We're back!

Goldfinch arrived back at Ipswich Haven on the afternoon of 20th August after completing her round Britain trip.   There to greet us were co-owner Ken and previous crew members Chris and Terri.   They presented us with suitably engraved champagne glasses - one for each participant - and amazingly an engraved stone plaque.  These were made by Terri and Ken. Thank you!

Arrival at Ipswich

It feels good to be back although I am still rather tired. In fact I almost fell asleep over our arrival dinner at the Butt and Oyster.  

Bryan and Mike

Becks at Felixstowe

Mike at Beachy Head

Nearly home

Dan and Rebecca joined us as planned in Portsmouth and we set off again on the Sunday evening for the short hop to Chichester Harbour.   There we anchored for the night at East Head and were treated to a spectacular sunset over the still water.  Nights at anchor are often restless for me as I worry about the possibility of the anchor dragging, but on this occasion I slept well and awoke early and in time to witness another treat. This time, a gorgeous sunrise.  Oddly this was from the same relative direction as the boat had swung around her anchor in the night!

Sunset at East Head

We crept out of Chichester Harbour at low water and headed up Channel to Brighton. We had plenty of time and so decided to try our hand at trolling for mackerel.  This worked very well and we caught eight medium sized fish in fairly short order.  Later Mike baked these with potatoes and lemon to make a delicious one-pot supper.

At Brighton I was delighted to meet up with an old friend Martin who is currently single-handedly bringing his big catamaran up from Brittany to the East Coast.  I witnessed a masterly display of boat handling as he parked this massive craft in a small marina berth. Well done sir!

Annoyingly we discovered the next morning that Brighton Marina is not dredged to the advertised depth and we were consequently two hours late in leaving.   This was significant for tidal reasons although we were just in time to 'surf' the tidal surge most of the way to Dover. 

We intend one more stop (Ramsgate) and to be back at Ipswich around mid-day on Thursday. 

Cowes in the rain

We left Poole in the early morning having discovered the 'downside' of the marina with the palatial loos - the prices!!!  Nearly double what we have been paying elsewhere.  It was a really good place in other respects though, and Poole harbour is pretty good too.

The weather forecast for the day was for torrential rain, but in fact while we had a couple of heavyish showers en-route it really wasn't that bad.  Unfortunately the thick mist obscured what I know to be some lovely views of the Needles as we whizzed through the Hurst Channel with the tide behind us.

Cowes start line

Once into the Solent we discovered that it was Cowes Week.  This is the main fixture of the sailing calendar for those who like to race, as opposed to we who prefer to sail with a mug of tea in one hand. It was packed with hundreds of boats and there were several races taking place simultaneously. A gigantic oil tanker was also leaving Southampton Water and carving a path through the middle of it all. Goldfinch managed to zig-zag her way though, hopefully without spoiling anyone's race and we arrived in Portsmouth at lunchtime.

Off now to Mike & Chris's for a very welcome hot bath and a sleep in a real bed.  Luxury!

Chris leaves us today.  My son Dan joins us on Sunday and Mike's Daughter Rebecca on Monday.   We expect to return to our starting point of Ipswich on Wednesday or Thursday - weather permitting of course.

And the winner of the Best Marina Loo competition is......

Salterns Marina at Sandbanks near Poole!!!!

As we travel around, we notice a wide range of 'Facilities' available.  These range from the very basic (Caledonian Canal) through the generally adequate, to those that are really pretty good.   However Salterns stands head and shoulders above the rest, with loos that would not be out of place in a 5 Star hotel.   Everything is of the best quality, sparkly new, spacious and squeaky clean.  Full marks to you Salterns - although I thought the second Geisha girl was perhaps a little tardy in presenting me with the pearl-handled toothbrush...

We left Dartmouth (no showers at all!) early on Wednesday and after saying goodbye to Mark, Jo and Adam who are returning to the 'real world' via the steam railway to Paignton.  The crossing of Lyme Bay and around Portland Bill is not trivial, although it seems nothing on land.   The scientific phenomenon known as the 'Goldfinch effect' was fully in evidence and showed the unerring attraction of strong winds to our bow.   We sailed for a few hours and then gave up and started the motor as the adverse tide strengthened.   That said, it was a lovely sunny day and the cliffs of the 'Jurassic Coast' spectacular.

Approaching Portland, the tide was with us as we had expected and we romped into Poole just as the sun was going down, at the dizzying speed of nine knots*.   A long day but a satisfying one as we clocked up a lot of miles along what we have come to think of as the homeward stretch.

    

*10.3 Mph

The mysterious case of the missing helmsman

Browses in Cornwall

Mark's Wife (Jo) and Son (Adam) joined us at the Helford River.

From Jo:

"A land between seas, like a green and gold quilt bunched up and with folds and cleavages dense with trees, trailing a fringe of granite and slate, grey and dark grey, the crooked ancient leg of Cornwall extends as though dipping its toe in the Atlantic, testing the waters."

Adam and I arrived at Helford river on foot, to make a rendezvous with Goldfinch whose crew had just brought her round Lands End from Milford Haven in Wales. They had that look: red-eyed, sleepless, but satisfied, after a long passage.

Once our bags were on board and all had eaten lunch, some snoozed in the afternoon. The evening looked set to be sunny and calm, and we hailed the river taxi to take us ashore for supper at the Ferry Boat Inn, which served delicious food and a good range of beers. The sun came out as it set, showing off Helford River at its most peaceful and picturesque, and we skimmed stones and explored rockpools uncovered by the retreating tide. As we stood on deck watching the sky turn to gold, a Male Choir from Mousehole sang in close harmony, wafting their songs over the golden rippling water.

The ship's company is content and accustomed, and Goldfinch herself is comfortable and reliable. However on the short trip to Mevagissey I managed to bang my head twice very hard on her bulkheads  - a necessary stage to pass through for new crew as you mould yourself to the boat and learn to move about her cabins. Very soon though the boat is home and ample space for living. The tiny harbour at 'Meva' is snug too, only accommodating half a dozen yachts because it is a serious fishing village. Sacks of scallops were stacked on the quay, lifted from burly fishing boats with chain-bags slung along their sides. Families chugged about on pleasure craft, and kids dropped long lines to catch crabs and shrimps. It was a warm sunny Saturday and we joined crowds of leisurely weekenders, exploring the narrow lanes ashore, ice creams in hand. In the evening we were joined by Sally (who knows everyone) for some pasta cooked on board, and red wine spilt on deck.

We left promptly in the morning for Fowey, another river anchorage where we hitched up to a ricketty island pontoon. Adam now got the measure of the dinghy outboard and pootled about the shoreline, and ferried us to town and back for provisioning or strolling. A restaurant was picked for our evening meal  - The Globe, owned by someone Sally knows  - and the river taxi relieved us of £4.50 each return.

The morning brought heavy showers and some thunder but by the time we left for the river Yealm the sun shone and there was wind for sailing. A good passage, although Adam was a bit sick and couldn't face his pasty - the last of Cornwall as we crossed the border into Devon. Bryan launched the 'chute but the wind shifted, so we tried using it a bit like a spinnaker instead, which carried us along at 4 knots or so. It did look like Aunty Mabel's knickers though.

Mike swimming in the Yealm

 The roly, uncomfortable motion gradually eased as we neared the Yealm, a steep winding river entrance, beautiful in the afternoon sun. Goldfinch tiptoed over the shallows, following a tricky path dictated by day-marked leading lines, into a charming pool where we picked up a visitor's buoy*. Wooded banks stoop over the little creek which seems to trap the sun as the tide ebbs away over the bar, lending a feeling of being gently sealed off, hidden away for a few hours in tranquillity. Adam cruised around in the dinghy again, reconnoitring, and discovered excellent showers. Sausages and mash were prepared by Chris and Mike while a shore party ventured to the Dolphin for a pint of Tribute.

Yealm River (Adam)

The ailing outboard only just got us all back for supper, which we ate on deck, in the last of the evening sun. Adam pronounced: every place we visit is more beautiful than the last! As we squeezed over the bar and out again the next morning, heading for the Dart, we all vowed to return and be recaptured.

* From Bryan:
As a footnote to the above, when we arrived in the Yealm, we were greeted as usual by a Harbour master wanting his dues.  The dialogue went thus:

HM: "Boat's name and home port?"
Bryan: "Goldfinch, Ipswich"
HM: "Well done. You have come a long way"
Bryan: "Err yes,  via Inverness actually"
HM: "Ahh, your navigation's not so hot then..?"

Around Lands End

After four days gale-bound in Milford Haven, when we did a bit of walking, a lot of eating and also visited the wonderful Pembroke Castle, we finally set off across the Bristol Channel.   At over 100 miles from Wales to Cornwall this is a surprisingly long way, and in fact we rounded Land's End and then headed up the south coast to the Helford River, distance of 150 miles.  This took 26 hours so was a bit tiring.   The journey was remarkable for the company of several flocks of dolphins who took turns to play in our bow wave.   Later we saw them hunting fish while gannets dive bombed the shoal from above.  Really quite spectacular and we were also blessed by some of the sunniest weather we have seen on the entire trip.

The naked chef?

The Cornish Coast is of course very beautiful and Helford is truly lovely - and best appreciated from the water.  The next day we moved along the coast to another great place, the fishing village of Mevagissey.

Helford River

Croeso i Cymru

Bryan and Mark re-joined the boat on 30^th July and as it was still fairly early in the day, we took the opportunity of a short sail across Dublin Dun Laoghaire.   This is a really massive harbour with a half empty marina.   It is extremely popular with dinghy sailing schools and hordes of Optimists buzzed across our path as we found our way in and out.

Howth Harbour

The next day we were properly back in harness as we headed further down the coast to the town of Arklow.  The day started with a pleasant sail, but soon did its usual trick of coming from ahead and so we motored into a building sea for much of the 40 miles.  Not that much fun really, but it was soon over and we arrived in good time.    

Arklow looks uninspiring from seaward with a number of derelict factories in evidence.  We didn’t expect much, but actually it turned out to be a pleasant little small town with many small shops, pubs and restaurants.  There is also a smart new shopping mall built, apparently, on the site of a large explosives factory but  no explanation as to what happened to that enterprise.

Saturday saw a 4 am start for the ‘big push’ across the Irish Sea to Wales.  This trip looked like it was going to follow the usual pattern of a short sail followed by a long motor; this time because there was not enough wind to keep up a decent speed.   Happily though, the Clerk of the Weather divvied up an excellent breeze and bright sunshine for the last few hours and our arrival in Wales.    

The coastline here is magnificent with many small islands, glorious green-topped cliffs and a multitude of sea-birds to keep us company.   Soon we rounded Vomit Point (really!) and entered Milford Haven.   This is a truly massive natural harbour which has the prime function of receiving most of Britain’s oil and gas imports.   Somehow all the industry seems to blend reasonably well with the natural surroundings and it is a surprisingly pleasant place.  The marina itself has newly built quayside shops, cafes and other businesses, and we look forward to exploring a little further afield.

We are here for a couple of days while Mark travels home to attend a funeral.  Our next leg is the longest of the whole trip, around Land’s End to Cornwall.