Yealm River to Hope Cove
15 September 2009 | Hope Cove 11Nm travelled
skip sunny,but strong NE wind
Reluctantly we left the Yealm, and headed once again for the open waters to the east. The wind refused to die and had swung directly on the nose (is it a karma thing?) so we decided to chug there under engine (as we needed hot water and to charge the batteries) to Hope Cove, tucked in behind the headland of Bolt Tail. This is where old commercial sailing ships would sit out Easterly weather waiting to head up the English Channel across Lyme Bay. It is nice to think we were doing the same as those old ships of yesteryear.
We thought we'd have the anchorage to ourselves, but no sooner had we dropped the hook and got it to dig in, than 3 other boats appeared around the headland and all anchored within a cable of us.... ho hum!
However we had a peaceful and calm night until sun up next day, when the wind again strengthened and shifted to the NNE and put us on a lee shore to bolt tail.......
Therefore we made out excuses and beat a hasty retreat from the anchorage!
What was interesting was watching the sunset to the west, over the ocean knowing that the next land in that direction was in the Americas! I will get an atlantic passage chart out and work out where that landfall is, so that perhaps one day we can sit at anchor to the west looking back at Hope Cove!
Photo of Nichola enjoying more local culture and September sunshine
slainte
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