Padstow to Scilly

Monday 6th to Thursday 9th August
Padstow-St Ives-Tean
(route http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/111027 )

Pretty Padstow street, in the rain

Practice off St Ives

If Padstow is the Rick Stein capital of Britain, then St Ives is the pasty capital. That's not why I loved the place, though! It was so charming that, after a day of drizzle and rain, I spent two days absorbing the peaceful, arty, convivial
surroundings. Even the thousands of visitors don't seem to penetrate the overwhelming calm of St Ives. I also enjoyed the local ice cream, apparently top of a Times "Best Ice Cream in Britain Award.

While enjoying St Ives, the wind slowly shifted to the east, helping an easy, warm and sunny sail to the Isles of Scilly. (People like it called this, or Scilly, rather than the Scillies - a bit like Orkney in that way).

Happy people on holiday, St Ives

East Porth, Tean

By sunset I was anchored off the uninhabited island of Tean (pronounced Tee-Ann), which, in a week or two, may have Britain's largest untouched mass of wild blackberries.

Sunset at Tean, IoS

Bristol to Padstow

Bristol-Porlock-Lundy-Padstow
Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th August
(route http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/110718 )

Company down the R. Avon

Bristol is one of those rare places where narrow boats meet sea-going yachts. This one was heading for Portishead, though it wasn't a very calm day, so I hope they arrived safely.

Winds were strong and sea quite boisterous for the sail to Lundy - with a very rolly-poly night anchored off Porlock on the way!

Brisk sail to Lundy

 A gentle day on Lundy Island was a treat. It doesn't take long to walk the length and breadth of the island, and there are a few deer and seals who live there, alongside several hundred visitors, at this time of year.

Lundy W. Coast

 From Lundy, the wind eased and sun came out burning hot for the sail and motorsail to Padstow. It's now raining again but, earlier this morning, before crowds appeared and fish-frying started, all was bright and tranquil. (I'm tied up behind the boat with the sail partly hoisted.)

Padstow

Cardiff to Bristol

Thursday 26th July
( Route and photos http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/110173 )

 It was a treat to have Tom and George (younger sons) with me for the sail across to Bristol - though it was another very early start to catch the Bristol Channel flood tide.

Although I lived in Bristol for many years, this was my first local sail. The water flows so briskly up and down that sediment never settles, and the sea looks like oxtail soup (cf. Thames Estuary is more the colour of caramel). Never mind, it was flowing fast enough to get us into the beautiful lower reaches of the River Avon by lunchtime. Here's the well-known Clifton suspension bridge.

 Once through the lock and bridges (you feel awfully privileged when they open them for you and your little boat!), we paid our dues and found a mooring near the middle of the city, alongside the illustrious Matthew.

Now I await expertise to help fix engine trouble; do some minor repairs; visit family; tidy up; await new crew....so no more blogging for a while. We'll head for the Scillies next.

Solva to Cardiff

Saturday 21st to Tuesday 24th July
Solva-Dale-Barafundle Bay-Mumbles-Cardiff

(route http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/109823)

Life aboard on the Costa del Bristol Channel is pretty good. We're going to run out of sun cream (It's the same tube we've had for the last three years!)

We sailed gently from Solva to Skomer for lunch with the puffins, who come there in their thousands to breed. They stand like proud sentries, alert outside their burrows. (And, to think that until this year, I don't think I'd ever seen a single puffin). There are thousands more afloat, in this picture.

After lunch we sailed through Jack Sound. Well, we were flushed through actually, at around 10 knots, by energetic tide. Then anchored for the night off Dale, grateful for a country walk, then welcome shower at the local yacht club.

Next night was rather rolly - anchored off Barafundle Bay (That's 'Misty' at anchor, in the distance). The sand on the beach is like warm sugar and it's fantastic to see so many people out enjoying the sunshine.

Tuesday evening racing in Cardiff Bay

Leaving the Mumbles before dawn

Tidal streams are quite strong now it's near spring tide so I get up early to get moving (crew in bed!). After a long stop at Port-Eynon (not a port any more), we reached the Mumbles, off Swansea, for next night; then on yesterday to Cardiff. After too many 4 am starts, it was good to stay in bed till 7. We're lucky to have a berth at Cardiff Bay Yacht Club, and we watched the cruisers racing yesterday evening. Now...a day of chores, and a diesel leak to stop.

Dublin to Solva

Wednesday 18th to Friday 20th July
Dublin-Wicklow-Wexford-Solva
(route http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/109535 )

 After a successful rendez-vous with Anna on O'Connell Street, we left Dublin and sailed, south again, to Wicklow. There are lots of murals of boats, including this one, on the harbour wall at Wicklow. The local sailors were a resilient crowd, not deterred from their Wednesday evening cruiser racing by strong wind and heavy rain showers. I was impressed that most sailed off and on to their moorings without motors.
We were inspired to get our cruising chute out again for the sail across to Wales - not forgetting a sleepless anchorage off Wexford the night before.

 After an uneventful sail through Ramsey Sound, we arrived at Solva Quay with just enough water. (It's a drying harbour, but exquisite in the hot summer's evening.)

Belfast to Dublin

Saturday 14th to Tuesday 17th July
Belfast-Copeland Is-Strangford Loch-Rogerstown-Dublin


(route http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/109534 )


After a thorough look round the excellent and popular Titanic exhibition in Belfast, we enjoyed a fresh afternoon sail out to a windy anchorage off Copeland Island. Then, south next day to Strangford Lough. After waiting a few hours for favourable stream into the Lough, we passed this. It's Britain's first commercial tidal turbine. Beneath the water, I gather there's 1,000 tonne, 43 metre diameter turbine the revolves in the current, generating up to 1.2MW. (Can that be right?!)

Anyway, we lay on a mooring at Strangford and could judge the speed of current by hum of the generator. It didn't seem to bother the resident seals and energetic local terns.

We had to leave around 4 am next morning to get out before tide turned, but then sailed on to cover about 65 miles and anchor north of Dublin that afternoon. Next day, into Dublin (city docks now closed, despite almanac advice). After a thorough look round the excellent and popular Titanic exhibition in Belfast, we enjoyed a fresh afternoon sail out to a windy anchorage off Copeland Island. Then, south next day to Strangford Lough. After waiting a few hours for favourable stream into the Lough, we passed this. It's Britain's first commercial tidal turbine. Beneath the water, I gather there's 1,000 tonne, 43 metre diameter turbine the revolves in the current, generating up to 1.2MW. (Can that be right?!)

We were given a berth at PoolBeg YC marina, opposite the busy Dublin docks, where there was customary Irish hospitality and helpfulness.

Firth of Clyde to Belfast

Monday 9th to Friday 13th July
Millport-Troon-Lamlash-Sanda Is.-Glenarm-Copeland Is.-Belfast
(Route, with errors, http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/108768 )
From a soggy start the week has improved and we're now in the warm sunny heart of Belfast.

Here's that blue sheep again! Three men and a sheep this time (no.3 man a bit hidden). 

He's on the little island of Sanda, which seemed deserted for our visit. You can see this sheep/goat, a real one, at another corner of Sanda, was very surprised to see anyone. The little hump in the background is the island of Ailsa Craig.

As ever, there are highlights too frequent to cover, but here is last night's sunset off the N. Irish Copeland Island, and a cruise ship parked nearby as we entered Belfast docks this morning.

Crew have been fantastically efficient so we've had the cruising chute out again (and I can now get it hoisted, touch wood, in less than half an hour.)