Departure and 1st leg to Camaret
Catou
Paul and Sylvie Tucker
Mon 28 Jun 2010 18:32
|
Friday 25th June
After a late evening drive to Devon and a particularly muddy and
slippery slipway at Weir Quay at nearly 2300 hrs, Sylvie and I
clambered aboard "Catou" at the start our long-planned Atlantic
crossing. We were so exhausted that we managed a quick celebration with a
nightcap and turned in, ready to meet the next part of our crew on Saturday
am.
Saturday 26th
June The
morning started with absolute calm conditions and glorious
sunshine. A few jobs, then dinghy ashore to meet Ben.
Ben's wife, Lucinda has very kindly lent him to us for the first week of
the voyage to Northern Spain. Ben is a Kiwi, from North Island (can't pronounce
the Maori town that he's from, but he claims to be a professionally
unemployed bum) only a month to go until the birth of their 2nd child, this
is indeed a brave gesture ! We decided not to hang about since the ebb tide
was already 1/2 tide, so straight aboard and slipped mooring at 1000.
We motored the 8 miles down river to Sutton Marina in Plymouth, where Lucinda
and daughter Emily were to join us for lunch. We tied up at 1300,
after being delayed by a power boat race off the marina. After lunch
the girls went shopping (Sylvie managed to get lost in centre of Plymouth, but
somehow found her way back at 1730) and Ben and I settled down to a few
jobs. Ben got stuck into the mailasail e-mail issues (beyond my
capabilities!) and with what seemed remarkable ease, sorted the whole
system + talking of lap-top to sat-phone + this blog site. Lucinda cooked
us a lovely meal in their rented apartment that evening.
Sunday 27th June
Sutton Marina started the morning very peacefully! By noon we had a party
of 15 on board, most from our village of Chaceley. They had produced a
wonderful picnic lunch which was wheeled down on a marina trolley, complete with
picnic table, champagne, wine, strawberries, cream and chocolate sauce. It
was so kind of everyone and their huge effort to drive down to see us off (they
claimed that it was to make sure we went)! In the middle of this hub-bub
our final crew member, Jim Hassall, an old sailing friend, and his wife Marie
arrived on board, complete with the last new sail for the trip - fresh from the
sail-maker Chris Scaines in Topsham, on whose door we knocked at 8.30pm only two
Sundays earlier, asking for another new sail please! (I seem to have spent
far too much money with Chris over this last winter, but we do have a great
wardrobe to set off with, and can't wait to get that cruising shute up to test
soon). We even had a Spitfire flyover during the marina party)
At 1430 we slipped our marina mooring, waved good-bye to
all our well-wishers and slipped out through the lock, hoisting sail at 1500
just off the marina entrance, stopped engine and sailed out to sea with a WSW
3-4 wind and a short and slightly uncomfortable sea. We soon settled down to watches of 2 on, 6-off, a very comfortable
arrangement. Ben elected himself first evening cook, and after an
excellent curry (we remembered the nan bread after the meal), we retired to
our bunks and started watches. Early in the night the wind shifted a little
westwards so we were gradually able to ease the sheets and settle down to a fast
reach for 12 hours, averaging 6.75 knots. By 0300 the wind was dropping,
and wanting to make the tidal gate at the Chanal du Four, we had to start the
engine for some hours. We caught the tide and with a fast transit of the
Four channel, we rounded last headland at 1230 hrs and sailed the last 2 hours
to Camaret in peace without the donkey on. We tied up just after 1400 and
wasted no time in getting ashore for a plate of moule frites and a bottle of
Muscadet. |
