Thursday 9th August.
No rush to get away on the Thursday we waited for the free flow to start after 1300hrs, the plan was to sail back to the Yealm River to meet up with Alison (Molly’s mother) and have a meal at The Ship Inn.
We cast off at 1450hrs with a forecast of northwest 4, motored out of Sutton Harbour and into Plymouth sound, once out we set just the genoa for what we expected to be a downwind sail but found the wind to be more like southwest 5, after two tacks in Plymouth sound Molly was getting worried and upset with the tippy yacht so I decided to motor the rest of the passage. Outside Plymouth breakwater the sea was rough with white horse’s with the wind more like west-southwest 5 gusting 6, not a very pleasant sea to be in. Vicky had gone down into the cabin to comfort Molly, I wasn’t really dressed for this rough weather, shorts, sweatshirt and lifejacket, more than one wave crashed over the cockpit.
It took less than an hour to motor from Plymouth breakwater to the Yealm transit but it seemed a lot longer, as the waters calmed down after entering the Yealm River Vicki came and told me Molly had been seasick.
We knew there was a gale forecasted for Saturday and planned to stay in the Yealm River until Sunday, the lower pontoon was full so we motored on past to the second visitor pontoon which was also full, I asked one skipper if we could raft but he said they were leaving early in the morning, so we picked up a empty swing mooring instead at 1650hrs. A little while later the harbour master turned up and said we were ok there, I paid £42 for three nights, Molly was now feeling better and asked to pay the HM with my money, he played along and asked Molly how much change should I give you from £45, Molly quickly said three pounds.
The table in The Ship was booked for 1930hrs so I had to pump up the dinghy and put on the engine. I could take Molly and Vicki right up the river to The Ship but had to take the dinghy back down the river to the ferry steps because the tide would be out after our meal.
Love Sailing 