2: Poole to Plymouth, 11th/12th June
Shipping Forecast, 11th June 05.20: Portland , Plymouth: N or NE 4-5 occasionally 6 becoming variable 3 for time; rain at first; moderate or good, occasionally poor at first.
Our plan was to sail directly from Poole to Falmouth, another overnight passage, the thinking being to complete the already familiar south coast leg of the voyage as quickly as possible and particularly before a period of south westerly or westerly weather should set in. We waited on the mooring at Poole while a short spell of bad weather went through during the 10th June and cast off with the forecast of improving conditions at 09.15 hrs on the 11th. First call was the fuel barge but this proved to be unmanned and remained so until 10.00 by which time we gave up and, with the expectation of moderate or fresh northerly conditions and so little further immediate need for fuel, set off to sea. There had been no response from the fuel barge people either by VHF or telephone during the period we waited there so if you are planning to use this facility it might be best to activate them well in advance.
The forecast northerly weather failed to materialise and we spent the whole day, apart from an initial hour or two under sail up to Anvil Point, under power catching the last of the west going tide past Portland in fine and clear though windless weather. Later the familiar panorama of the South Devon coast from Torbay to Prawle Point appeared in sharp silhouette against the setting sun. The north wind finally came up around midnight and quickly increased to over twenty knots, and, feeling disinclined to battle with it over the remainder of the night, and having by then the inviting lights of Plymouth to starboard, we altered our intention and made into that place, picking up a vacant mooring inside the Mountbatten breakwater at 03.15 hours on the 12th, distance logged 100 miles.
Evening sun over the approaches to Dartmouth, 11th June