The rain has gone and blue skies have returned. The forecast was for a fresh breeze WSW force 5 winds, gusting force 6. And remember this is only day one. It’s going to be a shakedown. Let’s go out and just see what’s out there. Destination unknown.
The twin towns of Dartmouth and Kingswear sit on either side of the River Dart. The estuary is a ria, a drowned river valley open to the sea, and the harbour is sheltered and protected by castles at the entrance. Home to the Britannia Royal Naval College, it is steeped in maritime history. We could spend a day exploring this gem of a place but our journey out to sea must begin.
Can you spot anything hidden behind the yachts?
Only the largest sailing vessel in the world (apparently).
08:30 With full tanks of water and fuel, we motored through the harbour, past the castles and out into the open seas. Immediately, we experienced the strong breeze and set sails best to windward. The yacht cut through the choppy waters and we were off.
Catching the wind wasn’t a problem however getting west and past Start Point could be problematic. A pair of dolphins came by for a look and then disappeared. We were flying along and then it was time to make the first tack. We couldn’t get past the headland before making our way along the coast.
We enjoyed a great morning of sailing 21 NM for three and half hours with an average speed of 6 kts. We saw several dolphins, gannets and shearwaters. And we arrived safely back in Dartmouth for lunch.
Tomorrow is another day …
Exploring Kingswear became a reality after all.
“Best laid plans of mice and men”
Zzzz
Experience Sailing 