rotrax
Well-known member
We were late getting away on the boat this year, getting the Injector pump off, away for recon and refitting meant June was almost past before the sea trial.
All was OK bar a fuel gauge issue.
Which nearly cost us the boat, but that is a story for another day.
We left Littlehampton and had an overnight in the Hamble before taking on 560 Litres of diesel up at at Itchen Marine. £1.20 a litre for more than 500 litres at 60/40. Weather was blowing up so we overnighted at the Folly. Moved to Newport the following day and spent 4 nights tucked up in the shelter. Forecast said dropping to F4 or 5 so we started the passage on a still rising tide to get max benifit of the ebb going West. 2-2.5 metre breaking waves pretty much on the nose in the Western Solent. We had had enough so dived into Studland and dropped the hook. Took the ebb to Dartmouth next morning, arriving and finding it busy with those hiding from the weather. Topped up the supplies and then left for Newton Ferrers where we spent 4 nights. Wind on the nose so the mended engine had a good workout and behaved well. 5 nights in the Yealm before moving East to Salcombe. Weather crap, rain, mist and cold with it. Salcombe was wet, windy and so misty that the town was barely visible from near the fuel berth.
Back to Dartmouth for the visit of some old friends who spent the weekend with us. Some slightly improved weather saw us doing the tourist bit at Agatha Christies house on the Sunday. Our friends left, leaving us to tough out more heavy winds alongside the deepwater pontoon on the Kingswear side. We got a fair forecast a week later and took off for Teignmouth. Weather while there was pretty good, the best so far. Four nights in Teignmouth before we moved to the Exe. It was pretty bumpy along the beach following the buoyed channel but quite quiet once inside.
We had met a chap at Newton Ferrers who worked at Trouts Boatyard at Topsham. He said we could lie alongside their pontoon at neaps, so we spent 3 nights there, meeting up with friends and my neice who lives nearby. Topsham was a nice town and we enjoyed our stay there. Easterlies were on the future forecast so we took the decision to leave Monday afternoon and get home before they arrived.. We had an initially bumpy ride over the first part of Lyme Bay, easing as the wind dropped. We sailed overnight to Gosport, staying on our clubs amenity pontoon. Doing this allowed us to time our arrival back to Littlehampton. We like to arrive at the end of the flood. This makes it easier to come alongside our berth Port side to. The last three days were the best weather of the whole trip.
The boat - touching wood as I write this - behaved very well. The microwave died but a replacement was sourced in Teignmouth. My home filled Calor propane cylinder lasted four weeks. One internal LED bulb failed and the toilet seat suffered a broken hinge, quickly welded by a trawler crew doing maintenance. Due to using moorings without services there was no chance to do more than wash the rails and windows until back in our home berth. Once there a morning had her looking good again.
The engine took a one litre top up of oil, started readily and idled slowly. The pump refurbish fixed the iffy hot starting and high idle speed.
Apart from the poor weather, we had a good trip.
All was OK bar a fuel gauge issue.
Which nearly cost us the boat, but that is a story for another day.
We left Littlehampton and had an overnight in the Hamble before taking on 560 Litres of diesel up at at Itchen Marine. £1.20 a litre for more than 500 litres at 60/40. Weather was blowing up so we overnighted at the Folly. Moved to Newport the following day and spent 4 nights tucked up in the shelter. Forecast said dropping to F4 or 5 so we started the passage on a still rising tide to get max benifit of the ebb going West. 2-2.5 metre breaking waves pretty much on the nose in the Western Solent. We had had enough so dived into Studland and dropped the hook. Took the ebb to Dartmouth next morning, arriving and finding it busy with those hiding from the weather. Topped up the supplies and then left for Newton Ferrers where we spent 4 nights. Wind on the nose so the mended engine had a good workout and behaved well. 5 nights in the Yealm before moving East to Salcombe. Weather crap, rain, mist and cold with it. Salcombe was wet, windy and so misty that the town was barely visible from near the fuel berth.
Back to Dartmouth for the visit of some old friends who spent the weekend with us. Some slightly improved weather saw us doing the tourist bit at Agatha Christies house on the Sunday. Our friends left, leaving us to tough out more heavy winds alongside the deepwater pontoon on the Kingswear side. We got a fair forecast a week later and took off for Teignmouth. Weather while there was pretty good, the best so far. Four nights in Teignmouth before we moved to the Exe. It was pretty bumpy along the beach following the buoyed channel but quite quiet once inside.
We had met a chap at Newton Ferrers who worked at Trouts Boatyard at Topsham. He said we could lie alongside their pontoon at neaps, so we spent 3 nights there, meeting up with friends and my neice who lives nearby. Topsham was a nice town and we enjoyed our stay there. Easterlies were on the future forecast so we took the decision to leave Monday afternoon and get home before they arrived.. We had an initially bumpy ride over the first part of Lyme Bay, easing as the wind dropped. We sailed overnight to Gosport, staying on our clubs amenity pontoon. Doing this allowed us to time our arrival back to Littlehampton. We like to arrive at the end of the flood. This makes it easier to come alongside our berth Port side to. The last three days were the best weather of the whole trip.
The boat - touching wood as I write this - behaved very well. The microwave died but a replacement was sourced in Teignmouth. My home filled Calor propane cylinder lasted four weeks. One internal LED bulb failed and the toilet seat suffered a broken hinge, quickly welded by a trawler crew doing maintenance. Due to using moorings without services there was no chance to do more than wash the rails and windows until back in our home berth. Once there a morning had her looking good again.
The engine took a one litre top up of oil, started readily and idled slowly. The pump refurbish fixed the iffy hot starting and high idle speed.
Apart from the poor weather, we had a good trip.
. First time we have used our Konsort for that length of time and loved it. Absolutely fascinating trying to balance the desire to make progress to our specific Cornish deadline (something I had no choice over) and later the desire to get home and check the tomatoes 
