50:21.0N 003:35.0W Midday (BST) Fix 14 June 2010 An Emotional Landfall
Oboe D'Amore's Web Diary
Nigel Backwith
Mon 14 Jun 2010 13:19
2010
View our progress on Google Earth at: http://blog.mailasail.com/oboe
GPS Position: 50:21.0N 003:35.0W
Sea Miles (previous 24 Hours): 162nMs
Sea Miles to date: 3,428nMs
Present Course Over Ground: 063°M
Present Boat Speed 7.8kts
Average Boat Speed (previous 24 hours): 6.8kts
Average Boat Speed to date: 6.4kts
Estimated GPS Position in 24 hours time: N/A
Sea State: Slight
Wind Speed and Direction: 20kts SW
Barometric Pressure: 1014mB
How can we time it so that we will arrive at precisely 1700 hours, Monday at
the Town Quay in Dartmouth, where friends and relatives will be gathered to
welcome us home and perhaps pop a few champagne corks? We are a day early,
the only benefit of the everlasting stormy conditions we have recently
endured. It's mid afternoon Sunday and umm... Salcombe is in sight. Not my
favourite place but it does have pubs! The Fort or Fortescue Arms to give
it its proper name, beckons. What's the state of the tide? Can we slip
over the sand bar; it wouldn't be good to go aground so near to home? David
fires up his iPhone tide application and informs us that there is plenty of
water. Seems strange again having to take tide heights into account after
so long in a non-tidal part of the world.
Fifteen minutes later we were tied up on a visitor's mooring. "Water taxi,
water taxi, water taxi this is Oboe, Oboe, Oboe. Four alcohol-deprived
sailors need to get ashore now!" Another ten minutes and four pints later we
were on our second pint and hardly a word had been spoken. "Good
normalisers eh?" uttered Ryan and we all smiled. "Shame Jonty isn't here."
At this point Dave and Deb walked in. "Parents!" Ryan exclaimed and hugs
and kisses were exchanged. "Four more pints please" someone said and so the
evening continued, in laughter and joyful banter. Fish, chips and mushy
peas washed down, declared by all as the best fish and chips ever.
Struggling back to the town slip to get the last water taxi back to Oboe, we
were not sure whether the beer or the weeks at sea caused the swaying but
one thing's for sure, sway we did.
OK, Dartmouth here we come. Water over the bar? Not much and it's
dropping, so a hasty exit, hugging the western rock face to hold as much
depth as possible. We motored to Dartmouth in silence until the famous day
mark at the entrance to the river came into view. A strong sense of déjà vu
overwhelmed me because I have had the image in my head for weeks, it
representing the culmination of another great adventure. Slowly does it, we
are early. We do a "fly by" of the town quay. Yup, one or two early birds
already there. Further up river we get more waves from the shore. Up as
far as Dittisham and time to hoist the Oboe Charters flag, now a pale and
tattered shadow of its former self after 2 years fluttering in the Caribbean
sunshine. Also hoisted, the flag proudly announcing Oboe's Transatlantic
2010 achievement and strings of signal pennants. Oboe is now "dressed
overall" as befits such an occasion.
As we drifted down river against the last of the flow all went silent again.
Looks and nods were exchanged. Without a word, fenders stowed deep in the
sail locker were deployed on starboard. Bow line, stern line and amidships
spring were attached. Oboe rested gently against the quay and all was done
...
A beautifully designed banner courtesy of my daughter Sian read "Welcome
Home". Balloons waved in the breeze. Husbands, wives, fiancées, sons and
daughters, sailors from previous adventures and locals talked excitedly.
Large numbers of champagne corks popped. Yet, when the four of us caught
each other's eye, the nods and smiles were ever present. We are as one and
will remain so ...
Nigel
Date: 14 June 2010
