Friday, 20th May

The forecast was for South West 5 or 6, occasionally 7 in the west, which didn’t inspire me to sail, although by mid afternoon conditions were ideal and I set off for Elberry Cove, which in the South West corner of Tor Bay.

I used the morning for things like showering, arranging to have the Autohelm mended and shopping for food. Since the time I lived near Torquay back in the early seventies, the town has undergone a significant change. There are more undercover shopping areas and some streets have been set aside for the exclusive use of pedestrians, which I think is an improvement.

My sail in the afternoon was one of the best. A force 3 wind blew from the west, and because of the land to windward, the sea was wonderfully smooth, which meant ‘Bumper’ creamed along effortlessly.

William Turner would have relished the atmospheric light as showers and sunshine made their contrasts. I was struck with the beauty of the Bay. To the west of Brixham trees line the low cliffs, almost down to the water. The colour of the sea was an unbelievable turquoise, set for an artist intent upon capturing the harmonious splash of light blue in the form of ‘Western Lady 1V, a ferry en route for Torquay from Brixham. Her red, white and black funnel put the finishing touches to a memorable scene. I only wished I had been close enough to the dignified lady to take a photo of her.

This evening, after eating Bernard Matthews turkey fillets, new potatoes, carrots and runner beans, I sit composing these words, and the peace of the cove, except now and again a ski boat passes by causing ‘Bumper’ to rock gently.

My wife phoned at our pre-arranged time with news that the weather over the weekend will not be good, but I’ll have to deal with it accordingly, perhaps by entering Brixham Marina. At least here at anchorage, where I plan to stay for the night, I’m not paying £19.00 for the privilege of mooring to a pontoon attached to the land with access to a shower which is too small by far for an average person to fit into. A fat man would have no chance of entering, but if he did, he would be wedged tightly trapped there for ever.