It finally arrived – not the day of the sail, but the sun in the sky and off we headed out for a nice afternoon sail down the Devon Coastline to Dartmouth. The journey was uneventful and the sailing was great (recorded on 14 miles on a 10 mile direct course – tacking and messing about accounts for the other 4). The wind got up a little and we were able to get some nice time on the water and after a short couple of hours we entered the Dart estuary once agin at “beer o’clock” as Tom the training skipper likes to say. We motored up a little way into the heart of Dartmouth, tying up in the town Quay. Sailing takes on a whole new meaning when the suns shines and the wind freshens and you can sit and think while watching glorious scenery on the shore just a little way off in the distance. On Sunday, we didn’t see a thing for the entire 6 hours – just rain and fog. On the other side of that weather lay wonderful places like Chesil Beach (as featured in Ian McEwan’s wonderful book – highly recommended if you like writers who’s descriptive ability is acute) and we saw nowt!
We dined last night on Cornish Pasties (from a hackers in Brixham) with left over homemade ratatouille and baked beans – not the most glamorous of meals, but it hit the spot. It was nice to be dry and able to sit outside after dinner and call the kids in the US and catch up. They both seem in rude health and enjoying life – Alice as a newly wed with a new job and James working on a friends farm (one that is being adapted to grow things????) and also exploring investment opportunities for us in the legal marijuana space.

I would have liked a little more time to explore Dartmouth and especially the Royal Naval Academy which sits majestically up on a hill overlooking the town. There are 4 ferries working this port – because it’s a long way up river until you get to the first crossing, so there are an assortment of passenger and car ferries operating from one side to the other. In fact, one operates from right next to where we’re tied up and it started rather early this morning! There is something quite romantic about a place that exists around ferry crossings (and these are small craft, not bloody big RORO ferries).

It’s only 3 more nights until I leave the boat to head up to Newcastle for a family wedding – 3 nights on dry land – 2 with Bernadette and then a hotel overnight on Sunday waiting to catch a puddle jumper over to the Scily Isles (yes my American friends, there are really islands off the coast called the Isles of Scily – there was a reason you left and headed West all those years ago!).

Pip pip!

N

PS – in the photo below – that boat is what powers and guides the ferry – it’s not an accident waiting to happen. A very skilled captain required – I don’t think any of us will be signing up for that one anytime soon!