We had a lovely meal with family at the Ship Inn and a damp night alongside the Town Quay in Weymouth. Helen was now settled on board with a Scopolamine patch. Water tanks had been replenished the previous afternoon, as we were second out in a raft of five and the boat inside ours wanted to leave at 7 am, after all as all, apart from us were heading back to the Solent!
We duly woke, dressed and departed from our berth. Half asleep, our bowsprit bumped the stern of the boat ahead, fortunately with no damage. We tied up on the long length of, still empty, pontoon, to wait for the "impaled" boat's crew to wake up but also so that our own departure coincided with being at Portland Bill when the tide should push us out into the Channel into the early ebb, rather than sucking us back into Lyme Bay, as usually happens to us.
By the time we were off either, it was the small hours and not light enough to find somewhere to tie up in Dartmouth but by 02:00 the tide was sweeping us easily towards Start Point and the sea was relatively flat, as we closed the coast. We retained our one reef in the mainsail and swept east of the Shambles bank, aiming to pass about 3 miles south to avoid the race. As dawn broke, the rain started and through the low cloud we passed Start Point and the entrance to Salcombe, in increasingly steep and unpleasant seas.
The wind had increased, predictably, as soon as we rounded Start Point but backed to the SSW, making it likely that we could bear away for Plymouth, once past Bolt Tail. However it would have been unwise to enter Salcombe, over the Bar, at low water and an onshore wind.
The wind was now 35 knots at times, even allowing 8 knots for the height of the anemometer, that is in the region of F6-7. While making progress, it was very uncomfortable in the confused seas, which didn't settle as the favourable tide decreased. The skipper decided to drop the mainsail, rather than a second reef and carry on under foresails and engine ,as required, against the foul tide, which should at least smooth the seas and lessen, once we were clear of the point and before it reached it's peak.
We successfully hove to on port tack, on the second attempt and things calmed down. Unfortunately, as we discovered later, the temporary and experimental 1:3 whip on the starboard topping lift had decided to part, so there was nothing controlling the gaff which swung wildly as the boat rolled in the swell. While the loose topping lift and lazy jacks got in everyone's way! Without the mainsail, it was difficult to keep on the wind so the engine was started - and died!
After what seemed like ages and to the disbelief of the crew, the skipper managed to secure the gaff and furl and tie the mainsail. Further attempts to start the engine failed, so we close reached along the cliffs, towards Bolt Tail, as planned.
With a strong sense of de-ja-vue, I changed tanks and after 5 or 6 attempts, the engine kept going and stopped spluttering. A year ago in the middle of a busy Salcombe Harbour, just 3 miles away, exactly the same had happened, after tossing around off Bolt Head getting the sails in. On that occasion we were towed to a mooring and managed to bleed the filter using the opposite tank. Clearly once the 65 L tank is only a third full, tossing around allows air into the system and that is that. Fortunately, we have two 65 L tanks, at least one is kept fully topped off, so this time the full tank bled it'self after a few tries, despite the boisterous conditions.
Thoroughly wet and miserable and realising we would not make Jolly Jack's for breakfast "Susan J" soldiered on still making 5 knots under foresails. We made two tacks, to avoid the little Mew Stone and entered the Sound via the eastern entrance, in fairly misty conditions. Once inside the breakwater we were able to motor to windward to bring the jib in as the furling line had got tangled when let out too quickly, in the "maelstrom", a not uncommon problem.
We were all very grateful to get ashore at the Mayflower marina at 1500, 30 hours after leaving Weymouth. For a shower and meal.
The next day was spent on drying out, laundry and repairing the recalcitrant topping lift (essentially, retying the knot! Having retrieved all from up the mast!
Lessons learnt, (possibly!) while all passage plans should have alternative plans B &C, it is perhaps, undesirable to attempt to use the whole alphabet! However, crossing Lyme Bay east to west seems to always be a difficult pasage to plan and execute for ourselves. Knowing that we could have cooked a hot meal , rather than soup, in the evening, once we were in the lee of Devon. Although both skippers were aware of the possibility but not certainty, of an overnight passage, they could have easily got more rest during the day in preparation.
We could and perhaps should, have entered Brixham in the dark, although it meant further back tracking, we had done it before but out of season. At a pinch we could have anchored outside, although it would have been miserable. That would not have been a viable option outside Dartmouth at 3 am. Fatigue was certainly a factor by the following mid morning. Having decided that we were continuing to Plymouth, we could have easily put a second reef in, while still in the lee of Slapton Sands, anticipating that the full force of the wind against tide, would be come apparent once west of Prawle Point.
Any purchase, however temporary, should use a single length of rope, not two odds and ends tied together, even with double sheet bends! Our continuing development of a more effective topping lift / lazy jack system should consider bringing the topping lifts inboard along the boom so the gaff is always between them. This would greatly assist routine raising and lowering of the mainsail, as well as under these circumstances, although would make no difference to reefing while underway.
Clearly we should assume that our range under power is only half of what the fuel we are carrying should provide.
Oh! and make sure the skipper has a cup of tea before leaving a raft!
Once again " Susan J" has taken good care of us, demonstrating, yet again, that the weakest factor is the "wetware" - i.e. the skipper and crew! Despite this all are ready to returna baoard for, hopefully, less epic passages in August!
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