We started at the ECA Rally at East Head which as always was a BBQ on the beach. We had Richard & Helen with us, and had fun when our raft at anchor with Vulpes moved with the weight of Peggy on the side! Anway after the “sink a Sadler” drinks party - 21 adults and two children aboard, we had the BBQ on the beach. Peggy and Vulpes went home, and the Commodore gave Helen a lift home on the Sunday morning.

We then went to Yarmouth and ate in the new wine bar, and set off early on Monday morning for Brixham. Richard got a good sail for a while, and then we had to motor, and I was at the helm for the rain storm - hail stones and all!

Got to Brixham in just over 16 hours and spent Tuesday there recovering. Richard joined Steve and Caroline on a 26 footer Tuesday morning.

Wednesday we went to Salcombe and rafted up next to a 34 footer and ate in a new Bistro up the alleyway. Very nostalgic for me.

We then pushed on to Newton Ferrers on the Thursday, and the weather got very hot and sunny. We were lucky that the boat on the end of the pontoon was just leaving and so got a great spot. We decided that rather than push on just motoring, we would stay for a few days and enjoy the weather and the place is just like paradise! So this was the farthest west for us on this trip.

We did all three pubs (Ship, Swan, & Dolphin) and the Yacht Club, where Trevor looked after us well. We ate in the Ship one night. 

We also took the rub-a-dub up to the Kitley estate on Saturday morning which was beautiful and the only place to get vodafone signal! So we took and made a few calls there. Remember to take an Orange pay-as-you go next time!

Sunday, we went to Dartmouth and met up with Keith and Lorna on Seagull. We went into Dart Marina - they were on the Town Quay. Keith and Lorna made us a meal, and we had a great evening with them.

At Richard’s direction I drank Sharpes Special at the Cherub pub - excellent!

We spent Monday in Dartmouth and Keith and Lorna went up to Dittisham. We were going to go to Weymouth on Tuesday, but the wind was blowing an 8 Westerly, so we followed the others up river and rafted alongside Seagull off the Ferry Boat Inn, and drank HobGoblin there!

We had hoped to make Stoke Gabriel in the rub-a-dub, but the wind was so strong, we had waves coming over the bow in the river - got saoked and turned back!

In the evening, we offered to cook, and even when Chris & Chris turned up in Sea Squared, we added them to the meal, so I cooked for six! It was a fun night!

On the Wednesday, despite the strong wind warning of F6 later, we thought the 4-5 W forecast was OK and followed Sea Squared towards Poole. As the day wore on, and we were in the middle of Lyme bay it got windier and windier. Sea Squared kept in touch, and we were all fully reefed.

It was very difficult to steer a course, as we needed to go at an angle to the waves, so I ended up doing most of the helming, which was tiring. At Portland Bill we opted to fully motor sail to maintain the shortest course and so we got to Swanage ahead of Sea Squared.

We booked into Quay Haven in the town, whilst Sea Squared anchored in Studland, as they were only overnighting. We took the day off in Poole on Thursday, and visited Brownsea Island in the afternoon by tourist boat.

We ate at Hardys fish restaurant Thursday night and left at 0530 for the east going tide Friday morning. No wind, and the sea was like glass. We could see Anvil Point, the Needles AND the Spinnaker tower!

We got to Gins Farm and took the rub-a-dub up to Bucklers Hard, and did the tourist thing. A Bavaria 38 smashed into us while coming in, but luckily all the damage was on the other boat!

We had a fantastic meal at Gins ( as always!) and we set off at 0900 for Haslar to meet up with Peggy (Vic, Brenda, Dick & Alice) and Richard and Helen on Kotka. John and Jackie also joined the gathering by small motor boat!

The weather went hot and sunny again at last, so we chilled in the cockpit all day. We did the Great Wall Chinese meal thing in the evening, and I had to retir eearly as I was just so tired - the week before catching up with me.

Again no wind on the Sunday back, so motor sailed in reocrd time back to EYH. Did the full debrief in the Coal Exchange and the holiday ended.