Splash May 2017

The 2017 season launch had been delayed as the river Exe navigation authority had deemed my and several other moorings to be in the channel and new locations had to be found for all the affected boats.

The mooring authority and Richard, who services the mooring, worked hard to find a location that was suitable, not an easy task when you draw 1.70 meters in the Exe as it is a pretty shallow river.  I needed both depth and swing room, but finally they were successful and Richard called to say that all had been sorted and I was able to book the lift in.

On a warm but overcast Saturday morning, why are spring tides always at the wrong time of day, Mark and team from the yard started the crane, lifted Aphrodite off her cradle and placed her gently in the water with a request to move off in five minutes as they had two other boats to lift in.

Being lifted in.

I always find lift in day the most stressful of the sailing year as all that hard work that you have done over the winter needs to work at once so you can chug happily downstream in search of the new mooring with its buoy waiting to greet you.  Thankfully it all did work, the engine started first time and off we went. Weatherwise not the greatest start down the river, overcast and almost raining but not quite, still we were finally where a boat should be - on the water.

On the mooring.

Alex, who had come out on a few trips last year, and George who was doing some electrical work on the boat came down the river as Alex wanted to get on the water and George still needed to do some work on the electrical system.  As soon as we were on the mooring breakfast was prepared and devoured. The plan was to take Alex ashore so he could meet up with his family leaving George to work without interruption.

The dinghy was put in the water and Alex and I jumped in ready to paddle off downstream to the sailing club.  About 100 meters from the boat I realised that I'd left the petrol for the outboard, at this point still in the engine shed, onboard and we turned back against the tide to collect it.  Happily paddling downstream with the tide I realised about 200 meters from the pontoon that I had left both the engine shed and car keys on the boat!  You could tell that it was the first day on the water and I had forgotten to put my sailing head on.

There was no way that we could easily paddle against the tide so we landed the dinghy and looked for club members with keys.  Thankfully, it did not take too long and very quickly I had the outboard on the dinghy and was slowing making my way back to the boat to collect the keys.  George having a good laugh at my mistake.  The trip with the tide was much faster and I was able to drive Alex back to his car.

Going Ashore for the Winter

It is always a day of mixed emotions taking the boat back up river as for me it marks the end of summer. I met up with Mike at 0700 at the sailing club and we went out to the boat on the dingy, the sun had just risen and there was that nip in the air at the beginning of an autumnal day.

After climbing onboard, getting the kettle on and doing the usual checks before taking the boat off the mooring we set off, joining an ever increasing flotilla of boats going up river for the winter ashore. As we chugged up the river looking round and enjoying the still morning the engine began to lose power then pick up again, an issue that we had experienced in our trip back from Sark, and I was beginning to get just a tad nervous as I knew there were a lot of moored boats in the river and I would need to do some manoeuvring to get along side the quay.

About half a mile from the quay the engine cut out, we had plenty of space to restart it, but I knew that we might have a bit of a challenge coming alongside. Holding my breath we went in and joined the queue of boats waiting to be lifted out. Mike on the bow and me looking after the rear, and yes you guessed it about two meters from the quay the engine decided to stop!

Thankfully, there were some other skippers about who took my hastily thrown stern line and made us fast. Time to hand over Aphrodite to the skilled yard people to manoeuvre her into position for the lift out and bottom clean. Time for a coffee and a chat with the other skippers and crew who had brought up their boats and were overwintering at Topsham Quay.

The Last Fling of 2016 - Dittisham to Starcross

I've spent a few nights at Dittisham, it is usually flat calm and a restful night can be had, but not last night.  We were tossed and turned for hours on end as the front passed through as we knew it would.  Waking to a beautiful autumnal morning was a surprize.

We watched the river wake up and drunk copious amounts of tea before preparing the boat for the trip back to the Exe, slipped the mooring and headed down river on a bright sunny morning.

On reaching the mouth of the Dart the sea was in an angry state, a two to three meter confused following chop greeted us and a good F6 behind us.  The next few hours until we got to the lee of Berry Head was going to be challenging.  I decided to motor round to Tor Bay as I knew the Genoa is on its last legs and I really did not want to risk it blowing out in this sea.

Commitment time, out we go and get tossed about like a small cork in a big ocean.  I helmed while Alex enjoyed the rollercoaster ride.  He started saying that there is a big one coming, but it was easier if I just helmed on feel.

We passed one boat heading west with the wind on the nose.  Their main was double reefed and in irons, clearly too risky to drop it given the conditions.

Considering it was the first time I had Aphrodite out in conditions like this I thought I did well in only misjudging the sea twice and being twice rounded up and pointing in the wrong direction!

Once we passed Berry Head the sea flattened and we were able to get the genoa out.  Crossing the bay at between six and seven knots we flew up the coast towards the Exe.

Timing the entrance to the Exe was going to be my next challenge - I wanted to get into the river as soon as possible and the tricky bit is crossing the bar at the start of the marked channel and the wind had backed to a southerly, never an easy wind to enter the river in.

As we passed Dawlish Warren I headed out to sea, much to Alex's confusion.  I wanted to give us some sea room so I could line the boat up with the channel markers safely.   On passing the safe water mark waves were breaking on the sandbanks each side of the channel, which made an interesting entrance!   On passing Exmouth Marina entrance the sea was a confused mass of what Alex, a keen kayaker, described as "haystacks".  After turning west to follow the channel up to the mooring we had calm water and could relax with a beer on the mooring.

The Last Fling of 2016 - Starcross to Dittisham

Determined to get one last sail in before the end of the season I teamed up with Alex.  The plan was to take the boat to Plymouth, let the front that was forecast to pass over us during the night and then head back.

On getting out to the Exe Safe Water mark the wind was right on the nose and we continued to  motor into a F5. with a lumpy sea state and on approaching Dartmouth decided to head in to the comfort of Dittisham.

Arriving at the moorings in the early afternoon we picked up one of them and had a snooze.  On waking found that Wensdy Girl, another boat from Starcross, had also picked up a mooring and popped over to pass the time of day.

The Lads Trip 2016 - Sark to Starcross

We had decided to depart about lunch time and prepared the boat for a 1400 hours departure, slipped the mooring buoy and headed out of the lea of the island only to be hit by a F6 on the beam. I took the decision to return to the mooring and wait for the wind to abate as forecast so round we went and picked up the mooring again and snoozed til 1800.

Off we set once more two reefs in and main and a F5 over the port side. Just as we passed Guernsey the fog rolled and remained with us for the next few hours until we approached the shipping lanes.

As we knew it would be a long passage we had decided to take two hour watches and I took the first one hand steering in big four meter rollers that were coming up la Manche, feeling quite alone in the fog Bob resting for his watch it was also quite a thrill.

I was not looking forward to crossing them in fog, but as we have AIS onboard hoping that the big boats would see us. For some strange issue with the electrical system the radar refused to power up.

---

Crew: Sandy Garrity, Bob Watson

---