Chapter Four, in which I see my first real dolphin and find two brass ones in a charity shop.
"...Ilfracombe is not a completely calm place to moor. Any South Westerly around to North Easterly winds send in a surge to both the inner and outer harbours. This means constant movement which is wearing on the mind in a way that only someone who has experienced it can know! From the pier the boats look calm and pretty with the slight rolling and rocking movements appearing, well, charming and relaxing. From within the cabin though, the view outside is forever heaving up and down and ones internal organs are in motion. The feeling this produces makes me quite envious of people on holiday with cars and sleeping in nice solid hotels. "Oh for a hotel bed that doesn't rock and roll...". No, only joking. I have a plan to make for Milford Haven tomorrow morning at 0500 hrs (Tuesday the 15th August). It is a slightly daunting passage in the open sea at around 50 miles. The refuges en route are nil, apart from Lundy Island, which is a formidable lump of granite accompanied by Puffins. The Puffins do sound wonderful and reaching Milford Haven has become an ideal position to attain.
From there I can take a train to Ilkley next week while juggler is moored securely in a marina. Also there are numerous rivers and bays to explore all within the relative shelter of the extensive Cleddau Estuary, which stretches ten miles inland. I would feel that I had made sufficient distance away from Bristol to be really pleased with myself, at the same time I would not be giving myself any extreme challenges on the way back in September. 100 miles is a fair way but done in day sails is easy to whittle down. The 50 miles from Ilfracombe to Milford Haven is proving hard to embark on, psychologically it is beyond my comfortable passage length of 25 miles although I have many times sailed 50 miles in one leg..." Read more
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