Arwen's meanderings: beating up wind........

I think they call it beating upwind..........having to head into the wind relentlessly...........well that is what I did today. The wind came straight down the river Tamar from a north westerly direction force 3 rising to force 4. A gloriously sunny day and it was fun.

There is so much to see on the lower Tamar......herons plodding under the low hanging boughs of oak; little tugs scurrying between basins 1 and 2 in the dockyard; moored frigates; submarines being decommissioned.

The 'grockle boats' (grockle - cornish for tourist!!) with their loudhailer commentaries squawk loudly across the waves. Sunken old barges lying in the shallows, rusting hulk trawlers laid up on moorings, navy lighters moored fore and aft.

Of course, you need to concentrate! The Police boats are very active in this area, peering into every quay, basin and bay. They scrutinise everything including me! You have to be careful negotiating the Torpoint Ferry crossing. They come from both directions but at differing speeds and slipping between them is all a matter of timing!

And then there are the hidden little piers and quays hidden between dense oak trees; today the preserve of holidaying teenagers.......running and jumping with huge whoops and hurrays and ending in the Tamar with colossal splashes. Some are fishing, a few have lit fires to cook mackerel on.

Devils point at the mouth of the Tamar with Mayflower marina on the left

Best of all is the entertainment afforded by the Royal Navy in the Lynher at Jupiter Point training base. Lots of ribs with new recruits chucking bright orange buoys overboard to yells of 'Man overboard'; a nominated person pointing at the buoy whilst the helmsman desperately steers around to come alongside the unsuspecting floating buoy.

The Cremyll Fort battery at Mt. Edgecumbe

On HMS Brecon, an awning covers the foredeck underneath which new recruits learn the intricacies of dropping very large chain anchors under the watchful gaze of NCO's and Petty officers. Some lucky recruits get to race at high speed up and down the Lynher practising high speed turns whilst trying not to empty their colleagues into the briny. Others repeatedly come alongside pontoons over and over again until the manoeuvres become routine.

Barn Pool, a popular picnic anchorage

The only fly in the ointment of a perfect day was my little outboard. it keeps cutting out when you increase the speed above a certain point. It doesn't matter where you place the choke lever.....it cuts out! It needs a visit to the outboard doctor!

The Royal William Yard, the old Victualling yard at the time of Nelson

Some short films of today and more photos to come tomorrow. Today, we covered upwards of 15nm; average speed was 3.2kts; top speed was 5.4 kts.

The Edgecumbe Arms, on the Cornish side at Cremyll, where a foot ferry disgorges day trippers from Stonehouse, Plymouth, on the opposite bank

One of the tourist boats which run 1 hr dockyard tours departing from the Barbican in Plymouth

One of the old dockyard sheds and King Billy - more about him tomorrow

I'm not sure but I think this looks very like 'Spirit of Mystery', the boat that Pete Goss, his Son and a relative sailed all the way to Australia a couple of years ago