Pwllheli to Plymouth

Left Pwllheli at noon 22/5/2008 with a good working breeze coming out of the NE.  My friends Brian and Jackie kept me company in Topaz, their Beneteau 31 for a while but after radioed good wishes we parted company and I was on my own!  Once past the Islands and in more open water the surface was much rougher, Wind against tide, and I started to pay for the little actual sailing I had done this year and began to feel very rough.  Fortunately I didn’t have to do much and hung on for the next 6 hours when the weather kindly gave me a break, the wind dropped and it became a beautiful fine evening with a magnificent, if angry, sunset. I managed to make a meal and began to feel a bit better.

The wind continued light out of the south now and I could not lay St David’s Head but I found by motor sailing I could just gain enough weather to lay the Head.  At midnight, still 28 miles from St David’s Head, I was down below when suddenly there was an almighty clatter and banging running along the hull.  I rushed on deck, shut the engine off and looked around me.  I was towing a very large red plastic buoy behind me with its anchor line obviously caught under the boat somewhere?  My depth gauge read 70 metres.  The line from the buoy was pretty thick and obviously had something heavy on the bottom.  This could be serious.  The wind was still light, even so I let go the sails to allow the boat to stop in the water.  I looked at the buoy, and the buoy looked at me, neither spoke.  Very slowly the buoy started to tow me backwards and approach me at the same time, I watched with fascinated apprehension as it came ever closer.  When it was just a few yards away it let go and its anchor line fell away and I was free.  I tentatively put the engine in gear, everything seemed to be OK, and I moved on with a sigh of relief heart still pounding!!

Friday morning dawned a beautiful day with bright sun all morning and despite still feeling pretty groggy I enjoyed it.  Having seen only one ship since leaving Pwllheli I risked two one hour sleeps which made me feel a lot better, especially after I had eaten, but by midnight though the weather had started to get rough. The wind had gone round to the SE; I was 28 miles north of Lands End and a beat all the way.

From here on it was very rough and tough. The wind turned against us as we rounded Lands End going more or less due east.  I passed the Longships Light just after dawn, about 0400hrs I guess as I could not stay below long enough to keep the log and my stomach. So; no sleep, the odd biscuit and pulling heavily on my reserves I beat up the Channel in a solid force 6 (25 to 30 knots most of the time, gusting higher of course,) and backing further to the NE.  Around mid afternoon, I guess, I was off Newlyn Harbour which I am familiar with and desperately wanted to go in but as its entrance faces east I did not trust the conditions I might find, I new Plymouth was safe so pressed on.  When I finally rounded the Lizard I dashed below and had a quick look at the pilot for Falmouth.  It said “May be entered safely in any conditions”, what a relief, it was still 70 miles to Plymouth.

At 2200hrs (58 hours after leaving Pwllheli) I picked the first substantial mooring buoy among the moored yachts and hoped no one would come till morning and went to bed.

Sunday was a beautiful day and I rested up and cleaned up.  It is now Monday evening the wind is still blowing, having blown at gale force all day. We’re hoping (Ella Trout and me that is) tomorrow we make the final 30 miles or so to Plymouth.

Dad/Roger