WEEK 4

Monday 28th July

I made a snap decision today to head back to the UK mainland. Ireland isn’t feasible now, not if I want to do it properly. The wind is wrong for the next two weeks, and I want to be back by mid-September. With the engine swap, everything has been delayed compared to previous years. I’ll set out in May next year.

At 10:30 we navigated out of the anchorage without issue, the new engine pulling strongly against a 3-knot current. We turned towards Land’s End and hoisted the kite in 10 knots of true wind over a gently rolling sea. It's 12:00 and I’m writing this while pasta cooks on the stove. No one else out here.

Tomorrow looks windier, but I’ve got a meeting in the middle of the day, and sailing while attending that would be tricky. Today, I have no deadline — so we bimble along in 9 knots of wind at 4.0 knots SOG into the swirling tide off the southwest tip of the UK.

The tide turned in our favour at 19:30, sweeping us past Penzance, then at the Lizard, I dropped the spinnaker and we turned further north under white sails until the wind dropped to 3 knots for the final hour, then continued under engine to the Helford River.

It was dark by the time we arrived and I crept in with a flashlight, spotting buoys and other sailing boats and disturbing flocks of sleeping seabirds on the water. No drama finding a spot, I dropped the hook, made sure it stuck, and I was in bed by 23:30.

I really enjoyed today, cruising with no pressure.

The sun going down sailing gently past the Lizard Point

Tuesday 29th July

Didn’t sleep well last night. I woke at 02:00 as the anchor chain rumbled over the seabed as the tide changed. Then my brain started turning over all the things that don’t seem so worrying in daylight. I eventually slept through to 09:30 and woke feeling slightly groggy.

The morning passed with general pottering and a work meeting. Then I hoisted the anchor and headed for St Mawes and the Co-Op.

The wind was blowing 17 knots true on a beam reach, and EIVIVA picked up her skirts and danced across the short distance to St Mawes. She was having such a good time that I took the helm and guided her through the gusts with a grin on my face.

The anchorage at St Mawes was quiet and less crowded than usual, so I picked a good spot, launched the tender, and went ashore for supplies. Fish and chips for dinner, followed by a movie and an early night.

St Mawes dusk.

Wednesday 30th July

Today we (EIVIVA and I) are heading towards Plymouth to pick up Able Seaman Lucy. (Seaperson? Apparently not — the rank "Able Seaman" applies to women as well as men in the Royal Navy.) She’s flying in from Glasgow tomorrow to spend a week aboard. Cheapest route: fly to Bristol, then train to Plymouth. The only problem is that Plymouth offers almost nowhere to pick someone up, as the city’s waterfront is lined with private landings. That’s tomorrow’s challenge.

The tide set fair to the east at 07:00. My alarm went off at 06:30 and we were out of St Mawes on time to catch the full benefit. The forecast called for light wind at 120 degrees from port, and for the first hour that’s exactly what we got. Then it picked up to 10–14 knots, and we had a great sail over a flat, sunny sea.

Typically, an hour out from Cawsand Bay, the wind dropped to 8 knots and went dead astern. Up went the kite, and we were soon making good progress again. Over the trip we had slowly overhauled another 45ft boat and when the wind dropped he started to catch up as it was a much lighter boat than EIVIVA. That is why I went through the hassle of launching the kite with only an hour to go. I like to think that I have tamed my competitive streak…….we came first!

Now anchored in a crowded but beautiful Cawsand Bay.

Seadog

Thursday 31st July

Able Seaman Lucy arrived today. She set out from Glasgow at 06:30 and was on board by 15:45, having flown to Bristol, then caught a bus to Plymouth and walked 20 minutes to the Cawsand Ferry jetty then finally a half hour ferry ride.

I spent the day working and cleaning the boat. In the evening, we visited the village to do a bit of shopping and have a pint at the Devonport Inn followed by a Thai green curry onboard.

Tomorrow is forecast for good wind so we will sail for Salcombe on the tide.

Able Seaman Lucy arrives at Cawsand on the Plymouth Princess.

Friday 1st August

We set off for Salcombe around 09:30 with three hours before the tide turned against Coffee before departure, then a late breakfast on the go. The wind was north-westerly, blowing 9 knots to start with, but soon built into the teens. As the land sheltered the sea from the wind there was very little wave action so we had a comfortable smooth sail with EIVIVA running along in her sweet spot.

I considered flying the spinnaker, but the forecast showed the wind veering north and increasing, so I stuck to white sails. A good call as the weather followed the forecast and the kite would have been a handful to get down.

We made it into Salcombe in time for lunch. I was a bit apprehensive after the argument with the harbour master last time I was here, but everyone was chilled and polite. We took the same anchorage as before, then headed ashore in the late afternoon for food shopping and a beer.

Back on board Able Seaman Lucy cooked an excellent spaghetti bolognaise for dinner.

A good spot for spaghetti bolognaise.

Saturday 2nd August

We had a slow start today. Lucy chilled out and I began redeveloping the EIVIVA EVERYTHING database as it has got a little jumbled over the years. Around noon, we headed ashore in search of a Cornish pasty.

After lunch we took the tender out toward the harbour entrance and South Beach. From there we walked the spectacular coastal path out to Bolt Head and back. The sun was shining and the views out to sea and towards Salcombe from the cliff tops were well worth the climb.

We ended up at the Ferry Boat Inn for a well deserved beer, then back to the boat. The leftover spaghetti bolognaise was transformed into a fantastic chilli con carne.

All in all, a perfect English seaside holiday day.

Spot the giant rhubarb.

Sunday 3rd August

We woke to grey skies and gusty winds blowing across the anchorage. Perfect weather for a sail to Dartmouth. The tide turned in our favour around midday. Anchor up and Able Seaman Lucy took the helm through the crowded Salcombe estuary and out to sea.

Once we cleared Bolt Head, the wind filled in to a reassuring 20 knots and EIVIVA took off at 9 knots over a properly stormy sea, heading for Dartmouth. Adventurous sailing.

We added an extra hour to the journey by heading offshore to get a decent reaching angle into Dartmouth, then gybed smoothly in 20 knots of breeze. Lucy was on the helm while I handled the ropes. A brief dolphin encounter, though neither of us fancied going forwards with the sea state as it was to see if they were having fun around the bow.

Once through the forts guarding Dartmouth's entrance, the wind and swell eased. We motored against the current to Dittisham and picked up a vacant buoy — £35 a night, but still cheaper than a hotel… if you ignore the cost of keeping the boat afloat that is

Then it was off to yet another Ferry Boat Inn for a beer, before returning to the boat for a chicken and tomato pasta dinner, cooked by the crew while I pulled together this (B)log.