Thursday, 8th July

Bolt Head early this morning
Start Point
Berry Head
Tanker in Torbay


When you are cruising a boat you tend to lose track of time; one day follows another, and there is nothing to differentiate them. Saturday, Sunday or a Friday are like any other days. If I were not keeping a Blog I would lose count of the days. I’m surprised it’s the 8th of the month already, and that means I have another 23 days to get home. With the prevailing wind from the SW, that should be ample time, but who knows? We’ll see. Maybe I could find time for some East Coast sailing?


This morning I had every intention of trying for Dartmouth. The tide was wrong from the start, but in the end, I went further than I expected, i.e., Torquay! I like the Marina there because it has all the facilities for getting the boat in order - water, waste disposal and electricity.


The passage was uneventful, except I needed the engine for rounding Prawle Point and Start Point - both of them close inshore. As ‘Ladybird’ neared Dartmouth the wind picked up from the SW which caused me to change my mind about going there. Torquay seemed a better prospect, with less hassle and opportunities for getting the boat in order. I have a few repairs to do: strengthen the lower drop board and repair a sail batten pocket. These items can best be attended to when the boat is in calm water at the Marina.


I’m uncertain about what to do tomorrow, as the tide is wrong for Exmouth, unless I delay the start. I usually like to leave early in the morning to give me time to arrive at the next place before dark.