Leg 8 Fowey to Falmouth

Date:- 27.05.11 Name: Morgen Crew: RD (Richard Dempster), Freddie From: Fowey To: Falmouth Comments: The best days sailing so far

Wind Strength / direction: Westerly force 4 Sea State: slight Distance: 25.8 nautical miles Time Taken: 6hrs 27mins

I was determined to get the planning right for this leg as I didn’t want to spend hours fighting against the tide like I had done getting to Fowey. I took extra time calculating the tide streams and strength and at what times through the day they would change. I even cross referenced everything back to high tide at Dover to check I had it right.

4:30am rise and ready to leave at 5:00am. I had prepared the boat the night before and basically had to get up get dressed have breakfast and cast off the mooring lines. It was a lovely calm morning with a reasonably clear sky and just a breath of wind unlike the previous two days which were gusting up to 40miles per hour.

A really nice morning. But it’s a very odd feeling ghosting out through a harbour with houses all round whilst the inhabitants sleep or are just rising with the odd light coming on through the windows. The peaces though is fantastic. Passing the old ‘Tall ships’ that are anchored in the harbour and the early morning and you are transported back in time and you mind thinks of pirates and armadas’ going of to fight the Spanish on the high seas! A great start to the day.

With no wind to talk off I motored out of Fowey harbour and was met with the most amazing sun rise and for the very first time a completely smooth sea.

What a morning

I played with the idea of putting the cruising chute up but as this thought went through my head the wind increased and I played on the safe side and put up the main sail and the jib. This proved to be the right choice as the wind continued to increase and by 6.30am was a steady force 4. However the sea state remained flat and Morgen raced along at a steady 7knots all through the trip. By far and away the best leg so far. Everything went as planned, even the planning! I caught the tide just right and it was with me for almost the whole time the wind was as forecast and above all the sea remained flat. Yesssssssss

When the sailing goes as well as this its just like I thought it would be. A great feeling. You have the time to think as your moving along and you dont feel like your just surviving but you can really appreciate everything you can see. A great feeling.

It was quite an interesting trip, not just because the seas were flat and the speed I was cruising at but you see all kinds of things from sea birds to odd craft.

Entrance to Falmouth

In fact everything went so well that I was actually at the entrance to the river Fal and Falmouth by about 10.30am a good two hours faster than I thought I could make it. I still felt reasonably fresh and not completely worn out like I normally do.

Leg 7 Plymouth to Fowey

Date:- 24.05.11 Name: Morgen Crew: RD (Richard Dempster), Freddie From: Plymouth To: Fowey Comments: Very long day

Wind Strength / direction: Westerly force 3 Sea State: slight Distance: 24.6 nautical miles Time Taken: 6.10

It took a very long time to get out of Plymouth harbour. Due to my own poor seamanship. I tried to raise the main without turning the boat perfectly in to wind. This always means that the battons in the main sail gets entangled with the lazy bag lines. So the only answer is to drop the main again and start all over again. The second time I was raising the main and realised that I was running out of room as I am still motoring forward. So had to drop the main again turn and head a bit further out and raise the Bl---y thing again. At last Ive got the sail up and can continue on my way.

For once quite an uneventful trip but very cold. Its surprising how cold it is out at sea. Even though it may be warm on land I have found that I still need to wrap up like its winter. With full waterproofs on, hat and gloves and quite a few layers on to trap the heat. I’m really looking forward to a lovely summers day. Even though it was uneventful it turned out to be a very long day as the wind had dropped a bit so the going was slow especially as it is still a westerly wind and I am constantly beating in to it.

I finally arrive in Fowey at about 6:30pm and the wind has dropped completely turning in to a very nice evening and I can at last take off all the waterproofs. About eight and a half hours and I had calculated on about four and half to five. Whoops got it wrong! Have to pay more attention to route planning in future.

Fowey is in many ways similar to Salcombe. A rather grand entrance and a lovely natural harbour inside with some very grand boats as can be seen in the photos. I moored up and walked Freddie and then talked to the harbour master who told me that there was a really nice walk through some fields at the top of the hill which Freddie would enjoy which leads to a very good pub where they serve good quality food. That’s settled then ‘dinner out’.

Whilst eating out I met a retired couple who ran a farm and they were on holiday in a caravan site at the top of the valley and they often ate in the pub of an evening. They were a lovely couple who it was really easy to talk to. And they thought Freddie was a great looking dog. I explained what I was doing and they immediately made a donation. I am continually impressed and touched by the people I meet who like myself knows someone who has been touched by cancer and they want to contribute in anyway they can. I thanked them and in turn they thanked me for doing what I was doing. And once again I as we left my overriding thoughts were what a lovely couple. I gave them the blog address and hope they are following the trip now from home. But if they are Thanks!

After the following day of exploring Fowey.( what a great place to visit)(just look at the pictures) I bought a few provisions from the small town. Freddie had decided to muck around in the dinghy, which is unusual as he is normally very good in it and just as I moored up and tried to get him off he missed his footing and went straight in between a couple of dinghys. It wasn’t just a leg or a paw he went right in so I grabbed the handle on his life jacket and pulled him up as fast as I could this only had one outcome as he is so big, the handle just came off in my hand and he went swimming again for the second time. Lucky enough a passing boater was walking past on the pontoon and between the two of us him on the pontoon and myself trying to balance on a wobbly dinghy managed to pull him out. To which his immediate reaction was to shake himself vigorously soaking the pair of us. Cheers Freddie, and I thanked the man and apologised at the same time.

Another lovely evening so I walked to the pub and had a pint and was able to see the same couple as the day before again we chatted very easily. They asked me if I was going to carry on with the venture tomorrow and I replied that I doubt it because the weather is to bad and added that they were both welcome to come down to the boat the following day and have afternoon tea with me and Freddie.

I also met an American lady with I presume her granddaughters who were initially attracted to us because of Freddie. They asked if he was friendly and could they pat him. Once again I was asked what I was doing and when I explained the woman was very touched and said ‘she had suffered with Cancer last year’ and thrust ten pounds in to my hand and asked me to put it in the collecting tin when I got back to the boat. So many people with so many stories of their own.

Leg 6 Salcombe to Plymouth 19.05.11

Date:- 19.05.11 Name: Morgen Crew: RD (Richard Dempster), Freddie From: Salcombe To: Plymouth Comments: Easy start rough finish

Wind Strength / direction: Westerly Force 3/4 Sea State: Slight Distance: 24.3 nautical miles Time Taken: 6hours five minutes

This seems to be becoming a repeating theme. The weather was very still to begin with but again built up to a good strong force 3 to force 4. But this time the sea was much flatter and so a really good enjoyable sail. It did however seem to be a very long day for some reason, perhaps I’m getting tired and things are taking that much more effort to achieve. Freddie was very good today curling up in the cockpit and being very calm so all in all a good day.

There was another yacht about half a mile away from us and heading in the same direction. Both yachts looked about the same size and both yachts were beating in to the prevailing westerly wind. To begin with I was tacking back and forth reasonably often, every 5 to 10 minutes the other yacht was sticking to his line for about 20 to 30 minutes before turning but Morgen was always just ahead after each couple of tacks. Which tactic was going to pay off I didn’t know. About half way to Plymouth though I hit a hole in the wind and slowed right down the other boat came in from the sea towards a headland and obviously had picked up a good bit of wind coming in close to the land. I needed to change my tactics if I were to keep a lead on them.

I tacked out to sea thinking that if the wind picked up it would pick up further out to sea. So I turned on to a slow heading out to sea. The other boat had decided to hug the coast as it seemed to be working for him. I carried on out to sea for quite a long time until the speed started to pick up and the wind had become a strong steady force 3 to force 4. I turned and headed more directly towards Plymouth but as the wind had increase it also moved slightly towards the south and I could keep on a broad reach (the fastest wind angle) I could see the other boat in the distance but I thought not quite as far ahead as it was, and bit by bit I slowly hauled him in and instead of seeing the rear of his boat I could see the side of the other boat and then the front of the other boat this means I was again ahead of him. I carried on with Morgen heeled well over and reaching 7 knots in about 13 miles of wind. I cant help being competitive. But anyway I reached Plymouth first and morgen not only proved to be a very sea worthy boat but also quite a fast boat given a decent wind.

Once in to the harbour the water became flatter as there is a huge breakwater across the width of the harbour. Once in to the final approach it was time to drop the main sail. I could see other yachts still with both sails up but I don’t know the area and being single handed means it takes me longer to do all the jobs that need to be done. So I tend to drop the main early and finish with just the jib out as I know I can pull this in quickly and have the engine running so I can avoid other boats and obstacles.

I approached my berth very slowly and I thought it was going to be a perfect stop. But just as I came in to the finger of the pontoon the wind gusted and it blew me away. So looking like a beginner I had to reverse back out and point in again for another attempt. This time though a couple from another yacht had seen me coming in and came over to catch a line and pull me in. Some people are just nice. Once moored, Freddie needs to be walked. No rest for the wicked.

Once again Freda and Alan were able to visit on the Saturday and we were able to go sailing in very nice conditions with reasonable wind. Freda is overcoming her fear of the water and the accompanying sea sickness (probably for Alan’s sake). Alan I think wanted to try his hand at sailing in a slightly stronger wind that last weekend. And to have both sails up. We had a couple of cups of tea and then started to prepare the boat for sailing, taking off sail covers attaching halyards etc. As it was a stronger wind than last week I thought we should all wear life jackets so I went to the forward locker and got three life jackets out and of course Freddies doggy life jacket. I passed them up the gangway to my sister whom I have always called by her nick name of Fred. I said heres Freddies jacket and ours or something like this. I then continued tidying things away down below. A few minutes pass and I hear my sister Freda call out how do you do the life jackets up. I said I will show them how to do this when I come up to the cockpit. When I eventually go up the stairs to the cockpit I found my sister Fred wearing Freddies life jacket and complaining it was quite tight! ‘O MY GOD’ and I’m taking her out to sea!

Salcombe 17.05.11 to 18.05.11

Date:- 18.05.11 Name: Morgen Crew: RD (Richard Dempster), Freddie From: Salcombe To: Salcombe Comments: Absolutely lovely

Wind Strength / direction: Sea State: Distance: nautical miles Time Taken:

I think the pictures alone give a good account of what Salcombe is like.

Not a bad place to visit. wow!

Leg 5 Dartmouth to Salcombe 17.05.11

Date:- 17.05.11 Name: Morgen Crew: RD (Richard Dempster), Freddie From: Dartmouth To: Salcombe Comments: Easy start rough finish

Wind Strength / direction: Westerly F5 Sea State: Moderate Distance:21.7 nautical miles Time Taken:5hrs 26

Start point



The start of leg 5 was calm and nice. Weather was very good and sea state was slight. At first as we left the river Dart all was fine I thought to myself that it was going to be a cruising shute day. But as we left the river mouth there was no wind and I re-thought that it wasn’t even worth putting the cruising shute up. The wind indicator showed between 4 and 7 knots of Apparent wind. But as we motored out further in to the English channel the wind increased, I put up the main sail first and then shortly after this I pulled out the Jib. We were flying along reaching 7.7knots with no reefs in the sail. Perfect. But definitely not a cruising chute day. As I came amid ships of ‘Start Point’ This is a very prominent headland with a white tower on it which can be seen for many miles out to sea, the sea state suddenly changed from a slight sea to a very choppy moderate sea. Moderate sea is between 9ft and 15ft waves.

I was very tempted to drop the main sail as I had when crossing from poole Harbour to Weymouth but the boat was handling the conditions really well and we were keeping up a good six to six and a half knots up or down the waves or even in the troughs. I had worked out my passage time from a rough 4 knots per mile at this rate I could probably knock about an hour and half to two hours off my passage time. Although this would prove to be a problem as in the entrance to Salcombe there is a bar (sand bank) and if I arrived to early there would not be enough water for me to get into the harbour! But I would consider this later.

My faith in Morgen just grows from strength to strength. Even though we were battling against the prevailing westerly wind almost head on she just kept on ploughing through everything that was thrown at her. What a great little boat. The wind and the sea made for exciting sailing for me, however Freddie felt differently about it! He couldn’t work out how to get comfortable with the boat heeled so far over and when he did get comfortable by wedging himself in to the corner of the cockpit he threw up. The first time he has been sea sick. Great. He seemed ok straight away so I found the bucket which was hidden away in the rear lazerette which has a rope attached to it, threw it over the side filling it up with clean sea water. I then went about washing the deck where he had been sick. This took quite a while to clear as the chunks of dog food wedged itself in any little nook or cranny. Job done settle back to sailing. The wind picked up and we were hammering along. Freddie was sick again. However this time I couldn’t clean it up as the sea state had become to rough. Freddie moved himself in to the cockpit floor at the doorway well away from where he had been sick and left me to stand in it for the next two hours until we were able to moor up at a vivistors pontoon. Nice !

Just before Freddie was sick. Yuk.

I had left the AICR banner tied to the forward port guard rail and at about 12.30 to 13.00 hrs it started to untie itself. I didn’t want to lose the banner over the side of the boat so there was only one thing I could do, and I needed to do it fast. I walked and crawled up on to the port deck which is no problem in itself but when the sea is lapping over the toe rail and the boat is heeled over so far, one slip and the next stop is the drink. Also the water seems to pass by the hull very very fast and all of these sensations come very prominently to the foreground of your mind. As I untie the banner it starts flapping wildly in the wind and I am hugely aware that I must not slip but I untie the banner one knot at a time. I crawl back to the cockpit and try to carry it down the cabin steps where I immediately slip and crash down the gangway yet again. I have pins and plates in my left leg from a motor vehicle accident about seven years ago and of course I land on this leg which instantly gives way and I go sprawling in to the cabin. ‘o bother’ I say to myself and the air turns blue.

After some very high westerly winds we finally reach the entrance to salcombe. I have to keep as far to the west as I dare on the entrance to the harbour. There are some daunting cliffs and I need to judge it just right as the depth gauge is showing me that the water is becoming shallower all the time. I was about an hour earlier than I had planned and as it turned out I had enough water underneath me to make it across the bar, Phew. Salcombe as you can see from the pictures is another beautiful harbour and very well protected. As you sail in you can see golden sandy beaches on both sides in little coves that make you want to get off and explore. Just then the mobile phone goes and I come back to reality and as I answer it the Harbour master comes out to direct me to a visitors pontoon. I feel like a naughty school kid caught with his mobile phone in lessons. Tut tut.

Once moored up safely around the corner from Salcombe in a place called the bag I get Freddie off the boat and take him walking and running so as to burn some energy from him. We end up going up a very steep hill which gives us great views of the estuary. A really lovely place. Salcombe however is a place for the more affluent amongst us as it is quite expensive with designer shops along its main street. But I have to say quintessentially a lovely little English sea side village. But very hilly when you have to walk a german shepherd. And very tiring.

Freddie makes friends on the Visitors Pontoon