Thursday 23 April 2009

Onward to Rustlers...

With all matters being so hectic I'm writing a quick note to record the sail from Dover to Falmouth.
On Wednesday 15th April we drove to Dover Marina and had the fuel filter changed as the last part of the Yanmar Engine service. After a cup of tea we motored into the inner harbour and set the sails. We departed around 5 o'clock in the afternoon to a gentle breeze but had to motor-sail all night and the next day to arrive in Plymouth late on Friday Afternoon.
It was a peaceful trip with sightings of many black markers showing fishing pots and Roger (chief crew) even saw Dolphins at dawn on Friday morning.
We investigated Mayflower Marina then tidied all the sailing gear away while Malcolm invited Carol and Susie around for a sundowner. Just a few sips with much natter about all our various lives past & present and all that has to be done before we can begin our respective travels. I couldn't resist a trip to 'Wild Bird' to see what mayhem was being done poor girls coping bravely in the face of 'builders' as we would call it on land. Wow ! they even have growing herbs AND a spice rack!
Back to 'Piano' for dinner and a few more sherberts.
Saturday : A hearty breakfast -cooked by Roger - before he left for Bracknell and a PARTY !
We paid the Marina and set sail for Falmouth. This was the first time on our own so we turned the Iron Horse off and really sailed it was great ! We arrived at Falmouth Visitors Marina early evening.
On Sunday we were visited by various sailors who seemed to know of 'Piano' - she is such a star -and old friends John & Val Thorne who updated us on old colleagues from the days of the Berkshire Sail Training Center.
Monday: a pleasant walk up to Rustlers yard to arrange to be pulled out early on Tuesday. So we began taking the sails off and storing extraneous gear - only to hear the phone ringing...it was Graham at Rustlers asking us to come along and be pulled out now...
So we were the last boat out on Monday and sitting on the hard just outside Rustlers front door for our final night before the work begins.
I'll stop there and see if we have any snaps to add on another day...