Long stay in Portsmouth

We are enjoying a sedate stay in this great harbour visiting the new house that Miles our son has recently bought. Helping with some interior lighting enhancements. We are also spending time with Grant our youngest who is on holidays from University, and we had a quick visit from our daughter Caitlin who lives in London.

Also planning to visit the Southampton show to buy more equipment for our long term cruising, and to find a suitable place to store our yacht for the winter.

Beaulieu to Portsmouth Harbour

Exciting trip across the Solent avoiding supertankers and yachts. Entered the melee of Portsmouth and turned into Haslar Marina. Communicated on Channel 80 with a very efficient marina supervisor and ended up with a nice berth. Consequently we booked in for ten days. So next we go ashore and visit family.

Another night in Beaulieu

We asked the harbour supervisor of the Beaulieu river if there was room on the Bucklers Hard pontoon, and sure enough there was, so we left the mooring on the lower river, motored upstream and moored up. We immediately got the dinghy in the water and went ashore to visit the old 'Hard'.

Later in the evening we had supper in the Old Forge Hotel.

Nice evening in a beautiful setting.

From Poole to Beaulieu in the Solent

The harbour of Poole was unimpressive, although we went ashore for a trip to nearby Boutnemouth which was enjoyable. The strong wind a crazy tide pattern left us numb, and the astronomical prices that the marina wanted to charge us was enough to put anyone off.

So we departed Poole at 11.00 this morning and had a nice gentle trip to the great Solent. Past the Needles and into the Beaulieu River to pick up a mooring.

Dartmouth to Studland Bay near Poole

We eventually dragged ourselves away from Dartmouth after a wonderful few days that included a visit from Miles our number one and a stay of Grant our number three.

The recent hurricane left some unsettled weather, high seas with strong winds, but we had a need to move East to Solent area.

The trip from Dartmouth started at midnight and was quite a challenge! Major swell and rough turbulence especially near Portland Bill. But the latter few hours was a nice sail before we dropped anchor in the wide yet exposed bay of Studland.

Plymouth to Dartmouth

After a night at anchor in Cawsand Bay we sailed East, on the 3rd August, for 6hours to Dartmouth. Glorious day and lots of other yachts and boats. We moored on the deep water pontoon just opposite Dartmouth town. Following day we took a trip to Totnes on the lovely old paddle steamer.