Weekend from Plymouth, April 13  – 15 – report by Alex Barry

Trip: Plymouth, Fowey, Plymouth.

Boat: Plymouth Sailing School, ‘Cherry B  ’, Bavaria 34.

Skipper: Alan Howells  . First Mate:Neil Webber  . Crew: Alex Barry  , Richard Trim  , Bob Hayes  and Don Hurst 

After some traffic shenanigans we arrived at Plymouth Sailing School in 2 cars, the second car being phoned by skipper to make several detours to the local Morrisons for late minute missing provisions including a pepper grinder. A meticulous inventory followed which was looked on quizzically by the owner who thought the time would be better spent drinking or sailing. We eventually moved the boat down to the Plymouth Yacht Haven and took up our berth there for the night.

Dinner at the Clovelly Bay followed, thoughtfully booked well in advance by Skipper as this was full. We all ate well and stored sufficient calories to sustain us through the high energy demands of two days of cockpit inertia. The usual disrupted night followed with intermittent heads visits by those unable to hold their beer. Don was up early much to skipper’s annoyance, claiming he had misread his watch. The shower facilities at the marina were excellent and after a good breakfast we were ready for the off. The forecasted wind direction of a touch of east of southerly on the Saturday and a touch of west of southerly on the Sunday promised ideal sailing for Fowey and back. It seemed that summer was finally on its way and with a light wind we drifted under sail and ebbing tide out of the Haven, past the breakwater in glorious sunshine and overdressed for the unexpected fine weather.

Our course took us out of the western opening and out toward Eddystone to take a look at it before heading for Fowey. The lighthouse proved surprisingly difficult to locate in the hazy conditions and we carried on until about 1pm by which time it was well in sight before turning for Fowey. On a near run we were unable to steer straight for Fowey and finally resighted land south of Looe island from where we crept along the coast until the familiar headland of Gribbin Head and the daymark became recognizable. We carried on under sail into the harbour arriving circa 5pm after an enjoyable day’s sailing in near ideal conditions. Skipper did an impressive piece of mooring, bringing the boat onto the pontoon with a foot to spare between moored boats at either end. Tea and chat and then it was time to enjoy another evening meal of no insubstantial proportions, this time in the Lugger.

After altering the slapping main halyard and some final shots of brandy we retired to bed whereupon another disruptive sound of something knocking announced its irritating presence. We all waited with bated breath for someone to get up and attend to it before falling asleep.

Sunday was a tad breezier with some drizzle and wind not promised with a westerly element but still somewhat east of south. A Falmouth race boat had moored alongside us. We took in 2 reefs and added the working jib and set off again under sail and motor. The exit to the harbour was lumpy but the sea subsided a bit further out. With a good offing we turned east along the coast but the tack put us closer toward the land so after the first mile we tacked again and after a while found ourselves back in line with the Fowey entrance having suffered considerable leeway, partly by being picked up by the rolling waves and deposited further west each time. Further off land we recommenced our eastward route and managed good progress up to the next mark of the south cardinal off Udder Rock which we left some half mile to port. By this time the wind was easing and we removed a reef, continuing a while before removing the second. As progress was slow we engaged motor for a while before the wind picked up slightly again and we were able to continue under sail alone. All this time the good skipper was down below cooking a ‘cassoulet au saucisse’, interrupted only momentarily to ‘feed the fishes’.

We proceeded across Whitsand Bay following the compass and not the shoreline until Rame Head appeared which we left a good mile to the north before turning toward Draystone port buoy and entering under a near run toward the western entrance. A good bit of gybing practice followed including getting out of the way of a cross channel ferry before enjoying the shelter of the harbour and sailing back into the river Plym. Here we met a large tanker leaving the river and crept along the starboard side of the channel before dropping sail in the Haven.

Back at the Yacht School skipper’s pressure cooked cassoulet with white beans and sausage was a welcome and delicious end to another enjoyable ‘turn right out of Plymouth’ excursion. Thanks go to skipper for fine skippering, cuisine and to Neil for navigation and to all for good helming and enjoyable company.