Atlantic to Ramsgate

1^st Weather carries on with the damp grey theme of the last week of May. The wind has been pretty steady overnight, creeping ahead a bit and easing a bit, and the sea has behaved which have enabled us to do a pretty respectable 7.0 kts towards waypoint for the day. Late morning and the wind moves into SE and fills in some and then goes lighter. Forecast says wind change will be the first time this trip that the wind has been in the west where it belongs!!

2^nd  Very wet and grey start, then a wet drizzly fog and then the sun came out at lunchtime, super! Lunch in the cockpit in shorts – haven’t done that in a while. Spent the afternoon with the cockpit draped with gear trying to dry out some. Just a few hours of sunshine transforms below, which has been shut up for days. Wind held up nicely and a perfect English summer afternoon’s sailing was had by all!

3^rd Wind increased overnight and 2 reefs in by daybreak. Good wind and fast sailing for the home run, pretty sure we will get into Falmouth PM tomorrow. Tried fishing this morning and nearly caught a gannet so gave up.

4^th Falmouth Midnight the wind veers and drops a bit, drizzle.Sighted Bishops Rock light, just a case of how long the wind lasts with 80 odd miles to go. What a cold night. 7 miles short of the Lizard and its engine on. 24mls against the tide to go to Falmouth.. Falmouth very busy, so ended up rafted up, no spare electric outlets so no heater!

From Panama sailed 5050mls an extra 543 over the rhumb line distance, this being the Odysseus factor. Best days average 7.0kts, worst days average 3.2 kts. The boat did well. (and so did you, Mike!)

5^th  Cheered up a little so up mast to grease the wind instrument, which has been reading funny lately.

6^th Ready to go tomorrow but the forecast says I’m staying.

7^th Overnight and the met office increased the forecast from a 9 to storm force 10.

8^th Wind easing, moved out to anchor lunchtime ready for the off.

9^th Falmouth to Salcombe Set off and made good time to Salcombe arriving just as the tide was about to turn. Latest shipping forecast suggests that the next low pressure is slower than previously predicted which would leave me stuck in Salcombe with easterly winds and so I decide to carry on up channel. Wish I’d left Falmouth last night.

10^thSalcombe to Cowes Engine back on and anchor Studland flat calm. Awakened by the wind from the east, of course. A tough beat in the rain up to Cowes. Lovely supper with Brian & Pam.

11^th Cowes to Brighton Set off with the ebb tide and had a good fast sail in the rain until an hour short of Brighton, when it’s engine on and motor the last bit.

12^th Brighton to Dover Set off in the rain and had a good sail to Dungeness and then a tough beat to Dover, still in the rain.

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13^th Dover to Ramsgate Set off  to get the tide up to Ramsgate. Pleasant beat without any rain and a bit of sun. Home!

14^th to 17^th  Ramsgate She stays in the inner harbour,  Thanks to Fanny and Pete for coming over to help unload with their big car. The flat is now full of sails and mattresses! Kate helping one-handed, having finished 6 weeks of IV antibiotics. So since 22^nd April both Mike and Kate have been single-handed!

18^th Ramsgate Hard-standing We finally get lifted by lunchtime.