Oops. Missed a day, again. So, yesterday ... Got up late after excellent Dave Hankin Big Band concert the night before. Shame about the singing and the small audience but the 16 piece band was crisp and clean with great solos esp drummer and saxophone. Went for a walk, despite the on/off rain, up to Berry Head (pics). Great views and handy cafe. This is June and we were wearing coats, hats, hoods up and gloves, and leaning into the wind to make progress. On the way back we had a look at the seawater pool just up from the marina; waves breaking over it and full of seaweed. Madness. Afternoon was a few jobs and Nic prepping for another ROS strategy meeting. Evening saw us staggering out into the rain and wind again. 10 minutes down the side of the harbour to the first restaurant. Really good food, comfortable and soft house music at just the right volume. Splendid. Back on the boat early enough to watch 2 episodes of The Crown (just started series 4) on our ancient portable DVD play...
Oh dear, we never finished the story – rather overtaken by events. So, last Tuesday, 21 June, we went to Salcombe as planned, early morning to get the favourable tide around Start Point. Unfortunately the lighter easterlies were too light and dead behind (which doesn’t suit Sirena IV), so it was motor-sailing. So often in our cruising life there is either too much wind or too little or the wrong direction. It’s quite a surprise when we can sail a leg, as did happen a couple of times earlier in this cruise. It was pleasant when met by the harbour dory on entering Salcombe to say with confidence “yes, we’ve been before, we’d like to go on the pontoon in The Bag” and have the man tell us there should be space on the inside. Lesley put her gently alongside. Before long the dory came round for his £22. High tide was at 12:30, meaning slack water and L was keen for a swim. N was ambivalent, feeling a bit tired and achy (blaming it on the...
We left Guernsey with some pangs. One day is not enough to enjoy the island. Nic expertly turned Sirena around in a crowded rafted berth, and we waited around for several hours on an outside pontoon for the right hour to set off. Massive tides govern all your timings around here, and we could only leave St Peter Port and enter Carteret in France at specific times. It was a straightforward trip to Carteret but winds were so light we had to use the motor against the tides at first. On the chart, the approach to the harbour is green not blue...in other words, half the time there is no water to get in to the harbour, just mud. We and our rally buddies had worked out when to arrive safely when there would be enough tide to cover the green stuff. There is a metal sill which operates when the tide rises. A tidal gauge shows how many metres of water are available, which is quite comforting! After we arrived safely we did a clichéd yachtie thing, and had a pleasant G&T with two rally f...
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