Final leg to Helford Passage and summary.

The weekend was spent in Plymouth, laundering, airing and generally sorting out.  With eyes half closed, Julie walked to Forde Park cemetery, returning via the convenient Lidl's just 10 minutes away, while David sorted the boat.

The Mayflower Marina lends it's self to this, has excellent facilities available round the clock, as well as having a pleasant outlook to the narrows and Hamoaze beyond.

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Here, local boat, "Tectona", can be seen, from our cockpit, sailing up the Tamar. Originally purchased and sailed from the Mediterranean by a retired Somerset GP, she is now run by a Trust who continues Richard's ambition to help disadvantaged young adults, including recovering addicts, through sailing this imposing, all teak, craft.

A walk to Mount Wise, enabled Julie to view the marina from an unusual angle -

- and admire the memorial to Robert Falcon Scott, who was born in Milehouse.

The downside, as other readers will know, is that this marina can be a little uncomfortable in a westerly gale, which was the case on Sunday!  It was still rather lively, although dry, so we decided on an early Monday morning start, taking on fuel before milling around while a destroyer left and her tugs returned. 

Once off Rame Head, it transpired that this was a Portugese vessel and was declaring a 10 mile firing zone that included most of the land to our north.  The centre of the exclusion zone was shifted a further two miles to the south  just before the appointed time of the excersise, possibly as a result of our, unacknowledged wireless call, that we would be too slow to leave the area!

This meant we had to tack inshore out of the best of the tide. By the time we reached Udder Rock, east of Polruan, we gave up and motored with our already reefed mainsail straight into the F5 wind and tide. The latter turned and reduced the sea state considerably.

We picked up our mooring, covered in marine growth, just as the brief showers consolidated, after a 13 hour passage.

A final night aboard and we returned ashore, very soggy, the next morning and are now back in Somerset.

"Susan J" logged 691 nautical miles, over 26 days and nights.  5 non sailing days ashore in Lampaul, Douarnenez, Brest, Ploumana'ch and Plymouth.  We used the engine for 100 hours.  And used about 90 litres of diesel.

in largely benign conditions, she has, as always, looked after us and her crews.  Her new Beta30 engine has proved reliable and economical.  We can motor sail more effectively than we realised, making planned longer crossings much more feasible.  A worthwhile investment.

As skippers, we have gained considerable experience of pilotage in strong tides, manouvering at close quarters and using her various systems. The appetite for further extended cruises is not dulled!

"Susan J" will now have a well deserved rest on her mooring, until departing for Falmouth Classics, then the
South West Gaffers Helford Rally next week.