Cold weather sailing with the Ithakas

We were delighted to have Colin & Ana join us for 4 nights aboard Maunie over the weekend. We first met them in Panama, where they bought Ithaka, their 43ft aluminium Ovni,  and then sailed with them, or near them, for about 3 years before their epic crossing from NZ to Chile. From there, they navigated the channels down to Cape Horn and then  returned to France via the Falklands. Epic adventurers, indeed, but they have now sold the boat and have been working very hard to renovate a cottage in Scotland; we were glad to be able to drag them away from the building work.

Sunny but cold conditions as we sailed from Dartmouth to the Yealm

After a lovely, fast sail in 16-20 knots of northerly wind (making it bitingly cold but delivering a very smooth sea) we moored up in a deserted River Yealm, had a quick lunch then went on an energetic hike over the hill to the South West Coast Path for a circuit back to the boat in the fading light. A restorative beer or two was needed in the pub before we returned to Maunie for a fish pie supper.

Looking east towards the Mew Stone, with Rame Head in the distance. The entrance to Plymouth Sound is to the right 

The tranquil River Yealm at dusk. The heating system on Maunie earned its keep in the evenings and early mornings.

 Saturday dawned wet and windy but, as forecast, the skies cleared for a while to give us another good coastal walk before a relaxed long lunch in the Ship Inn. Back aboard for the evening, Colin produced Doh! Cranium, a game that we made for them for their crossing from NZ to Chile. Based on a Canadian game called Cranium, our version just involved describing the given clues (all based on Ithaka's voyage) through the medium of Play-doh sculpture. 

The yellow 'sculpture' was supposed to be Easter Island!

The return sail on Sunday started fairly gently but we had a bouncy time in the Start Point tidal race, with wind against tide. Maunie took it in her stride and Ana helmed us expertly through the waves.

Approaching the tidal race in calm conditions, but we could see the breaking waves ahead of us

Maunie punches her way through the waves

A fun weekend with great company and it was good to have made the best of some pretty changeable weather.