Three day cruise - Weston to Ilfracombe.

Thurs 13th Sept

So - the grand plan was - leave Ilfracombe as late as we could before the LW. Then head around Rillage east aginst the stream and into Coombe Martin bay - where we could suss the place out while waiting for the fair tide east.

Pic 1 - Approaching Coombe Martin

As it was - it semed that once you got yourself inside of a line from Foreland Pt to Ilfracombe - there seemed little tide at all, and sometimes even reversed streams. It seems a very significant feature of this stretch of coastline - and vital knowledge if you are trying to punch a big tide.

Slowly hugging up this wonderful coastline ( we had all the time in the world to get to Blue Anchor ) even once the tide had set with us - we kept getting a reverse flow here and there. It must be a peculiarity of the strength of the streams and the scalloped shape of the coast

Motored all the way - with the dingy in tow - not a breath of wind worth trying to bother with. At 4.5 kts the Yanmar seems to be doing one litre an hour - which will not break the bank. Thats sort of mid revs - on full pelt it will give me 6.5 kts, which with a 19' waterline is technically planing I suppose.

Pic 2 - a well washed dingy in tow - leaving behind Great and Little Hangman

Towing the dingy seems very successful - but it needs modifications. Initially I attached a mooring warp to the front painter - this is fed through the front eye and fixed to the lower side rings either side. Really - I would be best to run the bow painter through the front ring, through either side rings and then up over the tubes to be fixed either to the transom board - or maybe to two loops around the tube extensions. Either way - nothing wants to be attached to any stuck on D-rings.

It was to be a day to remember - no sails, no wind - but so what ! - it was a privilage to be able to amble along such a fine shoreline so close inshore, at our leisure.

Its very deep, even a hundred yards off we had 20 m - and few hazzards other than Copperas rock, which is buoyed - and the sand ridges and ledges off of Foreland and Lynmouth..

We went inside of Copperas - and decided we would see what it looked like at Lynmouth with regard to Foreland Point.

continues - Lynmouth, valley of the rocks, Foreland Point, Minehead