Over the course of the summer, legendary yachting journalist Barry Pickthall will be venturing north, taking his Rhodes 6-Tonner, Sea Jay, from her home in Chichester to the Western Isles in Scotland.
Writing on behalf of Sailing Today, former yachting correspondent for The Times newspaper and Yachts & Yachting magazine, Barry's blogs promises to bare all from his detailed cruise planning to stopovers (both planned and unplanned), food reviews and stories along the way.
In part 1, Barry and his crew end up at Plymouth Yacht Haven as they hide out from a storm and seek repairs to a possible fuel line issue.
Read the extract below or head to Sailing Today to read the full blog entry.
Blog Extract
Photo: Barry Pickthall
PHOTO CREDIT: SIMON TRANTOM/PPL
The winds turned SW 10knots at Start Point, leaving us with a close fetch towards Plymouth. The original intention had been to make for Falmouth, but a stuttering engine still suffering from some form of fuel starvation, prompted me to call Plymouth Yacht Haven close to the old Sunderland flying boat base at Mountbatten to see if they had a spare berth.
Continues...
What a welcome from marina manager Steve Kitchen and his team. So friendly and attentive. It was the right weather call too, for no sooner had we tied up, then the Sou’wester began to blow the chains off dogs. It gave us a chance to return home for Easter and leave Gavin and his mechanics at Mountbatten Boat House to give our fuel lines and engine a professional check.
It’s been blowing like that for much of the time since, with the winds not predicted to abate until Friday 14 April at the earliest.
I can hardly think of a better serviced marina to be holed up in!
Next port Falmouth or Newlyn before heading across the Irish Sea to Wexford.
Photo: Steve Kitchen, Marina manager at Plymouth Yacht Haven
PHOTO CREDIT: BARRY PICKTHALL/PPL
"I can hardly think of a better serviced marina to be holed up in!"
- Barry Pickthall for Sailing Today
