The day begins calm and cloudy. I awake refreshed. There is no hurry, the tide will not suit until 1030 at least. There’s an egg for breakfast, peanut butter on a biscuit and coffee.

During the night, I reflected on yesterday’s comments about attitude. “The Captains” thought I should stay away from that stuff (“You’ve no more sense than you were born with”), but nothing we ever do occurs in a vacuum. My little research trip is no exception. There are always other things going on and they will flourish whether we like them or not. If we don’t speak up, what then?

I am determined to take the boat to Topsham before heading for home – I’ve promised to be back in Teignmouth in time to greet my in-laws. The channel gets narrower and shallower further up and I am torn between needing to get away early and avoiding going aground. I start the engine and drop the mooring at 1030.

Cloudy or not, the morning is stunning. The channel winds abruptly. The outer edge of the curve is the deeper part.

I have around 3 metres at the turn, which descends to 2 metres a little further on.

and so I reach Topsham . . . by water, thinking of ‘Ceres’ – (previous post).

The original plan had been to moor here at Trout’s Boatyard for the night. That would have been a totally different experience – very fine, but I would have missed everything I saw this morning.

This is as high as we go. I make a tight turn to enjoy this sight . . .

I knew she was there from an earlier visit on foot; just a hint of what it must have been like in ‘Ceres” time . . .

(to be continued)

Images by Bill Whateley