Thursday, Friday, Saturday 27, 28, & 29 May 2010 Milford Haven N510 42.650’ W0050 02.203’

Three days in Milford Haven. A chance to do a few jobs and re-provision. Guy left Alcyone on Thursday morning to go back to Lymington ready for another cruise in Connie to France and the Channel Islands. Ted will be joining Alcyone on Saturday for the next leg of the cruise up the Welsh Coast.

This is not my first visit to Milford Haven but the first time in my own boat. Following the Sea Empress disaster in February 1996, I was invited to join an external Marine Safety Committee to advise the Port on matters of navigational and operational safety. The Sea Empress was specifically excluded from the committee terms of reference, but the background to the disaster was fascinating. At one point it was suggested that the committee should go out to an inbound tanker with the Pilots to witness the procedures – this would require climbing the pilot ladder (rope ladder) – many of the committee members were very happy, including me, when the Pilots suggested this was not appropriate. Coming into the Haven with the radio advising that large tanker was entering brought back many of the visits and discussions.

Wednesday 26 May 2010 Milford Haven N510 42.650’ W0050 02.203’

Alarms at 0400 hours to depart Padstow Dock by 0430 bound for Milford Haven. The forecast indicated E or NE wind becoming Force 3 to 4 then backing later to N and increasing to Force 5 or occasionally 6; it did. We left Padstow in little or no wind motoring in a surprisingly disturbed sea and cold grey dawn. As the wind increased so we motor sailed and then sailed to maintain a reasonable speed and passage time. The day was cold and dull with overcast sky and somewhat lumpy sea.

Everything on Alcyone tends to have a special name; the electronic autopilot is George (as the GPS used to be Humphrey). The wind pilot self steering gear logically is George W and for a couple of hours in the early afternoon he had his first spell on duty. Whilst not as accurate and uncomplaining as George, a perfect crew, he has the benefit of not requiring battery power. It is several years since I last used George W and we had difficulty in getting it adjusted; a session with the Instruction Book is required.

For several hours through the middle of the day and early afternoon, we were accompanied by a school of dolphins playing around and under the boat. There seemed to be many more than the school that played around Alcyone on the way to the Iles of Scilly but of course it is not possible to count them. But it is an enchanting interlude to a somewhat tedious passage.

Alcyone entered Milford Haven at 1930 hours but had to wait at the lay by berth for the lock into Milford Docks and the marina. Locking in at Milford is not the quick simple procedure we are used to at Hythe and other Solent Marinas; the lock is only operated occasionally throughout the day and it is a long slow process. However, eventually we were at last safely berthed ready for a late supper and bunk.

Having broken the end of the tiller, repairs were carried out in Newlyn. By popular demand – there has been one request – a photograph of the repaired tiller is displayed.

Tuesday 25 May 2010 Padstow N500 32.469’ W0040 56.253’

As the cruise brochure would say, a day at rest in Padstow. Having got the jobs done, a walk around town and then out along the coastal path along the Camel Estuary to inspect Doom Bar at low water. In the sunshine and calm, it was not at all living up to its name just a good walk along the coastal path with beautiful views our along the estuary. Sand everywhere and little water.

Padstow has to be a port of call to be recommended.

An evening call into the Customs House for a last sampling of the St Austell Brewery products. And a farewell to the West Country.

Monday 24 May 2010 Padstow N500 32.469’ W0040 56.253’

Berthing at Padstow is in the old gated harbour in the centre of the town for which entry is some ±2.00HW. The passage from Scillies had been faster than originally anticipated and consequently we arrived off the Camel Estuary too early, even having slowed down on passage, and waited around off the estuary for an hour. To enter the Carmel Estuary, one has to cross the bar – wondrously called Doom Bar. Arriving at the dock gate we had to wait for a few minutes for sufficient tide for the gate to open but were then directed to a corner berth adjacent to an excellent pub, The Customs House, whether the crew could refresh their acquaintanceship with the products of the St Austell Brewery.

Being berthed in the middle of a holiday trap could be a little unnerving – people stopping to peer over the quayside and discuss the boat. Added to which it was hot in the basin!

To celebrate it was decided (Guy suggested!) that we should eat at Rich Stein’s establishment – hence dinner at ‘Steins Fish & Chips’. And it was excellent! But it as never explained what was being celebrated.

Saturday & Sunday 22 &23 May 2010 St Mary’s Harbour Isles of Scilly N490 55.112’ W0060 18.796’

Enjoying fine and sunny weather with an easterly breeze blowing through the anchorage, we had two days of tourism in St Mary’s Harbour, Hugh Town and Tresco.

A wander through the streets on Hugh Town provided eye catching views and sights – wondrous plants and flowers not normally seen on the mainland. Looking out onto Port Cressa across the isthmus from St Mary’s Harbour is breathtaking. Our wander brought us to the Museum of Iles of Scilly, a fascinating eclectic mix of artefacts showing the history of the Isles of Scilly; stories of wrecks, flower growing, Torrey Canyon, fishing, espionage in the Second World War making D Day possible, and Harold Wilson to mention but a few. A gig caught the imagination; Pilot Gigs, as suggested by the name, were originally used to take Pilots out to vessels coming off the Atlantic, the first crew from the harbour, there got the job! Today gig racing is an important sport in the Islands which host the world championships. It, however, came as a surprise to discover that these boats were originally used not just for their primary purpose of taking Pilots out to ships but also for assisting at shipwrecks, lifeboat, and even a bit of smuggling from Brittany on the side. The last time that a gig was used to put a Pilot on board a vessel was in 1939, and the last rescue involving a Gig was at the wreck of the "Mindau" in the Isles of Scilly in 1959.

And so to lunch – a beer and the most enormous crab sandwich taken on the terrace of the Tregarthan’s Hotel overlooking the harbour and approaches. A beautiful view.

Then a walk around Garrison Hill. The Garrison, developed around the south coast of St Mary’s starting in Georgian times until the World War II, is based on Star Castle originally built by Henry VIII to protect the islands.

Sunday was a boat trip – cheating, by tripper boat – to Tresco to visit the world famous Abbey Gardens. They were begun in 1834 by Augustus Smith, who had leased the Isles of Scilly and chosen to live on Tresco, around the remains of St Nicholas Priory. Along three long terraces, the gardens bring together an extraordinary collection of plants, all possible due to the warm climate of the Isles of Scilly. Then a walk along the island to New Grimsby for a beer overlooking the anchorage in New Grimsby Sound.

Alcyone set sail for Padstow at 1000 hours for a night passage – I would like to say “a night sail” but there was absolutely no wind and hence motored all the way, arriving at 1200 hours on Monday.

Friday 21 May 2010 St Mary’s Harbour Isles of Scilly N490 55.112’ W0060 18.796’

Awoke early in Newlyn to find thick fog enveloping the harbour with visibility down to maybe 50 yards, the trawler moored astern of us was only partially visible. Hence, returned to a warm bunk! However, slowly the fog lifted – fishermen advised that if it had lifted by 10:00am it would not return. It did and Alcyone left at 0900 hours bound for the Scilly Isles.

Guy tells me that we had three high points in a most enjoyable day; they are, in order of importance, are (i) retrieving a new fender from the sea, (ii) having a school of dolphins play around the boat, and (iii) after previous abortive attempts, navigating Alcyone to the Isles of Scilly.

Alcyone arrived in St Mary’s Harbour at 1700 hours and so loosing her Isles of Scilly virginity. The passage to St Mary’s Harbour was motoring all the way in bright sunshine, calm seas and no wind – itself a highlight, being warm for the first time in this cruise. In 2005 we set out form L’Aberwac for Isles of Scilly but a North West Force 7 wind made Plymouth the only viable harbour. An attempt in 2008 also foundered on bad weather with a forecast of rough seas, fog and Force 7 winds. And it is worth the effort – clear blue water, blindingly white beaches, wonderful light, and a magical a ambiance.

Early afternoon, midway across the traffic separation zone, we became aware of a commotion alongside and under Alcyone; beautiful dolphins had come to play in the sunshine with another beautiful friend, Alcyone. A wondrous experience but very difficult to photograph as they swooped and dived around an under the boat.

As for the fender, what can one say about Guy’s fender, except that the cockpit locker really is full now!

Thursday 20 May 2010 NEWLYN N500 06.162’ W0050 32.753’

After yet more motoring – today with not a breath of wind – Alcyone has arrived in Newlyn. Hence, we are 2 days ahead of schedule, mainly it has to be said due to poor weather not inviting anything but pushing on. And always in the cold often with low cloud and drizzle and fog patches. From Fowey we made Falmouth with a gentle breeze getting up during the day but only providing slight relief from motoring.

Not all of Alcyone’s west country traditions have been abandoned. Beer was taken on the terrace of the Royal Dartmouth YC and Cornish pasties bought form the bread shop in Fowey High Street. Others though have had to be left for future trips.

It is said that events come in threes, like buses. The first was an unplanned crew change when Brian had to leave Alcyone and take the train home but a few telephone calls soon repaired the crew register. Then second, on leaving Falmouth, the Skipper lightly skipped down below, leaving the helm, the turn on the instruments and on returning to the cockpit slipped and fell on the tiller removing the end 6 inches, breaking it at the point where the Spinlock tiller extension is fitted - it was obvious that water had got in and the tiller was rotten - but again a telephone call to Jeremy Rogers soon had a replacement tiller on its way to Alcyone and some judicious use of super glue and fibreglass has made a temporary repair to be tested in the days to come. And thirdly, most seriously, we were enveloped in fog with visibility down to some 300 meter as we rounded the Lizard navigating on way points but managed to get too close to the totally unseen headland but all was well.

And so we have arrived in Newlyn ready for the passage to the Scilly Isles.

Tuesday 18 May 2010 FOWEY

Arrived Fowey after a frustrating motor sail into the wind for most of the passage from Dartmouth. And despite some sun, it was cold.

One Contessa 32 Association member who responded to my messages to get together was Jon Clift of Tinshui which is based in Salcombe. By chance we met up under the cliffs of Bolt Tail as Tinshui enjoyed a quiet windless lunch and Alcyone slowed down to chat for a few minutes.

Monday 18 May 2010 PRAWLE POINT N500 12.353’ W0030 41.340’

Tuesday and we are continuing to push westward.

Guy tells me that I must understand that ‘this is not a cruise but a succession of passages’ – I suspect the unsaid subtext was it is not for enjoying but for serious sailing! So far, we have made passages on the wind and in the cold; Brian helpfully keeps pointing out that if we were in Greece it would be hot and sunny. At present (as I type) we are on passage from Dartmouth to Fowey motor sailing with some 8 knots of breeze from the South West; a thin watery sun does little to warm up the air.

On Sunday from Poole to Portland, to visit the new Olympic Facilities, we had a wet, grey, cold sail on the wind, with the wind increasing to the forecast Force 5. Overfalls off St Albans Head gave Brian his first experience of tide races off the headlands along the south coast and led to thorough scrutiny of the Channel Pilot section on Portland Bill. ‘Mal du mer’ made an appearance but now seems to have been chemically banished.

Portland Marina within the old Portland Harbour is most impressive no doubt funded by the lottery find as it will be the venue for the 2012 sailing events. So far there are huge stretches of empty marina berths with excellent shore facilities and the most amazing dinghy parks and launching ramps. But it is annoying that the Harbour Master insists that only the Northern Entrance may be used rather than the more direct route to Portland Bill out of the East Entrance.

An early start today (Monday) to catch the tide for rounding the Bill and across Lyme Bay for Dartmouth. Once again light winds increasing through the day to Force 5 and always on the nose. But with cloudless sky and sunshine for much of the day.

Saturday 15 May 2010 POOLE N500 42.699’ W001 590.017’

At last we are off.

The whole family – wife plus all 4 sons plus girlfriends and sinificant others – decided that they should come along to wave Dad off on his adventure or maybe to make sure he actually did set off on his much talked about plan to sail round Britain.

The idea of sailing round Britain surfaced whilst racing in the Solent last year and think about where to go for the ‘annual cruise’. The usual 3 or 4 weeks seemed too short but I have no desire to do long ocean passages and the like. Round Britain seemed to fit the bill and would allow old haunts to be revisited. Going up the Irish Sae on the Welsh Coast was to allow visits to North Wales where my Father, many years ago, had a 28 footer.

The plan is for Alcyone to depart from the Solent on Saturday 15 May returning by Saturday 7 August (i.e. a 12 week period). The basic route is to be clockwise, up the Irish Sea and into the Clyde then via the Crinan Canal to the West Coast of Scotland, through the Caledonian Canal to the east coast and then down the east cost to home. With a detour into the Scilly Isles, Western Islands, and Walton Backwaters, a distance of some 1,650 miles.

For each of the planned 12 Legs there will be different crew although some have signed on for more than one leg with crew handover on Saturday night/Sunday morning. For some legs there will be 3 on board but for much of the time, just 2.

In my capacity as Cruising Rep for the Contessa 32 Association, details of the planned cruise have been circulated to CO32 members as I keep getting comments about wanting a get together in their area; Saturday night may become party night!! Also it is not impossible that we will sail in company with other CO32s and have an extra crew on board for a day or two. They should know where the good anchorages and pubs are to be found.

So we have now made Poole, some 30 miles ticked off. Leaving Hythe was warm with even a touch of sunshine but very light North West breeze but it soon became overcast with the wind backing to South West and increasing eventually to some 21 knots – and it became cold. Altogerher not a fun start.