Plymouth Sound
Juno
Paul and Caroline Frew
Sat 13 Aug 2011 07:51
On Thursday morning the forecast for Dartmouth was for 25 knots of wind from
the southwest with rough conditions around Start Point on our route to
Plymouth. We decided to stay in Dartmouth for another day while the current
low passed through, with promises from the forecasters of lighter airs on
Friday. We were enchanted by Dartmouth with its water based community of
ferries, yachts and dinghies plying back and forth across the deep clear
waters of the river. We launched our rib and motored up river past the
famous Philip & Sons shipyard and on to Dittisham with its thatched cottages
on the water's edge straight out of an Asterix magazine.
On Friday morning we cast off our lines at 8.30 to catch the favourable tide
past Salcombe and into Plymouth sound where we refuelled and docked Juno in
Queen Anne's Battery marina, which was clearly built when boats were
smaller. However we squeezed ourselves in by doing a 360 with the help of
Juno's powerful bow thrusters and left hand prop walk which kicks the stern
to port in reverse.
In the evening Paul and Consuelo arrived by train and we went for dinner in
the yacht club, where the walls are covered with memorabilia and pictures
form Sir Francis Chichester's solo circumnavigation. QAB has been the point
of departure and arrival for many famous voyages and the yacht club clearly
revels in its exalted position.
Our original plan to leave for Bayona on Saturday morning has changed
slightly in the light of the most recent forecast and we now plan to leave
on Saturday evening. The forecast predicts winds veering to the north west
on Saturday which will give us a beam reach across the channel to Ushant and
then the wind moves further north as we cross Biscay on Monday. Almost
perfect conditions for our crossing.
Next blog entry will be from Spain - inshallah.
