Circumnavigation of The British Isles 2011: RR1 South of England

While on our second Atlantic circuit in 2009–10 we realised that we knew some of the Caribbean islands better than many parts of our own coastline. We therefore decided that our next trip would be round Great Britain and Ireland.

We got back to the UK in July 2010, and after a two-month summer break in our beach chalet at Calshot in the Solent, we returned to Ipswich where we spent the winter effecting a major refurbishment of Island Drifter – the first in 12 years. Since we had not built the boat ourselves (as many Countess owners have), it was quite an education. We learnt a lot. In summary: we removed the furniture from the ceilings and deckhead; lined both with insulation to eliminate condensation (which had been a problem); removed and re-bedded all deck fittings; replaced the furniture, modifying it where appropriate; fully serviced and checked almost every piece of equipment; cosmetically repaired the GRP on the topsides; and recoated the deck with non-slip paint. We were fortunate that Mike’s brother and sister-in-law who live locally needed house-sitters while they were away for three months. We were therefore able to live in comfort during the very cold weather and while the boat was in a mess and uninhabitable.

We relaunched Island Drifter on 4 April this year, took a week to load, prepare for sea and say our farewells. We finally left Ipswich on 12 April bound for West Mersea where we had arranged to meet Colin Campbell, a fellow Countess owner. We were within one mile of West Mersea when the engine ground to a halt. We found the drain plug to the gearbox together with all the ATF fluid lying in the bilges. Unbelievable! We therefore sailed back to Shotley Marina at the mouth of the River Orwell, where we knew we could get prompt technical support. For the last two miles, against the tide and with no wind forecast for two days, we were towed to the marina by a brand-new Tamar-class lifeboat that was out on a commissioning run, manned by a training crew overseen by an assessor and inspector. We were their first customer! What a start to our trip!

The next morning, Rob, our diesel engineer from Ipswich, confirmed our diagnosis, then disappeared to return next day with a new gearbox which he fitted in 15 minutes. What service! We immediately left Shotley to continue our “circumnavigation” but had to give West Mersea a miss as we wanted to go to St Katharine’s Dock by Tower Bridge to watch the London Marathon. We made good progress on this passage, even though we had to wait out the tide at both Queenborough and Gravesend. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip up the Thames.

The atmosphere on the Marathon route was like a carnival: cheerful spectators standing patiently three-deep in the hot sun, balloons, massive cheering for every single competitor and live music immediately opposite us. The elite athletes, after running for 13 miles, went past faster than we could even think of sprinting. Our son Will and his partner Lesley joined us for lunch and later waved us off as we caught the lock out of the marina into the first of the ebb – enabling us to make the 42 miles to Queenborough on one tide. There we again sat out a foul tide before pushing on directly to the Solent, where we pulled into Chichester harbour.

We stayed there for four days on a buoy at Itchenor, relaxing and enjoying the hottest April since records began! With our new more powerful outboard and better dinghy (which we had to purchase in the Caribbean when we lost our old ones) we were able to easily explore the creeks and bays of this most attractive harbour. One almost tropical evening, Ian and Pippa Barker, old friends who have sailed with us in the UK and the Caribbean, joined us for supper.

From Chichester we sailed overnight to Plymouth, via Salcombe where we spent a very warm Easter Sunday. We have often sailed past this splendid ria (it being not an estuary but a drowned valley without a river) and have always wanted to see it. In Plymouth we elected to stay in Queen Anne’s Battery marina since we needed to address a number of problems that had arisen after our “sea trial” and the area is well provided with good yacht support services, all of whom were prepared to deal with us immediately as a yacht in transit. Before leaving we were joined for lunch in the cockpit by Bob and Beryl Salmon. Bob skippered yachts on the first two Whitbread Round the World Races and was the originator of the Mini-Transat, a single-handed race across the Atlantic for small boats. Bob and Beryl are always good company and Bob is a mine of useful information.

We sailed from Plymouth to the Falmouth estuary, where we stayed on a visitors buoy in St Mawes harbour, after refuelling with diesel and water at midnight in an adjacent marina. Next day we met up with old friends Mike and Di Garside who live on the hill overlooking the bay. What a location! On the first evening we enjoyed their company, food, showers and use of washing machine. As seasoned sailors themselves they know what cruisers need! It was also great to join them to watch the Royal Wedding in comfort with a glass or two of fizz. Mike and Di sailed round the world 30 years ago with their two young daughters in a 32ft Tradewind, in the days before GPS and, in their case, VHF! Since then Di has sailed round the world “the wrong way” on one of Chay Blythe’s boats and Mike came second overall in a solo “Around Alone” race.

After “the Wedding”, we set out for an overnight sail to the Scillies. On the way we were caught in a thunderstorm when there was hardly a gap between the lightning and the thunder claps. Scary! We moored at dawn in St Mary’s harbour, off Hugh Town, the capital of the archipelago, where we watched the World Pilot Gig Racing Championships over the May Day weekend. Gig racing evolved from the practice of families racing out to meet incoming craft, in order to act as their pilot and principal contact on shore. With all the crews and supporters of the 139 gigs taking part, along with visitors like ourselves, the place was vibrant and very colourful. The competition was fierce but very amicable. Regrettably, however, the splendid hot weather we’d experienced over the past month ended the moment we reached the Scillies.

From St Mary’s we negotiated the rocks and sandbars of the channel across to New Grimsby Sound between Tresco and Bryher. There we visited the famous Abbey Gardens of tropical plants and the Valhalla museum of ships’ figureheads recovered from wrecks. Over 800 ships have been wrecked around the islands. We also walked around Tresco’s coastline which is easy enough to do in half a day even with a pub stop. The beaches are of fine white sand, aloes and sedums grow to enormous size in the hedgerows, and birds, such as the Bryher thrush, are almost tame.

We left Tresco in a strong south-easterly wind on the beam and had a very fast sail (by our standards) to Milford Haven in Wales, where we picked up a buoy in a sheltered spot off Hobbs Point near the Cleddau bridge. We left the boat and stayed the night with Graham and Wendy George. We first met them in Ipswich Haven Marina 12 years ago when they took our lines as we returned from our first Atlantic Circuit in 2000. They very kindly took us shopping for provisions and various chandlery items. Interestingly, they have been helping their next-door neighbour, an architect, build his eco-house made of straw bales coated with clay dug from their garden. The house will be roofed with sedum on one side and solar panels on the other. Volunteers from all over the world have worked on the house since it is said to be so innovative. It will look like a “normal” house when finished and is in fact situated in a “normal” residential street and will soon be the subject of a prime-time TV programme. (Google: Pembroke ex-straw-ordinary eco house.)

Before leaving Wales we also met up with Mary Thomas, my mother’s goddaughter whom I last saw 45 years ago! She and her partner Matt run Eden Publications and she gave us a copy of their guide to Pembrokeshire – a very interesting and informative book.

With gales forecast in two days’ time we decided to leave Milford Haven promptly and sailed overnight in a strong following wind to Crosshaven on the south coast of Eire. We moored in Drake’s Pool, a small protected anchorage up the Owenboy river. Drake is supposed to have anchored here while evading a larger Spanish fleet. It must have been a bit of a squash.

At this moment, the tops of the trees that surround the Pool are bending seriously with the wind while we remain almost unaffected. We’ll wait for the gale and Atlantic swell to subside before moving on. Meanwhile there are things to do and places to visit.