dave excelled with a BBQ for dinner which we have eaten on deck just marvelling at the scenary.
We leave the canal system tomorrow via a flight of 7 descending locks and are then back to the world of tides and wind direction to begin our journey through the Western Isles of Scotland.
20 July 2022
Urquhart Bay, Loch Ness to Fort Augustus, Loch Ness
Waking up from a peaceful night anchored in the beautiful Urquhart Bay, brought us back to reality with grey skies and Force 3/5 winds once again blowing from the direction we needed to travel ! As we turned out of the protected bay onto the main body of Loch Ness, the wind was so strong we were only making 2.2 knots; Gib sail duly released, we tacked the whole way up to the western end of the Loch and Fort Augustus.
Fort Augustus is a bit of a bottle neck as it is the only way through the middle section of the canal via a flight of 5 locks. We were very fortunate that Hal, a boat we had gone through the Muirtown Locks with yesterday was already moored on the transit pontoon and invited us to raft up to them as the pontoons were full. The lock keeper was able to accommodate us, along with Hal and Beyond These Shores II ( another boat we had transited with yesterday), on the last lock in of the day - friends reunited! The skies broke and we spent a sunny 2 hours moving up the flight of locks.
Locking is quite a technique
- We motor into the lock
- throw 10 metre lines up to the lock keeper on the top of the wall ( I had a lesson yesterday on effective rope throwing which has been invaluable! It's all to do with the coil...and the loose end!!)
- Wait for the first lock to fill
- Rosie steps off the boat onto the wall and takes both bow and stern lines
- Dave motors the boat slowly into the next lock, whilst Rosie takes the lines, walks up the slope to the next flight and ties off the lines on the cleats.
Sounds easy, but the tourists enjoy watching and there's lots to go wrong!!! Todays incident was a spontaneous nosebleed for Rosie at Lock 3....bad timing!!
Once settled on a pontoon for the night here, we had a lovely walk around the hamlet that is Fort Augustus and enjoyed a homemade meal at The Bothy Pub by the locks.
Tomorrow we will move on through the canal and Loch Oich, hoping to transit to Laggan in Loch Lockie.
19 July 2022
Inverness Marina to Urquhart Bay, Loch Ness
All those tricky days coming up the East coast of the UK were worth the great day we had today entering the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness. It may have been the hottest day on record 'down South', but it was also a hot and sunny day in Inverness and Loch Ness was simply stunning! It felt surreal to be here on Ventus!
The Scottish Canal Lock keepers were amazing and so helpful in our transit through the Clachnaharry Sealock, Works Lock, Muirtown Flight and Dochgarroch Locks.
Having left Inverness Marina around 6.30am, we battled the tide to approach the Sealock at Clachnaharry. 2 locks in, we then approached the 5 lock flight at Muirtown, with 2 bridges and a final loch at Dochgarroch to enter Loch Ness. What a great experience! Dave stayed on the boat and Rosie walked the lines up the fights and chatted to the Lock keepers...getting tips for the onward journey!!
We entered Loch Ness around 11.30am and made our way to the iconic Urquhart Castle and anchored in the sheltered Urquart Bay with a fabulous view of the Castle.
A nap was needed, and subsequently we have had thunder and quite heavy rain in squalls but spent a few hours just sitting on deck. We have enjoyed the peace and quiet of our anchorage with a few drinks and just one yacht joining us.
We are here for the night and are hoping to get the tender dingy and outboard in action tomorrow for a visit to Drumnadroichit!...before heading up to Fort Augustus which we are told is extremely busy with hire boats and tourists! We hope to move along to Loch Oich but watch this space.....
18 July 2022
Sidcup to Inverness Marina ( via an unscheduled night in Luton!)
Welcome back to the 'we-are-sailing' blog on Ventus.
What an eventful few weeks we have had!
Having met Katie and Joe at Heathrow on the 20th June 2022, we had a lovely couple of weeks catching up with them including a very special family reunion at the Two Brewers Inn at Chipperfield, Herts.
Subsequently Covid came to call, disrupting our family holiday and other plans over the next few weeks. Wimbledon and relaxing in the garden saw us through, and all affected are recovered now thankfully!
Katie and Joe are due back to China shortly, but the Chinese regulations are making their return date unclear. Whilst that picture clears, they are having a City break to Barcelona and we have decided to fly back and spend a week passing through the Caledonian Canal to the West of Scotland. We will return home again briefly in the next couple of weeks for a few days to see them off.
Meanwhile baby Rade is cooking nicely and we are all excited to greet our new family member in September ( Hopefully the winds will blow us smoothly to the SW of England in time - no pressure, but no early arrivals please!!)
To round off a few slightly challenging weeks for several reasons, we also had a disrupted start to this leg of the journey; Easyjet in their wisdom cancelled our flight, once we were at the Departure gate yesterday evening, and so we spent the night at their expense in the Sadie Hotel in Luton City centre. Previously the Job Centre apparently, the hotel had only been open for 2 weeks and we actually had a very comfortable experience with new fixtures and fittings and excellent AC!
We finally flew at 13.00 today.....just a very short time before Luton Aitrport was closed as the runway had melted!! After the chaos of last night and a super busy airport this morning I can only imagine the carnage there this afternoon.
The boat was in very good order on our return...we are refuelled, provisioned, topped up with water and ready to roll. We are booked on the first transit throught the locks into the canal at 8am tomorrow morning ( Tuesday) so will benefit from a full days sailing on Loch Ness to Urquart Castle.
Hope you will enjoy the next leg of the journey with us...
17 June 2022
Inverness Marina, Scotland
Wow, how the wind has blown today! The marina is absolutely full as nobody is sailing out of choice today and those who arrived in the last few days have stayed put! It's been gusting to force 7 all day...but the sun has shone and I believe that is quite rare here. The Marina manager even told me he'd had enough of the wind for one day!
So, Ventus is now almost ready to leave; washed down, oil changed, 4 loads of washing done, accessories stored, packing done and just a final last minute list of to do's for the morning.
Taxi booked to the airport and we fly at 11.40am to Luton, Thameslink to London Bridge and train home. From take off to front door should be less than 4 hours! Crazy to think it's taken 6 weeks to get here!
So signing off for this leg. We will return to the Caledonian canal and the west coast of Scotland in a few weeks...date tbc
Now for the excitement of Katie and Joe's return and some lovely family time with the rest of the family x
Thanks for sharing the adventure.......please come back and join us on the next leg.
16 June 2022
Inverness to Loch Ness ( by bike!)
It's been a while (well 6 weeks!) since we were on our bikes, so today we hired a nice pair of Trek bikes from Ticket to Ride, Inverness for the day. The problem was it is a 2 mile walk to get there, so we were already up on the exercise front before we started!
We cycled on a recommended route from Inverness, across the pretty Ness islands and Whin Park to Dores and Dores beach. It was a 19 mile round trip, mainly along NCN 78. The scenery was beautiful and reminded us of the Lake District. We hadn't quite bargained for the hills, but we largely managed to ride them! We arrived at Dores for lunch at The Dores Inn - a big plate of carbs each to fuel our journey back! A walk along Dores beach itself in search of Nessie was to no avail, before returning to Inverness via the same route.
On arrival back we detoured to see the Caledonian canal and were lucky to watch a yacht attempting the first flight of 4 locks. We will be doing this ourselves in a few weeks, so it was useful to have a tutorial watching from dry land and check out some of the challenges we may find when it's our turn. A visit to the Caledonian Canal office provided further information too.....we are ready!
We maximised the time on our bikes with a trip into the city centre for a few purchases and also a trip to Morrisons for a few last provisions and washing tabs for tomorrow's boat shut down.
2 more sleeps on board...
Miles walked: 5 miles
Miles cycled: > 20 miles!
15 June 2022
Lossiemouth to Inverness Marina, Scotland
WE MADE IT!
After 5 weeks and 5 days we arrived at our most northerly destination and ended the first leg of our adventure :) We are feeling a sense of achievement for 664 Nm sailed in all weathers and against all odds at times!
We were rewarded for our patience with the best sail of the whole trip this morning. Ropes off went ahead at 4am, just before sunrise, but as it is light here for all but 23:00 to 03:00, visibility was good and we left the marina with just under a metre of water beneath us.
The sea was like glass and the wind an extremely gentle breeze - enough to fill the gib, but not enough to affect the sea state. As we headed west, the dolphins appeared. Oh my goodness, the next hour is etched in our memories forever. At one point we could see 50 + dolphins playing both near and far. We could see them swimming under the boat to emerge on the other side, bow riding and breaching in groups of 5 and 6. It was simply magical. They were so close to the boat at times, if I had put my hand over I would have been able to touch them. They stayed with us for about an hour.....what a privilege!
The next 5 hours remained very calm, I even updated my blog as we went along and Dave did some boat 'buffing' ( a family joke)!
As predicted on the charts we hit lots of turbulence and strong tides around Fortrose and Chanonry Point and the crossing through the ever narrowing Moray Firth was increasingly choppy and windy. We passed under the impressive Kessock Bridge to enter the Marina at the mouth of the River Ness.
So, we are safely berthed in Inverness Marina and here Ventus will stay for the next few weeks whilst we break our trip to fly home to spend time with Katie and Joe.
This afternoon we had a walk around Inverness, along the banks of the River and enjoyed a celebratory glass of wine at The Waterfront Inn.
The next section of our journey will see us pass through the Caledonian Canal to the Western Isles of Scotland, then down and crossing to the Eastern Irish Coast to head southbound again (check out a map!)
2 more days in Inverness before we fly, so we have hired cycles for the day tomorrow and will head off down the banks of The River Ness to Loch Ness in search of Nessy! I will pop some pics up tomorrow evening.
Thanks for following the blog so far.....sailing tales tbc!
Miles travelled; 37 Nm
Total Distance : 664 Nm
14 June 2022
Whitehills to Lossiemouth Marina, Scotland
With the weather finally settling, we made our dash out of Whitehills on the early morning tide. The sail to Lossiemouth was one of the more tedious as once we had passed Cullen it was a long sail across an open and very lumpy Spey bay.
Having moaned about N and NE winds with wind against tide for the last few weeks, you would think the change to SW would be pleasing ( I know the lovely hot weather it is bringing to the South East is welcome this week!)......however, we are now travelling a W and slightly SW direction to arrive at Inveness so once again we are facing wind over tide and lumpy seas.....grrrrr!
Feeling cold and a bit battered from the journey, an afternoon nap was in order to revive spitrits before exploring Lossiemouth.
Lossiemouth was a delightful town and the second half of the day more than made up for the earlier sail!
The Typhoon jets roared in and out of Lossiemout RAF base with startling speed and agility; they were amazing to watch, though fortunately stopped flying at 7pm!
The townsfolk are delighted that the East beach is now accessible via a new bridge, and so were we! Miele's Gelato shop provided a delicious icecream to enjoy whilst we walked the length of a sand dune edged expanse of golden sand as once again the weather cleared for the evening. This was followed by a delicious meal in The Salt Cellar - Cullen Skink Risotto for me and Spaghetti de la Mar for Dave; probably the best meal we have had so far!
Relaxed and back at the boat, we looked at the passage plan and weather for Inverness...only to realise the best option in next couple of days was a 4am start tomorrow! Lossiemouth has limited time gate for entry /exit and to make the most of the tide up to Inverness we need to leave before we lose water beneath the boat. So a few hours sleep and we will be on our way on the last passage of this leg of our adventure.
13 June 2022
Cullen to Portknockie circular walk
A final day weatherbound at Whitehills today, so we decided to explore more of the coast. The 35 bus came to the rescue again, although it was eye wateringly expensive!
40 Minutes west along the coast lay Cullen ( of Cullen Skink fame from the other day), a slightly larger community than Whitehills with a stunning sandy bay. A quick bite at the quirky Thyme cafe and we were ready to head off to explore.
Both Cullen and Portknockie are known for their Quartzite rock formations, which indeed were fantastic, including a Whale head and the Bow Fiddle rock. We walked a 5 mile circular route, heading out across the lovely sandy beach before climbing the cliffs at the far end of the bay to see the rock formations. Tracking back through Portknockie and along a disused railway track past the golf course and finally across the viaducts high above Seatown gave a different perspective again. A very memorable afternoon.
Weather and tides looking good for the morning, so we are planning to set out for our penultimate sail to Lossiemouth.
We have enjoyed Whitehills and it seems they have enjoyed having us too!! When Dave went to settle the harbour bill with Bertie, the harbourmaster- he gave us 5 nights of the price of 4.......he knew we had been in the pub, The Galley and the local shop ( we had felt our presence was being noted by the locals!)...and so because we had supported the local economy it seemed a discount was due!!
Miles walked: 6 miles
12 June 2022
Whitehills Harbour Marina, Banffordshire, Scotland
The winds continued to blow, but having changed direction slightly we found ourselves more steady in the harbour and had a really good sleep last night.
A quiet day today, catching up with friends and family and a few jobs on the boat.
An entertaining Sunday Roast at the local pub, The Seaford Arms....where not only did we infiltrate the bar area to eat, probably sat in the wrong seat and definitely had the wrong accents .....but to Dave's dismay they didn't do any real ale either! Food was delicious though!
Weather due to start to settle tomorrow, so hoping to be able to sail on Tuesday - fingers crossed!
11 June 2022
Whitehills Harbour Marina, Banffordshire, Scotland
As predicted, the winds arrived with force today. A rocky night in the harbour and a blustery day with winds up to 45 miles per hour.
We opted for a day away from the coast, so headed off to Banff on the 35 bus!
We walked to Duff House for an interesting guided tour. There were only 4 of us on the tour and it was a fascinating insight into a house used as a home, a sanatorium, a PoW camp and a hotel. It's now owned by Historic Scotland and the art work supplied by the Scottish National Gallery.
We walked on through the Duff House Estate to the Bridge of Alvah which spanned the gorge over the River Deveron.....sadly there were no salmon fishermen today, but it was a beautiful spot. We completd a circular walk of 6 miles, ending up with views of and crossing the Banff Bridge.
We returned to the boat to 45 mile an hour winds....so settled down for some catch up TV and a replay of No Time to die...with a dinner of locally caught Downie Langousties and salad...yumm.
Another day in port tomorrow whilst the winds settle, then we will review plans for moving on....
Miles walked: 7.25 miles
10 June 2022
Whitehills Harbour Marina
A much needed rest day today......with a good sleep safely moored to a pontoon in the harbour and a slow start to the day.
Washing done....boat tidied and washed down :) Dave caught up with some outstanding work...and I had a nap!
The weather as per it's usual pattern blew up this afternoon with rain showers and cleared around 5pm to leave a beautiful evening.
We have learnt from our mistakes and booked an early dinner at The Galley Restaurant right by the harbour. It was delicious home cooked food - we had the Cullen Skink, renowned in this area and named after a local town. A kind of Smoked haddock soup......delicious. The restaurant was full by 6.30pm! We are learning.
We walked off dinner with a tour of the village, with beautiful views back across the bay to the harbour, and also encountered a very vocal Oyster catcher on the beach.
Day trippping to the local town Banff tomorrow.
9 June 2022
Peterhead to Whitehills Harbour Marina, Banffshire, Scotland
Well, the last 3 days have certainly brought us a variety of tide/ wind scenarios but we have made it to Whitehills - Google it - it's a long way north! Apologies for lack of blog updates - I actually wrote 2 last night but the signal connections was too weak in Peterhead to upload and all was lost :(
Look back tonight and you will see the backlog of blogs and photos updated!
So, the decision to move on was largely a good one. We set sail in very calm conditions but finished in the remains of the swell and winds from a gale in North Shetland 2 days ago!!
The passing scenery was beautiful again, and we saw the infamous sailing points of Rattray Head Lighthouse, Fraserburgh etc,. The cloud formations were stunning and we are clearly on the edge of a weather front here. Winds were SE today, so the first 4 hours were wonderfulwith wind and tide on our side, before we turned west to enter the Moray Firth and had cross tide Force 4/5 winds against rolling waves from the storm - very rocky! The gib had worked well until the winds gained momentum, after which we chose a safer motor sail into port.
The headlands at Troup Head were spectacular - I'm not sure if you can see the birds in the photo but they were swooping off the headland in their thousands.
A feature of this trip has been lobster pots and buoys...Dave has spent hours dodging the minefield of markers, which disappear in high seas. Today was another day of 'spot the pot'...aided and abetted by a fishing boat who thought it was a good idea to sail alongside us!
The harbournmaster at Whitehills is at a wedding today (think Local Hero if you are old enough) and his replacement didn't know how to operate a radio or mobile phone ! The entry to the harbour was complicated and when the harbour master replacement eventually answered his phone ( after we had chosen an inappropriate berth of course!) we had to move again but are now settled in the inner harbour, and very protected from the strong winds forecast over the weekend.
We will have a few days rest here...some sleep and explore this pretty coastline on foot until the winds have passed. We have 2 more sails to reach Inverness by next Friday, where we will pause our journey for a few weeks as we head home because......
Our exciting news of the day is that Katie has received her passport and visa and so it looks like she will be able to come home on 20th June - we can't wait to see her!
Miles travelled: 37 NM
Total Travelled: 603 Nm
8 June 2022
Stonehaven harbour to Peterhead Harbour Marina, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
After a rocky night against the Harbour wall in Stonehaven, we headed north again to Peterhead.
Once again we were greeted by a pod of 6-8 dolphins riding the waves with us. If you have ever tried to get a photo of dolphins you will appreciate the frustration of my only snap below! In the end we stayed in the moment and enjoyed watching them breach in 2's and 3's.
What a difference a day makes - no sunshine, just grey, damp conditions - it was a 5 layers and hat sort of day!.....but wind was light and with no wind against tide to contend with we made good progress at 5 Knots+ all day up to Peterhead. The coastline sported lots of really interesting geographical features of interest e.g. stacks, caves etc and was pretty with green slopes and sandstone cliffs.
Peterhead Harbour control are responsible for movements into the harbour...As the rain came down, the harbourmaster in his wisdom decided we needed to wait until a Supply Vessel 2 Km off shore with a pilot boat supporting had entered first....40 minutes later we were soaked, cold and a bit grumpy as we were given the all clear to enter!
Peterhead was a big disappointment. We had thought we would stay here to weather the high winds, but the outer harbur was extremely commercial and the marina tucked into the back corner whilst protected, was overlooked by the Offshore supply vessels and their loading equipment. The other key feature of the town is an enormous high security prison!
We asked for recommendations for somewhere to eat...oh dear ...an 8pm closing again and we missed the 7.30pm deadline for last orders. Those of you who know us will appreciate the McD option was not a popular one, especially with Dave...but needs must! It was a 40 minute walk from the marina too....definitely time to move on!
We returned to the boat as the sun was setting - and the most glorious colours and reflections on the water. Perhaps that is the memory we should keep of Peterhead!
A quick review of the weather looks like we are able to move on tomorrow....so a very fleeting visit here
Miles travelled today: 39 Nm
Total : 566 Nm
7 June 2022
Arbroath Harbour, to Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
A day of mixed blessings - the sun shone and the sky was soooo blue......BUT the waves were enormous and we rolled and rocked for 9 hours to arrive at Stonehaven. A Force 3 NE wind over against tide made for a very uncomfortable ride indeed, and we only managed around 3.5 knots on average as the 3 metre North sea waves buffeted us.
The entrance to the harbour was hidden behind Dunottar Castle and Head; but as we turned the corner, we were met with dolphins bow riding - a wonderful end to a tricky day's sail.
Today was the first day I couldn't wait to get off the boat...Not because of sea sickness but just the need to be grounded again!
We were instructed to moor against the North harbour wall - so another mathmatic discusssion ensued, to be sure lengths of mooring lines were right and we didn't end up hanging in mid air at low tide in the middle of the night!
Stonehaven was a big surprise - as we left the harbour, the bay opened up and with it's boardwalk and sculptures, it was a lovely place to be. Lots of people enjoying the early evening sunshine and especially a gem of a find, Aunt Betty's Icecream parlour. A great concept and our blood sugar levels lifted with the icecream and sweeties atop!
The wall was quite challenging as we bounced on and off with the tide, so it was unfortunately a one night stop over. We will return to Stonehaven if we ever find ourselves so far north in the future.
Miles travelled: 31 Nm
Total distance: 527 Nm
6 June 2022
Arbroath Harbour, Angus, Scotland
Hit a bit of a wall today after 4 1/2 weeks of being constantly on the go, so we have had a quiet day resting up before the next leg northwards to Stonehaven tomorrow.
Stretched our legs early evening and found Arbroath Abbey - closed due to dangerous masonry, but spectacular and very intact for a 12th Century Abbey built in beautiful red sandstone.
A few thoughts about Scotland though....
- not sure they realised it was the Queen's Platinum Jubilee over the past few days.....very little in the way of decorations or events (even in Edinburgh). Clearly not a Royalist part of the nation!
- Nothing is open on a Monday (other than supermarkets!)
- 'Sunday opening hours' don't exist .....so Supermarkets are open until late everyday
- otherwise everything closes by 8pm whatever the day!
- it is light sooooo late -see the photo below taken at 10.30pm this evening
- there is a fish and chip shop on every road!
- it is windy and grey all day with weather settling around 7pm to leave clear blue skies
5 June 2022
Dunbar Harbour to Arbroath Harbour, Angus, Scotland
After a very light sleep due to nesting Kittiwakes above the boat ( look carefully at the photo from yesterday!) and Fishermen leaving the harbour at 3.30 am, we set sail just after 7am for an 8 hour passage today; crossing the Firth of Forth, passing the Isle of May and sailing across St Andrew's Bay. It was just 8 degreees as we left and super chilly on the water, we both had 4 layers, plus jackets and over trousers and I even wore a hat!
Thankfully, the sea state was largely calm, with just come choppiness as the tides diverted mid channel. As we sailed northwards, the skies cleared and we arrived to Arbroath in beautiful sunshine, discarding layers as quickly as we could! The harbour master informed us we were very lucky as it is rarely nice like this here! Seals, puffins, auks and a couple of dolphins accompanied us on our journey today....then it was the usual minefield of lobster and crab pots to negotiate as we entered the harbour.
Following a quick trip to Morrisons ( I could have been in Sidcup) and agg with the laundry ( these things still have to be done), we managed a nice Facetime with Rob and Jade and a BBQ steak on the Cobb BBQ! The boat is currently like Mrs Wong's laundry trying to dry off the bedding so we can retire!
Not sure on our moves for tomorrow yet; we know there's some bad weather coming at the end of the week so trying to work out where we would like to be at that point as we are likely to be port bound for a few days. That said, a rest day in port would be welcome.....watch this space!
Miles sailed: 34 Nm
4 June 2022
A day out in Edinburgh
Dunbar was very well placed for us to take a 25 min train ride into central Edinburgh for a 'grand day out'.
The day started with us meeting Leona, Tom, Hannah, Dale and Chris for brunch at Victor Hugo Deli on George Street. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and a bit of 'home' - thanks again for slightly delaying your day to meet up with us!
A whistle stop tour of Edinburgh followed, with a walk up to the Castle, back down the Royal Mile including the impressive St Giles Cathedral, into Princes Gardens to see the Jubilee flower clock and a whizz around the Scottish National gallery, with a delicious icecream thrown in. The skies were clear and blue, and the sun shone making the city look particulalry beautiful.
The Royal Yacht Brittania was on the afternoon agenda. A visit here had been on my wish list for the trip and it didn't disappoint. It is an amazing ship and the self guided tour displayed it in its original state, from the state rooms down to the boiler room. It felt like a much loved ship and was very much a home from home for the Royal family. We enjoyed a cream scone and cup of Earl Grey on the Aft deck in the tea room looking out aross the Firth of Forth. A very memorable visit.
A quick Aperol Spritz and a glass of Red wine in the Festival park in the sunshine before we jumped on the ( delayed by an hour) train back to the boat rounded off a great day.
We will be pleased to leave this slightly uncomfortable mooring against the harbour wall tomorrow and are heading up to Arbroath. Conditions look slightly better so fingers crossed for a better passage than yesterday.
3 June 2022
Holy Island ( Lindisfarne) to Dunbar Harbour, Scotland!
Once again today, the forecasters got it wrong :(
We had Force 4/5 North Easterly wind over or cross tide for the entire 36 mile journey today which made for an unpleasant day's sailing ( we were promised a Force 2/3 SE...this makes a big difference believe me!)
Four layers back on, we had rain threatening most of the way until we were 8 miles from Dunbar when the sun came out to greet us.
We caught the tide heading northwards and passed the England/Scotland border just north of Berwick - upon - Tweed. Scottish courtesy flag flying, we contemplated how far we had come and how strange time is as a concept, when you are only living in the moment and planning a couple of days at a time.
Despite having read up on navigation to enter the harbour at Dunbar, it was the most challenging entry yet, and Dave did really well to maintain a course through the narrow rocky entrance. A warm greeting awaited us from the harbour mistress ( is that a word?) and her assistant to take our lines. This is another first for us, as we are moored to a harbour wall and have vertical steps to climb up to the harbour itself! Unfortunately the Yacht Club is having a refurb...so the next challenge was a quick dash to the nearby leisure centre for a shower before they closed!!!
All this effort will be worth it as tomorrow we have a train ride and brunch date in Edinburgh with friends, and are then booked to go on the Royal Yacht Brittania - something I've wanted to do for a long time and feels very appropriate this weekend.
We are about to go for a walk around Dunbar, but as photos are not currently loading, I will add those in the next few days when I can. It's a pretty Scottish fishing community; apparenty the fishing fleet go at 4am.....joy!
2 June 2022
Amble Marina to Holy Island, Northumberland ( Lindisfarne)
Apologies for delay in updating this one, we were anchored in the bay at Lindisfarne last night with minimal signal and certainly no Wifi from our Dongle!
We had a wonderful sail up in sunshine from Amble. The sea was like glass as we left the marina, and with only 2 layers on ( we usually have 4!) it began to feel like a holiday! Some reminiscing when we past Seahouses ( an old Diving haunt) and wonderful to pass up Inner sound past the Farne Islands.
We were greeted at Lindisfarne by seals all around us and lots more amusing puffins! Puffins are very skittish birds and dive as soon as we get anywhere near to them but are great to watch.. The seals just lumbar about and pop up intermittently to check us out.
We had planned a BBQ in the sunshine, but the clouds rolled in so whilst it was cooked on deck on our Cobb BBQ, it was eaten down below; not before we had toasted the Queen with a lovely bottle of sparkling wine bought for us by our friend Kathy from Buckingham Palace - thank you...the moment was much enjoyed.
Optomistically assuming the Northumberland population would be beacon lighting, I kept vigil at 9.45pm.....but a measly showing of one beacon on mainland was all I could spot!
Happy Platinum Jubilee your Majesty!
1 June 2022
Amble Marina, Northumberland
Amble has lived up to its name as 'the friendliest port' , with helpful marina staff and friendly locals
On our rest day, it was great to catch up with long calls to both Rob and Katie and I also managed a brief videocall with my Rockie friends this evening. We remain hopeful that Katie and Joe will be home on 20th June......with everything crossed for succesful Visa updates in the next week.
After an unsuccesful attempt to eat dinner out last night, we opted for a late lunch time slot today instead, and enjoyed delicious local seafood at The Old Boathouse with views up and down the River Coquet Estuary.
Boat re- provisioned and fuelled, the evening skies cleared and we walked 8 or 9 miles around the Amble area. Initially following the river to Warkworth Castle and then inland, with views out to sea and finishing on the Coast path at Hauxley as the sun went down. It was a beautiful sunset with red skies at night, so hoping for another settled day tomorrow.
Tomorrow sees us heading up to Holy Island ( Lindisfarne) and sleeping on an anchorage rather than in a marina. It's a relatively short passage of around 20 miles. We are hoping to see some beacons light up the coast for the Platinum Jubilee tomorrow evening.
Total miles walked: 11.1 miles ( no wonder my legs are aching!)
31 May 2022
Hartlepool Marina to Amble Marina, Northumberland
Good fortune finally came our way with the weather Gods seeming to be on our side today (or maybe Kathy and Bernie have been busy with their candles!) We left Hartlepool marina at 6.30am with 4 layers of clothes on each and could see our breath in the air! However, as we approached open sea, the sea was glassy and like a mill pond . Winds were light and we had sunshine all the way.....it was like being in the Mediterranean for a little while and we gradually dropped layers as we warmed up.
The strange thing was that looking back to land, it was clearly raining and indeed the Marina receptionist told us it had been 'double speed' wiper raining earlier here! It was as if there was a line about 1/2 a mile from land which delinated sunny and rainy weather fronts and for once we were on the right side of it!
After 25 days, I managed my first G&T on the deck when we arrived as the sun was still shining :)
The passage was fascinating.....Sunderland, South Shields, the entry to the River Tyne and North Shields gave way to sandy beaches as we moved to Northumberland. On our approach to Amble, we passed close to Coquet Island where Puffins breed. There were clusters of Puffins sitting on the sea and a few seals peeking out of the water to watch us pass by.
Amble is a pretty little town, with independent shops but our attempt to eat out failed miserably and we ended up with Fish and Chips! There is the first of the Northumberland Castles just a mile up river, which we will go to explore tomorrow.
Miles travelled: 45 Nm
30 May 2022
Scarborough Harbour to Hartlepool Marina
Despite extensive research, conditions today did not match the predicted!! The wind came from every direction possible through the day and the waves rolled in from the North Sea, We managed to dodge huge cloud bursts which we could see on land and on sea right until we arrived at the Marina.
Highlight of the day was 2 seperate sightings of dolphins and lots more Gannets and Auks skimming the waves. It was also interesting to see Whitby from the sea. The Coast line was otherwise cliff lined, with little else to remark on.
Once berthed, the rain has been heavy for the evening, so other than a stretch of legs around the marina, we haven't ventured further. It is a very industrial area and other than a potential walk to Seaton ( where the Canoe guy faked his death), there isnt much more to explore.
We are going to take advantage of calm ( ?!?!?) conditions predicted tomorrow and do another big jump up to Amble in Northumberland to make up for lost time, with a rest day again on Wednesday.
Miles sailed: 41 Nm
29 May 2022
A weekend away!
Thoroughly enjoyed our trip to South Shields to visit the Allcoat family for the weekend! Living so far apart makes it difficult to spend time together, so most definitely a couple of days well spent! Dinner out on Saturday night at Blue Bistro and a home cooked Sunday lunch were both delicious. Great to see the Dolan family too this morning....thank you all for taking the time out to see us!
Journied on the train via York to Newcastle and then Metro to South Shields. Northern Eastern Rail cancelled our scheduled train for the last leg of our journey back so we had the bonus of an enjoyable hour doing a walking tour of York Minster, the Shambles and River Ouse whilst we waited for the next train.
Back in Scarborough now and finally the sea has turned to glass again! Wind swinging round and calming, so we are good to go in the morning on the 6am tide :)
27 May 2022
& still in Scarborough!
Day 4 in Scarbrough. We had been hoping to sail on tomorrow but following discussions with the Harbourmaster/ Watch keeper, he concurred that it would be foolish as wind over tide is still very much prevalent and seas are forecast rough as the day progresses. He felt we would probably have to retrace our steps if we attempted a passage.
The winds are due to turn from the south on Monday, so we will make our escape then!
We had another chilled day today, culminationg with a 5 mile walk of both North and South bays, St Mary's Churchyard to visit Anne Bronte's grave, Peasholm Park (interesting for it's oriental syling) and a trip to the Cinema to see Top Gun Maverick . The Cinema was a relic from the 60's including curtain, red veleveteen flip up seats and an usher with ice creams. We both enjoyed the film which with a nod to the original also had some great flight scenes and to be fair the digital projection and sound was as good any newer cinema.
So, never one to miss an opportunity, we are going to have a night away from the boat tomorrow and catch the train to Newcastle via York to see my eldest Goddaughter, Rachel and her family for the weekend in South Shields; with overnight stay and Sunday lunch thrown in! It will be lovely to spend some time together.
No blog tomorrow .....see you Sunday night!
PS. Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Ficken! Hope you had a wonderful day x
26 May 2022
Still in Scarborough!
Wind and tide continue to be against us. We are facing a 50 mile journey in a wind over tide situation ( that means a very hard and bumpy sail for those who don't know!).....and these strong winds aren't abating, it blew Force 6's for most of today! There seems to be a weather pattern of strong winds and rain through the day and then beautiful sunny evenings which whilst lovely, are not much use for our travels. We are trying not to get frustrated and just enjoy exploring a part of the world we don't know very well.
The day disappeared in life admin, Dave doing some work, food shopping and washing!....but I did finally start a knitting project for baby Rade ( Rob and Jade's baby!)
Once the rain and wind settled late afternoon, we took a long walk around the North bay......stunning views across towards Robin Hood's Bay. I also found an excellent Blue lagoon.....!
Hoping we might be able to move on on Saturday...so may go to York for the day tomorrow on the train. We will see how the morning takes us....
Miles walked: 5 Miles
25 May 2022
A day out in North Yorkshire!
Following a vague suggestion from the harbour master, we took the opportunity for a day away from the boat today.
We awoke to Force 7 winds battering the boat and rocking us significantly even in the harbour. Thankfully we are securely moored to a finger pontoon and today was certainly not a day to be sailing. We could see white horses on the waves for miles out to sea!
The X28 bus took us from Scarborough to the pretty market town of Pickering. Great views across the moors from the top deck as we came out of Scarborough.
Botham's tea rooms provided quick refreshments before we boarded the 12pm North Yorkshire Moors Steam railway for the 1hr 45 mins journey between Pickering and Whitby. The carriages were from bygone days and the picture windows and slow pace gave us every chance to see the N Yorks moors. We also stopped at Goathland ( Aidensfield for any Heartbeat fans)
Whitby was delightful and we walked it to the full including the west pier, the harbour, the 199 steps, St Mary's Church and Whitby Abbey. We also learnt about Jet jewellry which was very interesting. Fish and Chips at the renowned Magpie cafe and then a ride home on the X93 bus via Robin Hood's Bay.
Still waiting for these unseasonal conditions to settle :( so will be here tomorrow at least...hoping for a weather window Fri/ Sat to move on up to Hartlepool.
Miles walked : 8 miles
24 May 2022
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
A very mixed day of sunshine and torrential downpours. The wind has really blown up this evening, with the tide and wind both on the stern it is going to be a rocky night!
Not sure where today went.....Started the day getting to grips with another washing machine! Then a walk into town and a bit of shopping - this is the first proper town we have visitied with High Street shops. A birthday voucher spent on a few treats ( thanks Lynette) and dinner purchased from M&S food :)
I took the opportunity for 2 video calls with 2 very good friends whilst in harbour, whilst Dave chatted to the Harbourmaster and other sailors in the port to share thoughts on forward passages.
Weather forecast is shocking for the next couple of days so battening down the hatches and staying put here. We are going for a day out in Yorkshire tomorrow!
23 May 2022
Bridlington to Scarborough, North Yorkshire
The day started with a good omen as Dave was splatted by a seagull as we left Bridlington Harbour! We made a dash for it just after High Water before the Bridlington Fishing fleet returned as that is like being on the M25 at rush hour!
We were both feeling quite nervous after the engine difficulties on our last passage, but Ventus came up trumps once again. Conditions were calm and settled so we motor sailed to give the engine a good run to restore our confidence. This allowed us a slow meander around Flamborough Head which was an ornithologists dream with Gannets, Auks and Puffins all around us. They were a sight to behold ( but difficult to capture on camera!)
We arrived at Scarborough quicker than intended, and Chris the very helpful watchkeeper literally shouted instructions from the harbour wall to allow us entry on low water; 1.8 metres of water with a 1.2 metres draft boat!! We are now settled in a berth well sheltered below Scarborough Castle.
A walk right around the bay to stretch legs and ground us before dinner on board; Scarborough is a grand old fashioned seaside resort for sure. The walk back across the beach just the thing before settling for the night
There are some very strong winds coming through with squalls over the next couple of days, so we plan to stay here for a few nights. The next hop is a big one again and we also need the tides to move on a little to give us a 10 hour window for the journey.
22 May 2022
Bridlington - Day trip to Beverley
Travelled to Beverley on a super smooth and modern Northern train to meet our friends Bernie, Steve and Jess for the day.
Sunday lunch in The Tiger Inn was appreciated by all.
An interesting visit to the stunning Beverley Minster followed, with it's intricate carving, Flying Butresses (thanks Steve!) and history going back to the 700's .
An incident involving the purchase of a soap dish caused great amusement - but perhaps you had to be there!
We walked on through the town and out for a walk around Westwood Common with it's vast swathes of buttercups...a real sea of yellow.
A final drink in the Market square was enjoyed before heading our separate ways.....thanks to the Oakes for taking the time to come over to meet us!
Sea bound tomorrow with everything crossed for a smooth passage to Scarborough.
Miles walked: 7 Miles
21 May 2022
Bridlington, East Yorkshire
Further engine testing today and so far, so good. No longer losing coolant and water pumping through the engine nicely. Engine tested for 2 hours this morning so looking like we are good to go again.
We spent over 2 hours mulling passage planning this morning as there are some strong winds forecast along the East coast this next week. We will move up to Scarborough on Monday in settled conditions and light winds to ensure smooth passage and to grow engine confidence again! We may be port bound again, but this very unsettled weather is fickle...we will have to wait and see how the week develops.
A lovely walk this afternoon. Having caught the No. 14 bus from the town centre to Flambrough with a top deck view of the kites, we walked on a couple of miles to Flambrough head with it's new and old lighthouses. Light refreshments duly taken in the form of tea and cake (!), we then walked the coast path back to Bridlington. Stunning views and a lot of steps! By the time we returned to the boat we had walked over 10 miles.....I think that's a record for us!
Tomorrow we are getting the train to Beverley to meet up with our lovely friends, Steve, Bernie and Jess for Sunday lunch. They are kindly crossing the penninies from Cheshire to see us for the day :)
Final entry for the day is a huge Happy Birthday to our wonderful daughter - in law Jade - 30 today! Hope you've had a fab day!
Miles walked: 10.5 miles
20 May 2022
Bridlington, East Yorkshire
Yesterday brought engine issues which is why we had to divert to Bridlington. We hadn't intended visiting here, as the harbour dries out to soft mud ( see photos below) and we have never trialled our fin keel in mud before. Thankfully an overnight very low spring tide didn't move the boat and she settled very nicely into the mud. Tides today have meant we haven't been able to run the engine as Ventus has sat in mud for most of the day; but as I type the tide has come back in and the engine tests begin. We have been in touch with an engineer, Jimmy, who we are hoping will pop along in person to add further advice to the helpful telephone advice he gave this morning. We need to understand why the engine overheated and we lost coolant yesterday before we set sail to sea again.
The local harbour community has been extremely helpful, including the harbour master personally checking in with us to see if we need anything and offering help and advice. A real warm welcome!
Bridlington has been a very pleasant surprise. Unlike other seaside places we have visited so far, it appears to be a thriving community driven by the largest shellfish (lobster and crab) fishing industry in the UK. The beaches are manicured and everywhere appears well kept. We had a delicious and well needed lunch in Pier 6 by the harbour, the obligatory trip to top up on supplies, and once the rain had passed through we have had a delightful walk along the South beach for a few miles this evening.
There is a famous Kite festival on the nearby Sewerby cliffs this weekend which will be a great sight to see, and we are planning to catch a bus to Flamborough Lighthouse and then walk the 6 - 7 miles back along the cliff tops to see the Seabirds for which this area is famous.
We will wait here again tomorrow for further engine tests etc as we don't want to take any risks with the engine at sea.
Miles walked : 5.5 Miles
Total distance sailed: 294 Nm
19 May 2022
Grimsby to Bridlington Harbour
Short post this evening as no shore power.
Long day, but safely in the busy fishing harbour of Bridlington for the night.
Distance travelled: 52 Nm
18 May 2022
Fish Dock Island, Grimsby
Rest day in Grimsby today.
Dave spent the morning repairing our VHF radio, the deck gland had disintegrated- sounds painful, but basically meant the signal wasn't getting though! He also replaced the Main halyard ( which was also not functioning smoothly!)
This afternoon we decided to go for walk. Mmmmm......Grimsby (and Cleethorpes) lives up to its name. In an effort to find the coast path, we ended up within the small town that is Young's Sea food HQ. What a huge operation that is! Eventually we negotiated our way to the sea wall and continued to Cleethorpes as far as the pier. We had intended getting the train back to Grimsby but as it was cancelled at the last minute the bus did the job instead. That too was a bit of an eye opener! Unlike Wells, we will not be rushing to return here. The local sailing folk here have been extremely friendly and helpful, but it really is a mixed bag of a town.
An interesting fact about Grimsby is that is is famous for smoked haddock. There are lots of smoking houses around and a general fishy aroma in the air.
Sea bound again tomorrow. Very good forecast, so hoping to do another big jump up to Scarborough for a few days.
Distance walked: 7 miles
17 May 2022
Wells next the Sea to Grimsby
Another long passage today, but what different conditions!
We set off from Wells Town Quay at 7.45am just before HW slack to catch the tide out. It runs at 6 knots through the channel so you need to get your timing right! The weather was glorious and as we set sail, it really felt like we were in the Mediterranean. An easy and quick crossing of the Wells sand bar and we were in open sea across the Wash! There are a LOT of wind farms out there.... and a LOT of open sea!!
After a slow start, we picked up speed with the northern flow of the tide and, with both sails up, we motor sailed getting up to 7 knots for a few hours to clear some miles.
The approach to the Humber was very choppy as tides clashed, so we dropped the main sail and rode in on the gib and an incoming tide, again making 7 knots easily. The shipping was very imposing and we had a slightly close shave with one vessel - the pilot requiesting we make quick passage out of his way!!
Unfortunaly we realised our VHF cabling by the mast had been pulled out in rough seas over the last few days - so we had limited Radio capacity - thank goodnesss the Hand held VHF unit was with us and charged for such an event and saw us safely into Fish Dock Island Marina, Grimsby for the night.
A friendly greeting and 2 pints for £4.20 ...plus the nicest shower has made Grimsby anything but grim on arrival!
We will stay here for 2 nights as having done 2 x 50 miles plus passages in 3 days, we are ready for a rest day tomorrow ......next task trip advisor for what to do in Grimsby!
Thanks to all who have messaged with recommendations...so far we have had gin, sea food, museum and walking routes suggestions! If anybody has any ideas of things to do whilst we are on passage, do contact us either via Whats App or the email address on the contact page!
Distance travelled: 57 Nm
Time: 10 hrs 15 mins
16 May 2022
Wells next the Sea, Norfolk
Following our very long and tricky day yesterday we spent a sunny day in Wells today. In order to move the boat up to the Town Quay, we needed to catch the early morning tide, so at 6.30am we were up again and negotiating the channel up river from the Outer Harbour. It was a much easier passage in the day light and calm conditions for sure!
The Town Quay is well served with a floating barge with showers and washing facilities. As we were moored directly beside it , I took the opportunity to do some washing ...so we have nice clean sheets tonight!
We treated ourselves to a lovely, early breakfast at Bang in Wells, before retreating back to the boat for a few hours sleep.
A few more chores, filling, charging and walking into the town for food provisions filled most of the afternoon, before we took a long walk to the beach and were treated to a beautiful sunset.
We had intended staying here for a few days, but we have another long leg to complete and tomorrow looks like a better day than Wednesday so have decided to go for the passage tomorrow and move up to Grimsby! We are making up time from the extended stay in Southwold.
It's really lovely here, with the beautiful beaches and quaint surroundings - we will return next year for a few days to properly explore the area. Sue and Tony we understand now!
One point of interest today, there is a sculpture of a horse on the sands by the quay. At low tide it is completely visible but at high tide is completely covered. It is a testament to the horses which used to pull the lifeboat to the coast in bygone days! You will see from the photos the difference in the landscape between high and low tide and why access is only HW +/- 2 hours.
Distance walked: 6.8 miles
15 May 2022
Great Yarmouth to Wells next the Sea, Norfolk
Long sail...short blog!
After a slightly hair raising passage, we are safely in Wells next the Sea for the a couple of days. Currently moored in the outer harbour which we entered in the dark and rainy conditions and with just 40 cm of water depth to spare .....plus a force 4 gusting 6 wind blowing! Not an experience to be repeated in a hurry :(
Will update with photos tomorrow ....now to bed.
PS Thanks Dad for giving me Bishop Rock trip experience as training for today!
Distance sailed: 53 Nm
Time 11 Hours
14 May 2022
Southwold Harbour to Town Hall Quay, Great Yarmouth
Finally the wind dropped and we exited the Southwold harbour on a glorious sunny morning. Winds were light and finally we were able raise the sails and turn off the engine as we passed northward with a steady sail up the coast from Suffolk into Norfolk. All was relatively smooth, until we hit the turbulent entrance to the River Yare where the confluence of tides was like being in a washing machine! A motor upriver to the Town Hall Quay took us along industrial banks and past Wind farm support services.
Our mooring for the night was booked to be along the harbour wall, which on closer inspection looked rather tricky.....with tide turning and winds against us!
Two very kind gentlemen from the Lydia Eva Steam Drifter Trust offered for us to come alongside the vessel of the Historic National Fleet , helped with lines and let us raft up to her instead for the night. A much better and safer prospect! They then proceeded to give us a full and fascinating tour of their renovation project. It felt a little surreal clambering ( at their direction) over the no entry signs and across deserted decks to access Ventus.
A further incident of a lost fender, meant an expedition along the quay for Dave; with an eagle eye and a boat hook all was not lost and the errant fender retrieved!
Great Yarmouth is certainly a town of mixed fortune. The magnificent maritime buildings now lost between neon lights of the promenade and kiss me quick hats.
We rounded off the day with a trip to the cinema - a Downton fan through and through I wanted to catch the new movie on the big screen. It was nice to sit in a comfortable arm chair for the evening!
A big challenge tomorrow to sail past the North Norfolk beaches ....due to tides we hope to make an anchorage at Blakeney, with forward passage to Wells next the Sea on Monday.
Distance travelled : 22 Nm
Time: 4 hrs 45 mins
13 May 2022
Port bound......but worse places to be than lovely Southwold!
As expected weather stopped play today. A steady Force 5 gusting 7/8 prevailed for most of the day, rocking us around on our mooring and whipping around the rigging! Finally settled around 18.00 and once again has left a beautiful evening; we actually managed to sit on the deck for a coffee for the first time since we arrived.
Started the day with a videocall to my lovely friend Faye whilst Dave did some engine maintainence removing a build up of salt crystals in the water cooling system.
Thanks for the day go to the Southwold Harbourmaster who sourced Diesel for the next legs of our journey and gave some really helpful advice regarding resting buoys for our long journey to North Norfolk over the next few days.
We finished the afternoon with a 7 mile return walk from the harbour to Blythburgh across the Nature reserve. If you ever find yourself in Southwold and fancy a nice inland walk, I would highly recommend. There's a lovely pub, The White Hart Inn situated with views across the Salt marshes in Blythburgh for well earned refreshments halfway.
12 May 2022
Birthday on board
Rosie's birthday celebrations in Southwold today :)
We had an early morning wake up as the Fisherman left the harbour at 5.30am under beautiful blue skies.
Brunch from Samantha K's fish stall of King prawns and smoked Salmon was a deicious treat!
Katie and Joe video called from Shanghai for happy birthday chat , before we headed up to Southwold for the Adnams Distillery tour.
The tour was great - who knew Adnams gin came from vodka and vodka from unhopped beer! The copious tastings at the end of the tour were delicious, but necessitated a trip to a cafe for Coffee and flapjack to mop up all the alcohol afterwards!
A walk past all the beach huts and some 2p waterfall slots on the pier were folowed by a delicious meal at The Sail Loft, by which time Dave managed a Ghost Ship Ale and me a Copperhouse London Dry G & T!
Ended the day with a Facetime call with Rob, Jade and baby Rade to chat through birthday fun.
Thank you to everyone who took time to message me, &/or sent a card before we set sail for me to open today - I have made card bunting on our washing line on the boat !
Port bound again tomorrow, but looks like a weather window opening for the 2 hops up to the North Norfolk beaches over the weekend - fingers crossed!
11 May 2022
Boat bound!
A weather front passed through today. Torrential rain and very gusty winds - we were pleased to be safely up the River Blyth and tied to a pontoon; even the Fishermen didn't go out today!
Visited the Harbour Inn pub for a light bite of lunch which is just across the way from where we are moored, then it was an afternoon of life admin dry, warm and cosy aboard Ventus.
Thanks to Rob for the IT support, the video of Ventus is now live on the landing page, and there is now also an email address should you wish to contact us through the website :)
Highlight and thanks of the day are to the 2 delightful 'Chuckle Brothers' style Sainsbury delivery staff who not only drove 35 miles to bring us supplies, but insisted on bringing them along the pontoon to the boat. It was a 'me to you' comedy on slippery boards with a trolley and heavy load! Boat now fully re provisioned...well done Sainsbury's !
Finished the day with a beautiful sunset and walk around Walberswick.
10 May 2022
Suffolk Yacht Harbour to Southwold Harbour
Another early tide to catch and another 6.30am ropes off! It was a tricky decision today as to whether to push on up the East Coast as winds were Force 4 gusting 6; but with conditions deteriorating for the next few days and as a southerly wind with ebbing tide were working together we decided we were best placed for a passage today. We got the sail out briefly as we exited the Orwell, but the unpredictable gusts and 1- 2 metre swell meant safety and control first and so another motor sail day ensued.
Despite the bumpy ride and rain showers, we had a great view of the Suffolk coastline, the entry to the River Deben, Orford and Aldeburgh. Then, Sizewell power station made an imposing blot on the landscape before the Southwold harbour approach loomed into sight.
We are lucky to have been able to moor on the pontoon by the Harbour masters office in Southwold Harbour...but fear an early morning wake up by the local fishermen as we are right beside the Fishermem's huts and the consequential aroma!
After a much need nap, we have just returned from a lovely walk right through to Southwold Pier from the harbour, with traditional fare on the way! Then a loop back to the boat past the water tower and Golf course to the harbour.
Staying here for the next couple of days to ride out the weather and spend a special day here on Thursday! Adnams tour booked.......of course!
Distance travelled: 33 Nm
Time: 7 hours
Walk: 4 miles
9 May 2022
A day of rest....
After 2 long days of sailing, and following a hectic lead up to ropes off, we took a day to rest today. That largely involved sleeping, videocalls with both our children and eating!
We took a walk up to a local farmshop for some supplies as this is a remote marina and there are no shops locally. A delicious cream tea was in order at Goslings Farm Garden cafe.
Family news - unfortunately Katie remains in strict lockdown and on food rations in Shanghai, which is miserable but she and Joe are keeping their spirits up as much as they can. Rob meanwhile is busy decorating the nursery!
We treated ourselves to dinner at The Ship Inn, Levington. It was a lovely pub with delicious food a mile or so's walk along up river past the Salt marshes.
Total distance walked: 8 miles!
Early start tomorrow for the hop up to Southwold. The wind has changed to S/SW, so with the tide on our side, hoping for a smoother but gustier sail further up the coast.
8 May 2022
Brightlingsea to Suffolk Yacht Harbour, River Orwell
Decision made to make the next passage, knowing wind over tide was going to be an issue with a Force 3/4 North Easterly wind blowing against the tidal flow ( bit technical for non boaties, but those who are will sympathise!)
It was a very uncomfortable passage, with nose on winds and very choppy sea making motor sailing the safest option.
It was interesting seeing the seaside towns of the Essex coast - Jaywick, Clacton, Holland on Sea and Frinton before the colourful beach huts of Walton on the Naze and the final approach to Harwich across Pennyhole Bay.
A noisy Port of Harwich led to us change marina choice for the night and we motored up the River Orwell for a short way to Suffolk Yacht Harbour. Despite it not living up to its promise of supplies, electricity and Wifi (!), it is in a beautiful and peaceful location and we were treated to a beautiful sunset.
Rest day tomorrow - long sleep and more walks in the area before planning to hop up the coast on Tuesday..
Distance travelled: 29 Nm
TIme: 7 hours 10 mins
7 May 2020
Stangate Creek to Brightlingsea
An early morning wake up paid dividends in providing calm seas and fair weather for our departure from Stangate Creek at 5.30am. We headed out of the River Medway, crossing the Thames Estuary to the Essex coastline, passing the wreck of SS Richard Montgomery en-route. There was minimal wind so we were forced to motor rather than sail today, but we maximised the tidal flows and averaged around 5.5 Knots.
Fortunately the ever shifting sandbanks of the Thames Estuary were negotiated without incident!
However, unfortunately we hit a weather front as we passed Bradwell and Dave particularly, ended up testing his wet weather gear! A very wet entry in poor visibility to Brightlingsea, was aided by the Harbour master who came out to guide us onto our North Pontoon mooring for the night.
After a well earned afternoon nap, we took the water taxi to Brightlingsea hard. We then stretched out legs and walked 10Km past Bateman's Tower along West Marsh and the banks of the River Colne. It was a beautiful evening and the Wildlife Reserve was full of birdsong, including a persistent Cuckoo!
Wet gear all dried out now, steak on board for dinner and an earlyish night before the next hop ( weather permitting) to Shotley Marina on the River Orwell tomorrow.
Distance travelled: 36 Nm
TIme: 7 hours
6 May 2022
Ropes off!
After months of planning we finally left Gillingham Marina to start our adventure at 17.30 this afternoon.
It took both cars full to the brim yesterday to get everything we needed down to the Marina and loaded onto the boat; but Ventus is like a tardis and we were able to bring everything we wanted to in the end - with the exception of only being able to bring 1 folding cycle!
We sailed down the River Medway on the ebbing tide early evening and are now anchored in Stangate Creek for the night.
We have an early morning start tomorrow to catch the tide across the Thames Estuary and up to Brightlingsea in Essex. The wind direction isn't great, so we could be in for a bit of a bumpy ride.... but the weather is set fair.
Thanks today to Max for a much appreciated lift to the station...and Pete for ropes off photos!
5 May 2022
Sail away delay....
Due to late delivery of an important part for the boat and general need for another day to get ourselves together, we are delaying our 'ropes off' until the ebbing tide on Friday afternoon ( subject to weather conditions too).
3 May 2022
End of an era
After over 40 years since beginning my training as a Physiotherapist, and having practised as a Children's Physiotherapist for 35 of those years in the NHS, I hung up my boots today!
Thank you so much to 'The Dream Team' at Acorns, Queen Mary's Hospital for making my last day so special and for your generosity in words and gifts. It was lovely to feel so appreciated.
It has been a real privilege to work with so many amazing children and their families over my career.
Who knows what the autumn will bring, but for now it's retirement for the summer and excitement for adventures ahead....
30
April
2022
Boat prep.....
A busy day at the boat in Gillingham Marina today. Before and after pictures below! Boat spic and span and ready for loading as our 'home from home' over the next few days. Taking the kids with us....
25 April 2022
Website design....
This is all new to me and, yep, this is pretty much how I'm feeling. It can only get better, bear with me.....!!!
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