8th July Lyme Bay 50:09.185N 003:22.091W
 
                Whisper
                  Noel Dilly
                  
Tue  9 Jul 2013 22:42
                  
                | "Lyme Bay - 8th July" 
 We had a great summers day yesterday.  We 
started off the day with the intention of changing the diesel filter on the 
engine.  Apart from dismantling the quarter berth and the spares locker and 
putting Whisper into chaos, this task was not achieved.  We discovered that 
there are two filters, one we had a spare for but no instructions in the manual 
and the second one, which we planned to change, had instructions in the 
manual, but we didn't have a spare.  It seemed prudent to leave well alone 
until we have all the necessary bits and information.  The cabin tidied 
again and lunch enjoyed in the cockpit under the summer sun, we launched Rustle 
and set off for Salcombe and the opportunity to stretch our legs.  
 The little town was alive with happy scantily clad 
tourists enjoying the summers day.  Children crabbing off the quayside, 
adults laughing and chatting, licking icecreams or enjoying a pint or two.  
We had decided to hike out to Bolt Head along the cliff path.  The walk 
took us up and down to North Beach and then up and down again to South Beach 
before climbing upwards to the cliffs and rocks above.  The beaches were 
full of children  squealing and splashing, buckets and spades, body boards, 
people paddling, some swimmers, paddle boarders, a typical joyous British 
seaside spectacle.   It was certainly a hot day but eventually we found 
ourselves on the headland looking  down on yachts and small day boats at 
anchor, with young people enjoying themselves on and in the water as well 
as a few trying to break the Water Speed Record!  We sat on the headland 
watching many yachts and small dinghies sailing in the glorious sunshine 
while the horizon was shrouded in fog, giving the illusion that boats that far 
out were about to drop off the ledge!  While we sat we saw a buzzard and a 
kestrel hunting above us, while sea gulls called noisily down on the rocks 
below.   We enjoyed afternoon tea at Overbecks Garden, a 
National Trust property, before strolling back towards Salcombe.  We 
enjoyed watching the colourful steam tractor on South Beach as it drove its 
ferry passengers out to the waiting ferry which was unable to come in any 
further up the shore.  Our day finished with Cornish Cider, Cornish Beer 
and a jolly good local meal in the Boatswains Restaurant, before trundling back 
up the river in the setting sunlight to Whisper tranquilly lying in her 
countyside habitat.  It is good  to be home!  Photographs: "Tranquil Salcombe 
Estuary Moorings"                      "Chain 
Ferry"  | 

