jcwads
Well-Known Member
Hi All
So some of you will be aware from previous posts that I planned a West Country 2 week break, ideally getting to Falmouth. Here is my cruise report. It will be long (pretty much the size of a novel), but hey - you may want to have a read anyway!
Initially we had planned to leave on the 18th September to give us a clear 2 week window to get down to Cornwall. Regrettably due to unforeseen circumstances we couldn't leave home until the following Monday. Given the weather forecast and wanting a relaxed holiday, I decided we would scrap Cornwall and go as far as Salcombe.
We departed Hamble on the Monday and sped across to Yarmouth, for what is now our annual pre-trip stopover. Fulled up to the brim and made sure that we were all set for the following days adventure. The weather was very up and down for the following day, with some sites predicting gusts of F6 en-route so I was seriously considering whether I should make the run to Salcombe. However if I could make it, then we would be set up for some fine weather down there.
On the Tuesday and after much deliberation I took the decision to go. The weather was set to deteriorate throughout the day, with the best window being pre 2pm. The sacrifice was to leave a little earlier than I had intended, meaning that I would be wind against tide through to St Albans at least. Given the desire to get as nicer conditions as possible through Portland and Lyme Bay I took the decision to get out early.
Route Plan - Offshore all the way to Salcombe. 3NM off St Albans, 5NM off Portland and 2NM off Start Point. Anticipated journey time - 4.5 - 5 hours @ 18 - 20 knots.
As we departed Yarmouth the conditions were a little misty, but the sun was making an appearance. As I left the Solent through the north channel things were looking good and I was ready for the trip ahead.
Things started to change somewhat once we had got halfway to St Albans. The waves were substantial and I would have said we were taking on a F4 - F5. Biggest issue here was slamming, so I slowed down to 15 knots and tried to contain it. As we continued and were off St Albans it was very bumpy indeed. Poor SWMBO turned an interesting shade of green, so I immediately put her on the helm. This helped massively and she seemed to improve.
The leg from St Albans over to Portland was nasty. We were contending with F5 conditions and the waves were quite large. The slamming was increasing and trying to drink my tea from the thermos as impossible and pretty much comical. Best description was that I may has well of been on a theme park ride. I had to plant myself on a seat and wedge myself in so I could stay still...
Luckily as the tide was turning things went in our favour. As we reached Portland the conditions calmed and the slamming stopped, as we began to surf into Lyme bay with the wind and tide running together nicely towards the East. SWMBO by this point was completely recovered and her green tinge had disappeared much to her relief. It was still windy, but manageable. If anything from this experience I had learnt that I am F4 max and would take a F4 with 5 gusts only when needed (and wind with tide). My boat wont enjoy anything more (nor the wife).
Across Lyme Bay things were fine. Sun came out and it was a lovely day. Caught a glimpse of a Dolphin so we slowed right down, but it didn't come back. I was hoping for a bit of a show! We also did our bit for animal welfare as this tiny little bird came out of nowhere looking for a rest. We were a good 30NM off shore at this point so I took a 15 min break whilst it chilled out in our cockpit! As it flew away a few hundred yards we saw it plummet towards the sea! Poor SWMBO's face dropped. I don't think the poor mite made it - at least we tried to help!
No dramas for the rest of the journey, and arrived in Salcombe in 5 hours. Arrived to a warm and sunny afternoon, and I just love the sight of those rolling hills as you enter in through the bar. We had made it, albeit after being thrown around for a good 2/3 of the crossing.. It is always such a great feeling arriving somewhere a good few hours away in our little 28ft single screw. A true accomplishment against the elements.
We had a great time in Salcombe for a couple of nights. The weather behaved throughout and we were given a proper summer holiday in England. After 2 days r&r we readied ourselves to take our next journey, which would be over to Dartmouth in time for the regatta.
Knowing we had come off the back of one hell of a crossing from the solent, I did some pre trip checks. On opening the engine bay I saw oil in the bilge. This is the first time I have experienced this, so I clearly thought - 'oh s**t'. On inspection I noticed the dip stick was loose and there was evidence that oil had sprayed around it. I then noticed a pool of oil at the back port side of the bilge. After cleaning it away, some more oil appeared so in my panicked state, I thought there was a decent leak going on.
I called an engineer who arrived that afternoon. The trip to Dartmouth was put on hold. This is where things got interesting!
The engineer couldn't find a leak. After quite some time we had ruled out most key things, including the heat exchanger, filters etc etc. I had told him about the dip stick but he said it wouldn't likely be the problem. Then he noticed some evidence of surface wear on the engine mounts. I explained this was due to a previous owner, and it was seen to already. However what came next was the bombshell. He advised that the likely problem is that the engine has rusted through underneath and as such the oil would be coming from there. The only way to fix it was to a) bring the boat out the water, b) take out the engine and c) take a final diagnosis of the problem and repair. Lead time - 2 weeks. Now this came as quite a shock as you would expect. Basically - holiday over, boat inoperable and a hundred miles from Hamble.
He agreed he would come back in the morning with another engineer to double check the issues again before taking action to lift the boat. I felt like throwing up. However, I just couldn't believe that such damage would have occurred all of a sudden. I sent a text to a well known YBW specialist who happens to also be my marine engineer of choice, and he said that the dip stick could well have caused the spill. So in eagerness to sort this sorry mess out, I got into the engine bay and started cleaning everything away. I got right to the back of the bilge (most Olympic gymnasts would have difficulty) and I mopped up all the oil that had pooled there. I took off the air filter and cleaned the housing entirely, At this stage things were pointing straight towards the dipstick being lose as the oil was in the filter area leading down from it. Once everything was cleaned up, I had topped up the oil and checked the levels as full. We took at test run around Salcombe estuary and slightly further afield to open the boat up.
On return to our pontoon and checking the engine bay - no oil! All clean and looking good. Once the boat had rested I checked the oil and it was full. PHEW! So holiday isn't over and we can continue. The relief was massive... Now, for those of you who are more experienced, I am sure you would have come to the conclusion I had much earlier. But I am still new to this, and I am certainly not particularly useful around an engine. But you live and learn, and I have certainly learnt a hell of a lot from this experience. If I had not used my common sense the boat would have been out the water and I would be several thousand pounds lighter.
So, back to the actual holiday once my blood pressure had reduced. We headed for Dartmouth on the Friday and were rafted at the Yacht Club pontoon. The SWMBO and I dont mind this as it puts you in the thick of things. We made acquaintances with our raggie neighbors, one each side and we were wedged in the middle! A great bunch of people and we all had a great laugh together for a couple of nights. Weather stayed amazing, and we saw the time away by drinking copious amounts of alcohol and eating too many take away Rockfish fish and chips. To top it off the fireworks barge pulled up about 50 yards from our boat so we saw the whole Saturday display right infront of us! It's interesting because they clear you off your boat for the Typhoon display, but they will happily let you stay on your boat 50 yards from explosives..... hey ho.
Next stop was to travel up the Dart and stop over at Dittisham. Weather had improved from being amazing to being Mediterranean. I have to say that Dittisham was the real gem of the trip. It is an amazing place. Very serene and relaxing and the pub was perfect for a nice view and some decent pub grub.
As we left the beautiful River Dart we turned East to Torquay. We had spent 6 nights without shore power, and we don't have gas on the boat. Plus the facilities at Dartmouth and Salcombe are not the kind of 5* hotel that the SWMBO likes!! After a big clean of the boat and a half an hour shower that I was desperate for, we were all back up and running again.
We had a nice meal in Torquay, but the call for less touristy places beckoned. So we took a good weather window on the Tuesday and headed back to the Solent. We took offshore all the way and enjoyed flat calm seas. It was a world away from our crossing out there! My wife even had to take an urgent phone call when we were 5NM off Portland so I just killed the engine and we bobbed around for half an hour in the blazing sun. Boating really does become at its best when you are offshore in calm conditions, no one in sight whilst you float in the beating sun. I could have stayed there all day!
We got back to the solent in 4.5 hours, the conditions helping us get a quicker time than before. We took a stopover at Lymington and enjoyed the amazing facilities at the Yacht Haven. It is very very nice there. The bistro was great too, with a brilliant view on the roof terrace that they have.
We saw out our summer cruise with a 2 night stop at Bucklers Hard, which is my personal favorite Solent destination. With the weather still behaving itself we enjoyed a very chilled couple of days seeing out the last of what had been an incredible trip. We took a couple of trips to Beaulieu in our tender, half motoring, and half rowing as the tide came out..!
On heading back to Hamble I reflected on what I have learnt over the last 12 months, having only had my boat since July 16. You truly do learn a lot. Aside from the RYA courses that we all do, it is the practical element. Learning your boat, its engine, the mechanics, the systems and effectively how to keep it all going when you have a problem. The only thing that went wrong all trip (aside from the oil fiasco) was a leaking fresh water connector. For me I am happy with that, as given my experience so far, nothing tends to happen without something breaking!!!!
I will post up some pics later once I get the chance to put them on. I also have a good video of the initial crossing which I shall post too!
Thanks for reading
Jonathan
So some of you will be aware from previous posts that I planned a West Country 2 week break, ideally getting to Falmouth. Here is my cruise report. It will be long (pretty much the size of a novel), but hey - you may want to have a read anyway!
Initially we had planned to leave on the 18th September to give us a clear 2 week window to get down to Cornwall. Regrettably due to unforeseen circumstances we couldn't leave home until the following Monday. Given the weather forecast and wanting a relaxed holiday, I decided we would scrap Cornwall and go as far as Salcombe.
We departed Hamble on the Monday and sped across to Yarmouth, for what is now our annual pre-trip stopover. Fulled up to the brim and made sure that we were all set for the following days adventure. The weather was very up and down for the following day, with some sites predicting gusts of F6 en-route so I was seriously considering whether I should make the run to Salcombe. However if I could make it, then we would be set up for some fine weather down there.
On the Tuesday and after much deliberation I took the decision to go. The weather was set to deteriorate throughout the day, with the best window being pre 2pm. The sacrifice was to leave a little earlier than I had intended, meaning that I would be wind against tide through to St Albans at least. Given the desire to get as nicer conditions as possible through Portland and Lyme Bay I took the decision to get out early.
Route Plan - Offshore all the way to Salcombe. 3NM off St Albans, 5NM off Portland and 2NM off Start Point. Anticipated journey time - 4.5 - 5 hours @ 18 - 20 knots.
As we departed Yarmouth the conditions were a little misty, but the sun was making an appearance. As I left the Solent through the north channel things were looking good and I was ready for the trip ahead.
Things started to change somewhat once we had got halfway to St Albans. The waves were substantial and I would have said we were taking on a F4 - F5. Biggest issue here was slamming, so I slowed down to 15 knots and tried to contain it. As we continued and were off St Albans it was very bumpy indeed. Poor SWMBO turned an interesting shade of green, so I immediately put her on the helm. This helped massively and she seemed to improve.
The leg from St Albans over to Portland was nasty. We were contending with F5 conditions and the waves were quite large. The slamming was increasing and trying to drink my tea from the thermos as impossible and pretty much comical. Best description was that I may has well of been on a theme park ride. I had to plant myself on a seat and wedge myself in so I could stay still...
Luckily as the tide was turning things went in our favour. As we reached Portland the conditions calmed and the slamming stopped, as we began to surf into Lyme bay with the wind and tide running together nicely towards the East. SWMBO by this point was completely recovered and her green tinge had disappeared much to her relief. It was still windy, but manageable. If anything from this experience I had learnt that I am F4 max and would take a F4 with 5 gusts only when needed (and wind with tide). My boat wont enjoy anything more (nor the wife).
Across Lyme Bay things were fine. Sun came out and it was a lovely day. Caught a glimpse of a Dolphin so we slowed right down, but it didn't come back. I was hoping for a bit of a show! We also did our bit for animal welfare as this tiny little bird came out of nowhere looking for a rest. We were a good 30NM off shore at this point so I took a 15 min break whilst it chilled out in our cockpit! As it flew away a few hundred yards we saw it plummet towards the sea! Poor SWMBO's face dropped. I don't think the poor mite made it - at least we tried to help!
No dramas for the rest of the journey, and arrived in Salcombe in 5 hours. Arrived to a warm and sunny afternoon, and I just love the sight of those rolling hills as you enter in through the bar. We had made it, albeit after being thrown around for a good 2/3 of the crossing.. It is always such a great feeling arriving somewhere a good few hours away in our little 28ft single screw. A true accomplishment against the elements.
We had a great time in Salcombe for a couple of nights. The weather behaved throughout and we were given a proper summer holiday in England. After 2 days r&r we readied ourselves to take our next journey, which would be over to Dartmouth in time for the regatta.
Knowing we had come off the back of one hell of a crossing from the solent, I did some pre trip checks. On opening the engine bay I saw oil in the bilge. This is the first time I have experienced this, so I clearly thought - 'oh s**t'. On inspection I noticed the dip stick was loose and there was evidence that oil had sprayed around it. I then noticed a pool of oil at the back port side of the bilge. After cleaning it away, some more oil appeared so in my panicked state, I thought there was a decent leak going on.
I called an engineer who arrived that afternoon. The trip to Dartmouth was put on hold. This is where things got interesting!
The engineer couldn't find a leak. After quite some time we had ruled out most key things, including the heat exchanger, filters etc etc. I had told him about the dip stick but he said it wouldn't likely be the problem. Then he noticed some evidence of surface wear on the engine mounts. I explained this was due to a previous owner, and it was seen to already. However what came next was the bombshell. He advised that the likely problem is that the engine has rusted through underneath and as such the oil would be coming from there. The only way to fix it was to a) bring the boat out the water, b) take out the engine and c) take a final diagnosis of the problem and repair. Lead time - 2 weeks. Now this came as quite a shock as you would expect. Basically - holiday over, boat inoperable and a hundred miles from Hamble.
He agreed he would come back in the morning with another engineer to double check the issues again before taking action to lift the boat. I felt like throwing up. However, I just couldn't believe that such damage would have occurred all of a sudden. I sent a text to a well known YBW specialist who happens to also be my marine engineer of choice, and he said that the dip stick could well have caused the spill. So in eagerness to sort this sorry mess out, I got into the engine bay and started cleaning everything away. I got right to the back of the bilge (most Olympic gymnasts would have difficulty) and I mopped up all the oil that had pooled there. I took off the air filter and cleaned the housing entirely, At this stage things were pointing straight towards the dipstick being lose as the oil was in the filter area leading down from it. Once everything was cleaned up, I had topped up the oil and checked the levels as full. We took at test run around Salcombe estuary and slightly further afield to open the boat up.
On return to our pontoon and checking the engine bay - no oil! All clean and looking good. Once the boat had rested I checked the oil and it was full. PHEW! So holiday isn't over and we can continue. The relief was massive... Now, for those of you who are more experienced, I am sure you would have come to the conclusion I had much earlier. But I am still new to this, and I am certainly not particularly useful around an engine. But you live and learn, and I have certainly learnt a hell of a lot from this experience. If I had not used my common sense the boat would have been out the water and I would be several thousand pounds lighter.
So, back to the actual holiday once my blood pressure had reduced. We headed for Dartmouth on the Friday and were rafted at the Yacht Club pontoon. The SWMBO and I dont mind this as it puts you in the thick of things. We made acquaintances with our raggie neighbors, one each side and we were wedged in the middle! A great bunch of people and we all had a great laugh together for a couple of nights. Weather stayed amazing, and we saw the time away by drinking copious amounts of alcohol and eating too many take away Rockfish fish and chips. To top it off the fireworks barge pulled up about 50 yards from our boat so we saw the whole Saturday display right infront of us! It's interesting because they clear you off your boat for the Typhoon display, but they will happily let you stay on your boat 50 yards from explosives..... hey ho.
Next stop was to travel up the Dart and stop over at Dittisham. Weather had improved from being amazing to being Mediterranean. I have to say that Dittisham was the real gem of the trip. It is an amazing place. Very serene and relaxing and the pub was perfect for a nice view and some decent pub grub.
As we left the beautiful River Dart we turned East to Torquay. We had spent 6 nights without shore power, and we don't have gas on the boat. Plus the facilities at Dartmouth and Salcombe are not the kind of 5* hotel that the SWMBO likes!! After a big clean of the boat and a half an hour shower that I was desperate for, we were all back up and running again.
We had a nice meal in Torquay, but the call for less touristy places beckoned. So we took a good weather window on the Tuesday and headed back to the Solent. We took offshore all the way and enjoyed flat calm seas. It was a world away from our crossing out there! My wife even had to take an urgent phone call when we were 5NM off Portland so I just killed the engine and we bobbed around for half an hour in the blazing sun. Boating really does become at its best when you are offshore in calm conditions, no one in sight whilst you float in the beating sun. I could have stayed there all day!
We got back to the solent in 4.5 hours, the conditions helping us get a quicker time than before. We took a stopover at Lymington and enjoyed the amazing facilities at the Yacht Haven. It is very very nice there. The bistro was great too, with a brilliant view on the roof terrace that they have.
We saw out our summer cruise with a 2 night stop at Bucklers Hard, which is my personal favorite Solent destination. With the weather still behaving itself we enjoyed a very chilled couple of days seeing out the last of what had been an incredible trip. We took a couple of trips to Beaulieu in our tender, half motoring, and half rowing as the tide came out..!
On heading back to Hamble I reflected on what I have learnt over the last 12 months, having only had my boat since July 16. You truly do learn a lot. Aside from the RYA courses that we all do, it is the practical element. Learning your boat, its engine, the mechanics, the systems and effectively how to keep it all going when you have a problem. The only thing that went wrong all trip (aside from the oil fiasco) was a leaking fresh water connector. For me I am happy with that, as given my experience so far, nothing tends to happen without something breaking!!!!
I will post up some pics later once I get the chance to put them on. I also have a good video of the initial crossing which I shall post too!
Thanks for reading
Jonathan
) or fantastic , part of the fun I spose . Nice to hear your wife was happy to carry on in the rough stuff ( scared mine once , cant afford to do it again 
) . Love Salcombe / Dartmouth and will be back there next year .
