The Story So Far

Stream
Darrell Jackson and Sarah Barnes
Mon 18 Nov 2013 22:17

THE STORY SO FAR

Stream departed from her home for the last two and a half years, Troon, on the 24th June 2013. Aboard were skipper Darrell and Stream’s usual First Mate Quentin. We had an early start after waiting for strong westerlies to moderate on the Sunday morning and arrived in Portpatrick for a late lunch ashore.

Our early start the following day was frustrated by grounding on the way out of the harbour! We arrived in Peel on the Isle of Man mid afternoon and anchored off the tidal harbour to enable another early start the following day. The welcoming marina at Howth in the Republic of Ireland enabled us to spend a day exploring Dublin and a memorable visit around Trinity College and it’s library to see the Book of Kells.

The next 3 days saw us making a passage to the Scilly Isles after a night at anchor just south of Arklow. The reasonably priced visitors moorings at Hugh Town were not crowded even though it was nearly July and we spent a pleasant couple of days exploring the delights of St Marys and Tresco. On the day we were on Tresco they were hosting their own triathlon and had over 60 competitors from many of the other islands.

A ten hour motor with the usual Atlantic swell chased us to the Helford River where we were fortunate to pick up a visitors mooring just abeam the yacht club and a short row from the jetty near the ferry terminal. A pleasant evening ashore was followed by a short sail the following day to Falmouth where we picked up a visitors mooring in monsoon like rain. The Maritime Museum was an ideal place to spend a wet afternoon and the local sail maker an ideal place to purchase a 2.4 metre batten to replace the one lost in a mid night reef in large seas off S Ireland.

Another short sail saw us picking up yet another visitors mooring in Fowey for a short stay before our final leg to Plymouth and our pre-booked berth at Plymouth Yacht Haven.

Stream rested here for 6 weeks before Darrell and Sarah arrived in the second week of August for an exceptionally pleasant couple of weeks exploring the coast of Devon and Cornwall. With a  base in the Helford River we took in some of the fine gardens in this secluded valley and then with Fowey as a base, the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Helligan were only an hours bus journey away. (The only rain we had over the two weeks during the day was when we were in the Biomes of the Eden Project) The River Yealm pontoons off Newton Ferres provided a great base for a coastal walk after a sociable evening spent with friends in Noss Mayo.

In Dartmouth we picked up Sub-lieutenant Fergus Holland, on leave from his training at HMS Brittannia, but only after a personal guided tour of the College and its ground including the infamous “Cardiac Hill”. A light easterly enable us to fly the “Purple Peril”  for some increased speed which was finally snuffed in 20 knots and over 9 knots  through the water. “The best scones in England” were purchased in Salcombe and consumed at sea on the way to Cawsand bay and then it was back to Plymouth to say “Goodbye” to Fergus and Sarah and “Welcome back” to Quent for the channel crossing.

A short motor to Cawsand Bay enabled us to have an early departure for L’Aberwrach, but with light winds and the desire to get there before dark we ended up motoring all the 131nm, but arrived to a beautiful sunset. Despite an early start we were caught by the harbor master for our fees for the visitors mooring and another motor saw us safely through the Chenal du Four and the Raz de Seine and an anchorage at Sainte Evette (Audierne). During the night some kind Frenchman decided he liked the look of our snubber on the anchor chain and decided to remove it. What happened to entente cordiale? A pontoon berth at Sainte Marine (Benodet) was followed by another in the marina at Port du Sauzon on Belle Ile and then a rolly anchorage off the beach at Ile de Houat.

An early start with a star studded sky saw us arriving in Port Joinville on Ile d’Yeu 55nm later. The following day was a day for exploration, Q investigating historical things and D stretching his legs on Le Tour d’Ile d’Yeu and a fine(?) hired bike. After a night at anchor off Plage de Veille and another early start we arrived early at St Martin de Rey on the Ile de Rey and had to wait to enter the marina as a small flotilla of yachts left as the lock gate opened. Once moored we joined the weekend crowds to explore the delights of the town in hot sunshine. The following day Adam arrived, fresh from his overnight in La Rochelle, and, after a quick lunch, bikes were hired and the southern end of the island toured until our backsides told us we needed to stop before further damage was done to our nether regions. La Rochelle was duly explored over the next couple of days with our base in Les Minimes marina (only 3000 boats!)

The Bay of Biscay provided its usual excitement with some big following seas and the loss of the Stbd nav light when we took on a rather large wave on the bow which then poured into the saloon despite the spray hood. Seas subsided on the second day and landfall  was finally made at Viviero after a passage of 330 nm and 2 nights at sea. Tapas were consumed and exploration was carried out the following day before a passage to Ria de Cedeira and an anchorage and then a short passage to La Coruna. Repairs to the stackpack were organized and routine maintenance carried out by D whilst Q and A took the opportunity to catch the train and have their own pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Anchorages in Caminas (with a nocturnal re-anchoring) and Muros followed before another anchorage on the nature reserve island of Isla do Norte one of the Cias Islands. More exploration of the remarkable rock formations ashore followed with an ascent to the main lighthouse for some spectacular views of the Rias.

A night in Baiona was followed by an interesting passage to Viana do Costello with the wind gusting to F 8 and a steady 25-30 knots as we arrived at the harbour entrance. A short tour ashore made us promise to return one day to this fascinating city. Leixoes was our port of entry for Porto where we toured and experienced the delights of a regional promotion event for food and wine (drawn in by the promise of food and wine samples for only 5 euros!) An overnight passage saw us in Lisbon for a couple of days doing tourist things, including a meal in the old quarter and a visit to the Maritime Museum. The pretty town of Sines and the very good value marina there was our next stop before rounding Cape St Vincent and a very late arrival behind the breakwater of Portimao where we anchored before moving into the marina the following day.

After a day exploring and Q getting his hair cut in the “never-to-be visited-again” resort of Praia da Rocha Tom joined the crew and the day after Adam departed (not because of Tom!) Departure was delayed waiting for “a weather window”. The NE 3-4 winds we had been blessed with for much of the voyage so far were now SW 5-6 and we were hoping to go to Madeira! The “window opened” on the Friday evening after we had spent a day anchored behind the breakwater waiting for the winds to moderate. The following two days are best glossed over – hard sailing on Stbd tack with SW-W winds of 20+ knots, 2 reefs and a well furled genoa, finally saw us making the coast of Morocco, only to then have to run the gauntlet of their unlit and unpredictable fishing boats who had never heard of AIS after we had tacked! 5 nights at sea saw us arriving at Marina Rubicon after 715nm and some excitement when the split pin securing the cotter pin at the base of the forestay sheared and emergency rigging was constructed from spinnaker halyard, topping lift and removable inner forestay. Repairs were carried out at the marina, including to the genoa which was rather “tatty” along the leach after our passage.

Fully refreshed after 3 days of eating, drinking and swimming in the marina pool we left the marina in the evening and anchored to the east for an early departure the following day. The passage to la Gomera was uneventful apart from some excitement when we discovered the true extent of the “Compression Zones” the islands are famous for. This necessitated reefing much later than we should have when we went from motor sailing in 5-6 knots to 25knots in the matter of a hundred metres. We arrived in San Sebastian de La Gomera in the afternoon and for the next 2 days were entertained by the festivities of the town’s religious fiesta. This included the live music until 5 am, not good when we had a ferry off the island to catch at 7am!

Stream and her motley crews had arrived safely at the end of the first leg after covering just short of 3000nm from Troon.  Adam had managed “The Bay” and some big seas without seeing what he had eaten again. Tom had completed his first sailing trip with a baptism of fire on the first two days and Quent and Darrell left for a six week break before they would be returning with Adam and new crew member Peter, for the next leg of their voyage across The Pond in November.