I left on the 18th May and now its 18th August, so its taken exactly 3 months.I've covered 1911nm (2,200 miles) over the ground, or more correctly over the sea and river bed, according to my GPS. I estimate about 1809nm have been through the water, based on my calibration of my paddle log, so the tides, rather than sail or engine have taken me 101nm (117 miles). Most of the time I have sailed, though I may have motor sailed for 20% of the time and solely motored for 5% .Sometimes the wind drops, or just comes from the wrong direction and there is not much choice. All the trips have been day sails. The longest was Milford haven to Wexford (72nm) followed by Scarborough to Grimsby (65nm), then Wells to Lowestoft (57nm).
So now it's over, what's it all been about? What have I learned, What's been good and what's been bad and has it changed me?
When I set out, I was looking to retrieve some of the self confidence that had been knocked by being made redundant. This has been achieved in spades. There is a huge sense of satisfaction at having pulled this off in a small boat.There are probably only a handful of people who do this trip each year and for everyone of them their experiences will vary. Each circumnavigation is therefore unique. Nobody has done the trip I have made, though some will have done something similar.The experiences and memories are intense, as only those which are hard won under risky conditions can be.
Not thinking much beyond the needs of each day, has stopped me from possibly brooding about my old job. Indeed the press coverage about cuts and raids on pensions have left me thinking I got out just in time. I shall need to supplement my pension, but how is for tomorrow, or the day after.
Whilst there have been times when I would have liked some company, and I'm generally of the view that most things are better for being shared, I have never been lonely.There have been many hours spent just looking at the sea,but its always moving and you are anticipating the movement of the boat as each waves arrives. I think it must be similar to fishermen who sit and watch a float all day. It is both contemplative and purposeful. A sort of active readiness.I have needed to gain the confidence to know what is OK and what is not quite right and needs to be fixed. Such as does that cloud mean I need to reef now, or am I not reallygoing to be over pressed? You can never completely relax, there are too many fishing buoys out there to let you. I'm also convinced fiberglass is magnetically attracted to those floating lumps of plastic and line. Also conditions change quickly and suddenly everything which was calm is now chaos. Getting back to calm is always the focus and the challenge
I have never been bored either. Every place I have been has had interesting things to discover. Linking them all as been their association with the sea and shared histories.Doing a blog has been a good discipline. It has made me explore more thoroughly, to ensure I have understood things well and remembered them properly. I have described it, as a bit like writing a continuous postcard. My researches have reinforced my understanding of how the sea has shaped us.The fishing, the boat building and the trade is why so many of us have come to live on its edge, in houses built for those who used to do these things. It has influenced our language. It has both defended us from invasion and it has been the way the the invaders have come. It fascinates us, gives us pleasure, scares us and takes our lives. It is a massive influence on where and how we live.Those of us who sail maintain this strong connection and the friendliness and helpfulness of those I have met shows me that it brings out the best in people, I have met some great folk on this trip, including the fellow circumnavigators. It is the people and the places that have been important, which is why I'm more interested in this sort of sailing than doing transatlantic crossings. People who do that sort of thing alone are made of different stuff.
I confess to having a perverse satisfaction in doing this in a small boat. I have been able to go everywhere that larger boats have been at a fraction of the cost .Mooring fees, fuel costs have both been less. Whenever I have had the opportunity to compare Hylje's sailing performance, she has done really well to keep up with larger craft, so I have not paid the price of being any slower, or being constrained. Phil Ashwin's example of doing it in an even smaller 17ft craft should show that we do not need to feel limited by our length. Size really does not matter. Furthermore the ability to lift the keel and creep up drying rivers has allowed me to go places, which bigger and fixed keel boats owners don't tend to think about doing.
The hardest thing for me has been the difficulty of striking the right balance between making progress and spending time in places. Sometimes my stays have been through choice, and sometimes because bad weather has pinned me down. In either case I have been frequently nagged by the feeling that I should be pressing on.It has been important to feel that I was still moving.
I did not go around the top of Scotland because I thought I may be stuck in places waiting for the right conditions. As it turns out, I probably had sufficient time, but if I'd gone that way then maybe everything would have been different. Before I set out and since returning, people express the opinion that it was not a real circumnavigation.I don't think anyone who sails would say that.It does not cheapen the achievement. I'm comfortable that the route I took. It was just one of the many judgements I needed to make.
Doing this journey has made the UK seem bigger, rather than shrink it. It takes for ever to get beyond that headland you see in the distance and a whole day at sea does not take you far. The sense of the scale of the place and the riches it contains just makes me want to go back to so much of it and see the bits I missed. The one exception is Grimsby though. Whilst its redeeming features are the price of the beer in the bar and the friendliness of those in the marina, I won't rush back.
I have enjoyed the ongoing spectacle of the clouds the weather and the light.I should like to have seen more of the dolphins, and the odd whale would have been nice, but the birds and seals have been a constant fascination. Even on the last night as Joe and I rowed back to Hylje in the dark, a seal surfaced and sniffed the air loudly."This isn't much like Peckham".. he'd said on the way up the river.He'd been near where buildings had been set on fire as part of the recent looting.Totnes and the Dart is a long way from London and I'm aware that doing what I've done is an opportunity not available everyone. It has been a privilage to have this opportunity and I've tried to extract the very most from it.
The blog stats tell me that there have been about 5,015 viewings of my blog pages, with about 65 people looking at my ramblings on a daily basis. Many will not have read them all, but will have dipped in and out.The fact that you've stuck with it, and some have made positive comments suggests its been worth the effort. Some say they have learned more about me and how I seem to be fixated by things like clap board buildings. Others have said their own memories have been sparked by my descriptions of places.Whatever you have got out of it, thanks for sticking with me. To know that you have been reading and some have been emailing me has been a bulwark against any loneliness I may have felt. The opportunity to be in contact like this would not have been possible when I bought Hylje some 15 years ago.
Has it changed me? It's maybe too early to say, and perhaps it is not for me to answer, but I feel at one with myself. Like I said after being at Findhorn, its perhaps not what you gain from the outside, its what you discover inside you that are the real benefits of the best experiences.
Finally, a last plea to put a few quid towards the 2 charities I have been collecting for. I have made the case why I think they are important, so please now is the time for those who haven't signed up. See it as a small price for the entertainment you've had in reading the blog. For those who have already contributed thank you very much.
The addresses are:
1. For the RNLI www.justgiving.com/Stephen-Munday/
2. For the RSPB www.justgiving.com/Stephen-Munday-RSPB/
Just click on the one you want to contribute to and follow the instructions. As they say on the VHF radio...Out.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Day 92-Wednesday 17th August- Teignmouth to Totnes
On the last evening of the trip, there was an amazing sky, followed by the deepest red sunset I've seen for a long time. It was like the sky was putting on a grand finale in the endless performance it has given me over 3 months.
In the morning Joe arrived by car from London to join me for the last leg. We had a good breakfast at the cafe SE4, then set off at about 10 am. The light wind was blowing from the NE, which offered a broadish reach back to the Dart. After a while, I started to get the spinnaker out, but a few stronger gusts and the onset of rain put me off. i wanted a nice easy finish with no big dramas, especially with Joe on board.
As Joe steered, his stance reminded me of a photo I'd taken of him many years ago in Hylje on Lake Windamere, just after we bought her.Don't ask me why it has displayed the photo on its side. It did this once before on the blog and no amount of trying to correct it would sort it out.
Whilst all that fresh faced innocence has gone, and so much has changed, what hasn't altered is his tendency to feel sea sick. It was the only thing that marred the deep pleasure of having him aboard again. Fortunately, as we turned the corner into Dartmouth and the slight swell disappeared then he was fine again.
As we had sailed past Berry Head, we were close enough to a family in a Beneteau to have a conversation as we went along.I couldn't help but chide them a bit about bigger boats were supposed to be quicker than small ones, but I had to concede he had a pretty small jib, which he used when kids were on board. I told them a bit about my circumnavigation and they said how helpful it had been having a 7 year old aboard to be able to get a berth on Dartmouth town quay. It is Dartmouth regatta next week and the place is filling up fast. Making a life size copy of Joe's earlier photo and sticking it on the back might help if I want to attend next week.Finally they gave up on the slow sailing and motored off
We were both pretty wet by the time we reached Dartmouth and the tide was too low for us to be able to get up to Totnes just yet. We dried out in a cafe, where Joe was keen to know how it felt now that I'd done it. The feelings and emotions were as I expected them to be.Relief that I'd made it, without any significant major mishaps. A freedom from the anxiety about what I might face on the next leg. A huge sense of satisfaction from the achievement. Piercingly intense memories of amazing skies,visits from dolphins, being thrown around off headlands, and the continuous sense of movement.And yes there was a sadness about it being over, but with no work to return to and a house I can't get into until the end of August,I am free to go sailing if I want to. He suggested I could get down to the Scillies and back in 2 weeks.He also wanted to know whether the next one would be crossing the Atlantic or going to the Med. I don't know whether I disappointed him with my lack of ambition, but I really do feel Britain has so much to offer, that why go anywhere else? We may not have guaranteed sun, but my face could not be any browner than it is now. On the plus side we have tides,wildlife, history and scenic beauty everywhere.
When we set off and passed the ferry pontoon a small group started cheering and clapping. I went in closer and realised it was the family from the Beneteau. That was a lovely gesture. Joe was keen that there should be a big fanfare to celebrate my achievement and he felt guilty at not having assembled a crowd. It encouraged me to phone my old work mates to meet me after work for a drink as I expected to reach Totnes by about 5.30.
By the time we reached the Steam Packet a good little crowd had collected and they cheered and clapped. It was great to share a few drinks with this bunch. When they left we wandered up into town to get a curry. It was easy coming back to a great place like Totnes. In many ways it is like the best of the places I have visited. What Wexford,Findorn,Wells,Woodbridge, Maldon,Faversham and Totnes have in common are that they are attractive historic towns at the top of drying rivers. It is fortunate that I have ended up living in just the sort of place that I have enjoyed as I have travelled around the British isles.
The last few legs look like this on my trusty road map. I will have to get the whole thing framed.
There will be one more blog. I can't do what Phil Aswin did and just say I did what I set out to do. I want to draw a few strands together, if only so that I can look back and remember how it felt and what it meant at the time.
In the morning Joe arrived by car from London to join me for the last leg. We had a good breakfast at the cafe SE4, then set off at about 10 am. The light wind was blowing from the NE, which offered a broadish reach back to the Dart. After a while, I started to get the spinnaker out, but a few stronger gusts and the onset of rain put me off. i wanted a nice easy finish with no big dramas, especially with Joe on board.
As Joe steered, his stance reminded me of a photo I'd taken of him many years ago in Hylje on Lake Windamere, just after we bought her.Don't ask me why it has displayed the photo on its side. It did this once before on the blog and no amount of trying to correct it would sort it out.
As we had sailed past Berry Head, we were close enough to a family in a Beneteau to have a conversation as we went along.I couldn't help but chide them a bit about bigger boats were supposed to be quicker than small ones, but I had to concede he had a pretty small jib, which he used when kids were on board. I told them a bit about my circumnavigation and they said how helpful it had been having a 7 year old aboard to be able to get a berth on Dartmouth town quay. It is Dartmouth regatta next week and the place is filling up fast. Making a life size copy of Joe's earlier photo and sticking it on the back might help if I want to attend next week.Finally they gave up on the slow sailing and motored off
We were both pretty wet by the time we reached Dartmouth and the tide was too low for us to be able to get up to Totnes just yet. We dried out in a cafe, where Joe was keen to know how it felt now that I'd done it. The feelings and emotions were as I expected them to be.Relief that I'd made it, without any significant major mishaps. A freedom from the anxiety about what I might face on the next leg. A huge sense of satisfaction from the achievement. Piercingly intense memories of amazing skies,visits from dolphins, being thrown around off headlands, and the continuous sense of movement.And yes there was a sadness about it being over, but with no work to return to and a house I can't get into until the end of August,I am free to go sailing if I want to. He suggested I could get down to the Scillies and back in 2 weeks.He also wanted to know whether the next one would be crossing the Atlantic or going to the Med. I don't know whether I disappointed him with my lack of ambition, but I really do feel Britain has so much to offer, that why go anywhere else? We may not have guaranteed sun, but my face could not be any browner than it is now. On the plus side we have tides,wildlife, history and scenic beauty everywhere.
When we set off and passed the ferry pontoon a small group started cheering and clapping. I went in closer and realised it was the family from the Beneteau. That was a lovely gesture. Joe was keen that there should be a big fanfare to celebrate my achievement and he felt guilty at not having assembled a crowd. It encouraged me to phone my old work mates to meet me after work for a drink as I expected to reach Totnes by about 5.30.
By the time we reached the Steam Packet a good little crowd had collected and they cheered and clapped. It was great to share a few drinks with this bunch. When they left we wandered up into town to get a curry. It was easy coming back to a great place like Totnes. In many ways it is like the best of the places I have visited. What Wexford,Findorn,Wells,Woodbridge, Maldon,Faversham and Totnes have in common are that they are attractive historic towns at the top of drying rivers. It is fortunate that I have ended up living in just the sort of place that I have enjoyed as I have travelled around the British isles.
The last few legs look like this on my trusty road map. I will have to get the whole thing framed.
There will be one more blog. I can't do what Phil Aswin did and just say I did what I set out to do. I want to draw a few strands together, if only so that I can look back and remember how it felt and what it meant at the time.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Day 91-Tuesday 16th August. Teignmouth
Tom Cunliffe was right,Teignmouth is a great place. It is a town which has avoided being tidied up. All the little alleyways are packed with little businesses.They coexist in a higgledypiggldy sort of way, that gives it a vitality rather than the usual tweeness. Even though I've been here a few times before, there is always something new to discover.I may not be able to be as poetic as this description I came across though.
As the pontoon is not connected to the shore, and there are no dedicated toilets and showers, the harbour master charges the lowest rates I've come across anywhere, apart from the few places I have not had to pay.However, on the main green there are award winning toilets, with the awards in frames all over the walls. It also has free showers, a full time attendant and music playing. Does life for the visiting yachtsman get any better than this?
Each time I have been here before, I have seen an unusually shaped church that I've wanted to have a close look at. I thought today would be a good opportunity. Unfortunately,St Jame's church was locked. I learned later in the museum that the church had been rebuilt in the 1800s, with funding arranged by Admiral Sir Edward Pellew. The Norman tower was retained, but the octagonal form of the new bit was based on a structure he had seen in Algiers. It also has Islamic detailing in the central lantern.It's supposed to be very light and airy inside, so I'll have to come back another day.
In the street at the back of this church, someone has done a great job at disguising this waste bin.I reckon there would be an outlet for bin artists.
In the small but well laid out museum there are rooms dedicated to the maritime history of the town and the years it has been a resort.
I had forgotten that Donald Crowhurst had been a local hero. His trimaran " Teignmouth Electron" had set out in 1968 in the Sunday Times Golden Globe single handed non-stop race around the world. This was in the days before GPS and satellite phones and EPIRBS. For 2 weeks there were no messages, and it was assumed he was not doing very well. Then a message arrived from the Madeira area that he had sailed 1,300 miles. Soon he was claiming to have made a record sailing 243 miles in a day. Boats were dropping out or sinking and very soon it seemed he was in contention to win it. Robin Knox Johnson seemed to be in second place in Suhaili. Then no more messages were received and his boat was found abandoned in the Atlantic. When the logs were retrieved, some anomalies were discovered. It seems that for 8 weeks he was sending fictitious accounts of his progress, whereas he had been hanging around off south America. He had not rounded Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope. Instead, he seemed to be waiting for a time when he could creep home behind the rest of the fleet, with his credibility intact. With so many boats out of contention it looked like he would be second and he would have known that his log books would be scrutinised. He would be exposed as a fraud. He was trapped by his actions. He is likely to have chosen not to be found.They made a film recently about him and I ended up feeling very sad for the family he had left behind and for the man himself who was obviously not up to the challenge. He had fallen on hard times and romantically saw this as a chance to win some money.However he was mentally unfit for 9 months of solitude.
Robin Knox-Johnson will be remembered for winning the race, but what is more memorable is that he donated his £5000 winnings to the fund that was set up for Crowhurst's family.
His boat had been prepared in the Morgan Giles shipyard in the town. Morgan Giles was quite a man and his boatyard produced some excellent craft, including several motor torpedo boats, large racing yachts and lifeboats.
The life story of a very different sailor is told in the museum- that of Edward Pellew. He joined the navy in 1770 as a Captain's servant and by the time of his death in 1833, he was Admiral of the Red, Vice Admiral of the united Kingdom and a pier of the realm. He'd done pretty well for himself through being a good seaman, excellent tactician in battle and being in the right place when his superiors had been killed in action. He'd developed a reputation for dishing out harsh punishment and as a contemporary of Nelson, comparisons have been made. Despite losing fewer boats than Nelson, having a very illustrious career and never getting wounded he didn't get the statues made of him. Another admiral, Codrington said that men worked for Nelson for fear of not pleasing him, whereas they worked for Pellew for fear of displeasing him. However, Nelson died gloriously in battle, and it is for this reason that the statues are erected to him. We are very choosy about how history should be told. We seem to chose to ignore that there were other good people around, when our selected heroes were doing their bit. We also chose to forget that the other side had people as good as our heroes. The French hammered our combined Dutch and British fleet in the battle of Beachy Head, but we don't tend to hear about that so much.
The destruction of places like Teignmouth as a result of the French attack resulted to a petions being made to provide assistance to those who had lost everything.
They had one of those machines where you could measure grip strength. My right hand had a score of 370 and my left 310. I was surprised at the difference.There were ratings of what typical trades achieve. Looks like I could be a left handed bank manager or a right handed engineer. I have no chance of being a farmer.I wouldn't make much of a sailor either. So there is a challenge to anyone visiting Teignmouth: beat me in the museum test!
On the wall there is a guitar from the band Muse. There was a loud group of teenagers going around and one asked who Muse were. M,y how short lived is music fame nowadays.
Back outside I walked past the art works on the front, which are part of a sculpture trail, running from Shaldon to Dawlish up to the 3rd September. I was surprised and pleased they had not been vandalised, considering how fragile they looked.
The pier seemed pretty fragile too. In the moderate breeze it seemed to vibrate a little.It provided good views of the harbour entrance and the rest of the town though. The lifeguards were having an easy time. nobody was in the sea on this mizzley sort of morning.
Today now the rain has passed I'm giving Hylje a good dry out.I think some sea water has found its way in through the front hatch and into the compartment I stored the spare life jackets. The two at the bottom had self inflated. I hadn't heard it happen, but when you are crashing into the waves you aren't likely to hear it.I guess.
Each time I have been here before, I have seen an unusually shaped church that I've wanted to have a close look at. I thought today would be a good opportunity. Unfortunately,St Jame's church was locked. I learned later in the museum that the church had been rebuilt in the 1800s, with funding arranged by Admiral Sir Edward Pellew. The Norman tower was retained, but the octagonal form of the new bit was based on a structure he had seen in Algiers. It also has Islamic detailing in the central lantern.It's supposed to be very light and airy inside, so I'll have to come back another day.
In the street at the back of this church, someone has done a great job at disguising this waste bin.I reckon there would be an outlet for bin artists.
In the small but well laid out museum there are rooms dedicated to the maritime history of the town and the years it has been a resort.
I had forgotten that Donald Crowhurst had been a local hero. His trimaran " Teignmouth Electron" had set out in 1968 in the Sunday Times Golden Globe single handed non-stop race around the world. This was in the days before GPS and satellite phones and EPIRBS. For 2 weeks there were no messages, and it was assumed he was not doing very well. Then a message arrived from the Madeira area that he had sailed 1,300 miles. Soon he was claiming to have made a record sailing 243 miles in a day. Boats were dropping out or sinking and very soon it seemed he was in contention to win it. Robin Knox Johnson seemed to be in second place in Suhaili. Then no more messages were received and his boat was found abandoned in the Atlantic. When the logs were retrieved, some anomalies were discovered. It seems that for 8 weeks he was sending fictitious accounts of his progress, whereas he had been hanging around off south America. He had not rounded Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope. Instead, he seemed to be waiting for a time when he could creep home behind the rest of the fleet, with his credibility intact. With so many boats out of contention it looked like he would be second and he would have known that his log books would be scrutinised. He would be exposed as a fraud. He was trapped by his actions. He is likely to have chosen not to be found.They made a film recently about him and I ended up feeling very sad for the family he had left behind and for the man himself who was obviously not up to the challenge. He had fallen on hard times and romantically saw this as a chance to win some money.However he was mentally unfit for 9 months of solitude.
Robin Knox-Johnson will be remembered for winning the race, but what is more memorable is that he donated his £5000 winnings to the fund that was set up for Crowhurst's family.
His boat had been prepared in the Morgan Giles shipyard in the town. Morgan Giles was quite a man and his boatyard produced some excellent craft, including several motor torpedo boats, large racing yachts and lifeboats.
The life story of a very different sailor is told in the museum- that of Edward Pellew. He joined the navy in 1770 as a Captain's servant and by the time of his death in 1833, he was Admiral of the Red, Vice Admiral of the united Kingdom and a pier of the realm. He'd done pretty well for himself through being a good seaman, excellent tactician in battle and being in the right place when his superiors had been killed in action. He'd developed a reputation for dishing out harsh punishment and as a contemporary of Nelson, comparisons have been made. Despite losing fewer boats than Nelson, having a very illustrious career and never getting wounded he didn't get the statues made of him. Another admiral, Codrington said that men worked for Nelson for fear of not pleasing him, whereas they worked for Pellew for fear of displeasing him. However, Nelson died gloriously in battle, and it is for this reason that the statues are erected to him. We are very choosy about how history should be told. We seem to chose to ignore that there were other good people around, when our selected heroes were doing their bit. We also chose to forget that the other side had people as good as our heroes. The French hammered our combined Dutch and British fleet in the battle of Beachy Head, but we don't tend to hear about that so much.
They had one of those machines where you could measure grip strength. My right hand had a score of 370 and my left 310. I was surprised at the difference.There were ratings of what typical trades achieve. Looks like I could be a left handed bank manager or a right handed engineer. I have no chance of being a farmer.I wouldn't make much of a sailor either. So there is a challenge to anyone visiting Teignmouth: beat me in the museum test!
On the wall there is a guitar from the band Muse. There was a loud group of teenagers going around and one asked who Muse were. M,y how short lived is music fame nowadays.
Back outside I walked past the art works on the front, which are part of a sculpture trail, running from Shaldon to Dawlish up to the 3rd September. I was surprised and pleased they had not been vandalised, considering how fragile they looked.
The pier seemed pretty fragile too. In the moderate breeze it seemed to vibrate a little.It provided good views of the harbour entrance and the rest of the town though. The lifeguards were having an easy time. nobody was in the sea on this mizzley sort of morning.
Today now the rain has passed I'm giving Hylje a good dry out.I think some sea water has found its way in through the front hatch and into the compartment I stored the spare life jackets. The two at the bottom had self inflated. I hadn't heard it happen, but when you are crashing into the waves you aren't likely to hear it.I guess.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Day 90 Monday15th August- Lyme Regis to Teignmouth
Last night, a clear cloudless sky and what looked like a full moon created some wonderful atmospheric scenes. Hylje was back lit and fishermen were silhouetted in the moon light.
The day started still and warm. I took a walk into town to find some milk. The beach was being cleaned and combed by a tractor, sand was being blown off the paths and rubbish was being collected. The sand looked like it had been pisted. Then along come the seagulls and make their mark.
West Devon District Council seem to work pretty hard to keep the "pearl" looking polished. Seeing the Dorset coast in such ideal conditions made me wonder why I always turn right when leaving the Dart. This area has so much to offer. It boasts a dry warm micro climate, with all the rain falling on Devon before it gets here. There is less swell in the prevailing westerlies and its quicker to get to than a lot of the western harbours.
I left the pontoon about 10.00 and I knew the slight tide would be against me for an hour or so, but I was in no hurry and just wanted to sail. Soon the wind started to pick up from a SW 3 to a 5 and I changed the jib and put a reef in the main. The trip westwards along the coast was then a close reach for a few hours.
The cliffs changed colour from the yellow of Dorset to the red of Devon. In the transition there was a mixture. In one place the pale coloured lower levels and red top made it look like there were tiled roofs.and white gables.
By the time I reached Sidmouth, it was blowing a low 6 and was time to put another reef in. The photo does not capture the angle of lean or white crested water,
Even this coast is not immune from the ugly sight of mobile homes on top of the cliffs. It crossed my mind that it's a shame they don't suffer from lemming syndrome and throw themselves over every now and again. This would be outside the main season of course so nobody gets hurt.
By the time I reached Budleigh Salterton it had started raining. It was time to motor sail for the last bit across the entrance to the Exe
.The approach to Teignmouth has a useful landmark - Knob Rock, as its affectionately called by users of the train between Exeter and Newton Abbot.
The visitor pontoon is tucked just inside the harbour and is a short row to the shore.It's too late to bother inflating the dinghy tonight. I'll save the pleasures of the town until tomorrow.I'll stay here for the day and Joe will join me in the evening. I'll then do my final leg to Dartmouth with him on Wednesday. It's nearly over. Phil Ashwin on his blog steered away from making any philosophical comments. I did what I set out to do he said simply. I'll ponder whether I can be so brief.
The day started still and warm. I took a walk into town to find some milk. The beach was being cleaned and combed by a tractor, sand was being blown off the paths and rubbish was being collected. The sand looked like it had been pisted. Then along come the seagulls and make their mark.
West Devon District Council seem to work pretty hard to keep the "pearl" looking polished. Seeing the Dorset coast in such ideal conditions made me wonder why I always turn right when leaving the Dart. This area has so much to offer. It boasts a dry warm micro climate, with all the rain falling on Devon before it gets here. There is less swell in the prevailing westerlies and its quicker to get to than a lot of the western harbours.
I left the pontoon about 10.00 and I knew the slight tide would be against me for an hour or so, but I was in no hurry and just wanted to sail. Soon the wind started to pick up from a SW 3 to a 5 and I changed the jib and put a reef in the main. The trip westwards along the coast was then a close reach for a few hours.
The cliffs changed colour from the yellow of Dorset to the red of Devon. In the transition there was a mixture. In one place the pale coloured lower levels and red top made it look like there were tiled roofs.and white gables.
By the time I reached Sidmouth, it was blowing a low 6 and was time to put another reef in. The photo does not capture the angle of lean or white crested water,
Even this coast is not immune from the ugly sight of mobile homes on top of the cliffs. It crossed my mind that it's a shame they don't suffer from lemming syndrome and throw themselves over every now and again. This would be outside the main season of course so nobody gets hurt.
By the time I reached Budleigh Salterton it had started raining. It was time to motor sail for the last bit across the entrance to the Exe
.The approach to Teignmouth has a useful landmark - Knob Rock, as its affectionately called by users of the train between Exeter and Newton Abbot.
The visitor pontoon is tucked just inside the harbour and is a short row to the shore.It's too late to bother inflating the dinghy tonight. I'll save the pleasures of the town until tomorrow.I'll stay here for the day and Joe will join me in the evening. I'll then do my final leg to Dartmouth with him on Wednesday. It's nearly over. Phil Ashwin on his blog steered away from making any philosophical comments. I did what I set out to do he said simply. I'll ponder whether I can be so brief.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Day 89- Sunday 14th August- Weymouth to Lyme Regis
Today I said hello to the old Bill and ended up with Hylje on the Cob. In between was the perfect sail.
I read and re-read the pilot books, spoke to people who had done the inside route around Portland Bill and then aimed to time my arrival at High Water Dover. Like many things, the fear of the thing is often worse than than the thing itself. Approaching the end of Portland Bill down the east side,you can not see the tip until you are committed to going around it.The island is famous for providing the Portland stone that has been used to build much of central London. The rock is quarried right at the water's edge and would have been removed by sea. This would be a tough place to be in many conditions.
You can see the breakers in the distance, but have no idea how far you will be from it until you get there. The sun was shining, so visibility was good, which meant spotting the lobster pot markers was easy.I was surprised how slow the current was moving, but 1.5kn at so called slack water wasn't bad I suppose.
Apart from the lighthouse, the boats making the route inside the race provides good entertainment for holiday makers. A few speed boats able to play in the surf,( so long as their engines were running) hung around on the edge of the race. No sooner was I there, than I was through.
Once around the Bill, Lyme Bay stretches away in front of you. The wind was a force 5 from the West, so where I went from there depended on how close I could get to the wind. and where this would take me in the Bay.About a 4 hour port tack took me to Lyme Regis. Effectively the choice was here or West Bay, but there is no real choice, Lyme Regis wins every time.
The sun was shining, the wind was strong, but constant, and the coast was stunning in the clear air. The coast line varies from rolling Dorset farmland to sand covered cliffs. they have a lovely ochre colour.
All the way from the bill a Hill called Golden Cap becomes a feature to aim at. The sandy top must give it its name.
Just as I reached Lyme Regis, the wind dropped, then started blowing from the NW. This meant that the harbour should be very calm in this offshore wind.
They provide a pontoon off the Cob Quay in summer, so it is possible to remain afloat, rather than to have to dry out in the harbour.
The town was humming in the warm sunshine.It is the end of Carnival week. Gig races were going on, with teams from all over the south west.The cob was full of people crabbing and catching the sun.
Lyme Regis describes itself as the Pearl of Dorset. It certainly is a lovely place in a great county. I have seen some impressive coastlines on this trip, but today this bit of the Dorset coast looked as good as any.
Tomorrow I aim to go to Teignmouth. This will be the last stop before the last leg to Dartmouth. Hopefully Joe will be able to join me for this leg. I'm savouring these last few miles.Tom Cunliffe describesTeigmmouth in his Cannel Pilot as "simply the most fun you can have without taking your oilies off". I don't remember it being that good, but I'm prepared to try and see what he's on about.
I read and re-read the pilot books, spoke to people who had done the inside route around Portland Bill and then aimed to time my arrival at High Water Dover. Like many things, the fear of the thing is often worse than than the thing itself. Approaching the end of Portland Bill down the east side,you can not see the tip until you are committed to going around it.The island is famous for providing the Portland stone that has been used to build much of central London. The rock is quarried right at the water's edge and would have been removed by sea. This would be a tough place to be in many conditions.
You can see the breakers in the distance, but have no idea how far you will be from it until you get there. The sun was shining, so visibility was good, which meant spotting the lobster pot markers was easy.I was surprised how slow the current was moving, but 1.5kn at so called slack water wasn't bad I suppose.
Apart from the lighthouse, the boats making the route inside the race provides good entertainment for holiday makers. A few speed boats able to play in the surf,( so long as their engines were running) hung around on the edge of the race. No sooner was I there, than I was through.
Once around the Bill, Lyme Bay stretches away in front of you. The wind was a force 5 from the West, so where I went from there depended on how close I could get to the wind. and where this would take me in the Bay.About a 4 hour port tack took me to Lyme Regis. Effectively the choice was here or West Bay, but there is no real choice, Lyme Regis wins every time.
The sun was shining, the wind was strong, but constant, and the coast was stunning in the clear air. The coast line varies from rolling Dorset farmland to sand covered cliffs. they have a lovely ochre colour.
All the way from the bill a Hill called Golden Cap becomes a feature to aim at. The sandy top must give it its name.
Just as I reached Lyme Regis, the wind dropped, then started blowing from the NW. This meant that the harbour should be very calm in this offshore wind.
They provide a pontoon off the Cob Quay in summer, so it is possible to remain afloat, rather than to have to dry out in the harbour.
The town was humming in the warm sunshine.It is the end of Carnival week. Gig races were going on, with teams from all over the south west.The cob was full of people crabbing and catching the sun.
Lyme Regis describes itself as the Pearl of Dorset. It certainly is a lovely place in a great county. I have seen some impressive coastlines on this trip, but today this bit of the Dorset coast looked as good as any.
Tomorrow I aim to go to Teignmouth. This will be the last stop before the last leg to Dartmouth. Hopefully Joe will be able to join me for this leg. I'm savouring these last few miles.Tom Cunliffe describesTeigmmouth in his Cannel Pilot as "simply the most fun you can have without taking your oilies off". I don't remember it being that good, but I'm prepared to try and see what he's on about.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Day 88-Saturday 13th August- Poole to Weymouth.
Whilst the lengths of my trips have shortened, the strength of the winds means that I am able to do some serious sailing, and the tacking is adding to the time at sea.Today I sailed along the beautiful Jurassic coast of Dorset. This is a area I've wanted to sail for ages.
The town Quay marina in Poole was one of the most expensive ones I've used. The woman in the office blamed it on the harbour dues.It was good to be so close to the town centre and to have the supermarket next to the pontoon.It was starnge having to cross the road to use the toilet/shower facilities though.
there was plenty of wind in Poole harbour and it appeared to be coming from the NW, which was a helpful direction to get to Weymouth. Once out of the entrance, Old Harry's rocks stand at Handfast Point at the end of Studland Bay. The water is petty deep next to them, so its possible to get in close.
From there I passed Swanage, then turned right at the next two head;lands, with a significant race of the last one, St Alban's Head. This may not be as turbulent as Portland, but it seems to extend out about 5 miles.There is an inshore route, but I took the long way round.
Having passed around the end of the race, I tacked back towards the coast to be able to go in close along this scenic bit of the Dorset Coast.The wind was now from the south west and changeable so I kept swapping headsails. Today I could have done with a roller reefing system.
The entrance to Lulworth Cove is marked by the cliffs dipping toward the entrance, but it doesn't give much of a clue to the gem of a place that is inside. The sloping rock strata is amazing though.
Next was natural arch at Durdle Door. Its difficult to get a sense of the scale of this thing, but I have sat on the beach and watched kids jumping off it and then it seems pretty high up.
This part of the coast is used by the military as a practice firing range, but they seem to take a break for August, so yachts are free to move around without having to check their schedule. All the way across the bay, Portland stands out looking like an island. It is connected to the mainland by the end of Chesil Beach. I thought I couldn't be the only mariner contemplating having to go around the end that maybe digging a channel through the land connection might be preferable.
Weymouth is one of those busy harbours you need to radio the harbour master to request entry. You also ask for a berth at the same time. I was told to go alongside a boat called Tuli.This was a coincidence because I'd been rafted up to this Westerly in Yarmouth. It would be good to say hello again to the chrmimh family who own it.They had come straight here from Yarmouth and had spent today visiting Portland on the bus to see the race. It is one hell of a natural spectacle. They noted just how many lobster posts that were positioned in the narrow inner route.
Once ashore I went to the" Seagull" chip shop, which was selling mackerel baps, following the campaign by Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall (sp?) to get people to eat local fish. It came with a choice of tartar, or horseradish, sauce and tasted delicious. At £4.50 with a big portion of chips it was good value too.
On the pontoons next to the town quay, you feel even more in the middle of things than at Poole, plus the place seems to have more character.
Weymouth is another town to claim to have discovered sea bathing. Whether it was Scarborough or Brighton doesn't seem to matter much now. Its certainly a lively place, with something for everyone. I reckon it has the best sand artist of anywhere I've been. This piece is of the mad hatters tea party. It has a net over it to stop people throwing things at it.
The live band has just started up in one of the bars on the quay. I don't think my earplugs are going to keep that out, so no early night tonight!
The town Quay marina in Poole was one of the most expensive ones I've used. The woman in the office blamed it on the harbour dues.It was good to be so close to the town centre and to have the supermarket next to the pontoon.It was starnge having to cross the road to use the toilet/shower facilities though.
there was plenty of wind in Poole harbour and it appeared to be coming from the NW, which was a helpful direction to get to Weymouth. Once out of the entrance, Old Harry's rocks stand at Handfast Point at the end of Studland Bay. The water is petty deep next to them, so its possible to get in close.
From there I passed Swanage, then turned right at the next two head;lands, with a significant race of the last one, St Alban's Head. This may not be as turbulent as Portland, but it seems to extend out about 5 miles.There is an inshore route, but I took the long way round.
Having passed around the end of the race, I tacked back towards the coast to be able to go in close along this scenic bit of the Dorset Coast.The wind was now from the south west and changeable so I kept swapping headsails. Today I could have done with a roller reefing system.
The entrance to Lulworth Cove is marked by the cliffs dipping toward the entrance, but it doesn't give much of a clue to the gem of a place that is inside. The sloping rock strata is amazing though.
Next was natural arch at Durdle Door. Its difficult to get a sense of the scale of this thing, but I have sat on the beach and watched kids jumping off it and then it seems pretty high up.
This part of the coast is used by the military as a practice firing range, but they seem to take a break for August, so yachts are free to move around without having to check their schedule. All the way across the bay, Portland stands out looking like an island. It is connected to the mainland by the end of Chesil Beach. I thought I couldn't be the only mariner contemplating having to go around the end that maybe digging a channel through the land connection might be preferable.
Weymouth is one of those busy harbours you need to radio the harbour master to request entry. You also ask for a berth at the same time. I was told to go alongside a boat called Tuli.This was a coincidence because I'd been rafted up to this Westerly in Yarmouth. It would be good to say hello again to the chrmimh family who own it.They had come straight here from Yarmouth and had spent today visiting Portland on the bus to see the race. It is one hell of a natural spectacle. They noted just how many lobster posts that were positioned in the narrow inner route.
Once ashore I went to the" Seagull" chip shop, which was selling mackerel baps, following the campaign by Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall (sp?) to get people to eat local fish. It came with a choice of tartar, or horseradish, sauce and tasted delicious. At £4.50 with a big portion of chips it was good value too.
On the pontoons next to the town quay, you feel even more in the middle of things than at Poole, plus the place seems to have more character.
Weymouth is another town to claim to have discovered sea bathing. Whether it was Scarborough or Brighton doesn't seem to matter much now. Its certainly a lively place, with something for everyone. I reckon it has the best sand artist of anywhere I've been. This piece is of the mad hatters tea party. It has a net over it to stop people throwing things at it.
The live band has just started up in one of the bars on the quay. I don't think my earplugs are going to keep that out, so no early night tonight!
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