Position Report: Plymouth 12th June 2004
Click on any picture to enlargeAfter being blessed with great winds for most of the trip, Suckin' Diesel arrived in Plymouth today.
Departure from Arklow was in kind winds with a single reefed main, we blasted down the Irish Sea, passing Tuskar Rock off Rosslare in the early afternoon on Friday 4th. By nightfall the winds were dying out, evantually fading to nothing in the early hours of Saturday morning. At this stage the engine was put on for the rest of the trip to the Scilies.
When the winds died, we were about 40 miles offshore and acted as a radio link for the night to a sailboat "Keldar" whose engine had died. She was ahead of us at that stage but with no wind was drifting. we couldn't tow so could only talk to them every hour to get a position fix to send to the coastguard. Evaqntually, though we ourselves were out of range of the coastguard as well. In the morning we heard her again but we were too far south by then. Luckily, they were in no immediate danger and had to sit it out waiting for wind. Good luck "Keldar".
The dawn brought fog and the radar was brought into action. The next 9 hours were tiring but the fog lifted enough to see our way into the anchorage in St Marys and a well deserved rest. Total time 29 hours.
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We spent three days relaxing, wandering around the island, and of course sampling some of the local hospitality. The islands are very low lying 28 miles out into the Atlantic from Lands End and you get a real feel that the people out there are in a different pace of life to you and me. The scenery is stunning as a result of the harsh weather thrown at the islands during the winter. |
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| From the islands, we headed to Cornwall, having a cracking sail past Lands End, to arrive in Falmouth on tuesday at 10pm. We spent wednesday there before heading on a lovely downwind sail to Fowey, a mere 4 hours away. |
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| Derricks boat | Fowey water taxi | St Martins light | Hugh Town |