Day 11 Sunday 24th - Thurday 28th May- Home.
Lowena
Michael & Amanda Dyer
Tue 2 Jun 2009 06:45
Overcast and colder. We are still creaming along at 5.6 knots average.
The sun came out by mid morning and clear skies all day. The
temperature lifted and the wind stayed SW and we covered 125Nm from 1800
Saturday to Sunday. The wind slowly went down towards evening.
During the night our speed went down to 3.5 knots. We listened to the
shipping forecast on LW 998 at 0048 NW 4-6.
Day 12
Two ships passed in the night so we must be getting closer to shipping
routes. Misty and overcast start. Gybed Lowena to port. Not much wind
at 0600 so started engine at 1630 to charge batteries. The wind
increased from 0830 on and the seas built up. Two reefs in main, seas a
bit uncomfortable in NW wind but making good progress. Spoke to Adam on
iridium to see if he can locate a yanmar engineer in Falmouth. Put in
new waypoint of UK3a to avoid shipping lanes around The Scillies. 232Nm
to UK3a by 2015 when we put second reef in main. By 0003 we put in
third reef. The shipping forecast is gale 8 for Sole. Quite anxious
waiting for it to blow harder!
Day 13
The night passed quietly enough. The wind and sea had decreased and it
developed into a beautiful day. There are gales still forecast for
tonight in Sole, Lundy, Fastnet and Irish Sea but not Plymouth.
168Nm to UK3a We shook out 3rd reef by daylight. NW 3-4, ideal for
crossing the continental shelf. All the time we are making good
progress east.
Robin began to graunch on one of the pulley blocks. Mike checked it out
and one pulley had disintegrated and the line was jamming. Thankfully
the conditions were good for him to lean out over the tansom and replace
the pulley. Now well over the continental shelf, the seas a bit choppy
but not uncomfortable. The sea has changed colour from deep blue to
green/blue. Gales are imminent.
Day 14 Wednesday 27th May
The wind increased gradually during the night and we put in third reef.
By dawn blowing a 7-8 with rough seas. We couldn't steer our course
so steering 090 to 130 degrees, not good as we are heading for the
French shipping separation zones! Concerned at 1014 we gybed back to
port and are now steering 054 - 064 degrees. By 1030 the last squall
went through in a fury and the gale in Sole was declared over on the navtex!
We had been making 8 knots! The wind decreased to a 6-7 and we
continued downwind at 4.5 knots!!- What had happened? I thought the
wind must have decreased to a 3 so we shook out third reef and realised
it was still blowing a 6 at least but the TIDE had turned!!!
Tides?, we had forgotten what they were. So for six hours we averged
4.5 knots against a spring tide. The Met office forecast very poor
visibility for Plymouth on the 1201 shipping forecast. I called
Falmouth Coastguard on the iridium and explained our engine predicament
and he said the vis was 2 miles and to call on VHF when within range.
We were still 75Nm from Falmouth.
Day 15 Thursday 28th May-Arrived Falmouth.
The visibility didn't actually decrease to less than 4Nm. As we
approached the Lizard again at whapping 6-8 knots with the tide,
shipping appeared left, right and centre. Mike, on watch said things
had quietened down at 0200. When I came on watch things were quite
different. Lights were coming at me from all directions. All was ok
until one last ship appeared to be on collision course but I mistook his
bearing and thought he would go astern of me. As he got closer and
closer I began to panic. I called Mike out. By this time it was 'do or
die', so I tacked and as I did, he went across our bow! I believe we
would have collided if I hadn't. I was quite shocked that he made no
move to avoid us. Aftr that, everything disappeared and as dawn broke
at 0430 there was no shipping in sight. We rounded Lizard Point and
cleared the Manacles by 0600. The Manacles cardinal was unlit?
The coastguard called 'Lowena' and I confirmed we were ok. We arrived
in Falmouth Visitors Yacht Haven at 0709. A fabulous arrival, the best yet.
We're HOME!!!
Thursday cont...
We had an English breakfast and in the evening we had the largest most
delicious fish and chips ever!!!
Friday morning the visibility in the harbour was down to 500m and then
as it cleared a brisk easterly wind set in.
How lucky were we??