Foy Pronounced "Joy"

It's longer to go down by road than it is by sea but over the Tamar bridge we went by land for our lunch date.

We love Fowey, it's a lovely sail down normally and a fab way to spend a weekend. The old town is lovely with the most amazing deli and pubs with fab river and sea views.

The sleepy town is just gearing itself up for the season, with pontoons just being put out. There weren't many visiting boats there yesterday despite the good weather this wk.

We were picked up from the visiting quay and tendered out to Parson Jack, a beautiful moody that had prime spot on the right hand side of the river. She has many a story to tell after doing the Atlantic circuit and back in the last few yrs.

We spent a lovely afternoon out on deck despite the northerly wind gusting up a bit at times. Fabulous lunch and salty sea dog tales time flies in good company.

We were also visited by a lonesome dolphin, that would ride the bow of any incoming vessel into the river as a welcome to Foy. It was lovely to watch and unusual to see in the river. Just perfect.

So hols almost at an end.....well not quite. Today das captain is helping his dad bring round their boat and it's operation engine fix!

If I return from the theatre later and am greeted straightaway by das captain with an outstretched glass of vino....I shall know that's the sign to brace myself that a BIG tax on being stupid bill is heading our way aka a new engine is required. Here is hoping NOT!


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Location:Fowey

Just Delicious

Oh what do on yet another scorchio day! Lady luck is shining down on us with this weather, we can't believe our luck!

Yesterday was sorting out the car day for new front tyres whilst we were landlocked so we tried our luck @ River Cottage Canteen, Plymouth.
No epic voyage by dinghy yesterday as on strict tyre schedule so by land we went and weren't disappointed.

Whilst you can't eat outside yet, that will happen shortly the inside is amazing.
They have made the most of the old impressive building and given it a real industrial and yet rustic feel.




Light lunch of starters (ham hock terrine for das captain and crab for me), plus a glass of Hugh,s legendary elderflower bubbly thrown in for good measure. It was delicious. Service all round was fabulous too. We,ll definitely be back.









After a quick walk around the front das captain set off to change the car tyres and I made the most of the sun on deck just chilling.

I love das bot for catching up on reading, from chick flick books, swailing adventures et al. Yesterday was no exception and I was mission on with a new book. You can't bet an afternoon indulging yourself in a book that you can't put down.

I sat reading Shane Spalls book about her sailing adventures with actor husband Timothy Spall.

I,ve always watched the tv series over the iPad. Das captain is an avid fan, hence the book and I have to say I loved it. Yep I read it over the day and read the last page at 10 o'clock last night!



Fowey by road today to pick up the new headsail, well that's what we thought but the darn thing is still not ready as promised much to das captain's frustration.

We are still going down we love the place and for good measure we have a lunch date with some friends aboard their bot......swooper.


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Location:King William Yard, Plymouth

Epic Voyage!

So when you have a kaput bot engine and the sun is still shining you do the next best thing...that is pump up the dinghy pack a picnic bag and head out for the day.

That's what we did yesterday after first stocking up on essential supplies.

It was scorchio on the pontoons like a July summers day and has softened the blow of our engine woes a great deal.

Life jackets on (just in case) we wendered our way out and headed across the pass, navigating our way through the naval traffic.

We looked tiny in our little vessel compared to the high out of the water boat transfer beasts, battling the current we made it across in one piece and not waterlogged to Mount Edgecombe.

After dragging the bot the up the beach we settled for a spot at the end of the quay next to the boatyard that saw the likes of Suhaili & Gypsy Moth spend their days being fitted before heading out on their epic circumnavigations of the globe.

Chichester set sail on the 27th August 1966 from Plymouth and returned back to port after 226 days of sailing, having circumnavigated the globe with one stop.

He was the first person to do a true solo circumnavigation of the globe from west to east via the great capes, no mean feat and was knighted for that achievement and he hated the boat he was swailing, describing her as cantankerous and difficult!

The boatyard was a hive of activity mainly refurbing military pontoons, now life has changed for them.

We sat and watched the world go by, the inshore lifeboat off up The Tamar in a hurry, which we later found out was due to an elderly lady that had fallen off the bridge and sadly did not survive.

It was mad dogs and englishmen as we saw kayakers and rowers dodge the traffic in the same way we had earlier.

We made the most of the sunshine, ate our scrummy picnic over a beer and glass of chilled vino and then at low water wendered our way back after a quick scoot up the Tamar to look at some boats @ anchor.

Swooper way to spend a barmy English day in March.













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Engine Woes

So after the excitement of watching the big beast go out to sea yesterday I thought that was it......no I was wrong.

After showers, tidy and pack up we were off for the week and not coming back until Saturday when das captain has a date with his dad to bring his boat round and the girls are off to the theatre.

The sun was shining and there was a good wind, gusty in parts as we headed out under motor so a good swail for the day was in order.

Out in the sound as we were about to go under sail alone, the engine wouldn't go back into reverse, kept sticking and then wouldn't go into forward gear either.

We headed back to Jenny Cliff Bay, dropped the pick, and das captain went down to have a look. After a quick diagnosis and lots of swearing we made the painful decision to head back to port.

It wasn't painful in that it was the right thing to do, just painful as we were well and truely hacked off!

After getting her back in safely, with the throttle still sticking, the rear cabin was dismantled and the back locker unloaded onto the pontoon so full access could be had to the engine.

Das captain has diagnosed the problem but it is a hell of a job which he can't do alone. So we are port bound as a floating caravan for the rest of the week.

Hey Ho, the sun is still shining brightly and we shall use the dinghy for some epic voyages out instead.




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Location:Plymouth

Wouldn't Want To Mess With This Beast Out @ Sea!

Not a bot to be seen this morning across the Sound as it has all been closed for a few hrs to let this monster wend her way back out to sea after a multimillion pound refit.

Two years in the making in the purpose built dry dock she is now back up to full muster and will soon be stealthing her way under an ocean near you!

As this one goes out another one replaced her a few weeks back for its long awaited refit.

It's so peaceful here this morning, the sun is out again and the swell of the last few days has been replaced with a millpond.

Surrounded by three tugs and half a dozen police boats, this big beast looks quite majestic in the water as she comes round.

Crew on deck, captain in the tower, there are small crowds along the front watching her wend her way.

Not a great war fan, but there is something quite magical about subs in the water. This big beast is no exception.





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Location: Mount Edgecombe, Plymouth

Impromptu Catch Up

A lazy morning today, I was up and reading whilst das captain had his first full lie in of the hols thus far.

It was sunny from first thing and the marina a hive of activity from sending out gin palaces to divers checking the pontoons.

We couldn't quite decide what to do so opted for shopping for new boat shoes for el capitan and then a dinghy ride across to
William Yard for a spot of lunch @ the newly opened River Cottage canteen.

That's it with hols u get into the zone...sailing can wait again until tomorrow.

Bot shoes bought we made the epic journey around the breakwater to William Yard....with an audience! The lads on the pontoons eating their lunch were wondering what this pair of nutcases were doing!

The chop wasn't too bad and we managed to time it right to avoid warship traffic and of course the Cremeyll Ferry!

William Yard was the old mainstay of the Royal Navy, amazing buildings which supplied many a sailor over the years. Now abandoned its being refurbished to all its glory by urban splash. They have maintained all the grandeur of the old buildings and it really is beginning to breath some life back into the yard.

Beautiful flats and now an array of cafes and restaurants map this landscape with a perfect view all around of the sea giving a real european outdoor feel to the place.

Soooo..... after our epic dinghy ride over ...Hugh's place was closed! How inconsiderate for a monday on our hols, so we settled for another restaurant and sat outside in the scorching sun. It was like a hot summers day there today.

Lunch fab and joined by the good and the great we were about to leave when my phone went...a fab friend who had seen my post re Canteen being empty and was about in Plymouth asked were we about still so we could we meet up.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent laughing and catching up in the sunshine, over some fizz as she hits the big 40 on Sunday.

She cadged a lift back with das captain as I took the road route back to das bot with her crew that joined us.

Love impromptu afternoons like that, when you least expect it, there is nothing nicer that chewing the cud over a drink in the sunshine.

Happy 40th birthday loops for sunday xx













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Location:Royal William Yard, Plymouth

A Great Swail

We woke up to yet another gorgeous day in the Yealm and it wasn't long before we slipped the lines and were away.

We were greeted by quite a swell as we left the entrance and headed out to sea, but it was still a stunning day.

Our new headsail has been delayed by a week so we,ve put the number 3 on at the front until we pick her up. It was time to let her come out to play.

We zipped along with just her up and no mainsail....Solent sailing today said das captain as we whizzed along at 7.5 knots! It was fabulous, she went like a dream and we were back to Plymouth in no time at all.

The sound was full of racing boats on our return some faring better than others as they struggled with the strong gusts, I love seeing the display of colourful spinnakers dotted across the place.

Back at the Marina, it's all about Princess Yachts, the pontoons are awash with them. It's jam packed, we,ve never seen so many of them being commissioned to go off to their new owners.

Anyone would think that we were in a recession!




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