Countdown To Our Holiday

It's all go go go.....work is manic with a hectic week ahead plus prep for our hols which start on Friday evening.

True to form the rain is back and we are watching the long range gribs closely to see what they may bring. Hopefully this year we,ll get some luck and we can get a good number of nautical miles under our keel.

Not sure where we,ll head at the mo, but we have a number of options that are on the table. V v excited....two weeks of no work, just das captain, das bot and of course the elements!

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Blowing The Cobwebs Away

There is nothing like a good stroll in the countryside and a pub lunch to brush the cobwebs away.

I, as always was up at sparrowfart and sat outside in the garden drinking coffee waiting for the rest of the family to wake up.

It was lovely out there yesterday morning, stark contrast to this am where it is chucking it down with rain!

After a round of bacon butties we headed out into the North Devon countryside and towards Heddons Mouth. Lovely walk alongside the rivet towards to the rugged coastal mouth and views of Wales.

The photos speak for themselves.
































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Location:Heddons Mouth

Happy Birthday Pops.........65!!!!

Happy 65th birthday Pops, love you lots x

Location:Home

Shampoo & Lobster Fest

What a spectacular opening Olympic ceremony! Loved it! We eventually wended ourselves inside to watch it after a lovely evening spent outside in the garden with my folks.

We,ve come home for weekend as has my sister and her partner to celebrate my Pops 65th birthday on Sunday.

It was beautiful sat outside in the garden yesterday late afternoon so to celebrate in style and get the weekend off with a bang the shampoo was opened early!
Chewing the cud and general mick taking ensued until the arrival of Richard who was enroute from Birmingham. A tad peckish by then Pops had put together a swooper lobster and fish platter which tasted even better than it looked.

We were treated to the most amazing mackerel sky sunset last night, very fitting indeed.

Great start to the weekend.












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A Gorgeous Sunny Day

Sat on Beer beach watching the world go by....it's beautiful here. Blue skies, clear water and what good old blighty is all about. Bliss...







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Fog!

It was a tale of three halves yesterday out on the water, we left Fowey in beautiful sunshine albeit the wind frustratingly on the nose.

I sat on the bow watching the world go by, in absolute bot heaven. I decided to text the in-laws so see if they were joining us out on the water when we hit Plymouth to get a phone call straight back to say it was thick fog there and zero visibility! Then on the VHF came the coastguard saying at Start Point visibility had dropped to less than 50 metres.

Hmmmmmm, not what we were expecting so you just plan, plan, plan and get on with it. Lifejackets and lines on, frog horn out to the ready we then could see what was heading our way and it looked ominous!

It wasn't long and we were engulfed by it, visibility very poor and spooky. We motored along for about 30 mins and then as quick as it came, it went.....spooky. Das captain is heralding its quick removal timed with the one and only test of the foghorn! Relief all round as we didn't fancy an entrance into the sound and berth in full thickness fog.

It was then just glorious, Rame Head fabulous coming out of the fog and a great trip home. We saw our first sunfish this year flapping about on the surface enjoying the renewed sunshine plus a dolphin breaching in the distance. Great weekend all round, dirty bottom cleaned and more importantly out on the water doing what we both love.

Heading out of Fowey


Fog coming in...visibility got a whole lot worse after this was taken


The trusty frog horn!




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Location:Fowey -Plymouth

Good For The Soul

This was the early morning view this am, a stunning sunrise and just peace and tranquility. You could have heard a pin drop bar the competition between the seagulls in the distance and our favourite cockerel ashore!

The place is packed much to the harbour masters delight after he was rueing to us yesterday about their worst season in maritime history. I can well believe it!

We have managed to avoid anyone rafted up to us but are about the only ones, as boat after boat came in yesterday afternoon and evening.

It was lovely to see so many bots out on the water. We set out under sail but after an hour of an absolute snails pace put the engine on and tootled along at seven knots. No rain and perfect visibility, the sea just glistened.

Das captain set the GoPro up, his well our new toy on both the bow and stern so we,ll have some swooper footage to view later on the box. Wind not right for the cruising shute but we may get lucky today.

We opted for supper ashore after a few beers in the local pub, it was lovely to sit out on the shoreline watching the world go by along the harbour.

Looks like this front is here to stay for a while, let's hope so. I have really missed this bit of r n r, it's what life is all about.





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Dirty Bottom!

Yippppppppeeeeeee! British summer time has finally begun and after a hectic week at work we arrived last night at the Marina in swooper duper sunshine.

We expected the place to be heaving with the draw of sunshine bringing every sailor back to their bot, but it's very quiet here and we were the only people on our pontoon last night.

Poor old RedSnapper after standing still for some time she may look majestic on top but her bottom needs a good clean. All superficial and nothing a good old swail will sort out today but most unsightly for her! Our trusted anti- fouling is fab, it's just the lack of movement that has created this new shade of brown below the waterline. The mullet here having been lapping it up by the look of the rudder with the tale tale signs that they have been feasting.

There is hardly any wind this am but I just don't care, it may be time to dust out the cruising shute as well. We are off to Fowey for the weekend, the sky is blue, the sun is out and we are on the move.....makes my soul sing!





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Sunshine!

Would u Adam & Eve it....it's gorgeous here this morning, flat calm sea and bright blue skies....yippee!

Strong winds and rain are forecast so we need to make the most of this and head out shortly.

We left in torrential rain yesterday but as we got over the top of Halden the skies cleared and bar the odd spat of rain yesterday we were able to spend most of the afternoon sat outdoors bot chore pottering.

Mairadon looks great in her berth and we took Bob for a quick hoist up the mast a job he just loves...not! Couldn't quite do all he wanted so the riggers will be in this week.

Supper aboard and then up to Jolly Jacks to put the world to rights. The marina may be quiet but the place was packed with standing room only to begin with.

On the way up we passed Gypsey Moth, looking majestic an as good as new. Not sure if she is just visiting or this is her new home. Whatever the case Sir Francis even though he hated her sailing ability would be proud to see that she after all these years is still looking ship shape.

The moon on the way back was sooo bright and with no wind you would almost think it was summer! Well it is but hasn't been. The jet stream we are told is now heading North so maybe we,ll get a well deserved Indian one in time for our August planned holiday! Fingers crossed as for today, come on Captain Birdseye get up das bot and your galley slave are ready to go!




























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Raining With RedSnapper

Yep......no change here bar a modicum of sunshine one day this week for a few brief hours. Rain, rain and more rain! Flooding , flooding and more flooding!

It's utterly utterly depressing not be out and about on the pond, but we,ll bite the bullet again today, head down to what has become the floating caravan and see what tomorrow brings. At the mo the high winds look to be dropping and the torrential rain abating....for one day only!

Today will be spent up the mast on Mairadon helping the in-laws out (I,ll hoist!) and other indoor bot jobs, so despite the gloom we,ll be in good company and if everyone keeps their fingers crossed and the jet stream takes pity on poor ole Blighty we should get out for a very long awaited swail!


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Our Night @ The Oscars

Amongst the doom and gloom of flood ridden plains this week there has been some fun, excitement and good news!

The tenacious ten headed to London this week for some national awards after being shortlisted in two categories. We had a great time and it was fantastic for them who have worked so hard doing the right thing for patients get some well deserved national recognition.

We didn,t win but received a highly commended award, they felt like champions and rightly so. I was a very very proud bunny.

British Summer Time............NOT!!!

ARrRgGHHHHHHHHHH!

This is just so depressing..............and never ending, and brings a whole new meaning to the rhyme rain rain go away!

Everything may be green and lush.........and..........but fed up of being damp and soggy.  We went down to das bot at the weekend but where greeted with waves in the marina, a quick nurst of sunshine and then grey clouds and lashings of not ginger beer but torential rain.  It brightend up briefly for the Red Arrows and quick as the tail smoke from their tails it disappeared and the wind picked up to 40 knots........a disturbed nights sleep followed.

So no swailing the next day but it was nice to be on her and do some odd jobs and just chill out.  On the Mairadon front after being storm bound in Dartmouth for the last two weeks, a dleivery skipper brought her round in lively seas off Start Point and not much visability approaching Plymouth but she has arrvied in the Marina and is a cracking sail by all accounts.  We'll be back down there this weekend to see her and help sort out a few more jobs.

As for me I am off to London for the Oscars with the tenacious ten..................more on that tomorrow but can I ask you all please to keep your fingers crossed! Hres hoping its slightly dryer in London, whoops i forgot Wimbledom is on...........rain!