Summer cruise 2013

Scilly Isles sunset 

We were sat on Ari in Studland Bay at the time on the penultimate day of our summer cruise, feeling quite sorry for ourselves as we contemplated the return to working life. At the same time we were very proud of Ari for giving us 3 weeks of fantastic trouble free sailing.

Our ambitious sailing plan was the West Country, Scilly Isles, Northern Brittany, Channel Islands and home. Lots of miles but we wanted to test ourselves as well as Ari with just the two of us on overnight passages. All we needed was for the weather to play ball and for once we were in luck.

With south light easterly winds and sunshine forecast we set off from Port Solent expecting to anchor in Alum Bay overnight. However the wind turned more easterly and we decided to trail our spinnaker. Setting it turned out to be easier than we expected and we were soon doing 5 knots down the Solent in less than 10 knots of wind. The wind then turned more southwest so we motored out through the needles and then sailed over to Studland Bay. Carla’s fishing success productive as always and we had enough mackerel for dinner in no time at all.

The next day we enjoyed another sail under spinnaker to Portland where we anchored in the harbour. Fishing not allowed today as Alex won’t eat mackerel two days running!

Rounding Portland Bill was uneventful with calm seas and only a whisper of wind. Ari doesn’t like under 5 knots so we had a rather boring motor sail across Lyme Bay to Dartmouth where we anchored just off the main town. After a short explore onshore in the morning we set off with nice easterly winds again for Yealm and then again the next day for Falmouth. Sunshine all the way so far and even Alex has braved the British sea for a dip – a chilly 16 degree water temperature.

With easterlies and settled conditions still forecast for the week ahead we decided to split the passage to the Scilly Isles with a stop in Mullion Cove on the west coast of the lizard. We had a cracking sail and again rounded the Lizard with calm seas at slack water. No shortage of mackerel.

Early start for the Scilly Isles, motor sailing until Land’s End and then the spinnaker up for the majority of the crossing to St Mary’s. The harbour master told us that he has never known such a long settled spell of weather. Basically almost any anchorage was tenable. We spent 4 glorious days in the sunshine exploring the islands, bbq on St Helen’s beach (uninhabited) and 17 huge crab claws from a local fisherman for only £5.

We spent the last day/night anchored at the Eastern Isles with only seals for company until two gaff cutters decided to anchor right next to us rafted up. We think we need to revise our anchor strategy as no matter where we pick we end up surrounded by boats even when there is loads of space.

Early 6am start from the Scilly Isles, destination Treguier in Northern Brittany. The wind is now NW/N – how lucky are we! We have the spinnaker up for most of the day taking it down before dusk in preparation. As if on queue the wind increases and becomes more northerly so we are able to maintain a good speed. The night is pretty uneventful apart from the ship not under command on Carla’s watch!

We arrive at Treguier at 2pm after 140 miles, our longest passage yet. A bottlenose dolphin greets us at the river entrance and plays around Ari for a good 10 minutes. It’s Carla’s 50th birthday so we pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Lovely anchorage just below a chateau ½ a mile from town. We spend the next day exploring Treguier and stocking Ari up with cheap wine.

After scanning the almanac we decide to head straight for Jersey the next day as most of the rest of the coastline boltholes dry out. Our passage to Jersey, although only 40 miles is awful. We have wind directly on the nose and by the time we are halfway to Jersey it is gusting 35 knots. Ari takes it in her stride, us less so. We have two wind funnels, one of which was pointing the wrong way so we got a flood of water into the saloon as one of the waves broke over Ari’s bow. In the forward head we have an extractor fan above the shower which also received it’s fair share of water and hasn’t recovered. New storm tactic – close shower curtain :-)

Arriving in Jersey marina in 35 knots of wind with boats rafted 3 deep was an experience! We ended up spending 2 days in Jersey as fog was forecast in Guernsey and the weather is still great.

Lovely light wind sail up to Sark, plenty of mackerel along the way and one buoy free for us in the NE anchorage. Winds now forecast as S/SW ready for our trip back across the channel J Sark is a lovely island and we hire bikes to explore.

All too soon it is time to start heading home and we leave Sark at 5:00am. By the time we get to the Alderney race, we are surrounded by thick fog (not forecast). 12 knots through the Alderney race and then half way across the channel in thick fog is quite an experience. We are so glad we have radar and so annoyed we didn’t have the correct cable to get our AIS fully installed! As soon as the fog lifts though we are off under spinnaker again averaging 7 knots. There are mackerel even in the middle of the channel!

We anchor in Studland overnight and the next day anchor a bit closer to the beach for a lay day. By 7pm the huge bay is virtually empty apart from the 5 boats that have decided to anchor within nose-hair spotting distance of Ari – again......

In comes new anchor strategy – move to the preferred anchorage spot once all boats are in for some privacy :-)

A light NW wind sees us having an easy sail back to Portsmouth, with 3 weeks and 530 miles under the belt.