Derek Hathaway

Began with motor on cooking breakfast (!) then broad reach in 8-10knts and a smile on my face. A great end to the 2 days.

Better wind than expected at the start but reduced mid way to the predicted level and direction. Great sail though in clear skies and not too hot on the water! Close second to the inimitable Mike Horwood! Good company of fellow participants at the Brixham Yacht Club.

End of a long passage for a 75yr old! But the rest and swim at Anstys helped! First some wind and broad reach then no wind - 0-2knts true wind(!) until entering the Exe then 19-12 knts !!!! Sea slight becoming flat. Ate dinner along the way!

Very light winds from dead astern so motored to Start Point. Slight swell making the mainsail slat so dropped for a while. Then still light in Start Bay but enough angle to sail slowly. Mixture of gybing and wing on wing sailing to the Orestone where I’m taking a break waiting til enough depth to enter the Exe. And a swim! Busy in Anstys which is not surprising for a hot Sunday afternoon!

Almost no wind to start with so motored a bit inshore with following current then half way across Bigbury bay wind picked up enough to sail to the entrance to the Yealm. Moored on a pontoon. Phone signals haven’t improved over the 10 years or so since I was here last!

Well there was everything - from 2knts to 24knts mostly from the W but for a while 12 knts from the SE!!! From white sails to cruising chute to motor sailing. Rather lumpy around Start Point and Prawle with 18-24 knts on the nose. Never a dull moment!

Wind just aft of the beam. Slight seas and warm mostly sunny skies - what more can you ask? Chasing Escapade to the Exe who had an early start!

Winds not quite as far west as hoped for until half way along then straight line to the cove close hauled. Fair winds and sun make for a great sail! In the company of the lovely Sadler 26 Escapade!

Slight seas made such a difference today. Light winds from astern veered to give a broad reach in 7-20 knts. Brief thought to raise cruising chute but glad I didn’t - would have been too much in the squall that gave me 20+ knts. Hit hull speed (7.2kts boat speed) easily in that. Chalk and cheese weather as seen in photos/ videos. A great end to a mixed trip means I’ll probably sail again!

Left over swell from last Saturday’s “unseasonable” stormy winds and a fresh 17-23knts of wind made this a passage unsuited to anyone who suffers from seasickness! 150deg off the true wind and a following/ quartering sea. I missed filming the worst of it as I was holding on. Gladly the autohelm managed the whole passage under double reefed main and small Genoa. Parked on a mooring buoy at Dittisham. 3 pods of dolphins 😁 and the dreaded pot buoys off Start Point😖!