Portland, Teignmouth and autumn

25 July 2022 

To Portland ! 

0645 Up 

0730 Car to river 

0732 Arrive at river 

Green Thing to Albatross 

0930 Leave Dartmouth 

1900 Anchor Portland Harbour 

 (We sailed half the way) 

Chicken stew for supper 

Two nights in Weymouth Harbour. 

Lovely to see the family 

28 July 2022 To Dartmouth. 

It is worth noting that the innermost tidal streams turn much earlier than than the outer at The Bill. 

We sailed almost all the way. This was remarkable. 

3 August 2022 

Mabel Mari Retief      (6lbs 2oz) 

12 August 2022 To Teignmouth 

We moored on the Visitors' Pontoon. Strong tides, even arriving at almost HW 

Remember to berth pointing upstream. 

Parkrun. 

Lizzy, Johannes + 4 came aboard for lunch. It's good to introduce children to sailing while they are still young.

14 August 2022 

Home via swims at Scabacombe bay. 

31 August 2022 

This was to be  Our Late August Cruise 

 

We made ready and headed out to Albatross. 

After a night on our lovely mooring, we went home again. It had been a short, but happy cruise.

I blame the blogger

My Reader will remember that back in July we were about to set off from Kilmore Quay towards Blighty.

I was about to explain why 2-hour watch systems never work. And so on. 

Anyway, we made it to Lands End (130 miles).

Proper sailors know that it is a good idea to get the tides right near Lands Ends. 

We didn't, but the engine saved the day again. 

2 nights in Penzance Marina. 

We really do like Penzance Marina. 

We motored to Fowey, then to Dartmouth. 

 It had been very good trip to Scotland and back.

From Bangor to Dartmouth

The wind eventually dropped in Bangor, but not before some enthusiastic rowers had had to be rescued nearby after getting into difficulties in the gales.  Anything with an F7 in it is far too much for us  ... and we have a keel.  We like our keel.

Martin went home.

We set off for Ardglass (Northern Ireland).  We like Ardglass (and NI generally).

We motored all the way (again).

Next to Greystones.  We tried using the big white flappy things again for a few minutes, but to no avail.

Greystones was built during the Celtic Tiger Years (just before the Financial Crash).  It has very modern facilities and nice pontoons and is surrounded by modern flats, many of which may be unoccupied.  Now that The Next Recession is about to start, building is underway to create another big block of flats. You get used to the pile-driving (apparently).  We liked Greystones, mainly because the berthing was easy, even without Martin's assistance.

Greystones 

Next to Arklow, or maybe further.  We made it to Arklow.

Arklow is good for chatting to people about the weather.   I did.  Several boats were planning to go on to Kilmore Quay.  I thought it was a bit windy.  We chatted.  We all decided that another night in Arklow would be just fine.

4th July 2022

To Kilmore Quay.  We set off accompanied by two other boats.  Using my utterly un-honed yacht-racing skills, I cleverly let the other boats get there first.  As a result, the first boat to arrive was directed to a ridiculously tight and challenging berth and the second boat was squeezed in between others on the main hammerhead.   When we arrived, it was a simple matter to tell boat number two that we would be berthing alongside (rafting), and perhaps they would kindly "take our lines" and provide us with any necessary assistance.  We berthed with ease and (possibly) had a beer.

Next off .... 130 miles to Lands End and why a Two Hour Watch System doesn't work. 

Bangor NI, today.

Gusting 41 knots.

Continuous heavy rain.

Will drink a lot of tea today.

Sixteen things to do in Bangor when it's stormy.

1.  The Bangor Parkrun.

We did. Good but windy.

2.  Go to Asda.

3.  Eat lettuce (as purchased by Martin for Janine). 3 out of 4 now consumed. 

4.  Blog.

5.  Watch the yacht racing.

Cancelled.

6.  Catch up with any sleep deficit.

7.  Take the train to Belfast 

(Please see 16 things to do in Belfast when it's p*ss*ng with rain).

8.  Shower regularly.

9.  Visit Tourist Information (who may advise a trip to Belfast  ....  please see 7. above and 17. below.

10.  Plan a second trip to Asda.

11. Buy more lettuce. 

12. Drink more tea.

13. Philosophise with Martin on the current female form.

14. Do WORDLE.

15. Listen to Martin talking about his school friend who wore pink hot pants.

16. Walk to Ballyholme in the wind and rain.

Carrickfergus from Ballyholme (photo Martin).(NB absence of Carrickfergus)

Home and back, meeting Sira and gales in Bangor.

We hired a very small car, drove back home, cut the grass, fed the hedgehog, saw our friends and drove back to Oban. Just over 1100 miles all in.

Albatross was fine in our absence. 

We met Simon on Sira and Martin and Janine soon arrived.

21 June 2022

To Puilladobhrain, Jean and me in Albatross, Simon, Janine and Martin aboard Sira. Cruising in company.

We would have visited Puilladobhrain sooner but I couldn't spell it.

Puilladobhrain is very pretty and sheltered. We went ashore, walked over "the bridge over the Atlantic", visited the pub and dined on Sira. All good.

Puilladobhrain. 
Sadly, news soon arrived of a crisis in London that required the immediate attention of a member of our sailing fivesome. Sira returned to Oban, Martin jumped ship to Albatross and we "sailed" South.

22 June 

Craighouse.  We like Craighouse and it is not difficult to spell.

23 June

Glenarm. Ditto.

24 June

Up at 0330 ... yes, really.

We had to be up in time for the tide and to arrive somewhere before the wind arrived.

We made it to Bangor (NI).

We haven't  used "the big white flappy things" since we left Oban.

Coming soon: sixteen things to do in Bangor when it's stormy.

Waiting for tomorrow

Today, we are on a mooring waiting for tomorrow when we hope to start the big drive home.

This morning we paddled ashore and went for a nice walk in the rain. As a result, we got wet. Unfortunately, after so many weeks at sea, I have run out of socks and have been working through them for a second time.

Such a total failure in personal hygiene is not good for morale (especially mine), but Jean has now lent me a pair of hers.

She has beautiful but rather small feet.

Anyway, I have now achieved one thing today: I have put on some socks. 

Oban ... again

Once more to Oban; to hide from the impending bad weather, to meet up with Simon, to buy some shoes, to get organised for our trip home and to go out to supper in Kerrera. 

We did all these things.

Dunstaffnage was vaguely unremarkable but efficient. We slept well, refuelled and headed off to Kerrera, then back by ferry to Oban Transit Marina to meet Simon and Robin who'd  just arrived from  Craobh. Coffee and donuts to celebrate. A walk towards the castle and a  chat with some American visitors. A busy day. Nice to be on land as the wind strengthened. 

We went out to supper (yes, really) at Kerrera Marina and safely made it back to our mooring before the gale began.

The night on board was noisy and I didn't get a wink of sleep till Jean woke me, with tea  at 0900.

Old folk in Oban.

Our neighbour off Oban.

(Drumbeat  ... yours to rent for £175,000 per week  inclusive of 10 staff, a jacuzzi  and 2 Topper Topases).

Oban to Oban via Loch Linnhe

To Bernera Bay.   Almost completely enclosed but for its narrow entrance, the chart recommended anchoring in  about 5 metres at the far end of the Loch.  We dropped our hook, reversed backwards, pulled it out and came perilously close to the beach.  After much dithering and discussion we had another go in about 11 metres  and having put down our very fine oversized Rocna anchor plus 55 metres of very fine chain and tested it in reverse at 2000 rpm, we felt confident enough have supper and go to bed.  Meanwhile, a smaller boat with a list to port and a single occupant turned up nearby.  Having tested  the depth with a lead line, he chucked, with one hand, a small anchor over the side of his boat, with a small amount of chain, looked briefly around, and disappeared below.

We were both alive next morning and no one had run aground. 

7 June.  An auspicious day.

We eventually got our anchor up and headed off to Linnhe Marina   ...  60 or so moorings with a pontoon to get ashore, neatly tucked behind  the Island of Shuna.   It looked perfect, we'd stay 2 nights.

"But will be rough in the morning, I'd not stay 2 nights" advised the owner.

"Nonsense" I thought.

Maximum 10 knots forecast. It was sunny and warm.

Next morning, there was a gentle breeze straight down the loch.  It was very bumpy. We decided to head off to Dunstaffnage.  A proper marina.

And thence to Kerrera opposite Oban, to shelter from the approaching gales and to prepare for a trip to Devon  ... BY CAR!

 

Circumnavigating Mull

Salen, a 9 berth marina up Loch Sunart was perfect. Very friendly, quiet, tranquil even. We had a nice walk and enjoyed the views.

Next to Loch na Dromo Buidhe ... a tiny entrance to a sheltered, secluded Loch. We anchored.

Now on to Loch Eatharna ....   This is the main place on Coll. It has a shop, a cafe (which was shut) and an Hotel Restaurant (but the chef was off sick), so we dined aboard after a nice walk to the otherside of the Island.

Jean on the other side of the Island.

To Breachache. A bay with 2 castles. A very nice anchorage, with

a very nice flat sandy bottom. Jean decided against having a swim. 

Breachache... note 2 castles

Next day to Lunga. We've been here before but the birds are lovely.

We had some difficulty launching our dinghy from the beach, until we discovered that it was securely secured to a substantial boulder.

To Bunessan. We sailed all the way and anchored near the village.

We had Spag Bog with cheese for supper.

Today,  up early and we motored the 42 miles from Bunessan (on Mull), past Iona and back up to Oban.  Continuous headwind, continous sunshine.

Hot in Oban. 

We walked to Lidl to buy some beer.

Salen, Loch Sunart, Scotland. 8 pm.

What to wear in Scotland?

Dear Reader(s), my most esteemed and loyal (and quite possibly, only) reader has asked me to advise on the best attire for aspiring sailors in Scotland in May.

Boots, plus 1 or 2 layers of socks

Long woolly longjohns

Jeans 

Shirt

Thin fleece

Medium fleece

Thick fleece

Full wet weather gear

Hat (with ear flaps)

Hood

Life jacket. 

If it's going to be cold, add vest and scarf.

On warmer days, omit one fleece.

Simples!

Important note about Parkruns in The Highlands

Parkrunners in this part of Scotland are expected to wear kilts.

Oban Transit Marina

We arrived here yesterday. A windy trip up the Sound of Luing. We are berthed in the middle of Oban.

Successful shop at Lidl.

Booked a hire car for 13th June  ... we are coming home just for a week ... and booked a mooring (for the same week  ... obviously ... for the boat ... obviously).

Parkrun  this morning. Beautiful but hilly. Scotland is hilly.

Parkrun survivers.

Boat trip to Kerrera this afternoon.

Sunny at last.

Oban from Kerrera.

Tobermory tomorrow. 

A day of rest

Having learnt how to spell "Craobh" and say it "Croove", we went for a nice walk over the hill to Ardfern (where we last visited in 2014 with Al and purchased memorable ice creams).

This time we went to a very nice cafe and had memorable chicken and chips and memorable leek soup.

Then we walked back to the boat for further passage planning and worrying about the weather. 

Looking westwards towards Craobh on our walk back from Ardfern.

Craighouse then Craobh

Craighouse is "Jura's population centre" and several people live there. Jura is famous for its whisky and its paps. 

On the way, I saw a minke whale.

We anchored outside the distillery and went for a walk. The stream smelt of beer; Jean explained that this was from the malt used to make the whisky. 

Craighouse is a pleasant, friendly and pretty place.

Jean goes to the shop.

Up at 0630 (something of a lie in) and almost ran aground leaving the bay.

Next to Craobh. Difficult to spell, challenging to pronounce and an almost impossible marina in which to berth, but we sailed all the way there, parked and had short siesta. 

Our voyage through the Sound of Jura (not a sequel to a 1965 film starring Julie Andrews) was indeed beautiful. The water was flat and we glimpsed some porpoises.

To Rathlin Island and its bird sanctuary

The 21 mile trip from Glenarm to Rathlin Island didn't take long despite the wind having no idea where it was coming from. The tide did however, and with 3 knots behind us, we were berthed by 0900.

Next, to the RSPB bird sanctuary. 

Another gem. Well worth the 9 mile round trip on foot.

Birdwise almost on a par with The Shiants and Fair Isle.

Tea at the bar afterwards. 

A black guillemot

Glenarm

Glenarm Marina:

Easy

Very helpful Harbour Master 

Black guillemots and swallows

A walk in the forest

Parkrun tomorrow 

Ardglass

Established by elizabethan pirates in 1562, this little harbour was previously known as "Arrrrdglarse" and the modern pronunciation (and spelling) was not adopted until Victorian times (by which time piracy had largely died out locally).

Ardglass

So much for the history, Dear Reader.

Having fled from the predicted storms of  Malahide, our intrepid duo arrived outside Ardglass some 20 hours ago, only to find that the harbour was too shallow for their little boat. Undeterred,  they sailed around in circles until the tide came in before motoring cautiously into the harbour.

On arrival they found that the excellent harbour authorities had secretly had their harbour dredged some six months previously but (having kept this secret secret, so that nobody knew) had not told the nice people who draw the Oceanographic Charts that this beautiful harbour was, in fact, now quite deep enough (at all states of the tide) for a little boat such as our Albatross.

Thus it had been entirely unnecessary to sail around in circles outside the harbour (waiting for the tide to come in) and our intrepid sailors might have had supper 2 hours earlier.

Or as pirates say  "Arrrrr".

Next time: To Glenarrrm.

To Malahide

We left at 0600.

20 knot breeze, dead run most of the way, goosewinged, with 2  knots of tide.

Arrived Malahide at high water; a good thing as the entrance almost dries.  Drove into our berth in full reverse, just stopping before the pontoon. This marina is built across a river. Got ourselves nicely moored before working out that our berth was at least 50cm too shallow.  Moved to somewhere deeper.

Walked to the castle in the warm evening sunshine. A lovely place in a beautiful country.

The castle

The river

Jean at Malahide Marina..

Fishcakes for supper. Lovely!

Tomorrow, Ardglass ?

Arklow

After 80 miles at sea we entered Arklow Harbour at about 1800. Low tide. The chart indicated a shallow patch in the harbour entrance but fortunately the chart was wrong. We berthed alongside the long pontoon on the east side of river; nice and easy.

Dusk.

The marina facilities and showers are excellent and free, and there is free washing machine. Its wonders are subtlety concealed behind the discretely entrance.

Today we had a nice walk around Arklow. We like Arklow. Everyone says "Hello".

Tomorrow to Malahide.

To Arklow at dawn

All set (again) for our voyage to Ireland. We depart at 0500. 

I've decided not to have a pre-breakfast swim.

Dale anchorage. 

We didn't go

Restless from 0200.

Up at 0400.

One last look at the weather.

Tea and back to bed at 0415.

The wind at our proposed destination, Arklow, looked far from ideal, so we will be here till Saturday.

All peaceful and calm now.

The voyage we didn't make.

To Dale anchorage again

Checked out of Neyland Marina after an early lunch and managed to reverse out of our berth without hitting anything!

Motored up to Dale to prepare for an early start tomorrow (0450 precisely) if the weather and tides work. Now have only 11 hours left for dithering about this.

Here's my beloved at the helm

And another one of the local wonders

Comfortably anchored at Dale

Neyland Marina

We motored over from Dale to Neyland for the comforts of the marina and some idleness (for me at least). Jean did some washing then kindly hauled me up the mast to fit a new bird scarer and to find out why the anchor light didn't work. I didn't find the fault, but did enough damage to be sure that the light certainly won't ever work again.

Charging the gadgets. 

Next, off for a nice walk up the river, back for tea and flapjacks. Out for supper later.

Newlyn to Milford Haven

Left Newlyn 0600. Motored around Lands End. Wind filled from SE F4 so sailed for about 5 hours. 

Guillemots, Razorbills, porpoises, Gannets, Shearwater, Gannet. Up to 20 dolphins followed us for a couple of hours. No giraffe. 

Wind died, so we had to motor through evening dusk sunset then moonlight. Approached Milford Haven in thick fog with no wind. Found our way in by radar, with Jean on the bow looking out for lobster pots. 115 miles.

Anchored  in Dale. 

Asleep  by 0200.

Penzance to Newlyn

A short trip across to Newlyn to get ready to leave at 0600 tomorrow. 

Warm sunny afternoon walk then supper with A & M.

To Wales tomorrow.

Arrived in Penzance

To The Helford River.

Up early (0830), passage planning over tea and Eccles cake.

Mended the loo.

To the Helford River, motored about half then sailed. Got a bit lost among the moorings looking for somewhere to anchor.

Eventually anchored. Dismantled the anchor windlass three times before fixing it. But the loo works OK. 

Spaghetti  bolognais for supper. 

Most excellent. 

The 2022 Cruise

Hurrah we're off! 

First day of another epic.

Up at 0900 and off at 1030.

Destination: Plymouth ... well, Cawsand Bay to be precise. 

1800 arrived in Fowey.

Fowey on a May evening. Lovely.