Tuesday 16 January – Penryn
Overnight Jake finds there is water flowing into the bilge at a slow rate.
At about 5 am I go through the system.
If the sink is set to drain into the sump tank we are getting sea water through that value into the sump tank. If the sump tank pump is not on it overflows into the main bilge. I set the sink to drain directly to the sea and that stops the problem (First rules of boating is keep the water out) This boat has so many systems it will take us several weeks to really understand it.
Up at 7:15 next morning – boat yard is open and we recover the ladders and painting stuff, store on board.
Push off 8:00 bound for the Solent, we will have breakfast on passage.
Good wind in bay get main and Yankee sails out. Wind starts to overpower the boat.
Have to get the Yankee furled, the loose sheet flogs around and punches out one of the plastic windows in the spray hood. (At least it was my fault, boats are there to be used!)
Furled the yankee out in the bay the wind is F5 – F6 on the bow with large rollers.
We put the second reef in the main and motor using no head sails.
My plan is to get to the Solent as quickly as possible – it’s F8 further out into the channel. (It’s been bad for the last month)
We spend the day motoring at about 7 knots with waves breaking over the foredeck.
Mike is still suffering from flu (He was a hero to come, and tries to rest below)
There is snow on the hills on the coast. Windchill on the helm is about -7 so we set the auto pilot and keep huddled under the spray hood. The boat has good heaters so you can go below and get warn. The motion below is pretty vomit inducing.
Strap into the galley and manager to warm some soup. Bread and soup for brunch, too rough for anything else. Cut my thumb and it bleeds for hours.
Pass Eddystone lighthouse, we are visited by dolphins and war ships.
Start Point at sunset 16:30, Mike is ill but happy for us to continue. We are now committed to sailing in F6 through 14 hours of darkness in freezing temperatures across Lyme bay to the needles and the solent (Yachting is so much fun)
We’re are motoring with the second reef in the main and the stay sail out, going at about 7 – 8 knots.
The stars come out and we can see the milky way, this is what’s is about.
We have Lana Del Ray playing on the speakers.
Heat up Heinz’s tomato soup, Jakes likes it better then chicken.
Lots of ships anchored in Lyme Bay, we have to dodge and weave the radar display is very clear.
At about 19:00 manage to make a couple of bacon sandwiches, not easy.
Later made a coup of coffee with modernly warm water and milk do not fancy dealing with boiling water in this sea.
Boat is ploughing into waves, water is flowing around the deck but only a little is in the cockpit
The boat feels safe, engine is running well, no water in the bilge, on into the night.
No sign of Mike he may have died being in the fore cabin, but we will leave the checking and paper work to another day!
At about 23:00 I manage to lie down for a while.
Jake and I now take turns sleeping for 45 minutes then coming on watch while the other sleeps.
Sleeping comes easily as we are very tired.
Jake and I get 2 sleeps in.