On Friday, we cycled, mostly into the wind and intermittent light rain, from Barnstaple to Okehampton – 40 miles through the rolling hills of North Devon.
Devon
Two short stories – yesterday’s sail
24 hour forecast for areas up to 12 miles offshore from Tuesday 23 June at 0600 UTC until Wednesday 24 June at 0600 UTC
Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly:
Wind: Variable 3 or less, Sea state: Slight, Weather: Fair, Visibility: Good.
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Two short stories from yesterday . . .
Images to tell the story of the sail
I have picked out some images that together tell the story of yesterday’s sail – wind force 4-5, intermittent sunshine.
Into the swell
Off Teignmouth sea-front, heading towards Exmouth . . .
A simple pleasure – looking
Having watched the yacht leave – (and totally failed to note her name), I indulged in the simple pleasure of looking at boats.
A film crew has been in Teignmouth for the past week or so filming the Donald Crowhurst story – Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz etc have been here, 1960’s fashions have been in evidence – (the reporting in this link seems to be all about Rachel Weisz).
I have a deep sympathy for Donald Crowhurst and his family. A lot has been written and spoken about him, the story sensationalised for public consumption; like the previous film (Deep Water), this film will bring it all out again. I hope they treat him with respect. Whatever the mistakes, and there were many from the very beginning, (each one stacked on the previous one), he put himself forward for a huge enterprise that had no precedent. That alone took a particular mind-set. Only Knox-Johnson completed the course. In terms of seamanship, there would have been no disgrace in turning back – or even in not starting at all. One can only imagine what he must have gone through once at sea. Retrospect is easy, Therein lies the fascination – the question is asked of each one of us, “Having got into the tangle, what would you have done?” Think carefully.
Heading out from Teignmouth
I have not been fully fit since returning from holiday. Yesterday I ventured down to the town for the first time to stretch my legs and see what’s new.
I am pleased to say, fit or unfit, the draw of the sea has not abated.
A good team. Job done.
One of the features of a boat that was launched in 1988 is that any fittings that haven’t already been replaced are now over twenty five years old. I thought of this yesterday when, the winds having abated, we were able to get a couple of jobs done that had been scheduled for two days earlier.
I took the boat down river to Plymouth Yacht Haven. We slipped into a berth beside yachts twice the size of Blue Mistress. In such austere company we seem to be batting above our league. However, let’s concentrate on the job in hand . . .
Weather permitting
I had pencilled-in today and tomorrow for a post-refit shake-down passage to Fowey and back – weather permitting.
River Exe – a low spring tide
As we waited, we wondered how often this happens. We hoped it wasn’t every spring tide.
Entering the Cattewater
It started to rain, the tide was high.
I leaned against the rail at Queen Anne Battery and watched a regular occurrence. Today, it was Hav Snapper turning into the Cattewater from the Sound.
Beyond Steeple Point 