After one night in Falmouth we set off for Plymouth the next day. I originally planned a crew change at Dartmouth, but Plymouth is much better served by public transport and Alice had managed to change her flight so she could head home the day after we arrived. I chose Mayflower Marina for a few reasons: we have been there before, it has a bath, and they love Westerly Owners Association members - half price for the first five days, which at typical Plymouth rates is a whopping saving.
On Ann and Andy's advice we ignored the tidal currents, which are quite light in this area, and headed out at the civilised time of 9am. We successfully sprang off the berth at Port Pendennis backwards thanks to Alice's input, on a rather grey and gusty morning, and headed out into Falmouth Harbour which was a lot emptier than it had been the previous evening! The forecast was for F4-5 on the beam but as we headed around Dodman Point we were hard on the wind - although making good enough progress to turn off the engine.
After that we had an excellent sail as the wind came around slightly more to the north and strengthened to a fairly steady 15-20kt. With one reef in the main and several reefs in the jib we romped along fairly hard on the wind, more or less on the right course and making around six knots. We were heeling at around 20 degrees, which looks like nothing in photos and videos, but feels quite steep when you are moving around the boat! Alice has enjoyed some of the best sailing on this trip, and on this passage we only needed the engine in the harbours.
Once we passed Rame Head and turned up into Plymouth Sound we were almost straight into the wind, so it was on with the engine and down with the sails. We crossed the Bridge, the passage to the west of Drake's Island, and headed into Mayflower around 1615 where someone was waiting to take our lines. I had completely forgotten the layout of the marina but all was well and we were in a nice safe berth.
Distance run: 43 miles
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| 20 degrees of heel looking like nothing, and the bumps in the sea aren't visible either |
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