Sovereign Harbour to Plymouth

As all sailors will know, passage planning for any trip will involve checking the weather more than once and there are many sources available via the internet. Mind you, there is such a thing as information overload. Equipped with downloaded grib files and printouts of various forecasts, it appeared that the window of opportunity to leave for Plymouth would almost certainly result in a leg of two parts.


We left Eastbourne on the 27th April via the 10.00am lock and were soon bashing into some large waves and a force 4 wind.   However, the weather predictions proved accurate and a few hours later we were making good progress in much calmer conditions - so much so Lynne found the time to catch up on some texts.


Eventually the wind dropped and with sailing no longer an option, the engine was roused and we settled in to our night passage watching a fantastic sunset over the Isle of Wight.

Sunset over the Isle of Wight

With a crew of three (thanks John for helping us) we began a 'two hour on', 'two hour off' watch system which worked really well.  After listening to the weather forecasts through the night, it was clear that a port of refuge would be needed.  A deep low pressure system was moving up from Biscay and Northern France and Force 8 to 9 storms were predicted within the next 12 hours.

With a favourable tide around Portland Bill, we made good speed to Brixham and managed to get in a cracking beam reach sail for the final few hours.


The staff at Brixham were really helpful and found us a berth tucked around the back of the breakwater.

Safe at Brixham Marina

Sure enough, later on that afternoon the wind really picked up, gusting to over 45 knots and it lashed down with rain. This continued for the next 24 hours.   However, Brixham is full of charm and the next day we discovered the delights of an open log fire and full roast dinner with all the trimmings at the Blue Anchor pub, a short but rain drenched walk from the Marina.

Lynne outside the Blue Anchor pub

If you are in Brixham this place is worth a visit. As I recall the full roast dinner (large portion) set us back about £6 each and the draught ale was very good indeed.
Located in Fore street it was full of charm and just what we needed.



A short walk from the pub is a replica of the Golden Hind seen in the photo below drying out at low water.
Francis Drake (later Sir Francis Drake) was the first Englishman to sail around the world and it is very hard to imagine how this was accomplished in the 1500's. We had just sailed from Eastbourne with a huge array of high tech gadgets, chartplotters, 3 back-up GPS systems, AIS and Radar and of course a portfolio of paper charts. OK so we only had a crew of 3. Drake had started out with 70, although only 56 made it back. We had a microwave and flat screen TV but if you get a chance, do visit the The Golden Hind if only to see the terrible conditions those poor sailors would have endured for so long.

Replica of the Golden Hind in the background

On Monday morning John left us to travel back to Eastbourne on the train and the task of weather forecasting began all over again. Although Brixham is a fantastic place to visit and the marina staff could not be more helpful, our objective to get to Plymouth remained.
The forecast looked good for the following day, although what wind there was, would be light and in the wrong direction for much of the passage. However, having re-fuelled in the morning we set off and enjoyed the delights of the rugged coastline, a change to the white cliffs of our previous home territory.

Leaving Brixham

Great Mewstone

Apologies for the lack of pictures leading up to the next one, but the pilotage into Plymouth demanded our full attention as this is a really busy place. Of the two routes available from the entrance to Mayflower marina, we chose the Asia passage around Drake Island. You get a really good view of Smeatons Tower and Plymouth Hoe, where Francis Drake finished his game of bowls before getting to task with the Spanish Armada.

Scarlet at Mayflower Marina

Before too long we had sighted the entrance to our home port for the next month, Mayflower Marina.  Once we were on our berth it was time to relax, plug into the shore power and head off to the office to book in.
The facilities here are some of the best encountered and include a bath! Also on site is a well stocked chandlers which also serves as a convenience store. About a 20 minute walk away is a Co-Op in one direction and a Lidl in the other.
Also a stone's throw away is the home of Princess Yachts, perfect for indulging the family after a lottery win.

HMS Ocean

We were having dinner when Lynne mentioned she could hear a strange noise which was getting louder. Being unfamiliar with our surroundings we popped up on deck and watched in astonishment as HMS Ocean, a 21,500 tonne Amphibious Assault Ship glided past just a short distance away. We later read that she was on her way to Greenwich as part of the security for the Olympics.



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Not Kate Winslett!

Our first visitors here were Steve's sister Clare and daughter Tara. Poor Clare, this was her first time on board and she reported feeling a little queasy after only a few minutes. If she comes to visit us abroad she will be staying at the nearest hotel and not on the boat!
You actually do get used to the gentle rocking motion here but occasionally, we get really thrown about by a passing ferry. The mooring lines are looking a little frayed and many will need to be replaced before we leave. It may also be a good time to invest in some mooring compensator's, perhaps the stainless steel ones to absorb some of the shocks through the cleats.



So there we have it for now. There is still a list of things to do and it would be nice to find some time to go and visit a nearby anchorage at Dandy Hole.
More updates soon....