whisper
Well-Known Member
Went down to Devon last Tuesday (6th) to refit trim rams, do some antifouling, change anodes etc with a view to re-launch on Mon.12th.
Jobs went better than expected - see other thread re. success (or not) of ram repairs - so, on Thurs. asked boatyard (Winters, at Lincombe) if they could bring forward the launch to Friday. This would give an extra 3 days for "essential safety testing" - SHE at home was told.
So, boat into water Friday pm - out to sea and back up to Kingsbridge on falling tide.
Saturday lunchtime, out on the tide, slowly down to The Bar in 40mins. This is 5-8mins longer now that there are 2 sections with a 6kt limit as against 8. Actually, on a low wash basis our best speed is around 5.5kts so 6 is not too much of a pain.
Time also lost by having to stop occasionally due to hoards of dinghys having just started racing, off the town.
Open throttle and off we go - KAD44 making a lovely roar. Bit lumpy around Prawle Point and Start Point so had to drop down to 22kts there, but otherwise powering along at 26-28kts with a quick burst at 30.6. Weather was sunny, sea flat but a very nippy breeze - 20 mins helming from up top was enough for me - so down into cosy warm wheelhouse thereafter. Arrive at Dartmouth Castle in 40mins and potter up to the Vis. Pontoon just downstream of the Higher Ferry. There was plenty of room to come alongside and the place seemed relatively quiet.
After 30 mins hot tea, M&S biscuits and Twix Bars we departed for a similar blast back to Salcombe though sea was slightly lumpier so speed down to a nice 22-24kts.
Back up the estuary on a falling tide to get back to our berth with 1.4m of water.
Sunday - 2hr "harbour cruise" for the benefit in particular of boats co-owner's wife. Weather sunny and relatively warm
Monday - more "tests" on success or otherwise of ram repairs. Picnic at anchor in Hope Cove. Weather sunny again.
Tuesday - more "tests" yet again. This time involving heading off towards Hope Cove but carrying straight on at Bolt Tail (lumpy as usual), instead of turning to Stbd. Ended up at the entrance to the Avon between Bigbury and Bantham. It was an hour before HW and there was no swell so decided to try the interesting entrance. This is quite daunting first time around as there are no leading marks as such and you initally seem to have to steer very close to the sheer cliffs to Port to stay in "deep" water. To Stbd. is a very steep sandbank which suffers from breaking waves in moderate seas.
Eventually you come to a rock, low down on the cliff face, and which has been painted white. You make an about 80 deg. turn to Stbd. keeping to Stbd of a white speed restriction buoy. This seems to be positioned in the shallowest water and it is in this short stretch that the depth is least - about 2.0m on Tues. at HW-1 on a 4.9m tide.
The entrance channel is now very narrow (and much deeper), with fast running tides at Springs. You have to keep close to the rocky shore to Stbd. until level with the long boathouse where the Bantham HM hangs out, or atleast he used to. I think he also runs a ferry across the river in Summer to cater for walkers on the SW Coast Path.
At this point there are a profusion of smallcraft moorings and the deeper water has to be found by close viewing of your sounder as it runs away from the village, deepens again and reverts to the Port shore . All in all this is a really beautiful little spot.
We made our escape from here as there was a bitter breeze blowing , presumably created by the wind tunnel effect of the valley. Instead, just half a mile away we anchored, in much calmer conditions, just off the beach at Bigbury between there and Burgh Island. In Summer this place is packed with beach lovers and wind surfers This time we were the only boat there and there were precious few people walking on the beach. Bliss.
"Afternoon T" over we enjoyed an unhurried cruise back to base, much of it spent "up top" with the music of that engine just behind us.
The above boating interlude - 5 days use, in a row, compares with last Summer when we usually had to endure 5 days of non-use in a row!!
PS Sorry, the above would have been far better with pictures to go with it but this was not possible as:-
a) I still don't know how to post such.
b) I forgot to take my camera with me!!!
Jobs went better than expected - see other thread re. success (or not) of ram repairs - so, on Thurs. asked boatyard (Winters, at Lincombe) if they could bring forward the launch to Friday. This would give an extra 3 days for "essential safety testing" - SHE at home was told.
So, boat into water Friday pm - out to sea and back up to Kingsbridge on falling tide.
Saturday lunchtime, out on the tide, slowly down to The Bar in 40mins. This is 5-8mins longer now that there are 2 sections with a 6kt limit as against 8. Actually, on a low wash basis our best speed is around 5.5kts so 6 is not too much of a pain.
Time also lost by having to stop occasionally due to hoards of dinghys having just started racing, off the town.
Open throttle and off we go - KAD44 making a lovely roar. Bit lumpy around Prawle Point and Start Point so had to drop down to 22kts there, but otherwise powering along at 26-28kts with a quick burst at 30.6. Weather was sunny, sea flat but a very nippy breeze - 20 mins helming from up top was enough for me - so down into cosy warm wheelhouse thereafter. Arrive at Dartmouth Castle in 40mins and potter up to the Vis. Pontoon just downstream of the Higher Ferry. There was plenty of room to come alongside and the place seemed relatively quiet.
After 30 mins hot tea, M&S biscuits and Twix Bars we departed for a similar blast back to Salcombe though sea was slightly lumpier so speed down to a nice 22-24kts.
Back up the estuary on a falling tide to get back to our berth with 1.4m of water.
Sunday - 2hr "harbour cruise" for the benefit in particular of boats co-owner's wife. Weather sunny and relatively warm
Monday - more "tests" on success or otherwise of ram repairs. Picnic at anchor in Hope Cove. Weather sunny again.
Tuesday - more "tests" yet again. This time involving heading off towards Hope Cove but carrying straight on at Bolt Tail (lumpy as usual), instead of turning to Stbd. Ended up at the entrance to the Avon between Bigbury and Bantham. It was an hour before HW and there was no swell so decided to try the interesting entrance. This is quite daunting first time around as there are no leading marks as such and you initally seem to have to steer very close to the sheer cliffs to Port to stay in "deep" water. To Stbd. is a very steep sandbank which suffers from breaking waves in moderate seas.
Eventually you come to a rock, low down on the cliff face, and which has been painted white. You make an about 80 deg. turn to Stbd. keeping to Stbd of a white speed restriction buoy. This seems to be positioned in the shallowest water and it is in this short stretch that the depth is least - about 2.0m on Tues. at HW-1 on a 4.9m tide.
The entrance channel is now very narrow (and much deeper), with fast running tides at Springs. You have to keep close to the rocky shore to Stbd. until level with the long boathouse where the Bantham HM hangs out, or atleast he used to. I think he also runs a ferry across the river in Summer to cater for walkers on the SW Coast Path.
At this point there are a profusion of smallcraft moorings and the deeper water has to be found by close viewing of your sounder as it runs away from the village, deepens again and reverts to the Port shore . All in all this is a really beautiful little spot.
We made our escape from here as there was a bitter breeze blowing , presumably created by the wind tunnel effect of the valley. Instead, just half a mile away we anchored, in much calmer conditions, just off the beach at Bigbury between there and Burgh Island. In Summer this place is packed with beach lovers and wind surfers This time we were the only boat there and there were precious few people walking on the beach. Bliss.
"Afternoon T" over we enjoyed an unhurried cruise back to base, much of it spent "up top" with the music of that engine just behind us.
The above boating interlude - 5 days use, in a row, compares with last Summer when we usually had to endure 5 days of non-use in a row!!
PS Sorry, the above would have been far better with pictures to go with it but this was not possible as:-
a) I still don't know how to post such.
b) I forgot to take my camera with me!!!
