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The Last leg

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As predicted following a wet windy afternoon the August gale blew itself out and after a quiet night we set off at a respectable 10:30am for the short trip to Ramsgate. As we were heading north towards Ramsgate we wanted to leave Dover via the east entrance which is also the one used by all of the cross channel ferry traffic. Dover port control are very pleasant and after a radio chat with them we were given permission to follow the DFDS vessel out of the harbour with strict instructions to then head north for at least half a mile - once outside of the protective walls of the harbour we could see why - there was a queue of ferries heading across the channel, presumably getting themselves back in sync after the delays of the previous day. The weather was lovely, blue sky, white fluffy clouds and a nice SW 3-4 plus a big spring tide meaning that we were scooting along the coast at a very respectable 6 knots! After a couple of hours I contacted Ramsgate Port Control on VHF to ask permis
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Along the South Coast

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By now we had reached the point in our almanac which said we were in South East England and my position plots were heading ever closer to the Greenwich Meridian - which would mean that for the first time in over a year I would be plotting East rather than West! That said we still had some way to go along the English Channel and the weather forecast seemed to be changing - the big high pressure that brought with it light winds and sunny hot days seemed to be breaking down and the weatherman started to mutter something about the jet-stream dropping south allowing atlantic fronts in! What this means for us is more wind - probably some rain and more challenging sailing! After a night in Littlehampton the morning dawned warm and sunny with light winds and we motored out of the river about 2 hours after high water drinking our breakfast tea and munching a bowl of cereal. Sadly the wind never got above 4 knots all morning so it was a long motor along the coast - passing Worthing and Shoreha
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After the Storm

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Well I have to admit that the heat has made me quite lazy so apologies that this is a bit of a catch up! After a weekend spent in Hamble listening to the rain and wind the weather had calmed down a bit to enable us to carry on to Gosport with the promise of the heatwave returning later in the week. We knew we needed to spend some time in port as the skipper needed to service our trusty diesel and I needed to do some laundry. I did look at the laundry in the Hamble marina but sadly the machines smelt as if someone had been washing muddy dogs in them so I decided to wait!   We left the Hamble river mid morning for the short trip round the corner to Gosport - we had decided that Gosport would be good for our purpose as the High Street was only a short walk from the marina and there was a large branch of Halfords where the skipper could buy some oil and other bits for the engine. We also wanted to take the opportunity to visit both the Mary Rose and The Victory whilst in Ports
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Messing Around in the Solent

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Saturday morning saw us chugging out of Poole Harbour - the sea was glassy and the wind indicator was struggling to read anything above 3knots of true wind - not even enough for the big sail! So in temperatures more usually found in the Caribbean and no wind at all we chugged along the coast towards the Needles channel. As usual with these relatively narrow seaways our arrival needed to be timed to ensure that the tide would take us with it through the gap between mainland and island rather than try and push us back out to sea - a battle we would find difficult to win!  By lunchtime we were passing the Needles still in no wind and with the motor chugging away, but we had arrived in the most popular and populous sailing ground in the UK - the Solent! Passing The Needles After so long sailing as either the only visible boat or at best with half a dozen or so other boats visible to us the shock of the Solent on a Saturday lunchtime was huge! All we could see for miles were hundreds o
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The Jurassic Coast

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After a gap of a few weeks we returned to Teteli on a very warm day in what is turning out to be a very warm summer! Everything was fine and it was good to be back. After a day stocking the boat up and planning our route we left Weymouth Harbour on the "first bridge" at 8am and headed out into the bay. Passing under Weymouth Town Bridge The coastline around here is spectacular with fossil rich dramatic cliffs and home to such natural phenomenon as the Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. Of more interest to us  however was the fact that it is also home to one of the most active military coastal firing ranges in the country where on a daily basis (except August) military personnel spend their days firing various munitions into the sea - on a good day Naval vessels join in as well firing from ships in the bay!! On this particular morning the VHF broadcast announced that they would be firing from 9:30 am at a range of about 3 miles - the firing range begins just to the east
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Portland Bill

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We arrived in Dartmouth mid afternoon and managed to secure one of the best berths in town! Dartmouth has a large town quay from which the regular ferries to Kingswear on the other side of the river depart. The Quay is also used by numerous pleasure boats taking folks on trips up the river to Totnes and out into the bay. However inside the quay are about 10 deep water moorings between the quay and the harbour wall. These are provided with an electric hook up and fresh water and a direct walkway into the middle of the town! The only downside is that you are on view to every tourist boarding a pleasure boat - but it is a small price to pay! Teteli moored to the Town Quay While in Dartmouth we received the sad news that a friend of ours had died and the date of his funeral. We knew that, as last Summer, we needed to return home for a while to catch up with our "shore life" so we began to think about places to leave Teteli for a few weeks so that we could get home in time
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Another County and another Headland.

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The weather in Plymouth was lovely and the position of the Marina meant that we could easily access the city centre with all the delights of a big town on offer! Saturday evening saw us wandering around the famous Hoe in the sunshine before heading back to boat and supper followed by planning for Monday. We then realised that in order to get around the next major headland - Start Point - with a favourable tide a visit to Salcombe would not be possible, or if we did visit Salcombe it would have to be for about  5 days as the skipper doesn't like sailing coastal waters in the dark for fear of becoming entangled in one of the many lobster and crab pots that sit along the coast. In the daylight we do stand a chance of spotting them and it seems a little foolish to put ourselves at risk especially in an area of the coast famous for its shipwrecks! Getting in and out of  Salcombe means crossing the Salcombe bar which for those unfamiliar with the entrance should only be done on a r
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