As part of this trip we are looking to help raise money for the charity Help for Heroes. If you would like to make a donation please visit our Just Giving page at:
http://www.justgiving.com/moonshadow
Clearing bearings of 010 and 030 kept us safely between the Eastern and Western Ebb rocks on the entry to Wembery bay. The narrow and twisting entrance of the Yealm is hidden behind 'Misery Point' but there were sufficient marker buoys together with leading marks high on the gorse cliffs, to lead us in safely. Once inside we followed the river towards the 'Pool' a landlocked haven with several visitors' moorings. The pretty villages of Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers are a just a short trip by dingy. Unfortunately for us, when we unpacked our dingy we discovered it had a hole in the bottom. Tony carefully applied the temporary patch that came with the dingy, but a test with washing up liquid revealed air was still escaping, so we were marooned on the visitors berth for the evening! Thank you Nicola and Gavin for the box of surprises you packed up for us. We kept ourselves amused playing 'Shut the Box', whilst sampling a bottle of Southern Comfort!
On 27th April we sailed from Dittisham to the River Yealm, which is just to the East of Plymouth. We left the Dart River in bright sunshine, however the sun soon disappeared and the fog came rolling in. The fog 'patches' that had been predicted, turned into thick pea soup that engulfed us for over two and half hours. We had been meticulous in our navigation and with the backup of the GPS, AIS and Radar, we safely steered Moonshadow a mile to seaward of the Start Point tidal race. After rounding Prawle Point, Bolt Head and Bolt Tail, the fog started to clear and we sailed on towards the river Yealm in glorious sunshine.
The 26th April was too foggy to go to sea, so we moved further up the River Dart to Dittisham pronounced 'Ditsam'. We picked up a mooring buoy opposite the Ferry Boat Inn and called the water taxi to take us ashore. Mixtures of stone and cob cottages line the narrow road that climbs steeply uphill from the jetty. Several pretty cottages line the water front to complete the picturesque scene. Last summer when we visited, the jetty was packed with families crabbing and the river was so busy that boats had to raft up. Customers from the pub spilled out onto the waterfront. It was a wonderful atmosphere then and we promised ourselves that we would come back. By complete contrast on this visit, we practically had the place to ourselves. After a visit to the Ferry Boat Inn, we returned to the boat to enjoy the nature and beauty of the river.
Dartmouth is a very beautiful harbour with pretty cottages climbing up the hillside on both sides of the harbour entrance. Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) designed by Sir Aston Webb, dominates the hillside further up river. The college has been a training establishment for the Royal Navy since 1863. A steam train on the opposite side of the river adds to the character of this wonderful harbour. We spent a few days here enjoying the sights, collecting for Help For Heroes and meeting up with our daughter Melissa who is an officer cadet at BRNC.
Money raised for Help ' For Heroes' has now topped the £1000 mark, so thanks to everyone who has contributed.
Tuesday 20th In the morning we collected for Help for Heroes before setting off to round Portland Bill, four hours after high water Weymouth. The notorious Portland tidal race is the most dangerous area of broken water in the English Channel and has to be approached at the right time. Our navigation spot on and we sailed past the famous Portland Bill Lighthouse in calm water and bright sunshine. Then followed the 40 mile passage from Portland to Dartmouth. Half way across the wind changed direction and we encountered a wind against tide choppy sea, but with a slight change in direction and a reef in the main sail, Moonshadow settled down to give us a more comfortable ride. It was at this point a warship steered directly towards us! The ship our Son Stuart serves on had been on exercise in the area and had picked us up on their AIS. We were treated to a close up view of the ship as it circled our yacht giving a couple of blasts on the horn before steaming off to continue on exercise. What a treat! We continued on our journey and tied up on Dartmouth Town Quay at 10pm.
Monday 19th we sailed out past the Needles to Weymouth, avoiding the Lulworth Gunnery Range that was clearly active! The 'booms' were a strong signal to stay outside the marked area on the chart. This meant sailing well off shore, so we missed the delights of Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, both famous landmarks on the Jurassic coastline. However as they are part of a coastline that spans three geological periods, they are guaranteed to still be there for us to enjoy on our return journey. We moored up in Weymouth Old Town Harbour at 1845hrs.
We left Gosport at 1330 and made the short trip to Newtown Creek on the Isle of Wight. The creek is a National Trust reserve, which supports threatened wildlife. It is a feeding ground for waders and other wild fowl. Although quite busy with boats when we arrived, one by one, they all left for their home ports and we were left to enjoy the sounds of the wildlife and the lapping of the water against the hull. It was a beautiful evening and we celebrated our first night whilst watching the sun set – perfect! Thanks to all who sent their good wishes or waved us off.
