The Great Escape Part 2

I woke up before the alarm and had a quick shower aboard and left the pontoon at 06.15 in lovely sunshine. What a difference a day makes?

The breeze had got up again and was 24 knots as I left the harbour but was forecasted to drop as the day went by. Ya right!

The wind was against the tide as I approached the Needles causing a lumpy sea so I let the autopilot do its job and I hid under the sprayhood. Like Thatcher, I wasn't for turning.
A new forecast had the winds increasing a little but not enough to force me to turn back.

The wind was on the nose so I just had a reefed main up to steady the boat and I motored west past Poole.

Not long after at 14.00 there was another change in the forecast, I think by now I was onto plan C or was it D?
I was not going to make Dartmouth before the wind strengthened so I changed course for Weymouth.

I passed 1.5 miles south of St. Alban head, west of Poole where I got caught in the over falls off the head. They were quite violent but only lasted about 10 minutes.
Note to self: Read the sailing instructions!

I hadn't been in Weymouth since 1996 and was looking forward to seeing it again.
The weather was lovely once I reached the harbour and was sheltered from the wind.
The tide and wind were in my favour as I gentle nudged Eureka against the Harbour Authorities pontoon which ran along the old quays.

I used a rope from my amidships cleat to lasso a cleat ashore and once that was done, Eureka wasn't able go anywhere and this then left me plenty of time to rig the bow and stern lines and adjust everything at my leisure.

I was tied up by 16.00 and went along to the harbour master's office to announce my arrival before having a walk around the town and watching the Town Bridge rising to let a yacht into the marina.

Weymouth is a proper old seaport with lovely brick built buildings, many which may have been warehouses but are now repurposed into offices, pubs etc. but will retain there original outward appearance.

After dinner I spent a pleasant hour or two reading in the cockpit watching the locals and tourists looking down on me as I looked up at them and answering the odd question when they saw the tricolour. Mostly it was "where are to coming from" and "where are you going".

I couldn't have been in a nicer place and berthing costs were very reasonable. Let it blow, let it blow, let it blow.Read more