Friday, 24th June

Today has been eventful. I was rudely awakened by the sound of yacht bumping into ‘Bumper’s’ port quarter! The owner was dressed in his underpants while the rain lashed down. He and his wife managed to get their yacht clear, but anchored yet again too close to ……. You guess right, ‘Bumper’. He said in a calm voice, “Our yachts have an affinity for each other.”

During the morning there were tremendous thunderstorms when the rain bucketed down. By lunch time my dinghy was half filled with water, but the rain was good because it thoroughly cleaned the yacht.

Dartmouth was even busier than normal – every boat was in a great hurry, causing wakes to crisscross with one another. What with the noise, the stench from diesel engines, much activity and the humidity, I needed some sea room, so I remedied the situation by putting to sea.

A wind came from the south west, but it was not enough to drive the yacht over the ebbing tide. With the engine ticking over, by mid afternoon, we drew abeam of Mag Rock which is mile or so south of Berry Head. Motoring around the impressive headland was interesting because of the currents and a minor race. Afterwards we headed west to Elberry Cove. As I expected, the water skiers were there in force. They were camped on the beach with their gazebos, and they made a point of circling ‘Bumper’ for the fun of it – not much fun for me.

I cooked dinner and listened to the shipping forecast which predicted north westerly winds of force 4 to 5, veering north easterly 3 or 4, occasionally 5 or 6 later. Under those circumstances Elberry Cove was not suitable for an overnight stay.

As the north westerly wind set in, I raised the anchor and made for the western breakwater of Torquay Harbour, where I anchored among a host of crab pots in 30 feet of water.

As I prepare this entry for the log, it is relatively calm. Let’s hope that remains the case throughout the night. You might ask why I was reluctant to use the facilities of the Marina; well, at £19.75 a night, that’s a bit much. However, if this anchorage become untenable, I have the option of using the Marina if there’s a vacant berth.