Here we are in Woodbridge Suffolk, with all the sails and canvas stowed; and the running rigging washed, dried and put away. We have installed a brilliant dessicant dehumidifier (uses shore power) to keep belowdecks dry through the winter - by Meaco - and it will also supply some heat.

Talking of heat, we have been enjoying the diesel heater at night when the temperatures here drop to the high 40's: it works well in spite of the amateur installer!

We are flying to Lancaster PA next Monday, and will be there until December when we will fly to Marco I FL for the winter. So this will be our last post here for a while.

The Tidemill Marina is a perfect place for us to store the boat for the winter. We will return to Adventuress next Spring and our current plan is then to sail to Scotland and Scandinavia.

(Sorry about the accidental post here recently of an email we had received from some new English sailors!)

Best,
Nancy and John

Land of Hope and Glory!

We visited Guernsey and Sark in the Channel Islands before we departed for mainland England and the Deben River, our final destination for the summer.  Ten miles up the Deben, Tidemill Marina nestles into the heart of Woodbridge, a small charming town in Suffolk. This will be a safe home for Adventuress during the winter. We sailed 10 to 12 hours each day, and managed to find some lovely spots to anchor.  These pictures of the breath-taking scenery are why England in summer is so attractive even if it does not quite enjoy the Caribbean's weather!

Nancy looks good in the countryside of Sark.

Sunrise over our anchorage on Sark's eastern side.

We sailed past Alderney, Channel Islands, taking care to be downtide: the Alderney Race generates a heavy current, up to 5 knots even in summertime.

 

Twelve hours later we approached the Dorset coast. We had been heading for Swanage but the winds were not good for that course. We hardened our direction more northwards and with the winds set westerly we headed for Warbarrow, a bay that has a small inlet that offers protection only from the North and the West. Here we are approaching Mupe Bay on the western end of Warbarrow. The hills are called Purbeck, and just 5 miles West is the famous beauty spot, Lulworth Cove.

 

Mupe Bay: we had this enchanting fairy-tale place all to ourselves!



The dawn at Mupe Bay.

 

 



Leaving Mupe Bay and heading East towards the Isle of Wight.

 

 



The Dorset cliffs with ....

 

.....fields and pastures, and there goes a Dutchman flying westerly!

 

Now you know why the call it the Isle of Wight!

 

The chalk cliffs swoop along the shore where the sea has cut the land away over eons of time.

Beachy Head light, just to the west of Eastbourne: the lighthouse is 110 feet high.



 

You can walk along the coastline of Britain virtually all the way around, but the best way to enjoy it is from a sailboat! 

Anchoring a mile off the shore behind Dungeness: in the distance on the port bow is the nuclear power plant.

 

The Royal Harbour at Ramsgate: this was an artificial harbour built to hold the Royal Navy ships handily at the mouth of the Thames, in case Napoleon or his buddies tried something! Now it is a marina and still very convenient for us to stop and time the tides and winds to cross the Thames estuary and sail to Suffolk.

 

 

Our restful countryside anchorage a couple of miles inside the Deben river; quite a contrast to our previous spots in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Azores, Spain, The Scillies, and England's South coast.

 

Must be another Nancy sailing a quite pretty ketch in Suffolk's waters?

 

 

 

 

Anchored in the Deben, the water was flat enough for us to stand up on the bow and finally inflict a sunset selfie on you all!

 

Now we are land-based for a bit, so the posts here will be fewer: but stop back once in a while, there may be some news to read here!

 

Best, Nancy and John

 



 

Beginning our English Adventure

We sadly left our friends, Annehei and Willem, and the wonderful Isles of Scilly on July 23.....



.... with a foggy early morning motor-sail from St Helen's Pool, Isles of Scilly, bound for Falmouth.

 

Wolf Rock stands guard off Land's End

 



A calm evening as we entered Falmouth harbor.

We declared the Isles of Scilly as "not really England yet" so that we could celebrate arriving on mainland England, at Falmouth!

Docked at the Visitors' Yacht Haven.

Looking across the mooring field at Falmouth.

Next stop: Fowey. You cannot imagine a prettier little spot.......

....until the evening, when the wooden sailboat race completes the picture.

 

 

After Fowey we motorsailed to Plymouth, where we anchored off Cawsand and were greeted with a teeming beach....

 



...which was a puzzle until we saw the old-style rowing sixes and eights, holding their annual regatta all around us!

The hundreds on the beach were the families and supporters of about thirty boats: the mixed-crew 'Tempest' was winning this race of sixes, and yes, it was unfortunate that the whole boat was not following their cox's example of scanty attire!

 

Sunset at Cawsand: this anchorage was open to the South and East; but no worries as the weather was calm.

 



 

The Devon cliffs with rolling hills, and Dartmoor as a backdrop.

 



 

At Salcombe we arrived in time for Sunday lunch at the Victoria Inn.

 



And for the evening we found Starehole Bay, just outside the bar at the mouth of Salcombe harbor: what a spot!

  In the Bay with us was just one other boat: and what a beauty! A 29 foot Cornish gaffer (excluding the ten foot bowsprit!) built in Falmouth: thank you, Patrick, for such a lovely view and great conversation!

 

 



 

After Salcombe we motor-sailed eleven hours South East to Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, This is the fort on Brehon Rock, with Herm to port, Jethou to Starboard, and Sark in the distance.

 



 

St Peter Port has an impressive fort and a prominent light on the port side of the harbor entrance.

 



 

St Peter Port, Guernsey is just as beautiful up close as it is from the harbor mouth.....

 



 

But the twenty nine foot tidal change is not to be taken lightly: it must be said, however, that the skipper of this boat intentionally dried out along the wall!

The harbour is a busy pot of sailing folks, reminiscent of Horta, Azores.

 



 

 

Guernsey preserves a charm and gaiety that rivals any townscape we have seen.

 

 

 

Here is the fort from the inside of the harbour. Will someone please move it out of the way so that we can show you Adventuress at anchor on the other side, in Havelet Bay?

 

 

Best to you all, and yes, we are indeed blessed!

 

John and Nancy

 

 



Isles of Scilly

We found a pretty spot to anchor: St Helen's Pool. This is surrounded by small uninhabited islands that are home to many birds. The Pool is protected from almost all directions, and you can dinghy over to either Tresco or St Martin islands.

 

 

 

St Helen's Pool viewed from Tresco 

 

Tresco has many footpaths that meander through its shoreline and countryside.

 A freshwater lake with flying fish!

 

 

 Wild agapanthus were in full bloom

 

 

 and are properly at their best in some English summer sunshine.

 

 

 The sun may be out, but no shorts for Nancy!

 

 Tresco has active farms set amongst the island's hills, with onions, potatoes, flowers and cattle.

 Shoreline at low tide


 

 

On St Martin's

Beaches are large at low tide

 

 
 



Nancy's scarf was hand painted on St Mary's

 

 

 

Best, John and Nancy