We cycled along the bank of the Rive Exe in the afternoon – a gentle preliminary for a longer ride planned for next month. The tide was low revealing the wide mud flats and the winding channel.. We stopped at the Turf for a coffee before going on towards Exeter.
Devon
Brixham to Plymouth – reflection – tidal race
This series of five posts outlines a September passage from Plymouth to Teignmouth and back.
(Click on image to enlarge)
The interruption to my passage plan has meant that I have to get from Brixham to Plymouth, a distance of a little over 40 nautical miles by this evening. This is no problem on paper – but there will probably be no time for fishing. Also the tide will be wrong going round Start Point. I had planned to round the Point, which is about 13 nm along the coast from here, yesterday evening with the tide carrying me, I will now reach it around the middle of today with the tide against me. The wind has gone round to the north east – almost the opposite of yesterday morning.
Teignmouth to Brixham ~ weather bound ~ unexpected problem ~ change of plan
This series of five posts outlines a September passage from Plymouth to Teignmouth and back.
(Click on image to enlarge)
Teignmouth, low tide, the following morning.
Torquay to Teignmouth ~ photographing the sea ~ the Red Arrows
This series of five posts outlines a September passage from Plymouth to Teignmouth and back.
(Click on image to enlarge)
Torquay, early morning. The crew decides to buy us bacon butties for breakfast – excellent.
Salcombe to Torquay
This series of five posts outlines a September passage from Plymouth to Teignmouth and back.
(Click on image to enlarge)
We leave Salcombe early. The tide will be unfavourable for a couple of hours and the wind is light but we would rather be at sea and will motor if we have to.
Plymouth to Salcombe
This series of five posts outlines a September passage from Plymouth to Teignmouth and back.
My son had a few days holiday owing and wanted to sail. We had a choice of Falmouth or Teignmouth. The wind direction and tides suited Teignmouth. To add interest on the way, we decided to overnight in Salcombe and Torquay. He was going to leave the boat in Teignmouth and I was going to return to Plymouth alone. In the event, we were weather-bound in Teignmouth for a week. A family holiday was imminent, so when the weather eventually eased, I had only a short time to return Blue Mistress to Plymouth. I planned a direct passage to Salcombe, to overnight there and then on to Plymouth. As it happened, I had a major problem off Berry Head which completely altered my passage plan.
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(Click on image to enlarge. Double click magnifies)
If we had had a trip in which we fell out with each other, I would probably not have mentioned this, but we had a good time and I want to acknowledge it.
For a single-hander having someone aboard adds a whole extra dimension. The boat has been set up for one person. Ropes and gear have been placed to-hand and manoeuvers thought through in advance so that much of the routine on the boat has become automatic to me. I’m ahead of the game – most of the time. Few people want to be a passenger on a small boat, they want to be part of the crew. Therefore, having another person on board, someone who will inevitably do things differently, means my having to stand back and create ‘space’ for them to do it. How much space depends on the person.
To the Lynher
The early morning mist reveals four egrets. We enjoy the peace together.
(Click on image to enlarge – an extra click magnifies)
The tide is falling and I decide to wait till after lunch before leaving. There will still be an hour or so to the next high tide but it will be slackening. This gives me a morning to do odd jobs on the boat and time to sit and read.
The same question
The depth reading is less is 2 metres and falling, the gps says I am exactly on track. Despite my resolution a mile back, I am still following the numbers – and for a moment am completely confused.
The gps says there is a straight line and just to the next waypoint and it’s just under one nautical mile away. It’s on the screen. I want to believe it but I can see it’s wrong Looking closely at the chart it says the channel crossed to the other side of the river about 100 yards back. I make the adjustment and realise the mistake. When I was entering the waypoints I missed one; even though I checked them, I still missed it . . . not good. (You have to do it to know it).
(Click on image to enlarge)
Although this is the only yacht I saw on this part of the river, part of the pleasure has been in the other boats. I will add them to the next post.
Drifting on about technology
The channel narrows and we pass close to ruins of the South Hooe Mine on the outside of the bend.
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All the way along the reaches of the Tamar from here was a busy mining area. In its heyday, more tin, copper, silver and arsenic were mined in this region than anywhere else in Europe.
The mines eventually ran out and the mining came to an end very suddenly in the late nineteenth century, the villages and towns emptied and Cornish miners spread all over the world. In a small cemetery in Russell, New Zealand, I was very moved to find the grave of a young miner from Cornwall who died in the late eighteen hundreds. He had made the long voyage, found work . . . and died shortly afterwards, far away from home.
Once the mining had finished, the landowners landscaped the land and it was turned over to market gardening, but a number of remnants of the industry can still be seen – like these useful cuts in the bank.
Waypoints
Once through the bridge, I enjoy the scene that’s opening up,
Then the depth reading drops from 4 to 3 metres . . . then 2.5 metres.
The channel is wide here but I’m obviously out of it already.
The tide seems to be taking me down towards the entrance to the River Tavy.
The buoy I had failed to see turns out be a lot further towards the other bank than I expect.
I need to zoom in on the gps. At the level I had it – a wider view, it didn’t show the loss of track in enough detail. It would have been fine out at sea, but not here where the margin for error is a lot less.
That’s one of the reasons I am doing this.
I look at the chart and sigh. I need to pay more attention.
(Click on image to enlarge)
The buoy at last. The entrance to the Tavy behind.
Because I have neither the boat nor the money to navigate like this . . .
Beyond Steeple Point 