Alternator - again

Did all washing and shopping yesterday, ready for a trip to Fowey today with UFO a Maldives 32. Just before we pulled out of our (very tight) berth I found the batteries were being cooked. Three hours later with the alternator in bits we left anyway, with the plan to use our £33 B&Q generator to charge the batteries via the 240v charger. Unfortunately by the time we got out it was quite late so we decided to visit Cellar bay on the Yealm.

Out of the marina

Left yachthaven on the 28th for a week of living off the boats supplies of water, food, fuel & power. As there were strong wind warnings we only went across the river to Millbrook in Cornwall. Our new (1999) charts for the laptop got us as far as the multihull centre before we grounded on the mud for the night. We were offered a place on a pontoon close by which we accepted the next day when we refloated on a slightly higher tide and stayed for most of the week, while we visited Cawsand & Kingsand, walking & biking. We spent the last two nights on mooring buoys before returning to yachthaven today. It was a great experience. We now know that the boat won't be sucked down into the mud never to reappear (Mayuri), not to ride on the pontoon on a foldup bike across hosepipes & to make sure the seat is tight before attempting Mt Edgecombe (me). To fill a bucket of water before the tide goes down to flush the toilet with and that the seacocks will fill with mud if you don't shut them.

Spring clean

Parked on the beach today to scrub two years of slime & barnacles off the bottom. I stood the sea for an hour then came in for a cold shower to warm up (Guy - you still have my wetsuit!). All worth it cause it's really fast now.

Another hard day at the office

Or just another boring book ?

No car !

No car, broken alternator, long walk, severe NW gale & horizontal hail :-(

More visitors

Daniel, Caroline, Graham & Stacey came down on Friday afternoon. After tea and a tour of the boat Graham & Stacey took the water taxi across the river into Plymouth where they sensibly had a hotel booked and Daniel & Caroline went to meet them later, returning on the last one.

As usual the forcast was wrong and the wind was gusting 20kts on Saturday morning. After spinning the boat around by hand we got out into the river, dodging the dingies and set two reefs in the main. As we got into the sound, the wind calmed a little and we had a nice sail around the sound. It dropped off even more as we approached the bridge, so we motored through to the beach for dinner. Mayuri did pizza's and Daniel thought it would be a good idea to test the new barbi (see pics for temperature). It did turn out ok apart from a 12mm socket and a sausage going overboard. After dinner, the girls stayed inside and the boys sailed back to the marina.

The wind was too strong for Daniel & Graham to go diving on Sunday morning so they left at dinner, taking our car with them. We have to learn to sail now.

First visitors

Mum & Rob came down on Sunday afternoon. We stayed in the marina for the night and on Monday afternoon, turned the boat around by hand (to drive out forwards this time!) and stayed the night on a mooring buoy in the Hamoaze. It was very calm and after breakfast we motored up the Tamar, saw the warships and submarines and moored up under the Tamar bridge, then motorsailed back to the beach at Mount Edgecombe for dinner. We arrived back at tea time for them to set off for Falmouth.