Thursday 22nd July (Lini’s Journal)
Brindabella's Web Diary
Simon Williams
Sun 25 Jul 2010 23:38
Noon position – Somewhere around the Lizard!
I was expecting to see land when I came on watch again at 4am. Our
waypoint was further offshore than I’d estimated though and it wasn’t
until 5am that Cornwall was visible through the drizzle. It had been a
wet night and the weather this morning was still dismal; so cold and
dreary, I felt quite depressed about returning. With that, I picked up
a signal on my mobile phone and in a flurry of text messaging was soon
getting lovely replies from family as they woke. Orders have been
given to prepare my hugs!
As we approached the Lizard I unfortunately had to wake Si. Five
tankers and cargo vessels were on a near collision course with us and
the wind had backed forcing us towards land off our track. I thought
it wise to gybe the mainsail so we could maintain a steady course for
vessels trying to dodge us. As it happened they didn’t alter course at
all and after gybing, sail had to give way to power. Si, tired and ‘a
tad angry’, had to take over from the autopilot, which just when we
really needed a steady course was slewing us through 90° in large
waves from astern. This wasn’t exactly the happy end I’d have liked to
ten days at sea and the last long passage of our adventure. But it
turned out not to be the end: Just as we approached our next waypoint
Si decided to press onto Plymouth.
We would now arrive this evening but be a fair chunk nearer to
seeing family. Si has promised CJ that we will be back as soon as
possible to draw on the plaster cast; my family await news of our ETA
in Northney. I napped before lunch while Si listened to Test Match
Special; Si napped after lunch and although the skies were dark over
land, it was toasty on deck. I took advantage of probably a last
chance for a while to dress ‘au naturel’ as I watched the Cornish
coastline slip by with such a contrast of colours in the hundred
patchwork crops. The Azores had hills of such vibrant greens, here
they spanned from pale yellow caught by threads of diffused sun,
through greens and browns to richest reds. Inshore, those occasional
rays of sun that illuminated the hills above caught the sails of
numerous yachts following the coast. Offshore, fishing boats returned
with their catch, seagulls swarming like bees overhead and feeding off
scraps left in their wake. Cloud from the next big weather system
slowly thickened and lowered as Eddistone Rock lay off our starboard
beam.
I wasn’t looking forward to arriving tired at night in a strange
port, but luckily the tide turned in our favour and our ETA at our
waypoint off Plymouth was now 5pm. It has been a strange trip with us
both feeling unwell and spending most of our off-watches, day and
night trying to sleep. In perfect timing for our arrival we are now
both thankfully feeling much better.
It was the first time I’d sailed into Plymouth and I felt quite
excited about seeing somewhere new in Britain now our foreign
adventure has come to an end. In the estuary sat several naval ships
from various countries, overhead flew helicopters and jets. There was
heaps to see as we edged our way into the harbour. Extensive
fortification remains mingled into new waterfront buildings with fine
old terraced houses overlooking the common behind. Evening racing
yachts bobbed about becalmed with bright sails hanging limply. We
rounded Drake’s Island in the harbour with fine church towers,
monuments and statues peeping over buildings on the mainland and
rounded the grand ex-naval buildings now being converted into
residential properties. How is a girl supposed to concentrate on lines
and fenders with so much to see?
After ten days at sea, jumping onto a very bouncy and lopsided
pontoon with wobbly legs was an amusing landing in Mayflower Marina. I
rang family while clearing up a little and when Si returned from the
marina office we cracked open ready chilled beer and toasted our safe
arrival. Brindabella was back in Britain and it felt very, very odd.
Two salt encrusted sailors then hit the marina restaurant where we
kept up our tradition, trying two local beers and having free tasters
of a very potent cider. It was much easier to find something for the
stones and I to eat with an English speaking waitress and a joy to eat
at a steady table off china plates after bumpy meals at sea. We had
barely finished our meals when eyes became heavy and we returned to
Brindabella for a blissfully cosy, whole night’s sleep.