Day 5 May 20 - Weymouth to Dartmouth

Vega
Irving & Cate Benjamin
Sun 20 May 2012 21:28

A snap decision to leave and catch the tide round Portland Bill followed by hurried preparation and a departure at 0945.  It is VERY important to arrive at the Bill at slack water (4 hours after HW Portland), or you get caught up in one of the most frantically confused tidal races in the UK.  We made it exactly on time, and giving the headlands a healthy wide berth we were on a single course of 260 for Dartmouth, 55nM distant.  Once the tide had turned with us (1300) we were - Hallelujah! - able to sail.  Full sail, close reach, making 6-7k in 14k NW wind.  At last the  forecast was right, but sadly it didn't last long enough.  By 1500 it had veered north and died away to 8k, and we were down to 3k boat speed, which would have given us an ETA of after dark.  So...back on with the Iron Mainsail and onwards to Dartmouth.  After the loss of the fishermen 2 days ago, there has been more awful news coming over the VHF - a missing diver not far from the Dart.  A prolonged search was under way, but sadly was abandoned shortly after 1700, signalled on the radio as a Mayday Silence Finis - very doleful words to hear.  Anyway, we arrived at the magnificent entrance of the Dart at 1730, dropped the main and called Darthaven Marina for a berth (C7).  This marina has also changed since my last visit, and now has very posh electronic gates of gleaming glass and chrome.  After 'Evening Prayers' we walked up the hill to Kingswear village and down to the Royal Dart YC to sign in and have a beer, then back to the boat past the pretty retro GWR station of the steam line to Paignton, which Cate and I travelled on in 2003!  Dined aboard and typed up blog, and bed at midnight, planning our 'rest day' tomorrow.

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