Falmouth to Ipswich

Having arrived in Falmouth earlier than planned we were able to enjoy a relaxing sail up the coast to Ipswich a mere 250Nm away. Falmouth is a scenic harbour to enter with Henry VIII's twin castles on the opposing headlands guarding the entrance against foreign invasion - dating from Tudor times. By this stage in our travels John had seen enough castles/forts to last a lifetime but Leanne couldn't resist a tour of Pendennis Castle (on the headland) and was rewarded with breathtaking 360 degree views. While we enjoyed our time exploring 'Fal' (as referred to by local's) from the marina, on a mooring buoy and then anchoring up Carrick Creek to enjoy walks in the countryside. The one surprise was being charged £6 a day to anchor - a local practice we hope is not contagious!

After five nights in Fal the forecast was looking favourable so it was an early morning departure to catch the outgoing tide as we headed to Salcombe. This was a great day's sail of 45NM albeit with full wet weather gear to keep warm - so much for summer sailing. Salcombe is a picturesque and popular resort town and cruising destination with a winter population of 2,000 growing to 25,000 during summer which made the narrow pedestrian streets somewhat crowded! 
The visitors mooring buoys were packed with yachts rafted up which made for a social time. We had the pleasure of being rafted alongside another Oyster 49 - Chita Vento. With only 15 49's built it was good to finally see a 'sister ship' with us being hosted for an enjoyable dinner onboard. We also enjoyed hospitality onboard Tilly Whim and the chance to see a much loved older and immaculately maintained, Oyster.
 
From Salcombe our next stop was Dartmouth. While the forecast was for wind (why else would we have left) once outside of the entrance the breeze died and we ended up motoring for 3hrs to reach Dartmouth.  We entered the Dart River on a gloomy day passing the Dartmouth Castle, built in 1488, and could only imagine what it would have been like when a chain was slung across the river mouth to protect the entrance. 

Dartmouth is another picturesque town and has been a thriving port since the 14th century. Not surprisingly Dartmouth is rich in history, with narrow winding streets, medieval architecture and quayside walks. In 1905 the Britannia Royal Naval College was established to train naval officers. This majestic building is set in a beautiful grounds overlooking the harbour/town. We enjoyed daily visits to the Royal Dart Yacht Club which was (as advertised) 'friendly and welcoming to visiting yachties'. The only downside to Dartmouth was mooring alongside a visitors pontoon and putting a long scratch on the hull when one of the visitor signs on the pontoon got snagged on our fender when coming alongside.

The next leg was our longest sail in the UK - 220NM or 36hrs and resulted in a great coastal sail up the channel to Ramsgate. This time our departure was a leisurely 1530hrs to catch the Dover tidal gate. Unfortunately we arrived at the white cliffs of Dover on dusk so didn't see a lot but were kept busy avoiding the Dover ferries. We were relieved to arrive in Ramsgate Marina after several hours of navigating our way through the numerous lights and challenging shallow waters just on low tide. The marina was full due to race week so we rafted up alongside a Dutch yacht for the next few days. Of note Ramsgate is the only Royal Harbour in the UK bestowed by King George IV in 1821. Ramsgate was one of the main embarkation harbour's during the Napoleonic Wars, was one of the first places in Britain to be bombed by the Germans, and during the 1940 Dunkirk Evacuation the town acted as the central port for the rescue of the troops from France. Another port that is rich in history with spectacular cliff top walks.  

Ramsgate was a quick two day stopover as the wind was favourable for our last leg of 60NM to Ipswich across the Thames Estuary. This would be our last early morning start at 0500hrs to enjoy a favourable tide and more importantly our last chance to sail on Sabbaticus. This was another excellent sail which kept us alert as we avoided the wind farms, shallow waters and navigation buoys requiring quite a few tacks to enter the River Orwell. After departing two years previously we arrived back at Fox's Marina which felt like we had come home receiving a warm welcome from team Fox.

Rafted up to Chita Vento in Salcombe

Royal Navy College Dartmouth

Royal National Life Boat in Salcombe