Days 18 to 21, Plymouth and Salcombe

 

Salcombe East and West banks.

Dear Readers, I am back! We have spent four days exploring Plymouth amidst very changeable weather. Our new crew member Celia joined us on Saturday in pouring rain and near gale force winds! A few days later the weather calmed down and we were able to enjoy the sunshine on the marina terrace, very civilised!

Josh and Celia enjoying the sun on the marina's terrace
We had more time exploring Plymouth together and I managed a swim in the harbour which was exhilarating, especially as I managed to swim out to one of the rafts. We spent a very pleasant Sunday afternoon at the Plymouth Gin Distillery, and enjoyed the tastings and the gin and tonic in the bar later, which is part of the old refectory and is purportedly the oldest building in Plymouth. For gin lovers amongst my readership, I can recommend Plymouth gin, with it's very botanical flavour. Try the Navy Strength at over 50%, done to this strength so that if it spilt on the gunpowder it would still ignite, as the water content is lower.

Plymouth G&T tasting

Our friendly harbour man.
The weather finally calmed down and the sun came out and so today, Tuesday 21st June, which happens to be the longest day and Celia's birthday, we took off for Salcombe, a 22 mile trip which will take us about 4 hours. The cheerful harbour man saw us off; he had also welcomed us when we first arrived in Sutton Harbour. He was very proud of his handle bar moustache!

 It was a calm sea with very little wind for the first couple of hours, but later the wind blew up and the sea became a bit choppy, but still a pleasant trip into Salcombe. 

Salcombe is a sea inlet as there is no river that runs into it. Care needs to be taken on entering because there is a sand bar at the entrance, which is said to have inspired Tennyson's famous poem "Crossing the Bar".  According to the Guardian it is the place with the most second homes in the country! Very nice houses front the water and an imposing yacht club, which we will no doubt visit over the next few days. Obviously a lot of money here!


Celia has friends here who are also on a boat, sailing from the Hamble to Helston River and back, so going in the opposite direction to us, but they happen to be in Salcombe tonight on their boat. So we are hailing a water taxi and heading to a local pub to meet up for what will, I am sure, be a very pleasant evening. 

Lunch time birthday glass of champagne 

You can see Lunar Sea at her mooring bouy on the Salcombe Yacht Club webcam, I might give you a wave!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day one and two of the Caledonian Canal - the adventure continues

Image
The Lunatic crew for the Caledonian Canal   We entered the  Clachnaharry sea lock at Inverness for the 1.30 lock and were met by a very helpful, calm lock keeper who talked us through. There was a large sign saying Ireland this way! Clachnaharry Sea Lock, the entrance to the Caledonian Canal, The Great Glen, Loch Ness and Ireland! The lock was timed so that you could then sail through the railway swing bridge, then on to the Muirhead flight of four locks. We had relaxed once we got on to the canal, thinking things could only get better and there is much less to worry about in a canal as opposed to being out at sea, no tides to think about for example. How wrong we were, we were forgetting this is the Lunacy cruise. At the second lock Mick fell in! We heard a plop and a splash and Mick had fallen into the lock between the lock wall and the boat. Josh's quick thinking saved the day as he put the long swim ladder over the edge and Mick managed to climb up befor...
Read more

Day 48 and the return to our home port of Ramsgate.

Image
Lunar Sea and her crew back in Ramsgate  Dear Readers, we finally arrived back in Ramsgate five years after setting off on 1 May 2017. The weather then had been atrocious, but it couldn't have been more different for our return. It was promised to be the hottest day of the year, so we had plenty of sunshine and not very much wind. lt did pick up to about 12 knots as we approached Ramsgate, so we managed to get the sails up and the flags flying for our entrance to Ramsgate.  Leaving Dover, heading for the Eastern entrance,  on our way home now. It had been an uneventful 4 hour trip from Dover to Ramsgate, but for some reason the unusually hot weather had created an optical illusion and we had a really clear view of France as we passed Deal. Perhaps it is the high pressure, not sure why?  France, shall we go there instead? We had Josh's daughter Jo on board and Owen and Jordan, two of Josh's grandchildren, joined us in Dover for the day sail. When we got to the approac...
Read more
Image
  Hello again from Lunar Sea in Portishead. The boat has been here for two years now and we are continuing our adventure from tomorrow, the 31st May, by locking out of Portishead Marina (near Bristol in case you wondered) and we will be heading for Penarth Marina (near Cardiff) for our first stop. Then on to Padstow via Watchet for a night's stay and then probably an anchorage for one night off Clovelly, to break up the 18 hour trip from Watchet to Padstow.  We have been so lucky to have found this charming marina which has been Lunar Sea's home for two years, we will be sad to leave, but excited to be on the homeward stretch of our marathon around the UK sailing trip. It was supposed to take 2 years, but due to bad weather in year 1 and a mutinous crew, plus the pandemic in the third and fourth year, it will have taken 5 years (assuming we get back to Ramsgate this year, watch this space!) Wish us luck, calm seas and a good wind. I will try and do a daily blog, sailing condit...
Read more