A long weekend on the boat.

[rbcoomer]

Spot the forumite! Looks like you made centre stage for the Red Arrows today Henry?

I tried to get a shot with both yourself and the Red Arrows but alas they wouldn't cooperate and were too high at full zoom so below was the best I could do from the shoreline...

Looking forward to your write up of Torquay - expecting a bit of contrast from the Dart! (At least you avoided the worst of weekend nightlife )

 

[henryf]

Spot the forumite! Looks like you made centre stage for the Red Arrows today Henry?


I tried to get a shot with both yourself and the Red Arrows but alas they wouldn't cooperate and were too high at full zoom so below was the best I could do from the shoreline...


Looking forward to your write up of Torquay - expecting a bit of contrast from the Dart! (At least you avoided the worst of weekend nightlife )

How cool is that

It was a very different atmosphere and show to Fowey and a fitting end to an incredible day. Stay with me, lack of terrestrial internet has put me a bit out of sync. Trying to resolve whilst eating Tex Mex in Jingles

Henry

 

[henryf]

Day 17 of our long weekend.

Woke up to one of those pinch me mornings. The bank holiday "crowds" had left and would be struggling to work as I gazed out over mill pond water broken in places by the merest hint of a breeze. The sea bass were jumping under the trees as they foraged for small fish on the latter part of the flood tide.

A cup of coffee from the coffee machine - incidentally you must have a look at the Nespresso coffee machines if you like good coffee on your boat. Small, clean, self sufficient and they do a latte. The only downside is you have to order the pods on-line which if we did run out would cause 2 problems. No internet in Dittisham and where to have them delivered to. for the moment we are well stocked with pods so happy days.

Where was I ? Oh yes, a cup of coffee from the machine and then sit at the raised dining area looking out over the world. The rest of the family were still asleep and I just soaked up the morning.

Today we were heading over to Torquay. It isn't far, just around Berry Head so half an hour or so up on the plane. We pottered down stream to Dartmouth and headed out of the river mouth. I did think about stopping to raise the Bimini which we'd taken down in Fowey to best view the Red Arrows but in the end couldn't be bothered. Instead we remained at tick over and carried on out to sea. A small trawler style boat on out starboard side probably expected us to power up onto the plane and shoot away but we didn't. we stayed at slow displacement speed and I fine tuned my route to stay much closer inshore.

At planing speed things happen quickly so I give everything - including slow vessels making inshore passages a wide berth. At 7 knots you can make best use of the chart plotter and shorten your journey by going inside cardinal marks, hugging the coast and going through areas with busy sea beds which you know will be littered with lobster pots. The reward is a scenic journey a miserly fuel usage. An hour or so later we were rounding Berry Head when the sea erupted with mackerel. "Take the helm I'm going below".

A couple of mackerel later we carried on across Torbay.

There was dinghy racing going on close to Torquay but at 7 knots we slipped past un-noticed. Junior Topper and Laser sailors were trying to make the most of a feeble wind, the last thing they wanted was our wake upsetting them. One of the safety ribs gave us a friendly wave and we entered Torquay marina. As with Sutton Harbour in Plymouth Princess Motor Boat sales had kindly made one of their spare berths available for a couple of days so we slipped in past one of the many small ferries picking up passengers for Brixham, Dartmouth or beyond.

One of the problems being mid channel is that you can't easily wash the boat down. We do have a high pressure wash down system but it seems rather wasteful of water so we don't use it. Instead we wait until we pull into somewhere like Torquay. 20 minutes later the boat and dinghy had been given a bit of a birthday and we were tucking into some lunch when the heavens opened. We had one of those, "do we bother with the covers or not" moments, decided to put them up and got soaked.

Matt M had come round to Torquay the previous day so we met up again for a cup of tea and a natter. The girls went off shopping and we agreed to meet up for dinner later. I've been bought some odd things in my life but never before a pink squidgy bosom complete with nipple. Much fun was had, suggestion was made of buying a second for the best sub £15 boob job on the planet. I settled on using it for on board Plymouth Hoe inspired crown green bowling. I'm just trying to work out it's bias.

There's a common thread with all the meals we share with Matt & the gang, they finish quite late. So it was we ended up back on board putting the world to rights until 2 in the morning, not before trying to win a Minion on the arcade grab machine on the way back from the restaurant. Remember folks it's a game of skill and chance. The machine will drop the prize only when it decides enough money has been spent.

In the meantime just Google 10 inch stuffed minion, it will be much cheaper if slightly less fun.

Henry

 

[henryf]

Day 18 of our long weekend

The fresh baked bread and pot pourri of Fowey are a distant memory. The smell of state chip fat, cheap perfume, bus exhausts and sweat tell me we have arrived in Torquay, the English riviera. Unlike Weymouth which also sells it's share of doughnuts Torquay is more spread out meaning any charm it does has gets diluted to the point where it goes un-noticed. 3663 aren't the moves to a ballroom dance performed with slick precision in patent leather shoes, it's the company who's lorries disgorge pre-prepared food which the towns restaurants serve up to the punters.

The beautiful people of Salcombe have been replaced by England's misfits failures and walking wounded. There is little chance of bumping into an old friend here. Well I say that I actually had a knock on the boat and it was an old pal I haven't seen for ages on his way from Dartmouth to Weymouth. Outside of boating you aren't going to bump into anyone.

When taking my photographs I have to be careful. The ingredients exist to tell whatever story I choose, the more the love somewhere the prettier the pictures. I had to back off a bit with Torquay, I was slaughtering the place and that probably isn't fair. It can't choose who comes to visit.

There are elements which are ok, the aquarium was a great way to spend some time last time we were here. There are loads of places to eat and amongst the dross are odd gems. Some trade on their reputation rather heavily, as ever let Trip Advisor be your friend.

I've been here before for an awards dinner and we stayed at the Palace Hotel who's public rooms are superb and who's grounds are magnificent for an independent hotel. A walk down to Anstey's cove after breakfast is the perfect medicine to the previous nights merriment and celebration.

So on the face of it you'd give the Torquay a miss then? No, if you did you'd be missing some of the best boating the UK has to offer. Today has been an absolute peach. So much so that I'm going to start another post. Day 18 once we left Torquay town.

 

[rbcoomer]

A good report again Henry and I hope you enjoyed your Tex Mex

Sadly Torquay suffers an 'Inner city on the coast' syndrome! As the lifeblood of tourism moved overseas in the 70's & 80's the hotels and guest houses rapidly became flats and the decline began. As desperation set in, the pubs and clubs resorted to all you can drink for £X offers and the like as it struggled to find a new niche. It is improving but will take time - and a progressive move away from the benefits culture that the UK is afflicted with. I'm actually a Brixham lad, but moved to Torquay as a 3 year old and have lived through much of the decline. The local authority blows hot and cold with great efforts on one hand attracting visitors but excessive parking charges etc on the other letting them leave feeling 'mugged' I live just outside now and work in the Bay - it does still hold some appeal however and as you say, it's a great boating location. That, IMHO is where the future is and if the 3rd Harbour at Torquay and Northern Arm of the Breakwater at Brixham ever happen then things can only continue to improve!

Looking forward to the next installment

 

[henryf]

Day 18 of our long weekend once we left Torquay town

So what redeeming miracle does Torquay have that makes it worth a visit then? Some of the most stunning cruising grounds for your boat, whatever type or size. Come out of Torquay harbour, turn left then left again and you could be in the south of France.

Craggy Rock formations protect idyllic bays in which to drop anchor for the day or even overnight should you wish. Being Eastern facing they are well sheltered from the prevailing winds. Alternatively you could pop across the bay into the more charming Brixham. In fact if you did want to pop into Brixham the regular ferries can be utilised for as little as £1 each way, hardly worth starting your engines.

We however were heading East going past East Shag, Thatcher rock, cutting inside the Ore stone as we turned North West. I've visited Anstey's Cove before having first seen it when staying in the Palace Hotel Torquay but on this occasion we carried on a couple of minutes bound for Babbacombe Bay. The whole journey from Torquay takes 10 minutes at planing speed.

Our lunchtime destination was to be the Cary Arms. Bought and developed by Peter De Savery after he sold Bovey Castle it champions everything Torquay doesn't. Fresh local produce prepared by skilled staff, gentile almost overly polite staff, and should you wish to stay the evening reassuringly expensive rooms. They provided a number of mooring buoys spaced out so as to attract the larger yacht. At one stage they used to come and pick you up in their small boat, I don't think they do anymore. We used the dinghy.

Having pick up one of their buoys (using a bow line from the rear bathing platform then walking it forwards to secure on the opposite front cleat) we dropped the dinghy off the back of the boat and headed ashore. There is a stone jetty / breakwater against which you can tie up but do make sure your line is long enough. It's quite a climb using either the ladder or the steps and tide does fall as well as rise. No charge is made for the use of the buoys when dining.

Once settled in the Cary Arms at one of the tables on the terrace you are rewarded with the most magnificent view across Babbacombe Bay and your pride and joy floating beneath you. I can't think of a more perfect setting to enjoy a well prepared lunch. We enjoyed crab and crayfish cocktail, I had fish and chips, Sharon the home made burger, Emily the kid's Ham and chips.

There had been considerable merriment from the jetty below as children jumped into the water and older folks shrieked in surprise as the chilling water took it's toll as they went for a quick dip. But all of a sudden there was a heightened sense of activity. A dog that had been barking every now and again as it's owner jumped in suddenly became more focussed in it's vocalisation and people were pointing. There was a huge seal in the water.

We watched for the thick end of an hour as people took photos. The seal came up to swimmers, kayakers and people in a speedboat who had dropped anchor. Clearly he was after a free lunch. The people in the speedboat fed him a few Mackrel and I though that would be it. But as we went to recover our dinghy after the meal he was still there so we went back to the boat, fetched some mackerel out of the fridge and came back to feed him ourselves.

What an amazing end to an already delightful afternoon and it wasn't over yet. After lounging around on the boat letting lunch settle we headed back to Torbay and dropped anchor for our second Red Arrows display of the trip. Whilst not as atmospheric as the Fowey display the wide sweeping bay allowed you to see formations from conception to thrilling end. At times one of the jets would break away and seemingly head straight for you. I confess to ducking at least once.

Prior to the Red Arrows we were entertained by some Breitling sponsored wing walking antics using an old bi-plane. Inspiration for Sharon's next wedding anniversary present. Don't forget to wave as you fly past dear !

Henry

 

[henryf]

Spot the international man of mystery who posts on here from time to time

Henry

 

[Andy Bav]

I confess to ducking at least once.


I think I may have captured that moment but on our older camera and we don't have a standard usb connector with us so will have to wait 'til next week when we get home.

Have seen the Red Arrows before but never at such close quarters so know what you mean!

 

[CharlieAlpha]

Spot the international man of mystery who posts on here from time to time

Henry

Caption: No I'm not bashing the bathing platform again. Hummmm uuuuuu

 

[matm]

Lol. Thanks for reminding me Chris.

Henry - no pictures! - that was actually a wave "bye". Have a reputation to maintain y'know (mainly of staying out late - on my vacation...)

 

[SailorBill]

What a fantastic thread.

Cheers Henry!

 

[henryf]

Day 19 of our long weekend

A sad day as we prepare to cross Lyme Bay Eastwards. Lyme Bay is the gateway to the west country for us Solent based owners. It holds the same sense of respect as a channel crossing given you are the thick end of 20 miles offshore at the mid point and so for many Weymouth is people's final destination. For us Weymouth is the starting point for trips West so returning there means the end is in sight. But we are a little way off finishing just yet so let us not wish the rest of the trip away.

I am also a bit sad to be leaving Torquay. It really is the English Riviera, Costa del Sol or wherever. Like most "must visit" destinations it's a bit of a sh-ite hole in places but the launch pad to some quite delightful cruising. I can't think of anywhere on the planet which could have bettered Babbacombe Bay yesterday. My pictures of golden sands in Phuket don't come from Patong where all the tourists go. That's where I make videos of £20 hookers dancing on bar tops. The pretty pictures come from Phan Gna bay close by. Take a wrong turn in Miami and you won't be seeing the hot pants clad roller skating girls with the very long legs which feature in all the postcards, you'll be staring down a 9mm barrel. Sponsored as he is by the French tourist authority even JFM would admit the French Riviera isn't all champagne and Cartier. So why should the English Riviera be any different?

As I walked around the fairground this morning I saw an awful lot of happy faces, I saw some right weirdos as well but we all breath the same air. If you want to dress up as a pirate, cover yourself in tattoos or both then who am I to judge. Torquay lets you get on with it. I even saw the mayor wandering round in his regalia. Sadly I missed the photo opportunity of him stepping off the Screaming Revolution green behind the gills.

Remember your colregs...

Having said you never meet anyone you know in Torquay we bumped into yet another person we know from the forum just as we were leaving the harbour!

The crossing over to Portland was lovely. Going with what waves there were meant we were gently rocked to the point where I could easily have taken 40 winks in the sunshine. We timed the race nicely, 3 hours after high water Portland, so it's effects were negligible. One word of warning I would give is getting too close to the rocks around the tip of Portland Bill. When we came out I posted a photo and someone said I was too far off the rocks. There was actually a fishing boat just out of shot which I was giving water to, but if you get too close there are shed loads of pots. At one point there was a line of several buoys and you would have struggled to thread the boat through them. Just keep that in mind if it does chop up a bit and the markers become harder to see. I wouldn't fancy picking up a rope just metres from the rocks of Portland Bill.

Safely tied up on the town Quay it's Bike night tonight so a load of old classic cars and bikes. A couple of Royal Enfields going past as I type. We are in something of a goldfish bowl as folks stroll along but that's Weymouth. Here mister, how much is that worth….

A group meal with 9 of us in the Seaview Chinese restaurant. All you can eat for £19 and surprisingly good food. Waymouth harbour was like a sheet of glass as we left the restaurant. The lights reflecting off the surface and some rather odd lasers, a legacy of the Olympic games.

Tomorrow we return to the Solent.

 

[dj43]

Hi Henry
Good to here you had a smooth crossing the wind had picked up for the last hr of our trip up till then flatter than a witches t.. had planned to be in Torquay earlier but that's for another thread

 

[henryf]

Day 20 of our long weekend

We said goodbye to Weymouth around 1.30 in the afternoon and made our way towards Yarmouth. A strong wind warning from the Met office. South Westerly 4-5, occasionally force 6. As with so much of our trip the southerly element meant a bit of a beam roll but we were going with both wind and tide so on the flybridge at 25 knots we were virtually wind neutral. The skies were for boding, cloud covered the tops of the cliffs and off to sea on our starboard side there was a wall of mist. The route ahead however was clear.

St Albans Head was taken pretty close inshore but going with wind and tide meant it was a relative non event. Had we been heading the opposite direction the journey would have been less pleasant. Rounding St Albans Head the White cliffs of the Needles shone like a welcome home beacon. where would we be without white cliffs ?

Some distance off to our Port side you could see trails of smoke from the Bournmouth air show. I didn't envy the boats at anchor having to deal with the waves rolling in towards the beach. In no time at all we approached Two Buoys then the Fairway safe water mark and finally the Needles cardinals and port hand lateral mark. The lighthouse shone a reassuring white light. We were in home waters.

All of a sudden there were lots of boats. Yachts entering the Needles channel, boats fishing in the Hurst currents, the Yarmouth ferries and a myriad of recreational craft. The run into Yarmouth was a game of dodge the boat. It felt strange after the relative seclusion of the preceding days. Yarmouth gave us a North / South berth and it was only then that I truly appreciated the wind. When you travel with wind the resulting sea is almost surreal, you can't quite understand why it's happening. Head the other way of course and the reason is clear.

By now the sun was shining, how many times have we pulled into Yarmouth after a demanding cross channel run and felt it's relieving glow. Over the years Yarmouth has endured tales of near calamity and the lifeboat has emptied out occupants who thought they might never see dry land again. On this occasion our arrival was somewhat more routine but it always feels good.

Dinner in Saltys with friends which by now was calming down after the summer season. Schools open their doors soon taming children who have roamed free for the summer. Days exploring beaches will soon be a distant memory. For us as well the weekend is drawing to a close but not before powerboat racing and possibly a bit of an air show.

Henry

 

[rbcoomer]

Thanks for a very insightful and most enjoyable thread Henry. I hope you're looking forward to your next trip as much as we are!

Would be interested in how the boat behaved - i.e. live up to / exceed expectations etc. I'm assuming she was faultness as I did get any hint of dissatisfaction in the thread?

 

[rafiki_]

Thanks again H. Loved your pics of the diversity of life on the Riviera. On a sunny day, there is not too much wrong with this country. Good to hear your trip was pretty much all fun and relaxing, not too many hassles.

 

[FalconSteve]

I made a very casual "+1" comment in the early stages of this thread Henry, little did I know what a fascinating and insightful journal this was going to become. Thanks so much for sharing the adventure with us all. I am relatively new to boating and so far I have been centred around the Solent, after seeing the beautiful places through your lens, I can't wait to travel towards the West Country.

I am hoping to start in a small way in a fortnight with a trip to Poole and Weymouth, I will share some pictures when I return

 

[kcrane]

Good stuff Henry, enjoyed the story, pity we missed you as we've done Plymouth, Falmouth, Salcombe etc in the same weeks but different days. Had the same thought as you on Friday when the forecast was for more wind than we've seem for a while, travelling east from the Fal back to Sutton it was on our backs and it seemed almost calm, but a look back suggested it would be different going the other way <g>

Last week saw some days when the Channel was glass-like, almost surreal. SWMBO spotted pods of dolphins several times, lazily feeding we thought with what looked like youngsters as some of the fins were very small. It was so calm we were able to stop en-route and then stand on the garage to take photos. We didn't have the SLR and camera phone photos aren't the best way to capture wildlife at a distance, but here's a couple of pics just to prove the point!

PS - talking of tips to cruising in the west country, do not fall for Falmouth's claim to have cycle friendly tourist routes, as SWMBO and I did. The brochure suggests there is a ride for 'less adventurous' cyclists between Falmouth and Flushing, which is only a couple of hundred yards across the bay, but a handful of miles to cycle. It turns out to be a short stretch of busy main road (A39 I think) with large roundabouts, followed by a narrow, but busy, country lane with steep ascents, steep descents, blind bends and no verges. 3 mph uphill (or walking cos too steep for me on a folding bike with few gears) followed by 30mph descents being passed by white van man determined not to wait for a wider bit of road. The idea of dong that trying to shepherd three kids on bikes doesn't bear thinking about.

 

[henryf]

Day 21 of our long weekend

It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings and I don't hear no screeching just yet.

We stayed at Yarmouth with a view to seeing how the weather set for today. I'm no fan of anchoring in big waves but an offshore breeze meant things looked set for our first visit to the Bournemouth Air Festival. I wasn't really too sure what we were going to see, worst ways we could hang around for half an hour and then bugger off back to the Solent. A quick question on here and I was giving the info I hoped for, namely that there was a radio station set up for the event. I've found that these mean you are really involved knowing what's going on. They had one for the start of the Fastnet race and in Bournemouth's case they truly excelled themselves. The commentary was informative, witty and kept us abreast of the days proceedings.

It's true to say that it was something of a boat soup out on the water. Boats were jostling for the best spot along the perimeter of the huge arena. We took a slightly different approach and it worked well. We found a lovely clear area close to the more westerly of the 2 warships. I had a hunch some of the pilots might use it as a sighting mark and we weren't disappointed. Not that it really matters because you get a great view from anywhere on the water but we had a number flybys throughout the day.

The radio commentary added to what was quite an emotive display at times. There is significance for the Red Arrows performing at Bournemouth and the historic aircraft were reminders of a bygone but not forgotten era where young men gave their lives in order that we might enjoy the freedom we do. Relaxing in the comfort of our rather splendid surroundings this was brought home even more. I was born in Lincoln where so much of the RAF action took place. I've explored long forgotten airfields and because my stepfather an accomplished rugby player, used to coach the RAF teams I had schoolboy trips to see the lancaster bomber.

In stark contrast the Typhoon was absolutely bang up to the minute and you would have to say f**king awesome. The plane arrived ahead of it's signature roar and performed manoeuvres that are impossible. I mean they obviously aren't because it did them but planes aren't supposed to do 180 degree flick backs in little more than their own length. You can see why so much warfare takes place in the sky.

You lot won't have heard of Wickenby. I have, I used to cycle there as a child from our village of Faldingworth a couple of miles away. There is an old world war 2 airfield in Wickenby still in use and a chap there called Gerald Cooper who flies a thing called an XA41. Well I say fly, it somehow manages to stay in the air but not using conventional methods. It remains there when others would have long since fallen to the ground. As the guys on the radio said, the formula 1 of air displays. We watched open mouthed.

The helicopters also did things which helicopters can't do. To me upside down in a helicopter means you're about to meet Buddha, to those pilots it is just another day in the office. The Chinook looks like it's going to fall out of the sky at the best of times. It has all the aerodynamic properties of a house brick, but wiggle the right sticks and somehow it manages unimaginable positions in the sky.

Just when you thought days on the boat couldn't get any better they do.

Back into the Solent amongst a small armada of other craft. We stayed off to one side and made good pace so as to minimise the effects of boat wash. There was a bit but if you are at the pointy end you get affected far less.

We made for Lymington only to find there was no room in the town quay area - as you might expect on a lovely Saturday evening so reluctantly I called up Berthon who sorted us out with a hammer head mooring. I say reluctantly because I've always favoured the cheaper town moorings but give credit to Berthon they offer a very good service. Unlike Yarmouth from the previous evening they don't charge £1.30 for a shower and their facilities are a fair bit posher as well. They also supply free high speed internet which is the fastest I've had on the trip. so actually all in they work out cheaper than Yarmouth across the water who I've always mistakenly seen as quite good value.

A lovely dinner sat outside at the Ship Inn and then an early night. Sunshine and plane watching is a tiring business.

Henry

 

[henryf]

A couple of images which wouldn't fit in the last post.

See if you can find yourself amongst this lot

And this is a fairly unique craft for Lymington

Has Timothy Spall found a home for all the Wickes voice over millions


Henry