Salcombe to Lyme Regis

As soon as we left the Dart River I lost my internet connection at Start Point so haven't until now been able to post.  Salcombe is a very pretty estuary and we laid on one of the visitors pontoons just out of the run of the tide.  Paddling ashore in the dinghy was a bit of a struggle because they are difficult to row and I nearly fell in, but didn't as that would have got to the Wheatsheaf eventually when we got back.  It was a close thing.  The waste and recycling has its own pontoon but trying to get on to it proved difficult from a low dinghy to discard our garbage.

We needed stores; running low on wine, bread and other supplies, luckily all the shops were open and it was crowded with tourists.  No supermarket though and although we paid a little over the odds for the wine it is superb Marlborough Sauvingnon blanc.  This morning we took on water as the water is soft here and it's lovely to have a shower on board without using hardly any shampoo.  I made use of the open butchers to get some sirloin steak and some fresh croissants.

So after that about midday to get the right tides we headed back east towards Start Point, crossing the entrance to the Dart river whereupon another pod of dolphins came towards us at speed and I managed to get a decent picture this time (loaded up later when I'm home).  What I am going to do is go to the Apple shop next week and purchase something that wil allow me to post pictures from my phone or my iPad onto this blog, it's infuriating as the scenery along the coastline and the estuaries and rivers is stunning.

So crossing Lyme Bay in some heat of the day, flat calm seas I read yet another book, that's my 4th this trip and I'm really enjoying them.  it's taken around 5 hours to get here but worth it as the harbour has changed alaot over the years and now can accommodate boats like ours in this tidal harbour and we can get ashore without the dinghy.  Bill is currently being a tourist and looking at a trawler that's just come in to land the fish.

Dart River

So here we are in Dittisham on the Dart River just up from Dartmouth where it is a lovely setting very quiet and glorious sunshine.  We picked up a visitors buoy about 10 minutes rowing from the shore where there is a good pub but we are eating aborad tonight with my home made spag bol.  Probably go for a drink later.  I am currently enjoying a spanish style gin and tonice.

Yesterday we took the bus from Torquay to Paignton and had a very nice lunch in a place called the Harbour Inn where I had a very fresh plaice and Bill had a piece of haddock with chips the batter was fantastic.  My plaice was with garlic butter and absolutely delicious.

Decided to look around the small harbour and I went to the Harbour Masters office and met a very helpful mand called Simon who gave us the low down of visitors.  The harbour dries out completely at low water but there are a few moorings just outside that we could use and then row in.  It may be one of our destinations on the way back as I'd love to try the rooftop restaurant called TJ's as the menu looked great and Simon gave it the thumbs up.

Bill is currently trying to feed the ducks with my stale loaf of bread but trying not to feed the seagulls who are very aggresive and horrible.

Looking forward to Salcombe tomorrow.

Weymouth to Torquay

So having arrived in Weymouth our destination for food for the evening had to be Chinese  One of our faves is the Ming Wah in the high street and so good was it, we left a good tip. We decided after some debating whether to move on to the west or go home but now we are in Torquay and are staying 2 nights as the weather is iffy but its still very warm and close.  Went for just a tapas last night and tonight as we had a lovely meal in Painton this lunchtime where i had a very fresh plaice and Bill had haddock in a very crispy batter it was a lovely lunch.  I also went to see the Harbour master there to get the SP for going there in the future because it is a lovely harbour.  His name is Simon and his oppo is Sam and we shall probably go there on the way back home.

The next thing I have to mention is Mike in the MDL Harbour office in Torquay.  If you ever come here by boat he is he best man to help you in guiding to the allocated berth and very happy to accommodate freezer blocks in his freezer to assist you with your cold box if you have one like we do.  His Oppo in the evening we met is John and he was very helpful too and obviously they have a good chain of staff that help people in the seafaring community.  How great is that ??

So tomorrow we plan to go to Dartmouth in fact we shall go to Dittisham for the night and eat onboard my spag bol i prepared earlier before we left that was frozen but no defrosted.  the pasta is in the cupboard to be cooked al dente but we have no parmesan so i think my cornish cruncher cheese will suffice !!

Thank you to Torquay Marina for your great service, Mike, John, you will be remembered.  It was a pleasure being here.

Lymington

Having left Portsmouth yesterday lunchtime by the time we got to the waters off Egypt Point near Gurnard the tide had turned going east where the wind was coming strongly from the west, therefore the slop in the Solent made it very uncomfortable on the boat.  We decided to shelter in Lymington here for the night.  After a late lunch snack we sat on board in the lovely sunshine relaxing before going up to Stamwells for dinner.  We wanted a Chinese meal but the one on the quay has gone and the other one at the top end of town wasn't rated very highly by the barmaid in the pub nearby.  We tok her word for it as she was very intelligent and well spoken and made us feel very welcome.  I don't think I'd go back to Stamwells as it was quite expensive, although the food was good.  Bill said that we were paying for surroundings and lots of staff.  Main courses were typically £20 or more and starters nearly £10.  Nice boutique hotel though.

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Trying to go to Weymouth today with the tide that leaves about 1pm, it's 12.30 now.  If it's messy out there again on the water we will probably go to Christchurch.

Christchurch

So after waking up on Saturday morning to beautiful sunshine decided to get under way to get the tide up to Christchurch entrance.  Suddenly all these swans turned up..

There are hundreds of beach huts along the shore here opposite Mudeford.

This is the second time we have been here (see Chrystianneinspain.blogspot.com from July last year) and we wanted to go to Splinters Restaurant in the evening, so after contacting Rossiters boatyard for a berth made our way up the Estuary and finally the river to our destination.  We are virtually in the same place as last year.  Booked in, paid up for the night (£25), plugged into the electric and had some breakfast of bacon sandwiches and an egg sandwich as well for Bill. I thin phoned Slinters to reserve a table only to discover that they had Jazz there that night which was an absolute plus for me.  The sun was so warm decided to stay on board sunbathing (and reading) until about 2pm whereas we went and bought a timetable for the local area then into YOGI, the pub.  After a lovely glass of Pinot blush and sitting in their cool courtyard, meandered back to laze on the boat and study the tide tables.  Interesting that there is a second high water nearly 3 hours after the first which is higher on the springs and lower on the neaps.

 

This is a lovely picture looking up the river

After changing into some suitable clothes we made our way to Splinters, we are only about 15 minutes from the town centre where it is near the Church.

We sat outside and had gin and tonics listening to the band who were outside playing very nice smooth jazz.  I ordered lamb and Bill the beef steak.  Both were absolutely delicious washed down with a very nice Spanish White.  I shall now make my lyonnaise potatoes with garlic.  After that I ordered a tasting dessert which was a mixture of 6 small portions of a selection that they do there, although I couldn't finish all of them (I thought I'd have some help) the whole meal is definitely one to go back for.

So up and early the next day to catch the first tide, Bill wants to do some fishing although it was a fruitless pursuit in the end so we ended up in Newtown Creek for the afternoon to wait for the rising tide to take us back to Portsmouth.  Got a take away curry for dinner.  All in all another lovely weekend.

Robinson is safely ashore

We'll we did our deed yesterday and took the mouse ashore to let it find it's new home.

So after a couple of gins decided to eat the pizza I'd made the previous day only to find that the centre hadn't been cooked enough but anyway the flavour was delicious.  We then watched itv3 and watched an episode of Frost.  Very quiet and tranquil, lovely sunset and a bright moon later.

 Water slapping at the bow made it a bit difficult to sleep seeing as this is he first time we've been out and stopped away on the boat this year.  So now have phoned the boatyard in Christchurch to see if we can stop there as we want to go back to Splinters Restaurant where we had a very memorable meal last year.

Studland bay

Having left Portsmouth at 10am with the tide we arrived here bout 3 hours later.  In the meantime we inherited a mouse and 2 mackerel.  The former was found in a cupboard with the tins of soup and beans, god knows how it got there, our cats must have caught it and we must have put something in the cupboard ?? Who knows.....still we didn't have the heart to throw it in the tide so we gave it a little meal of croissant and some fresh water and he will be taken to Brownsea Island in about an hour via the dinghy and let free to make his new home.  Thankfully Bill has offered to inspect the cupboard later to check for droppings and a nest......

Here's the first mackerel :

The views of the  Harry  rock and the surrounding Jurassic coastline are spectacular.

The weather has been glorious this afternoon and a gin and tonic had to be had, whilst we sunbathed in the cockpit of the boat watching the world go by and the occasional irritating jetskier.  Planning to stop at the north end of the island in Poole harbour where the tourists have never been to, to anchor up for the night.  I made a large pizza yesterday which will be our evening meal tonight with some salad.