2023 June 26th, Day 74 Fowey to Brixham

Broad reaching with the Cruising
Chute from the pole as the wind was
very marginal, and sometimes well over
for the spinnaker.

After motoring for an hour and a half to Udder Rock the wind filled in and I sailed until lunchtime in variable winds up to F5 before putting the engine on for an hour to guarantee carrying the tide around Start Point. 

Considering all of the crud on the bottom of the boat it was a surprisingly quick trip, I had planned to stop at Hallsands behind Start Point but the various models all suggested a south westerly wind the next day which would have put me on a dead run to Portland, so with time in hand I went on across Start Bay to the anchorage just outside Brixham.

I have been disappointed with the antifouling, the SeaJet "Shogon" is their 2nd most expensive and won a recent PBO "best in test" award, and it claims to be effective for "Up to two years" with 3 coats. I put three coats on in March 2022 and another in July but it was clearly very depleted when I power washed her in mid March and weed was already re-established a month later, by the time I reached Tobermory the bottom was very rough to the touch and I cleaned what was reachable numerous times on this cruise but still lost a lot of speed, a good knot under engine. It would seem that two years life assumes light usage of the boat.

The top grade and hideously expensive "Emperor" used for the boot line (the Shogun is not available in white) has fared better, still at least somewhat active in March when I recoated that, so I am going to have to bight the bullet and lift the boat out to re do the antifouling - I can at best do one coat drying on the piles and need to do at least three on the hull and three on the boot line and, needing to power wash if the boat has gone back in the water that would take four or five seasons over at least three weeks - the tide being insufficient at neaps to get into the dock.

Rounding Start Point in almost slack water.

Although potentially a bit exposed and fairly deep the anchorage off Churston Cove / Fishcombe Point has very good holding in firm mud, both times I anchored there the anchor bit instantly and very firmly, getting it up was not that difficult with the windlass but the anchor does need the mud scraping off.

56 miles in  twelve and a half hours.

Click here for Crossing Lyme Bay