Thursday 21st May wind SE 10 then increased to 18 E
After a good comfortable nights sleep at home we ( Richard, Sue and Maisie cat) boarded our well laden boat and dropped our mooring at 9:50 am. It was a calm but misty start as we said farewell to St Anthony’s light house and headed east.
We had planned to anchor at Cawsands but the wind turned easterly directly into the bay. We headed to Queen Anne’s Battery marina. We tied up at about 6:30pm.
Friday light southerly winds
After breakfast we walked to The Box art gallery in Plymouth. We viewed the excellent Beryl Cook exhibition there. Mostly her work, shows the lives of ordinary people around Plymouth where she lived. It evoked memories of growing up in the 1970s. She captured life in a humorous but affectionate way.
We left Plymouth early afternoon and enjoyed a gentle motor to Salcombe which has an interesting entrance. There is a sand bar meaning you have to approach on the west side by the marked channel. It was low tide and was the first time we had seen such large waves across the entrance.
After that bit of drama we found a very calm peaceful mooring further up the river. They call the mooring The Bag ( no idea why?) We were lucky to be invited to tie up alongside another Starlight yacht because they were part of a rally of Sadler and Starlight boats. We were invited for a drink with other owners and as ever boat misfortunes were discussed 😬
Saturday winds light southerly
After breakfast in the sunny cockpit we motored steadily to Dartmouth. We anchored between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge. The river Dart was bustling with ferries, speed boats and yachts. We saw the Waverley paddle steamer chugging by. We treated ourselves to a special evening meal at the chefs table of the Andria restaurant. It was a delicious and memorable birthday evening with interesting company and excellent food.
Sunday light north easterly wind
We raised our anchor at 6am to continue our journey eastward. We mostly motored to Portland Bill near Weymouth. The harbour is one of the largest human made harbours in the world. It is enclosed by Victorian breakwaters and Chesil Beach covering an area of approximately 2,500 acres. This gives natural protection and reliable sea breezes, making the harbour one of the best sailing and watersport locations in Europe.
We arrived late afternoon and tied up in the large modern marina. We had a brief stroll to Chesil beach clambering up to the top of the pebble slope to see the shoreline. After a beer stop en route we returned to the boat for our evening meal.
Monday winds mostly 16 easterly
After breakfast in the cockpit we made our way towards the Isle of Wight. We managed some reasonable sailing but mostly had the engine on as back up. A warm sunny day ☀️ We managed to find a marina berth in Yarmouth harbour and went ashore for our evening meal. We sampled On the Rocks, a restaurant where you cook your own food on very hot stone slabs. Delicious 😋
Tuesday light winds very warm
We took a break from the constant sailing and got some much needed sand between our toes, salt water and exercise. We caught the number 7 bus to Allum Bay arriving at a cliff top similar to Lands End with gift shops, food, amusements and the tourist tat you expect at such a popular location. Avoiding the queue on the chair lift we walked down the wooden steps to the pebble beach below. We sat and enjoyed the view of Alum bay and Needles lighthouse then climbed up part way to join the coast path. Very quickly we were away from the crowds and walking through green fields and dappled woodlands. A pebble and sandy beach proved tempting so we stepped gingerly into the cooler than expected sea. Confession, this was our first sea swim of the year, which is shameful really. After drying off and lunch in a cafe we continued to another beach and much needed refreshing dip. After showers using the excellent facilities at Yarmouth marina we ate on board. Maisie maybe enjoyed our company or the crunchy seabass skin 😻
Wednesday winds 15mph and easterly
We didn’t rush to leave Yarmouth in the morning as we had the tide against us in the light easterly winds. After waiting for a yacht that was rafted on to us to leave we topped up the diesel and edged out of Yarmouth harbour at 10:15am. We motor sailed along the Solent keeping to the edge of the channel but still making slow progress in the adverse tide. We had intended to head for Chichester but decided it was easier to stay in Gosport marina. After tying up we caught the ferry to Portsmouth for a quick meal in the early evening sun. We returned to Captiva to enjoy the cooler evening air sitting in the cockpit with Maisie. She was quite lively tonight, exploring the decks and getting unnervingly close to the pontoon. Contemplating jumping ship? Surely she would never leave Richard 🙀
