08/01/2008, still in Dartmouth
I am working on putting some pics in here but for the time being I am also using (or trying to use) my facebook as well. Check out this link for some pics and I will try to upload some here too
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51490&l=8c82f&id=595697432
|
Comments [0]
08/01/2008, currently alongside in Dartmouth
WIGHT MISTRESS ON DEPLOYMENT
For those of you who know us and Wight Mistress, you may recall a couple of busy seasons, followed by the engine blowing up in a spectacularly noisy way off North Head (near the Shingles Bank) in 2005. Since then we have fitted complete new propulsion system, new standing rigging and lots of paint and polish etc. WM is looking lovely and there follows an account of our first real outing since the refit.
The aim of this voyage is to do all the 'muths' from Ports 'muth' all the way to Fal 'muth' and maybe on to the Scillies this time. We do have to be back for Friday week, so if the weather is ok we may hop over to the French coast as well, who knows.
Thursday 24 July Island Harbour to Cherbourg - turned round mid-channel and back to Yarmouth
At 1400 Our friend Mike, from Australia arrived to join us for a bit of sailing. No real idea where we are going, other than the 'muth' thing - just where wind and tide allows us. We slipped around 1445 and locked out of Island Harbour.
Sails up and engine off before we passed the Folly and a gentle sail down the river. Engine back on as we passed the chain ferry and made our exit, motor sailing to the west. Lovely gentle ebb starting allowed the engine to be dismissed and we actually overtook a racing yacht off Hamstead Ledge while under full sail. Wind got up a bit as we passed Bridge, where we recovered a lost plastic inflatable dinghy end reported to Solent Coastguard. With the wind in the east and the prospect of a nice beam reach we turned onto 185 and made a B line for Cherbourg.
Strange thing was that, although it was really choppy B and I were fine but Mike, who is an experienced sailor, spent a bit of time throwing his heart up before retiring hurt to the quarter berth. Mal de Mer gets everyone eventually - regardless of sea leg qualities - it is only a matter of time. AND there but for the grace of God go we both. We got as far as the main shipping lane and decided that while we were ok, that discretion being the better ............ it was probably not a good idea to continue, as the tide was going to turn and put us wind over tide = rough-er sea. Sooooo, we turned about and ran up to the Solent to stop in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight, for the rest of the night.
It seemed as though everyone was out there that evening, all getting into problems. Both rescue helicopters and Swanage Lifeboat were out. One problem involved a boat called Corn Cockle, whose skipper was overboard but still connected with a lifeline. We, and 6 other vessels in the vicinity all headed toward Cockle's position but were beaten to it by the emergency services who, as always, provided an excellent service and all was well.
We settled in alongside in Yarmouth around 0130 after Steve insisted on a quick tour to find the best parking space, sat up nattering til 0300, then retired to our scratchers for some well-earned kip.
Friday 25 July 2008 Yarmouth to Poole
Departed Yarmouth at the crack of noon for a gentle sail west to Poole via Hurst Narrows and the north channel all the way round Christchurch and Poole Bays and in to Poole Town Quay, where Barbara treated us to delicious chicken fajitas. This was followed by a pub-crawl along the Town Quay for a few well-earned beers and another decent nights kip.
Saturday 26 July 2008 Poole to Weymouth
After a leisurely start (the product of a little too much beer the night before) we slipped from Poole Town Quay around 1100, topped up with fresh water at the marina and ventured out of Poole in the bright sunshine (and very little wind). Next stop was Studland for lunch and a dip in the chilly waters. Chance for the odd photo shoot and then a leisurely motor sail close inshore from Studland, past Old Harry and his Wife, across Swanage Bay and round Peveril and St Albans Head and then hugged the coast along to Weymouth. We did stick our nose into Chapman's Pool and also into Lulworth Cove. A large number of rock climbers were enjoying a sunny afternoon along the Jurassic Coast, abseiling into crevices and trying to get out again (not the author's idea of fun but chaque un a son gout as they say in Wales).
Most of this leg was under power as there simply was not ANY wind at all. An early evening arrival in Weymouth for more of Barbara's lovely cooking - an excellent steak and salad, and a whole lot more beer.
Sunday 27 July 2008 Weymouth
When we woke up we found ourselves with another Fisher 34, Dragonfly of Chichester (Stuart and Anneka) rafted up on us. Lovely to meet them and talk 'Fisher' stuff.
Our daughter Sarah and her Australian boyfriend Jon came to see us with her friend Kate and we spent time on the beach, then drank FAR TOO much.
Monday 28 July 2008 Weymouth for another day
Baggy head today saw us staying another (3rd) night with a free option for a 4th one. Our next port of call is Exmouth. Tough life this sailing. At this point Mike had to leave us as he had a prior engagement, so Barbara and I made our plans. As we needed to slip and proceed at 0500 the following morning we engaged the skills of Dragonfly's crew and slipped out of the raft and on to the outside to minimise disruption in the early hours.
Tuesday 29 July 2008 Weymouth to Exmouth to Torquay
With 4 alarm clocks (well, one clock, 2 cellphones and a camera with an alarm facility) set, Steve woke at 0400 and made the essential cup of tea that is required to raise Barbara from her slumbers. We were singled up and gone by 0500 to make the slack around Portland Bill, allowing us to go close in without being bounced about. Timing was perfect; the waters around the Bill were like glass (well, slightly crinkly glass) and off we headed to the west, toward our next 'muth' and the mouth of the Exe.
7 ¾ bumpy hours later saw us at the entry of the Exe, looking for the easterly cardinal and the channel markers. The trip across had promised 5-6 gusting 7. What we actually received as Mother Nature's gift was 30 - 38 knots continuously with big gusts to 50 knots (Force 10). There was a 2-4 metre sea running and all the usual paraphernalia associated with a Storm Force wind. Wight Mistress, with her big genoa furled in to a handkerchief, mainsail equally throttled and spanker working well, was bimbling along at a comfortable 5 knots or so, apart from being slowed by the occasional huge wave. Sea was on the beam so she rolled interestingly. The great news was that only one wine glass threw itself across the cabin, turning itself into a rather complicated jigsaw puzzle, and one of our many teddy bears gathered from across the globe performed some unusual feats of acrobatic exercise as well.
By the time we arrived at the Exe mouth, the easterly cardinal buoy and indeed the port and starboard channel markers appeared to have gone on holiday themselves. With a hooley of a
Wind still beating us about a bit and the viz a bit poor we again took the discretion being the better part etc and looked for somewhere else to go. Next stop, Torquay-muth (well, we've started so we'll finish), arriving around 1900. All we managed, after 14 hours of busy sailing, was fish and chips and an early night. We booked 2 nights here to give us a break, let the bruises settle a bit and see a bit of Torquay. We subsequently heard in conversation that the buoys outside the Exe had been removed a couple of weeks previously and that one boat had already gone aground on the sands in the entrance. Not a good place to go if you don't know it and the locals have nicked the only navigational aids to get you in. As it happens, our phone call to Exe Marina confirmed the suspicions raised by the Almanac - the marina is full of local boats so it would have been a night on a mooring buoy - maybe next time.
Wednesday 30 July 2008 Torquay for another day
A quiet day doing the grockle thing here, we managed to purchase a set of 4 acrylic wine glasses (the type that bounce rather than go into kamikaze mode when the mood (or crinkly green stuff) takes them. We are changing all our crockery for this stuff.
Thursday 31 July 2008-08-01 Torquay to Brixham (all 3 miles of it)
Not quite ready for another bashing like the Lyme Bay dash, we thought we would just bimble from the north side of Torbay across to the south side and see another pretty harbour.
Apart from it being windy and rainy, Brixham was very picturesque. We did encounter a strange phenomenon - fuel starvation. Now, w topped Wight Mistress up just before leaving the Isle of Wight and with a full tank of 80 gallons (363 litres) and using 3.5 litres an hour, we felt we would be fine. A couple of times on our way from Exmouth to Torquay ( a few hours of motor-sailing) the engine laboured and died. Strange thought we, a new engine? Anyway,
We managed to get in to a fairly tight berth in Torquay with the engine stalling only once.
We sailed pretty much all the way into Brixham harbour, started the engine, dumped the sails and proceeded to make a sternboard (drive backwards) onto the fuel dock, when the engine died. Oh sh1t was heard from the helm; a quick restart and we parked port side to on the fuel berth, expecting an 80 gallon fuel bill. Odd!!! Even using a tyre lever and a big stick we could only get 72 litres into our 'empty' 363 litre tank!! So now we keep a very careful eye on our engine hours. I think there are 2 problems: one is that the suction pipe in the tank may have come apart and is only reaching the top 75 litres and the other is that the tank vent is not working properly. All listed for return to Island Harbour.
Friday 1 August 2008 Brixham to Dartmouth (all 10 miles of it)
A pleasant 3 hours of beating to windward took us round Berry Head and down past Druids Mare, East Blackstone and Mew Rocks and into Dartmouth. What a really beautiful town Dartmouth is. We have booked 2 nights here and have met up with a bunch of other yachts from the Solent, who have been (sensibly perhaps) holed up here for a week, while we were bashing around the English Channel in winds up to and including Force 10 (50 knots and not just gusting there). We have a friend in Dartmouth who we hope to catch up with. More of that later. Now that I have managed to get in to this blog again, I will try to upload some pics.
Later.........................
|
Roy
06/01/2008, Island Harbour, Isle of Wight UK
Here you see a pic of WM in the cradle. We hauled her out for a 'quickie (scrub and dunk) and decided to redo her antifouling, paint the boot topping and polish the sides, so she stayed ashore for a couple of extra days. It was soooooooooo worth it. We both feel a lot happier for doing the work. She is back in her slip and we are due to head out tomorrow, all being well.
more later
|
