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.
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