Peter Schranz on TELA

Lovely gentle broad reach back in sunny conditions. inshore route past Start Point. Impromptu meetup with Daislebee from SYC off the Ore Stone .

Beautiful morning with wind still blustery but from the NW which was favourable . Once past Exmouth NCI for a quick radio check I stopped off under reefed main and Genoa under Flo Seafeather for a brisk sail past Berry Head and Dartmouth towards Start where a combination of winds now from the west gusting 26 knots and wind over a big spring tide meant serious breaking waves but I managed to beat all the way to the entrance to Salcombe . Now settled at anchor off the Saltstone.

Just a brief calibration test for the new St2000 tillerpilot . it works. yippee!

A glorious sail back from the Dart in 14-20kts of NW wind meant I reached the Exe early, in fact two hours after HW and it proved impossible to motor against the 5 KT adverse spring tide so I anchored off Sandy bay for a couple of hours and then it was easy.

When I left syc this morning there was zero wind but once I'd reached the mouth of the estuary 10 knots of wind kicked in and it was a lovely gentle sail towards the Dart tacking occasionally due to wind shifts. Wind died on passing the Mewstone so motor into Dartmouth where the Deutschland cruise ship was departing. Great meet up with Julian and Margarette on Kinfolk at anchor off Blackness Point .

Very early start leaving Dartmouth this morning. Two seals sunning themselves on the buoys on the river. Motor back to the Exe in very light winds until the estuary entrance when a lovely nirtheky wind kicked in...too late!

A gentle breeze from the South carried Tela with the prevailing current round Berry Head, where a pilot boat went out to meet this enormous container ship. Approaching the Mewstone the wind died so I motored up the Dart. I was met at the entrance by Harbour patrol and stated my intention to anchor in my quiet spot off Blackness Point. Another fine day, I suspect the last !

Late evening departure from my mooring on the Exe, at low water neaps , with a gentle breeze allowing me to sail as far as Teignmouth with a hazy moon visible ahead. Motored the last hour into Torbay and my anchorage at Elberry Cove. Woke to a glorious morning 😊.

A glorious morning leaving Salcombe . Sailed in 12 knots of wind round Start Point and the favourable tide continued to lift me beyond Berry Head. Shirt detour to visit a friend Bruce on his Sadler 29 , who kindly took a photo of Tela, then with a following wind and a bit of swell, sailed all the way under Seafeather control to the Exe entrance . Good to be back after two and a half months away.

Having repaired the Genoa , I set off in light W winds on a broad reach out of Cawsand Bay . once I'd reached the Great Mewstone the wind filled in and that took me across Bigbury Bay. approaching Bolt tail the wind died so I motorsailed the final few miles to Salcombe where I was fortunate enough to meet up with Derek on Thalmia our SYC Cruiser Secretary , rafting up on a mooring and having a lovely pizza and pint ashore ..Great way to end the day.