Page 23 - Yachter Spring/Summer 2021

series of lows passed through, spending time dinghying up the river to Dittisham, walking out to the Castles and up over the hill above Dartmouth, an amazing view looking back down on the town and river.We later found Zoe and Guy Derby with Ripple of Kyle further up the pontoon, along with another RSYC new member with a Contessa.
Finally, a two-day weather window presented itself, but it was still going to be windy and a lot of leftover sea.We set off from the Castles at 06:00 and found a decent 20 to 25kts south westerly, so with a reef and half rolled poled out genny, off we went.The combination really settled the boat down, especially when judged against other boats struggling to run deep. By 11:30 Portland was four miles abeam, a rather swift crossing of Lyme Bay.We were still piling on with the wind building to 30kts, so a second reef in the main was thought prudent. About four miles south of St Albans Head we rolled up the jib and tacked around onto port (we did not want to risk the heavy loads on
the gear from a gybe). Safely executed we reset the genny and had a rapid sail up to Studland which we reached at 15:30, a quick passage indeed.
Safely anchored, we went ashore for a walk to the village and had a look at the gravestones in the church yard. Of particular interest the grave of Sgt William Lawrence, a veteran of Waterloo and listing many other campaigns that you can remember from your history lessons, amazing gallantry.Then
a walk out to Old Harry to view the liners at anchor rather than those we had seen steaming around Lyme Bay waiting for the weather to abate. Nigel had been bedtime reading “Channel Havens:The Secret Inlets and Secluded Anchorages of the Channel” by Ken Endean, and guess
who should be anchored next door, but Ken and his wife aboard London Apprentice? We had a socially distanced chat especially about the pros and cons of the Axe River (where Nigel and I grew up), which he regards as challenging!
The final day saw a late start, but
with favourable wind and tide we sailed off the anchor and headed along the beaches, past Bournemouth and Mudeford in a pleasant 20kt westerly, then into the Solent via the North Channel, another rapid sail
with a freshening wind and a building tide.When we arrived back on the RSYC pontoon on the Beaulieu River for lunch, we had been away for thirteen days and covered 405 socially distanced miles!
Words and photos: Steve Daniel
CRUISING REPORTS 23