Sometimes life for a sailor carries some simple delights.  Today before leaving the marina (Benj) bought 4.5 metres of thick and 4.5 metres of thin bungee cord to remake our elasticated sail tie, which has been deteriorating for several years now with no impetus to mend it: short trips don't leave time for all those little maintenance jobs, but on this long trip my resolve is to catch up on the 'housework'. Anyway, we left as planned on the 1000 tide in wall-to-wall blue sky, (Benj) in shorts, enjoying what summer boating should be like for the first time.  Motoring (again) but this time on a calm sea with clear views as we left the lovely River Dart, rounded Start Point, and headed west for Plymouth.  Once we cleared the fishing-pot area with need for constant vigilance and frequent course alterations, we saw hardly another vessel for many miles, until the yachts in and out of Plymouth Sound began to appear.  By 1430 we were past the well-concealed mouth of the beautiful River Yealm (sorry we don't have time for a visit),  rounding the Mewstone, and shaping a course for the Plymouth Sound breakwater.  I had planned to go via The Bridge, a good shortcut past Drake's Island, but as it was just past low water this did not seem a good idea - there's at least one area of 0.3m at low tide - so we followed  the deep water fairway to the east of Drake and made Mayflower Marina at 1530.  Pleasingly, Mayflower is a member of the TransEurope group, so as a Dover berth-holder we get a 50% discount: yeehah! - only £15 for the night!   After a cuppa we set off on the bus for the city, where we had a wander in the centre and then across Plymouth Hoe, past Smeaton's Tower (which we had climbed on a previous trip) and along the sea wall to the Royal Plymouth Corinthian YC, where we enjoyed a beer overlooking the racing in the harbour.  Another short walk took us to the notorious Barbican, quiet at this early hour though beset with numerous derelicts, some of then perceptibly drunk in charge of young infants, not a pretty sight.  Hunger overcame us and we enjoyed one of the best Thai meals we have had in The Thai House in Notte Street, winner 'Devon's Best Thai Restaurant' and similar awards.  In view of the rather long walk from the road to the marina we opted for a taxi home for £7, and had our nightcaps in Jolly Jack's Bistro on the marina.