July Cruise

I left Gosport at 13:00 on Wednesday 24th freshly power washed on the SeaLift, arriving Hallsand immediately behind Start Point on Thursday 16:30 after a varied trip down ending in several hours in fog that ended just inside Start Point and a few hundred yards from the anchorage.

Fog clearing from Start Point Light, half a mile east of here the visibility was
about 100 yards - I was within 0.2 miles of 4 boats, visible on AIS and/ or
radar but did not see any of them.

After a good nights sleep I left at 07:00 in rough seas, especially around the Start and past Pawle Point, Bolt Head and Bolt Tail, with light winds the engine was used quite often until a fresh breeze set in as I passed the Eddystone and I had to stop trying to film dolphins to set the Genoa. With the wind changing frequently it was a toss up between going to Fowey or St Mawes but I ended up at the latter.

Arriving St Mawes Friday
Pic by Ron D

Sancerre and on the right a 100 year old working boat coming into
St Mawes after a race

On Saturday there was a local trip with Roger and Ron on Rogers 41 foot Blue Magic but with gales forecast I gave up on thoughts of going further west in Sancerre and made a dash for Fowey and for the 2nd time this year I spent 3 nights there to shelter from gales

Sunday evening, the lull before the storm.

I spent a little time before the gales hit the day after arrival motoring up the river in the tender but at low tide could not get very far even with a draft of less than a foot.

Motoring up the river with the china clay handling wharfs behind.

Then home again in pictures:

Night 1, Start Point and Hallsand (anchorage centre, remaining beach right)
 without the fog.

Dartmouth for Fuel

Exmouth, the moorings were in over 3 knots of turbulent current just an hour
before high water, it looked uncomfortable and difficult to get on to single
handed (but would have been easy with a crew) so on to anchor behind
Beer head for night 2.

Leaving Beer, very early in the morning and on to Lyme Regis for fresh food
and a shower at the sailing club..

Lyme Regis, relatively new pontoons at the end of the Cob.

Lyme Regis Harbour. I joined the sailing club here over 50 years ago
but have not sailed from here for about 45. Much has changed but it
is still Lyme.

Sailing at Lyme in the late 60's, Albacore "El Avispa" (The Wasp)
I sold her shortly after to get an old 505.

Golden Cap, an Iconic land mark between Lyme Regis and Portland.

Approaching the Bill on the inshore route minutes before the change
of tide but still with 4 knots of current behind me.

Off of the Bill

Quarry workings just north of the Bill on the east side. Its amazing
how they worked barges etc. into here 200 years ago. On to anchor in the
harbour for night 3.

Track from Beer to Portland Harbour via Lyme Regis.

HMS Defender a type 45 Frigate off Portland.

Anvil Point, nice to have the Lulworth range shut for the month.

Track from Portland Harbour to Osbourne Bay

Cheating the tide up the Solent

I got from Portland to Hurst Narrows in less than 6 hours then took more
than that to beat up the Solent against the tide and the Fastnet fleet to short
of Cowes when, with it getting late, I put the engine on to motor to Osborne
bay to anchor for the night before moving to Haslar next morning.

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