Monday 19th August 2024
I had answered an email from Halcyon looking for local crew on a delivery between the Exe and Plymouth and had been accepted.
After a few WhatsApp messages and a call with the skipper, Tris, we arranged to meet with the owner selling the boat at 0500 hrs beside Lympstone Sailing Club.
0530 hrs
Lat: 50° 38.65' N
Long: 003° 26.13' W
Off Lympstone, Devon.
An early start and a short drive to Lympstone to meet up with Tris and the selling owner. A quick handshake and we all jumped on the dinghy for the ride out to the boat.
The owner talked us through the boats systems. We had been advised that there would be no kettle onboard and I had spent some time rummaging in the shed for my old camping Trangia kit, last used some 20 years ago, dug out the kettle and spent ages cleaning it only to discover some spiders in there not previously known in East Devon. Much to our surprise not only was there no kettle, there was no way of lighting the stove as neither Tris or I smoked! It was going to be a long day with no way of making a hot drink.
Given we were racing the tide there was no time to head back to shore, dash to the village shop for a box of matches.
We were later to find that while the boat had lots of engine spares, filters, fan belts - that sort of thing there were no tools onboard. If we had any engine or rigging issues there was very little we could do.
The current owner having finished the handover departed on the dinghy and we cast off from the mooring. As I had previously had a boat on the Exe I was given the tiller and not steered a boat with a tiller for some time it felt a bit odd.
Kingfisher on her mooring at Lympstone
© Tristran Brooks 19/08/2024
I was quite surprised to discover how much the Exe had changed. It felt like I was leaving a new harbour again.
Tris had opted to take the 'short-cut' as we left the river and cut the corner heading straight towards Dawlish. In the past I had always gone out to the safe water mark, but time was of the essence.
0700 hrs
Lat: 50° 24.22' N
Long: 003° 28.10' W
Off Dawlish, Devon.
The morning is grey and overcast. Very few boats out on the water. Under motor as the wind is on the nose.
Note to self: Invest in a decent pair of gloves even though it is August it is quite chilly.
0920 hrs
Lat: 50° 33.94' N
Long: 003° 25.25' W
Off Berry Head, Devon
Tris popped below and comes back on deck to say 'we've used 10 lts of diesel!', engine to tick over and fill the tank from the spare 10 ltr jerry can and ponder popping into Dartmouth as Kingfisher was drinking fuel at about 2 lts an hour.
We ran the engine up again, but with lower revs having come to the conclusion that the hull was foul with weed. While Dartmouth was an option as a refuel stop I calculated it would add another three hours to the passage time and the weather forecast, so far, had been pretty accurate.
1200 hrs
Lat: 50° 13.73' N
Long: 003° 39.22' W
Noon Position
1230 hrs
Lat: 50° 11.85' N
Long: 003° 39.99' W
South of Start Point, Devon
Just off Start Point we found some sailable wind, the forecast was proving to be very accurate as we now had a F6/7 with wind over tide. Tris hoisted the main which promptly got stuck half way up the mast!
On handover we were assured that all the running rigging was working perfectly!
Tris ventured onto the deck of this 24 foot boat, doing its best to be a bucking bronco fairground ride, and worked to fix the problem for about 20 minutes with only the 'occasional swear word' being heard in the cockpit as I was threading the vessel through mountainous seas - well they looked big in this tiny boat.
1500 hrs
Lat: 50° 15.90' N
Long: 003° 58.87' W
South West of Burgh Island, Devon
A cracking sail, double reefed, but a serious lack of tea!
Not the only boat out on the water
© Tristran Brooks 19/08/2024
1600 hrs
Lat: 50° 17.58' N
Long: 004° 04.59' W
South West of Yealm Head, Devon
The fog had descended and we were sailing blind. With two to three metre waves we threaded our way into Plymouth Sound, the far end of the breakwater only visible when there was a lift in the fog.
Once inside the breakwater we turned on the motor and dropped the sails.
1730 hrs
Lat: 50° 21.99' N
Long: 004° 09.26' W
King Point Marina, Plymouth, Devon
The new owner took our lines and we tied Kingfisher up in her new berth at King Point Marina, Plymouth.
Kingfisher at King Point
© Tristran Brooks 19/08/2024
After the handover the new owner kindly drove me up to the train station and I headed back to Lympstone to collect the car and head home.
A comment from a friend who watched us enter King Point, you can't go anywhere without being spotted, was, 'your either very mad or very brave to be out in that wee boat on a day like today'.
Footnote:
Halcyon has a number of prizes for things that go on during the year and I nominated Tris for the "Above and Beyond" category and we were lucky enough to be joint winners.
All times are UTC.
| Distance NM |
Underway | Avg SOG knots |
Max SOG knots |
Night Hours |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day: | 55.00 | 12h 00m | 5.00 | 9.00 | 0 |
Crew: Tristran Brooks (Skipper) Sandy Garrity
Sunrise: 0542 hrs Sunset: 1931 hrs
Weather: The shipping forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 00:15 (UTC+1) on Mon 19 Aug 2024 for the period 01:00 (UTC+1) on Mon 19 Aug 2024 to 01:00 (UTC+1) on Tue 20 Aug 2024.
Portland, Plymouth, North Biscay
Variable 2 to 4 becoming southwesterly 4 to 6, occasionally 7 later in Plymouth. Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough later except in southeast Portland. Rain later, perhaps thundery. Good, occasionally poor later.
© Met Office Synoptic Chart 19/08/2024
Updated 04/12/2024
