I had gone up the Tamar River on Wednesday, been down to Wear Quay on Thursday to pick up fuel from Sally and Bill. I should have had a walk ashore then but had come straight back to Elektra. I had an aborted etempt to go for a walk on Friday but since then stayed aboard. On Sunday l arranged with family to meet up for a walk and lunch at Wear Quay, by now l was desperate for exercise and a good walk wood do it.
We had agreed to meet at 1100hrs, l had been up since 0700, had breakfast, done the washing up and was steadily getting ready, so when Patti contacted me at 1020hrs to say they were running late and can we make it 1130hrs, l said yes OK and carried on with my original plan. On the way down to Wear Quay in the dinghy the tide was falling and l wondered how much of the corner l could cut off, over the mud flats, the water looking like is covered all the mud but how deep is it? A gig had set off down river just before me and they were sticking to the deep water channel. It didn’t take long to feel the engine was struggling, the prop was possibly just touching the bottom, so l turned the dinghy back towards the channel and arrived at Wear Quay at 1100hrs. I pulled the dinghy out onto the pontoon and emptied the rainwater from last night, then relaunched and made the painter off to the end of the pontoon leaving the outside face available for anyone else who might want to moor up.
Wear Quay is a boat yard and had a small cafe, l have always liked boats and looking at the boats and yachts in the yard wasn’t any hardship whilst I waited for the family to arrive. Once l had a good nose around l went and had a hot chocolate in the cafe. Patti Pete and Max arrived just as l finished it and l went out and to meet them. We walked south along the road against the river and up over the hill and back. Then a snack in the cafe. It wad lovely to see them and to chat about things.
Afterwards we parted company and l went for a longer walk, which l truly needed having been almost stuck aboard for days.
Love Sailing 