Wednesday 5th 
Oh and why were we there, ah yes the Gig Racing, watching from one of the beaches, It was an awesome sight with over 100 boats rowing across the bay, (click on the pictures to enlarge). We watched as they assembled to start their race.
The rest of the day was spent searching for shells and coloured stones before meeting the others for the journey back to St Marys.
Not been blogging lately but there's a reason for that. I've been sailing on Watanga. We have travelled to the Scilly Isles and back, a total of 350 miles. Starting Tuesday week ago and getting back at nearly midnight last wednesday. It's the longest stretch I have spent on the boat, in fact on any boat, in one go. The picture is of Greg readying the main sail on the tuesday morning 7 am.
Destination for the first day was Dartmouth and the trip took 12 hours, Dissappointingly we had had to motor all the the way.
The Entrance to Dartmouth wasn't quite the same in the morning. When we left it was thick fog and we took it very slowly down the river expecting to have to wait for the fog to clear. However at the entrace to the river it just stopped and was like emerging through a set of curtains into clear air. At 10:30 we put the sails up, the first opportunity to actually sail. Nice and quiet without the motor. Onward to Falmouth. On arrival we have a meal on board and then off to meet up with the crew of "Fusion " for a couple of pints in the "Chain Locker". Very nice cosy atmosphere. 
Day Three and it's off to Penzance Still not enough wind to sail, but have to reach Penzance to meet up with Louise. Bit of a frightening moment when the engine stuck in forward gear. Investigations found that it was the thottle lever mechanism that had partially siezed. Managed to mend that once we were in the Harbour. Louise was waiting on the quay all excited. The Harbour Master was a very nice chap and very accomodating but it's not the easiest of places to stay in. It's a working fishing harbour so a bit messy and we were put alongside a very big fishing vessel that we had to climb up and over. Fusion went to Newlyn just down the road but we met up in the "Dolphin Tavern" in Penzance for a meal. It was about 2 miles for them and only 50 Yds away for us. Result there!
April 8th and the it was time to bring Watanga back into the bay. A pleasant journey with very little wind so motored all the way. Some poor sole had gone aground in the Wareham Channel, and was being helped by another vessel. He didn't seem to perturbed and the tide was about to change anyway just an embarrassing start to the season.
We got back too late to join in the Thursday evening racing but it was nice to watch everyone enjoying themselves
Next out into the garden for a bit of electrical work fitting a security light to his garage. Well not so much of a security light as a "Stop be falling over in the dark light" Fortunately we had left a live lead ready for this light 
back when we repaired the garage wall.
Last week I was driving backwards and forwards to Dorchester Hospital where Louise had an operation on her neck, so time slipped by without me really noticing. A quick glance at the Calendar and I realise there's precious little time to get everything ready for the sailing season. The Dart 18 is in need of a few repairs and TLC. and the yacht is far from ready. The opening race is next Sunday and the Yacht goes in the water in about 2 weeks time. Jobs are now being catagorised into inside and outside wet or dry to suit all the weather conditions that are likely. Throw in a Beach working party at the sailing club and it adds up to a busy week ahead. so not much time to take fancy photographs. 
"Panoramic view of Lulworth cove" without the use of a wide angle lens. This is quite an exciting shot as it shows the cove in such a vivid way. The lenses are polarising the light, and the bridge is obscuring the bright sun. It was just on the spur of the moment, but will have to elaborate on this in future shots. 
This week has been dominated by some cold East winds that have pounded the beach and bought with it some seaweed and strangely what looks like straw?. I'm not quite sure where that would have come from at this time of year. However mixed up in this flotsam were thousands of white and occasionally blue pellets of plastic. It is a major concern that this stuff will not degrade but float around the oceans for hundreds of years. Indeed some of the plastic in the sea may have been there for 50 years. What is more alarming is that although it takes an enomous time to degrade it will be pummeled by the sea into smaller and smaller particles. It's these particles that are potentially the most dangerous, they get into the tiniest of animals, those at the bottom af the food chain. We just need to remember who's at the top of the food chain. In many cases, Us ! Just read this article.
We had spent the early part of the week doing touristy things because in the summer we're busy doing other stuff. It was a bit cold at times and wet too, but we managed to dodge the showers for the most part. I got as far as Portland Bill in the last entry. 
Sunday we visited Alderley Edge and saw Merlins Well. Locall egend goes that merlin has hidden King Arthur and the knights of the round table in the rocks and will bring them out of their slumber in time of great peril.
