Speedwell of Rhu Ship's Log

14 th to 16 th of August 2012 - Around Start Point

Tuesday 14 ^th August

An alarm call at 0600, had us sailing down river by 0700 and we were out of Plymouth Harbour before 0800, with help from the tide. It was quite choppy and grey as we headed out to sea. The swell was quite noticeable, probably the result of the low pressure system that was developing in the Atlantic and coming our way. In 24 hours there were Gale force 8 and 9s and 'high' seas forecast west of Start Point, so we were keen to get past it and safely into Torbay.

As it was the rain gradually stopped and the sun came out. We were able to sail, again close hauled, so not very fast. Fortunately 3-4 knots is perfect fishing speed and we managed to catch four mackerel. The swell was behind us and quite long, so it felt like it was pushing us in the right direction, as we surfed down the waves, even though the tide was against us. Initially there were few other yachts about but boats gradually appeared as we got around Start Point. At this point the swell noticeably decreased and, as the sun came out, we definitely felt as though we had arrived in the English Riviera.

We had been promised a berth in Brixham Marina tucked in behind the breakwater, so we made ourselves nice and secure, ready for the bad weather. We paid £100 for two nights and hoped we wouldn't be stuck for too long. Fortunately supper was free and Andy went to work filleting and cooking his own version of boat fish and chips.

Wednesday 15 ^th August

This morning, once the rain had stopped, the sun came out and it was quite warm, despite the gradually increasing wind. We spent some time exploring Brixham, which is a lovely seaside town and made a nice change from Helford and Fowey. As a result we forgave the very expensive marina. We had showers and did some washing. In the evening we found a place that served a uniquely Brixham form of tapas, which was surprisingly good. It was quite a challenge to find anything other than a fish and chip restaurant, although we still ended up having mainly fish tapas.

Thursday 16 ^th August

The forecast for today was still very windy west of Lyme Regis and the sea rough, so we decided on another day in Brixham. We walked around to Berry Head and back via the Lido, which looked quite inviting, but we didn't swim. Overnight we were kept awake by the wind and squeaking of our warps and fenders. However, the wind appeared to be slightly lessening so we had hopes we might leave the next day for Poole Harbour.

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