Helford and Plymouth Rallies June 2023

 Animal illness prevented us returning to Cornwall for Falmouth Classics,  Instead Diana L. had crewed admirably on "Picotee", a 70 plus year old wooden cutter, normally with a centre plate, just restored by Tim and launched at Gweek the week before.  They had a brisk return, a day early, because of adverse winds, so missed the relatively boisterous parade of sail.

By Sunday the dog had returned from Bristol and David was able to return aboard "Susan J" and join in the Helford Rally BBQ, on the Monday.  

 

The Tuesday dawned cloudless and very hot, with a gentle breeze for the planned "raid" to Gweek.  Diana and her friend, Julia, expertly sailed "Flat Sea", our 10' Anarth Lugger, up to Gweek, while David took various passengers in the rubber dinghy, with outboard.  We enjoyed a quick look around the boatyard and some coffee, and acquired pasties for lunch.  Two up in the Anarth proved too much to win the rowing race from Tremayne Quay to Groyne Point, on the return tide.  A further impromptu picnic at Penbilly beach was enjoyed in the evening.

   

The race took place on Wednesday and, once the start had been located, we 

 

enjoyed just enough wind.  With Diana helming and only one crew, we completed the course in a timely fashion, conceding to "Roxanne" but only just!

   

The Helford River SC was our venue for the prize giving.  This was Don Garman's last Helford Rally, as he was to be stepping down from his role as Cornwall representative.  Unfortunately, he was unable to attend, as he and several others had, or were contracting, Covid. Despite this, the rest of us enjoyed an excellent dinner and eight of us repaired aboard  "Arianna", where a fine selection of rums were sampled into the early hours.

The following day, after some fettling aboard, David drove back to Somerset, to review the new dog's progress..  Molly was much better for being at home but David developed Covid very suddenly in the early hours.  For the first and, hopefully, only time, it was almost certainly the Omicrom variant and he was fully recovered by the following weekend, ready to return, with Julie, to "Susan J", in preparation for the Plymouth Rally on Monday.

The weather remained kind and, after a pleasant sail in company with " Picottee", we anchored in Cawsands not far from "Passager" a 35' gaff cutter belonging to Janet and Mike G.  We had a pint a shore and a good night's sleep.

 

As always we came alongside at QAB marina, with plenty of helping with lines throughout the afternoon.  By tea time, various refreshments, including Rawlins cider were being enjoyed on the pontoon. Penny Jolly had produced a lovely birthday cake and sparkling wine as it turned out she was a much older gaffer than many of us!

Fiona arrived by train, just in time for a drink and to introduce us to Phillipe, from Bourg St Maurice, for the first time.  Phillipe's English, was excellent and he seemed to enjoy the somewhat unusual setting for a "meet the parents", as much as we did! 

                           

(At the time of writing, in January, they have returned to the Alps, Fiona with her cat and a visa for the whole of 2023, they are just waiting for some snow!)

We repaired to Chandlers, now called the Waypoint, Bistro for an enjoyable meal and good company, before a good night's sleep aboard.

The day of the race was another glorious one.  Phillipe a very experienced skier, uphill as well as down, had sailed a little before and proved to be a competent helm.  We managed a respectable third place on correction and retained the Tyrone Trophy. 

The main meal at The Stable on the Barbican was preceded by the usual prize giving, including the Victory Block, which contains a piece of her copper sheathing, for "Susan J" having travelled the furthest to attend, 400 yards further than "Picottee"!

 

Wednesday's activities didn't happen, several boats needed to catch tides and it remained very hot and windless.  As treasurer, we had to wait to settle the bills and to help Tim with "Picottee's engine.  A replacement battery was averted, once the strange multiple 12 V switching was identified and connections improved!  By the afternoon we  decided to forego our third night and sail off to Cawsands, where it would be cooler and ready to start our leisurely cruise along the south coast.

Our first visit to Brixham Heritage Regatta

Following our voyage to Wales and after two days ashore, including a visit to the Merlin cinema in Falmouth to see the new Downton Abbey film, we are once more aboard, bound down wind for Cawsands, a passage stop before rounding the south Hams for the Brixham Heritage Regatta.  This is an annual event at the end of May bank holiday, which we had always hoped to attend.  This year the bank holiday was shifted for Her Majesty's Jubilee, so that our politicians could ensure that the teachers missed the extra time off, despite their efforts for Covid.  However, this allowed us to attend  for the first time.  Penny Jolly organises the event and a smaller one in September, harnessing all the incredible good will of the people of Brixham, not just the excellent Yacht Club.

   

                Poled out from Helford                                                          Anchored at Cawsands

One reef in the mainsail and poled out staysail achieved 4 to 6 knots as the SW wind reached F6 as forecast. We kept the jib furled so avoided the inevitable falling off of turns on the Wickham Martin and laying on the bowsprit to recover it all! This worked well with a starboard gybe 10 degrees off course, followed by a port gybe 10 degrees less than the course and we rounded Penlee point to a flat calm and gentle refracted swell.

Following a slightly vinegary Valpolocelli, opened in Lawrenny, on the other side of the Bristol Channel, Julie cooked a superb meal eaten to the hiss of the Taylor stove! 

In sunnier weather, we broad reached past Salcombe, only to find a flat calm after Start Point. 

 

We motored on to Brixham and tied up on the town pontoon, amongst large and small traditional vessels and a fair number of junks.

 

       Mike Forward shaking out a reef on  "Arriana"         Berry head - where is the breakwater!

    "Capraia" arrives at the pontoon                          The assembled fleet

After a shower, we had a few beers at the very hospitable Brixham YC, enjoying the incomparable view over the harbour breakwater and towards Golden Cap in Dorset, with large gas carrying ships miraged, spectacularly, above the sea.

The Saturday was the hottest day of the year, so far and shorts were worn. Julie walked to Torquay, to complete that section of the SW path, from Salcombe.  Soon after she left, clouds of black smoke were visible above Torquay.  A large superyacht, that had taken on 8,000 litres of diesel, in Brixham, the day before had burnt to the water line, having, fortunately, burnt through her mooring lines and drifted out of the Torquay marina area.  Most of the sea front was closed, forcing Julie to walk inland to catch a bus back to Brixham, where David had enjoyed a pleasant day drinking tea, washing up, repeat and  doing a few odd jobs.  She found most of the Gaffer contingent in "Arriana"'s cockpit with beers at 16:00!

  

 

Following a briefing aboard "Prospect",  we were ferried to the Brixham YC and given a wonderful fish pie supper, before wandering back around the harbour to our boats.

                                                                        Photo Mike Garlic

Sunday dawned slightly grey, with the promise of a little wind later.  Shorts were stowed for another few weeks and we joined the throng in the shelter of the breakwater hoisting all sail.  We sailed as best we could for the parade and eventually started the race, while the skipper had to answer a call of nature.  Ralph, who had sailed his venerable, gunter rigged, twin bilge keel, Westerly22 from Torquay, had joined us for the race and regaled us with tales and anecdotes of yore.  His boat, "Charlie Bravo" was identical to the boat I had crewed on, from Dartmouth to Audierne, while still at school. Eventually, "Susan J" was her usual third in class behind "Capraia" and "Miscief". 

                                                                                                           Ralph Bell aboard "Susan J"

 

                                                                                                            Several junk rigged classics

                                "Minx"                                                                           "Provident"

Mike Garlick in "Mischief" took some lovely photographs of Susan J under way.

Photo Mike Garlic

 

                                                                                  "Susan J"                                                Photo Mike Garlic

The racing was very pleasant and a real privilege to be able to sail amongst a variety of boats from the junk rigged cruisers, the bermudan sloop, "Falandia", restored and recently sailed around Britain by 14 year old Katie and her parents, larger yawl "Amyrillis"; to the two Brixham trawlers - "Vigilance", still sadly, as I write, awaiting full coding and "Prospect", already restored, both a lovely sight close to.  All followed by a curry supper at the YC, prizes and more beer.  

 

             "Falandia" single handed Katie McCabe                                      "Provident"

"Susan J" had to be back on her mooring, at Helford Passage, before a family camping trip in Dorset, so it was decided to do one long passage on the Monday, setting off in crystal clear blue sky and fair weather cumulus, while leaving "Mischief" to lunch en route and "Capraia" motoring off into the "sunset".  By the time we had rounded Start Point, the clouds had gathered, the wind was rising and a squall, at least, looked likely.  By the time the reef was in, the wind had dropped but with evening approaching, we left it in, had a pasta supper and plodded ever westwards into the night, which was spent dodging unpredictable trawlers, so brightly lit you couldn't see their lateral lights!  By dawn, Eddystone Light was well astern and we continued to our mooring, for a late breakfast on Tuesday, before driving home.

 

 

 

So, in May, apart from two days ashore, we had been aboard for well over three weeks and covered approximately 840 Miles with four nights spent under way.  Time for a break at home, before Falmouth Classics!

Return across the Bristol Channel - 50 hours at sea!

The force 7 winds and strong tides at Lawrenny had abated to some extent by Saturday and, in bright sunshine, we set the main and jib for a sail down the Cleddeau River to the entrance to Milford Haven.

 

The wind was in the SW around F4 and forecast to persist for 48 hours before turning westerly and near gale by Wednesday.  There was considerable swell in Dale Bay, so, despite the brilliant sunshine, the decision was taken to carry on back across the Bristol; Channel while we could.

Dodging various ships and ferries we returned through the east entrance passing the spectacular cliffs and pointed towards Lands End.  

We soon discovered that this was going to be considerably harder than coming the other way. The combination of west and southwest swells and close hauled into the south west wind, was taking us nowhere near Lands End. In order to make progress the engine was used to enable us to sail about 30 degrees under reefed mainsail alone and punch through the messy waves.  Being constantly stopped by the waves, meant we were hand steering on a, mainly, one hour rotation for the first 36 hours.

By sunset the clouds over Lundy were visible and the Island's lights remained visible on the port bow until well after dawn, by which time Hartland point was also visible.  Padstow was considered as a rest stop, but lack of  a pilot book, unlikely coordination of tides and the risk of being unable to leave when the wind increased from the NW,  put us off. 

Many schools of dolphins approached us, possibly because there were no other vessels around.  The sandwiches and meals prepared in advance, were supplemented by many cups of tea and even tinned soup to supplement the packets! It took the whole day to slowly creep towards Cornwall, making our closest approach at St. Ives, at dusk, fortuitously coinciding with the west and south tidal stream.

By midnight we were still motor sailing as close as possible to the wind, squeezing between a remarkably full shipping lane and the Longships.  While the expected lights from the chart were all found there were many smaller lit marks which confused us.  However as we bore away for the Runnel Stone, with  the wind on our quarter, the engine was stopped for a well earned rest and we gently sailed, staysail poled out and with "Raymond" the auto helm in charge, across Mount's Bay.  We arrived at the Lizard after dawn, gybed around and close reached in a strengthening westerly and heavy rain showers, back to our mooring.

Not our pleasantest passage but reassuring that we can survive more than 24 hours at sea.  It does confirm , however, "that gentlemen shouldn't sail to windward"!

The next day, sparkling sunshine and near infinite visibility enabled a rapid sail to Falmouth for 72 l of diesel, water and provisions, in the realisation that we now had time to make a late entry to the Brixham Heritage Regatta, after Wednesday's strong winds and rain pass!

Around Lands End to Wales

Winter 2021/2 was  fairly straight forward for "Susan J" and she was lifted in before Easter and back on her mooring in the Helford.  Several family events and persistent easterlies meant only a few short sails but more sections of the SW coast path, were achieved.  The few sails we did, have introduced our recently acquired dog "Molly" for her first sail and a more robust 12V supply to the AIS, now means that we are now visible.

 

After a meal aboard passage planning, we left our mooring early on Saturday, with little wind, motor sailing around the Lizard to Newlyn.  The first thing that struck us was the complete absence of ships "free parking" off Black Head,  presumably reflecting a recovering economy post Covid and need to ship in more oil and gas.

We arrived in Newlyn in time to go on the hammerhead and then a run shore to walk the rather tedious  SW coast path, from Newlyn to Marazion.  Julie has now completed the section from Mousehole to St Mawes, among several others!

The forecast was for wind and rain in the Isles of Scilly so we decided to try to go directly to Milford Haven, which looked as if it would escape the worst.  The little but favourable wind and with the assistance of the engine most of the way,  we were thus able to keep up with all the tidal gates. and were astounded to be making 7 or 8  Kts  over the ground on several occasions!

The weather deteriorated to cloud and rain and the SE breeze picked up.  We put two reefs in the main and for a while used only the staysail.  We arrived about 5 miles east of the Milford haven entrance, as planned, at about 08:00.  Two large tankers left the port but we kept inside the main channel, taking all sail off in the lee of the cliffs before Angle Bay.  We locked into Milford Marina for a well deserved rest.  Booking for two nights as the rain and strong winds did occur on Tuesday.

By Wednesday there was still a brisk south westerly and, being unfamiliar with the area we motored up the river, under the Cleddau bridge to Lawrenny yacht station, who had a mooring temporarily free.

From there we have undertaken two walks,

 

sampled the local beer and completed the laundry. Friday has been wet and has ended with F7 gale but we are secure and hope for a window to leave for Lands End on Saturday or Sunday.