One way to get to Dartmouth from Poole when the wind is from the West is of course to beat to windward. Or you could put in just two long tacks - one to Cherbourg, and the other from Cherbourg to Dartmouth. Makes the sailing a lot more fun.
Aim of trip was to be in Dartmouth for the following weekend to attend Angela's cousin Dan's wedding in Kingswear, and combine that with a few days family boating. Well we made it to Dartmouth as you can see - taking the scenic route.
After picking Gerry up from Southampton airport last Saturday and provisioning at Tesco we made it down to the boat, stowed away, filled up with water and fuel and finally made our way into Studland bay and dropped anchor around tea-time.
We left Studland Bay on Saturday 28th at midnight and arrived in Cherbourg 2pm Sunday. Bit of a slow passage compared to previous experience in Csardas, but suppose that is to be expected. Plus our original plan had been to aim to Alderney but our slow progress meant we'd end up pushing tide and wind nearer Alderney, so plan B was Cherbourg and although that meant we were now down tide we had a freer course on the wind.
The wind speed/direction indicator on El Nino hasn't worked since she was launched this season. So we don't really know how strong the wind was. I reckon a 4-5. It was howling inside Cherbourg harbour.
Monday was spent in Cherbourg, with the obligatory meal of Moules Frites in the evening and on Tuesday morning we set sail for Dartmouth. This time we had a much faster sail with a decent SW breeze and the benefit of some West going tide up to the top of the mid-channel TSS putting us ahead of our ETA. We then changed course for Dartmouth on a more Wly heading. Unfortunately the SSWly forecast hadn't yet kicked in and as the wind had dropped and the tide had also turned we decided to motor-sail that last leg. Arrival time in Dartmouth was 0130 Wednesday morning.
Gerry flew back to Edinburgh on Wednesday morning and Angela and the kids drove down and joined me in the evening.
Gerry has more here.
Since then we've done the steam train, been to Paignton Zoo, caught six crabs, destroyed my phone by dropping it in the crab bucket, taken the ferry over to Dartmouth, visited Torquay (where I bought a cheapo PAYG phone to replace the drowned one), been to a model village, attended a wedding, and had a picnic on the cousin's farm.
Poor Ben broke his collar bone while I was sailing to Cherbourg (he fell off a gate). Being on a small boat is not really ideal when you need to take it easy and avoid moving your arm. Boys of 6 years old can't really sit still anyway. But it did put paid to any ideas of sailing elsewhere. So we've stayed put it Kingswear at Darthaven Marina and used the boat as a caravan.
Angela and the kids have now jumped ship and gone off to visit friends and family on the way home. Gerry joins me again on Wednesday and we'll make our way back to Dartmouth. But guess what, in typical fashion the prevailing winds have decided to stop prevailing for the three day window I have to get home. It could be light Easterlies (but nice weather). I think we'll be motoring home. Not sure we have time to go via Cherbourg again.