Plymouth Storms
4-10th June
Due to very poor weather we have returned to Plymouth to take shelter from the forecasted
F8-9 gales coming in from the Atlantic. Our next port of call, Fowey, would not offer
us good shelter for a sustained stay so we felt we did not have any other option
but to return to Plymouth. We opted to go into Sutton Harbour as this was a locked
marina offering the best protection from the expected swell, with the added bonus
that it was also convenient for the town centre. The marina was soon busy with other
yachts seeking a safe haven from the coming storm. The facilities are excellent,
too. They even had a small DVD and book collection for visiting yachts to borrow.
After settling down for the night, we were able to watch the jubilee concert on television,
which was pretty good (especially Tom Jones).
Tuesday evening we decided to take a wander round the waterfront and then have our
supper out. We opted for a Wetherspoons pub and a steak dinner. Here we chatted to
a lovely bubbly lady called Laura, who we are delighted to see has joined our growing
group of blog followers. Hello, Laura!
Over the course of the next few days “locked-in” at Plymouth, the winds increased
as forecast (our instruments recorded wind speeds up to 40 knots) and we double-checked
our shore lines and added another “spring” line to ensure we were as secure as we
could be.
Watching local T.V. news reports showing just how extreme the weather conditions
were out at sea, we knew we had made the right decision to stay here. Once the laundry
and chores were up-to-date again, we decided that if we couldn’t visit some places
by boat, we would do so by bus.
Friday morning dawned dry and bright, but still very breezy and we headed into the
town centre to catch a Western Greyhound bus to Looe and Polperro. The journey itself
was an experience as the driver had to negotiate his vehicle down many narrow lanes
at quite a pace to get there. Carole had holidayed here several times over 30 years
ago and did not think that much had changed at all since then. Both Looe and Polperro
are small, very attractive Cornish harbour towns. Despite the weather, both places
were bustling with families on the half-term break, but only the really hardy folks
were on the beaches with their bucket and spades. Not surprisingly, no one was in
swimming. We caught the return bus to Plymouth and managed to arrive back to the
marina without getting wet today.
Sunday morning we awoke to the sound of heavy rain, but the forecast was for the
skies to clear by lunchtime and for the return of “normal” weather, at least for
a few days. Today our time would be spent getting the boat ready to leave Plymouth
on Monday – next stop, Fowey
Email: skipper@yachtseaduction.co.uk