Lost cause!!!

Well another stint over and what have we learned?
Since I was last with self styled "captain rusty" I have noticed some worrying trends. At first it was mildly amusing that he constantly refers to himself in the third person.,. Such as "captain rusty thinks or captain rusty wants or captain rusty needs" sadly this has become his standard modus operandi and I am slightly worried how he will reintegrate into normal society. It seems he can function well at sea, on land it is increasingly a struggle. Yesterday in tesco in Swansea where we had spent 30 mins we got to checkout, checkout lady asked for his club card , he looked at me, looked at lady in her tesco jumper and said "what shop are we in" the poor lady was a bit confused and started talking to me as if I was rusty's carer. I of course played along and we had A discussion that care in community is not really working!!!
So in summary, second great trip, really enjoyed it even the night sail from Padstow which was tough. At sea rusty is indeed captain, on land I pity Vanessa and kids having to reintegrate him to society,

Good luck for rest of trip, full of admiration for your achievement but time to become normal again.

Griff....

Week 17 - Friday - Gower

Finally a lovely morning, and we have escaped Swansea.

Lovely though it was, another day there would have meant boredom and me having to get out the Harmonica........and nobody wants that to happen!

Swansea marina is massive and to leave you have to go through a swing bridge and 2 locks. It was feeling a bit like Peel on week 1 - and the Hotel California - you can check in but never leave!

Tenby is the target today and Griff will get the train home from there.

Then a few days on my own to start acting my age again (!), with Mom joining me for the last few days.

Her job is to make sure that I do go into Pwllheli on Friday rather than sailing off somewhere else!

Week 17 - Thursday - Swansea

Now that I am coming to the end of the trip, I am naturally starting to be asked lots of questions, such as:

Was it what you expected?
What was the best / worst place?
How did you cope with the change of crew each week?
How did you cope with two weeks of Griff!?

To be honest I have not really done any reflection yet, so I hear myself giving not very good answers. The questioner soon gets bored!

Over the coming weeks I will give it more thought and come up with better responses.

One obvious question is: 'where did you experience the strongest winds?'

I had imagined that I would be saying something like 'The Moray Firth with Frostie' or 'Felixstowe to London with Tom.'

I never imagined though that I would be saying 'Swansea marina with Griff!'

However that is the unlikely truth!

We are at the far end of the marina, surrounded by flats. Directly behind the boat are some arches and a gap between the flats, facing the coast.

Well yesterday the wind was blowing directly through these arches and battering the boat. I recorded winds of Gale Force 9, and it was very uncomfortable.

As the boat snaked around on the mooring, I had to attach extra mooring lines - I was worried that the boat would break loose.

All of this is of course is ironic, as we came into the marina to escape the bad weather!

Fortunately no damage was done and it is a bit quieter now. It was certainly very exciting for a while though!

Nothing dramatic happening today, we will stay then off to Milford Haven tomorrow.

Week 17 - Wednesday - Swansea

I have to say that it was a relief to find that the dinghy's revenge had caused only minimal damage to the boat.

The thought of not completing the trip through boat damage at this stage is too grim to contemplate!

So it was a great to be able to finally leave Ilfracombe yesterday.

We had to wait for the boat to float before we could drop the mooring and head off to Swansea.

As we were sitting on deck, a larger yacht pulled into the harbour and promptly ran aground.

They managed to reverse out, and I shouted across that we would float in 30 minutes and they should be ok after that.

They were very chatty, but ignored me and promptly ran aground for the second time. They reversed off but then tried again.

Surprise, surprise - they ran aground!

To my amazement they kept doing the same thing. Each time getting closer to the mooring buoy but running aground.

We joked and chatted to them. They were off to Portugal and seemed experienced sailors .... 'I was on the first yacht into Vilamoura marina in '76!'

However it made no sense to me why they did not wait and kept putting their boat under the stress of bumping the bottom.

I therefore felt extremely smug when we floated and executed a flawless exit - exactly 30 minutes after they had arrived!

Had a great sail across the Bristol
channel to Swansea and are now sitting in the huge marina here.

No sailing today and possibly tomorrow, owing to the weather.

Dinghy revenge update:

Just got under the boat to check for damage.

Bad news: there is some damage under the boat.

Good news: a piece of plastic has broken off the log (speedo) fin, so nothing to worry about.

Relief all round, plan is now to head off to Swansea once we float again.

Here is a picture of Captain Rusty in action;

Week 17 - Tuesday - Dinghy Revenge

I have carried the dinghy around the whole country but have not used it very much.

This is because we have spent so much time in marinas.

The dinghy is strapped to the deck, so gets battered by the weather and lashed by the waves.

After months of under use and abuse, the dinghy decided yesterday to make it's mark on the trip.

After rowing ashore I pulled the dinghy under cover - a tunnel under the promenade - and tied it up.

It then rained solidly for 4 hours.

On returning, I noticed that that the dinghy had moved. It was also full to the brim with water, filled by a drain from the road above that was emptying straight into it!

The tide had come in and nudged the dinghy to the worst place possible - under the spout!

The dinghy was too heavy to move, so I had to use the seat to scoop water out, while water cascaded onto me from above! Lovely!

In time the dinghy was just about light enough to move from under the spout. It could then be emptied, without being refilled from the waterfall above!

Eventually it was light enough to lift and could be lifted and fully emptied - what a pain that had been!

Back on the boat after dark, the tide went out and we were once again resting on the keels on the sand. The mooring here dries out, so the boat sits on the bottom of the harbour at low tide.

Suddenly there was a bang underneath. I realised that it was the dinghy, which had floated under the boat in the shallows and had been slammed into the bottom of the boat by a small wave.

The dinghy was pulled onto the boat and then off to bed, with no further thought to consequences.

On closer inspection this morning, the dinghy had a few pieces of gel coat in it. Not sure where these came from but I have postponed the trip to Swansea so that I can inspect the bottom of the boat at low tide.

The dinghy had certainly taken revenge for my neglect of it!

Week 17 - Monday - Ifracombe

After our overnight sail, we spent most of last evening trying to stay awake. We just about made it through the 'Inbetweeners' film before going to
bed at 22:00.

It is now 12 hours later, and I have only just woken up. Sleeping beauty is still asleep I think!

I have not slept that long for many years. I have concluded that there are two possible reasons:

1) The ravages of old age have stripped us of our resilience and stamina.

2) We have once again reverted to our 18 year old selves and sleeping late is a consequence of that!

Whichever is true, once up we will be spending the day here as gales are forecast in the Bristol Channel.

Today's photo shows First Mate Griffiths surveying the weather in Padstow. Either that, or he is looking for a pasty shop!

Week 17 - Sunday - Ilfracombe

Well Griff certainly had a baptism of fire last night.

To avoid the gales forecast for later, we decided to leave Padstow last night with the rest of the gang.

This involved a night sail to Ifracombe in a huge swell and very rough weather.

It was not the scariest trip so far but was certainly the most uncomfortable.

It was a good job that it was dark, at least we could not see the waves!

However the sun came out this morning, the wind dropped and we had a pleasant last 4 hours of sailing into Ilfracombe.

It is a very interesting place , but exploration can wait - we both need a kip!

I know nothing about this place, please let us have any tips.

Week 17 - Saturday - Padstow

Well it is changeover day again, with Paul leaving and Griff being my last shipmate of the trip.

Griff travelled down yesterday with Paul's wife, Ann. They managed to leave Manchester early enough to avoid the Bank Holiday traffic madness!

However they arrived to find it in full swing here. Padstow is a small and lovely little town. The only problem is that it can not fit in all of the tourists who want to visit - so fighting your way through the crowds becomes a way of life.

The best times here are early in the day, when there is no one around and we on the yachts are not tourist attractions!

A great camaraderie has built up between the yachts in the harbour. We all arrived at the same time to avoid the weather and are all waiting for the perfect window to escape.

Conversations are friendly and always contain an element of intelligence gathering I.e: 'Have you ever been to Ilfracombe? Ah good, are their mooring buoys............'

Lots of discussion this morning about a possible weather window tomorrow. This is complicated by lock time here, either 23:00 tonight or 11:00 tomorrow (which shortens the day for a long trip).

I suspect that there may be a convoy leaving tonight. We may join, will see what the weather does.

Just had my last pasty of the trip. I am definitely 'pastied out' after a week in Cornwall!

Week 16 - Friday - Padstow

We had a pleasant run from St Ives to Padstow yesterday. No wind though, so it was yet another day of motoring.

The lock to Padstow did not open until 20:30, so we had plenty of time to anchor at a nearby beach and eat.

Paul has grown to really love anchoring during his week on the boat!

Before deploying the anchor, 30m of chain has to be pulled out of a narrow pipe and layed out (flaked) on deck. This has to be done neatly, to prevent the chain from snagging. It is a tedious and frustrating task, as the chain sticks in the pipe and also snakes across the deck. Once the anchor has been deployed and then raised, you have to patiently feed the chain back down the
pipe.

His 'love' of the process comes from the fact that I have asked him to flake out the chain, in preparation, a number of times, only to then pick up a buoy and render his efforts as wasted!

That said though, he is now the neatest flaker ever to set sail!

At 19:15 we set off to join the race to Padstow. This involved lots of boats, all rushing down a narrow, sand banked river towards the harbour.

Each boat had the same issue; padstow is the only safe harbour nearby to ride out the coming storm. Failing to get a mooring is not an option!

The radio crackled into life, as the first boat called the Harbour Master to check they there was space for then.

This sparked a panic with every boat then calling in, all quoting various times/dates that they had made bookings.

The ever patient Harbour Master just calmly repeated the same thing over and over; 'don't worry, there is lots of space.'

No one was totally satisfied but we all carried on, lining up in the same way that we British do in a supermarket - no queue jumping.

Finally the lock traffic lights turned green and with relief we all entered and found a berth, as promised.

Relieved, we are all now sitting here in a beautiful harbour, but with pouring rain and strong winds.

Based on the forecast for the next few days, I am going to get to know Padstow very well I think!

Week 16 - Thursday - St Ives

Had a touristy day yesterday in St Ives, guided by Laurence and Liz.

Their hospitality was fantastic, even though we had gatecrashed their holiday! From breakfast bagels, to tour guiding, to a pub lunch; they really were very kind.

Later in the day they suggested that we used their shower. We were not sure if this was out of generosity or that they felt it was a necessity!

Our two nights on the mooring were quite uncomfortable, with a constant rocking and rolling in every direction.

It is hard to sleep in this way because your body keeps rolling around.

Lying in your bunk you hear an annoying rattle each time the boat moves in a certain way. It starts and stops, you try to ignore it or hope that it goes away, but it never does. Eventually you give up and get out of bed to find and prevent it.

It's a battery rolling around a shelf; so you move it somewhere else to silence it. Snuggling back into your sleeping bag, you close your eyes.

Suddenly another noise starts. Quieter than the first (the battery racket was hiding it) but distinct enough to be annoying and prevent sleep. Up again, a coat hanger tapping the wall this time.

Back to bed again; a new noise starts. Quieter still than the coat hanger, but still annoying. Up again, this time a cup moving slightly in the cupboard.

Bed again, a new sound; this time the kettle rocking on the cooker.

............and so it goes on until you have either silenced every item on the boat or fallen asleep through exhaustion! Whoever said that sailing was fun?!

Off to Padstow today, hopefully in the safe harbour before the weather changes tonight.

Good memories of St Ives, and many thanks to Laurence, Liz and family.

Week 16 - Wednesday - St Ives

Sitting on a bench in St Ives, looking out at Crusoe Too, moored out in the harbour.

We abandoned the Scilly's due to the bad weather and decided to head here instead. The Scilly Isles will wait for a future adventure!

We had an great trip round from Penzance, the highlight for me was seeing a basking shark, feeding in the currents.

Rounding Lands End was exciting, with huge confused waves attacking us from all directions. Add to this a rain and wind squall, and we really felt that we has earned the achievement of rounding the bottom of Britain.

We met up with some friends of Paul in St Ives who showed us great hospitality at their flat here. We are meeting again today to see more of the sites of St Ives.

There is a weather lull tomorrow, so we are hoping to get to the safe harbour of Padstow, before the weather closes in again.

Week 16 - Tuesday - Penzance

Yesterday we made it to Penzance after a great sail from Falmouth.

We did a fly past of St Michael's Mount on the way and took hundreds of photos, none of which are probably any good!

We had to wait outside the harbour for several hours while they towed in a huge fishing lugger and manoeuvred it onto a tight berth. It was very entertaining listening on the VHF to the slightly stressed harbour master shouting instructions to the very laid back tug skipper. The only response he ever gave to any instruction or urgent plea was 'No problem!' in a very strong Cornish accent.

Penzance is a proper fishing harbour, with lots of old boats in various states of disrepair. Boat makeovers that will never be completed!

We found a very cheap Cornish flag in a tacky tourist shop, which after some modifications using cable ties, is now being flown as a courtesy.

Just about to round Lands End.

Week 16 -Monday - Falmouth

Paul is pleased to be back onboard, returning after his stint to the Isle of Man.

He has found a few old friends in the store cupboard - for example he has just eaten some peanut butter from week 1!

Yesterday was quite exciting with the fog but after motoring for much of the way, it ended up with some great sailing.

We became involved in a chaotic race into Falmouth, as everyone returned at once from a sunny Sunday sail.

Falmouth nightlife was a refreshing antidote to the drunken chaos of our last stop. Lots of happy people wandering around, each of them making half as much noise and wearing twice as many clothes as anyone in Plymouth!

Heading towards Penzance today, but the weather is closing in and we will have to decide if we make a dash for the Scillys.

Week 16 - Sunday - Cawsand Bay

Well we didn't get too far this morning - we are currently anchored near the entrance to Plymouth harbour!

We set off at 07:20, to proceed through the lock and out of the marina. This ended up being a race against time, as the lock keeper wanted to close the gates as part of flood prevention measures!

He urged us to use max speed - 5 knots! - to get through before the gates closed. All very exciting.

Once out of the marina we were enveloped by fog. As we could not return, the only option was to head for Cawsand bay and anchor.

The only consolation is that we have sausages in the oven.

Plymouth truly was an interesting place. The nightlife and people out on the town has to be seen to be believed! It is a wild place.

We experienced it at a little too close quarters. Three drunks sat on a bench trying to throw bread across the marina. Their aim was to hit the boat and attract seagulls - to do their worst! Not sure that I handled it very well and they did land a few on target but no damage was done.

Hopefully off to Falmouth later, if this fog ever lifts!

Week 16 - Saturday - Plymouth

Regular Blog followers will know that one of the features of the trip has been the constant need to bail water out of the bilges.

Well yesterday we took bailing to a new level. Vanessa spent a pleasant (!) hour bailing Lea and Perrin's sauce out of the bottom of one of the cupboards!

The entire contents of a bottle had leaked, filling the cupboard and covering all of the food stored within. Lovely!

She was well rewarded though - her favourite treat of a Devonshire cream tea, sitting on Plymouth Hoe!

Paul arrives today and Vanessa heads home on the train.

We hope to get to the Scilly Isles, weather permitting.

Week 15 - Friday -Exeter Services

Vanessa and I set off very early this morning back to the boat in Plymouth.

An easy journey really at 04:00....we took 3 hours to get to Exeter and a cuppa at the services.

After a brew we walked back to the hire car, only to find that the key fob did not work I tried the key itself but that did not work either.

'Typical,' I thought, as I wondered what to do next. My phone and hire car documentation were in the car!

At this point a family walked over and asked us what we were doing.

'how kind,' I thought, people coming to help.

However they did not look friendly and the penny did not drop until they asked me why we were trying to get into their car!

Whoops!

Teach me to pay more attention in the future when I hire a car!

Week 15 - Thursday - altrincham!

What am I doing at home?

It's A level day, so I came back last night to be here for Abs's results today.

No sailing in Plymouth for the rest of the week due to the weather, so it seemed a good opportunity. We hired a car and drove back.

Both Abigail and Vanessa were shocked to see me back, as we're Barry's family to see him.

The great news is that she got the grades that she needed and has been accepted into Sheffield. Clever girl.

Vanessa and I now have to face the reality that both of our children are cleverer than us .....not sure how I feel about that!

Excitement over, I am now in the launderette trying to dry my washing, before heading back south later.

Week 15 - Wednesday - Plymouth

We made the right decision to run for Plymouth - the weather today is foul and winds are building for gales tonight.

There are 4 marinas in Plymouth, but I think that we picked the best one. They even laid on a firework display for us!

The marina is full of boats like us; a refugee camp of sailors, hiding from the bad weather. Lots of family boats desperately wondering what to do with the kids today. No such worries here, we have lots of films on the laptop!

Barry is settling in well, and is now expert at mooring, as well excelling as ships cook!

Not sure of our plans, but hopefully we will get some day sailing in later in the week, using Plymouth as base.

Week 15 - Tuesday - Brixham

We are doing our Usain Bolt impression today, sprinting for Plymouth before the gales arrive tonight.

We are not quite the fastest humans on the planet, but we are doing our best at 5 knots.........although thinking about it, that it probably slower even than a marathon runner!

I was hoping to get into Dartmouth and Salcombe this week but the forecast for the next 3 days is terrible - so Plymouth it is.

Barry is looking after me
brilliantly. Yesterday he cooked the biggest breakfast that I have ever had!

We walked it off round town, then we moved from Torquay to Brixham for a change of scenery.

We arrived in the marina and chatted to an old boy there.

'How far have you come today?' he asked, hoping for an interesting tale of our journey.

He looked very disappointed when I said ' 3 miles!'

Brixham has the edge over Torquay - more atmosphere and older buildings.

Just approaching Start Point.

Week 15 - Monday - Torquay

Well, Barry certainly had the full sailing experience yesterday.

On his first day we had strong winds, a night sail and heavy showers. Add to that an initial bit of queasiness, the joy of trying to use the heads while at 45 degrees and a 14 hour day - it was certainly a tough initiation.

However after the sun came out and he found his sea legs, he started to enjoy himself (I hope!)

The highlight for me was passing Ladram Bay, which was where we spent many great family holidays. It is here that I found my love of boats and also learned to catch/gut mackerel.

We had a sunny final run into Torquay which looked very pretty. Not so this morning, strong winds and pouring rain are hiding it's charms. Maybe a sightseeing day!

The boat has certainly been tidier since Barry joined and he has made some great meals. I am not saying that he is the cleanest shipmate but he is the only person so far who has asked for a dustpan and brush

Not sure of our plans - I would like to get to Brixham today but only if the weather improves.

Week 15 - Sunday - Weymouth

Early start today, after a sightseeing day in Poole yesterday.

In the morning the boys left for home and Barry arrived with the food. He brought lots of frozen stuff, having emptied his mum's freezer of anything tasty! We can now survive 40 days and 40 nights with our supplies!

Barry then showed me round his home town and we visited some of his old childhood haunts.

It was a good sociable day and rounded off by a visit from Sue Forder and Chris. It was good to see them and we managed - quite easily actually - to avoid talking work!

It did make me realise though that I am going to have to make a return to the working world soon!

04:00 start this morning to make it round the infamous Portland Race at the right time. Coming out of Poole in the dark was quite an exiting start to Barry's first trip.

Just had sausage butties and I am off for my third snooze of the morning!

After a long day - 15 hours - we will hopefully be in Torquay tonight

Week 15 - Saturday - Poole

Had a great run to Poole yesterday after a bit of a dodgy morning.

We had an early start and I woke up to hear fog horns blasting in the Solent.

It was misty but the creek was clear, so we decided to head off; we had a tide to catch at Hurst Point.

We set off into the mist with visibility of about 1 mile. However after 30 minutes we watched a huge bank of fog start to eerily creep across the Solent towards us.

We raced it down the Solent and managed to pick up a local buoy that was empty, just as we were enveloped; phew, that was close!

The upside of this was that it gave Tony a chance to cook one of his amazing breakfasts, as we waited for the fog to clear!

The sun burnt through and we slipped our mooring. It was an easy run to Poole, with the added excitement of 4 mackerel caught on my lucky fishing line.

Barry was waiting for us on the Quay, hopped aboard and we cooked the fish. Food does not get fresher than that!

The boys are off home today, with Barry joining me for the next week.

It has certainly been a fun week and we have laughed a lot.

Steve and Tony are like a double act; part comedian, part competitive, part married couple!

One minute they are laughing at old stories, next they are arguing over the use of bomb blast doors in the Royal Building, then they are squabbling about the whereabouts of the big sharp knife!

Never a dull moment and all very entertaining.

They have been great company and I hope that they enjoyed themselves.

Weather next week looks a bit dodgy, so it will be a case of rushing across to Torquay as soon as we can.

Week 14 - Friday - Newtown Creek

Yesterday was one of those great days on the water.

Leisurely start, easy fuel pontoon - no queues - hot, sunny, gentle trip down to Newtown Creek.

This is a shallow, marshy creek; very pretty and therefore popular.

As we motored through the narrow entrance, the creek was absolutely rammed full. As we passed the occupied moorings, we passed a lady on deck who hailed us and said that they were leaving. What luck.

We moored up in bright sun shine and Steve persuaded me to have a swim. He dived in but my entry was a bit pathetic - a slow climb down the ladder!

It was lovely in there - a touch of the Med but in England.

After another great meal from Tony, we pumped up the dinghy and
motored a mile up the creek to the pub.

The tide was falling and after a few pints we rushed back to the dinghy, before the creek dried.

There was just enough water to float but with the weight of 3 of us, the dinghy was scraping along the bottom.

We managed to punt along until we finally had enough water under us to use the engine.

15 minutes later and we would have been stranded on the mud, with a 2 hour wait! Perfect timing.

A good old chat and a laugh in the cockpit rounded off a great day.

Week 14 - Thursday - Portsmouth

Amazing how the weather can change so much in 24 hours.

This time yesterday we were in thick fog and drizzle; now we have sun and boiling heat.

It was so wet and damp that my lifejacket thought that I had fallen in and auto inflated! All I could think of was 'there goes £15 down the pan!' the cost of a new gas kit for it.

The boys are having a good time I think and Tony has followed my tradition of getting in a good nap each afternoon. The sun did appear during one of these sleeps on deck and that might account for his red face today!

Off to the isle of Wight today.

Week 14 - Wednesday - Brighton

Tony produced a full English breakfast yesterday, a masterpiece on our small cooker. His days in the Merchant Navy have prepared him well!

We left Eastbourne in good weather, but had to battle most of the way against a fresh SW wind. This produced some quite big waves, especially around Beachy Head.

Brighton marina was pretty full and we ended up rafting up against a brand new, very posh yacht.

There are two consequences of this.

1) we have to be very carefully not to scratch it. Shoes off as we walk across deck.

2) it's pristine white hull makes the 30 year old, yellowing fibreglass of Crusoe Too look very tatty!

Full marinas will be the pattern now for the rest of August, so I will have to get used to rafting up. Not like the North, where sailing life is more simple!

Off to Portsmouth today and we are still aiming to be in Poole on Friday and Saturday night. (for Sue: we will be at the Poole Haven marina by the Town Quay)

Week 14 - Tuesday - Eastbourne

I met Tony and Steve at Eastbourne station, then we went to the boat.

The only problem was that the boat wasn't where I left it! Not only that, the pontoon wasn't there either!

I thought that I had gone mad!

Turns out that someone had messed up the locking procedures which resulted in a mini tsunami smashing through the marina!

This resulted in the destruction of a number of pontoons. Can't imagine it really but apparently a number of boats were damaged.

I would not like to have been the guy who pushed the wrong button in the lock!

I was a bit concerned but fortunately Crusoe Too looks ok.

The guys had a reasonable first nights sleep but have now christened me 'Tommy Gun' due to the regularity and rapidity of my snoring!

Off to Brighton next - depending on the weather we will go this afternoon or tomorrow.

Week 14 - Monday - back to the boat

Olympic athletics this morning then back to Eastbourne and the boat this afternoon.

We will start again tomorrow, probably to Brighton.

Normal service will be resumed later!

Beach volleyball

Watch out for Tom and Yuval at the Beach Volleyball.

Tom will be the one with the Bradley Wiggins sideburns and union jack bikini top!

Come on Wiggo!

Watching the time trial on the big screen.

Olympic Swimming

At the swimming; so high up that I wish I had my asthma inhaler!