The Skipper assuming his usual sailing position while the crew battle with the elements along the rugged Cornish coast.

Saturday May 5thBreakfast at Alf Resco again, then time to leave for Fowey.  Bright sunshine and good wind, as we sailed down the Dart, Bernard on the helm successfully dodging a flotilla of young dinghy sailors.  Plan had been to make Falmouth, but Fowey seemed a more realistic option and a very attractive berth, and we would be able to meet up with Tricia and Robin Milan, who live 7 miles away in St Austell.

Friday 4 May, Darthaven Marina, DartmouthWe’ve had a relaxing day in Dartmouth, starting with a ferry across from the marina (on the Kingswear side) to the town, for breakfast at the fabulous ‘Alf Resco’ café: full breakfast for £4.95, and a lovely chatty hostess who gave us extra toast ‘on the house’!  After a walk round town and showers, we had a beer at the Cherub, the amazing little pub up hundreds of steps abov...

Thursday 3 May Cowes to DartmouthAfter a ciabatta at Tiffin (Cowes Yacht Haven) and a haircut for Benj, we left Cowes at 1400 on a fast running tide and easterly wind, sailing at up to 8 knots down the western Solent, passing through the Needles Channel at 1600, after which we had to motor against increasing tides. The passage was planned to get us to the infamous tidal race around Portland Bill at the critical time, in this case between midnight and 2am. This we...

Wednesday 2 May Cowes Arrived Cowes Yacht Haven 12 noon, and tied up in the north basin, on a very bumpy berth, about as unstable as being at anchor in a force 6, with creaking warps and banging pontoons, and had to lash the tiller to stop the rudder banging! Celebrated our first passage with a wee dram of Old Poultney 12yr old single malt. Showers and good lunch at the Union Inn, and an afternoon nap. Later to the Pier View (good gastro-pub with no actual pier v...