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Leg 1: Plymouth to Newlyn - On My Way At Last!
Well, after several days waiting for the weather to improve I finally get away and what a day it has been. I started out from Plymouth at 9am with a F3 and a flat sea inside the breakwater but that was soon to change. Not that there was anything too dramtic but as expected, the wind over tide that existed for the first 3 hours made for a lumpy sea. The wind picking up to a F4ish didn’t help and very soon I was now to 6kts. I was chugging on quite nicely but the delay had made me impatient to get on and I found that I was wanting to go faster than the sea wanted me to and a couple of times I flew off the top of a wave a little more enthusiastically than was good for me or the boat!
After 3 hours or so the predicted improvement came and I planed the rest of the way. It wasn’t easy work though… with the sea still running at about a metre I was having to work hard with the throttles and steering to keep her on the plane and by the time I rounded the Lizard the sea was almost flat.
So, what a great start to the adventure. I have been given a great welcome by Neil, the Penlee Lifeboat coxswain and a very welcome cup of tea and the boat is sitting on the Lifeboat pontoon. It looks like I will be here for at least Wednesday and possible Thursday but I will decide that after looking at the weather forecast tomorrow evening.
I hope you managed to see me on the Live Tracking? \If not keep in touch with my plans by returning to the web site regularly and try to catch me on one of the future legs.
I have included some pics of today as a gallery below. I am not completely certain how I will handle pics but for now at least they are there for you to see. In time, perhaps on my return, I will annotate them.
So, off to have a shower and a bit to eat… one of my Hot Pack meals I expect… easy, tasty and on the boat!
Any idea roughly when you’ll be arriving in Dover - I’d like to buy you some unleaded. (Unless it’s £5.00 a litre by then!).
All the best and I wish you calm seas and safe passages.
Thank you. It would be good to meet you when I arrive which will be around the 20th July on the plan but I think it very unlikely that I will be able to stick to the plan… I have already had a 3 day delay for weather and I know that there will be further delays. Best thing is to stay in touch with my progress through the web site and contact me again when I am in Lowestoft. We can arrange a meeting then.