Lymington to Lymington

Our adventures in Taonui started in Lymington in 1996 and Taonui returned there at least eight times over the the next 17 years. So it is rather appropriate that we end our offshore sailing here. Taonui passed the purchaser's survey with flying colours and, with all the TLC before re leaving the Azores and thorough cleaning and polishing in the UK, she looked just great. It was hard for us to say goodbye, but we are happy with the prospect that her new owners, Ann and Glenn, are going to take her on more trips in the High Latitudes. She is to be re-named Gjoa, after Amundsen's ship, and Plans are to take her to the Canadian Arctic next year.

The prevailing wind along the south coast of England is westerlies, but, wouldn't you know it, we had strong east winds for all of the eight days that we took to get from Falmouth to the Solent. Perverse!! Nonetheless, we enjoyed the picturesque ports along the way...Fowey, Salcombe and Dartmouth. There reallyisn't anywhere to anchor so we were tied to buoys or pontoons, which was just fine with us as the rivers and tides run strong in these places. Passing

Plymouth we found ourselves in the middle of a nay/marines exercise with destroyers swooping around a rather strange looking pocket aircraft carrier and a series of eight boat high speed ribs roaring around. Coryn got a friendly wave from one as they hurtled by.

With the sale of Taonui complete we came up to London to do some touristy things.....Notting Hill Market on Saturday morning, two hours at the very well done Wimbeldon Tennis Museum, a matinee performance of War Horse (excellent) and, of course, the wonderful and free Museums. and the now restored historic Navy buildings and hospital at Greenwich and the nearby Royal Observatory with its display of the Harrison Clocks.

On Tuesday morning we fly to Malaga for a week's touring in around, Serville, Granada and Cordoba. After that we are off to Austria.

Falmouth

I'm glad to be in. At noon yesterday I was off the Manacles, 7 miles from Falmouth after a wonderful sail for the previous 24 hours. Wing and wing, two reefs in the main and 1/2 the genoa poled out, a full moon. glorious sailing, easy and comfortable. Lot's of ship traffic to keep me attentive the AIS and the radar. 156 miles noon-to-noon. For the trip; 1,297 miles sailed, 100 more that a direct course getting around the High. 10.3 days, an average of 126 miles a day.

Today is cold, raining and blowing with more of the same in the forecast. It's good to be tied to a dock.

Day 9 May 27 Great sailing

Noon-to-noon 164 miles. Great downwind sailing. Taonui is so good at this. Three reefs in the main and 1/2 of the #2 genoa poled out, Albert loving it. At dawn a big frontal area passed over, lots of rain, and out the other side, as forecast the wind went from SW to NW. Very confused peaky seas tossing the boat around. Went W+W on the other tack, but now, noon, back onto a broad reach. Still violent tossing, but it is going down.

Noon position was 49 36N 8 59W with 149 miles to go to the Lizard and then 15 miles into Falmouth Harbour.

Day 8 May 26 Great winds from here to Falmouth

No wind for much of last night, but a 00:40 it came in again from the west. So Wing and wing again with the speed slowly building. By 11:00 the wind had shifted to the SW and Taonui was off on a broad reach making 6.8n 7.0 knots. Lovely smooth sailing. I'm now in UK Shipping Forecast waters ( only 11 hrs to noon as clocks lost a hour) and the forecast for my area, Sole, SW Force 4 veering NW. Looking at this morning's weather fax, it should hold in the NW on Monday. A deepening low approaching northern Scotland. High in Biscay. And the Atlantic High has gone north and east, reaching all the way to Nova Scotia.

Noon position 48.44N 12.55W, noon-to-noon (11 hrs) 125 miles, 309 to go.

Coryn flies to London on Monday and will be coming down to Falmouth on Friday morning.

Day 8 May 26 Great winds from here to Falmouth

No wind for much of last night, but a 00:40 it came in again from the west. So Wing and wing again with the speed slowly building. By 11:00 the wind had shifted to the SW and Taonui was off on a broad reach making 6.8n 7.0 knots. Lovely smooth sailing. I'm now in UK Shipping Forecast waters ( only 11 hrs to noon as clocks lost a hour) and the forecast for my area, Sole, SW Force 4 veering NW. Looking at this morning's weather fax, it should hold in the NW on Monday. A deepening low approaching northern Scotland. High in Biscay. And the Atlantic High has gone north and east, reaching all the way to Nova Scotia.

Noon position 48.44N 12.55W, noon-to-noon (11 hrs) 125 miles, 309 to go.

Coryn flies to London on Monday and will be coming down to Falmouth on Friday morning.

Day 8 May 26 Great winds from here to Falmouth

No wind for much of last night, but a 00:40 it came in again from the west. So Wing and wing again with the speed slowly building. By 11:00 the wind had shifted to the SW and Taonui was off on a broad reach making 6.8n 7.0 knots. Lovely smooth sailing. I'm now in UK Shipping Forecast waters ( only 11 hrs to noon as clocks lost a hour) and the forecast for my area, Sole, SW Force 4 veering NW. Looking at this morning's weather fax, it should hold in the NW on Monday. A deepening low approaching northern Scotland. High in Biscay. And the Atlantic High has gone north and east, reaching all the way to Nova Scotia.

Noon position 48.44N 12.55W, noon-to-noon (11 hrs) 125 miles, 309 to go.

Coryn flies to London on Monday and will be coming down to Falmouth on Friday morning.

Day 7 May 25 West winds at last!

Great down wind sailing. Last evening the barometer started a slow decline and at 01:00 the west wind started. What a pleasure to turn off the engine. Light at first, but within an hour up to 15 knots. Taonui came alive. Full main out to port, full #1 genoa poled out to st'b and she was off. 7.5 - 8 knots. Down below, snug in my bunk, I could listen to the lovely sound of little bubbles rushing along the hull....instead of the grind of the engine for the previous 36 hours. On deck a lovely moonlit night, cool, clean, bright.

Noon-to-noon was 151 miles leaving 434 miles to go. ( noon position was 47.57 N 15.48 W ). Around 10 AM it started to drizzle and then rain, proof positive that we are now in UK waters. It must have a weak front passing over as the wind switched more into the NNW and dropped to 10 knots. Still sailing Wing & Wing but on the port tack and speed down to 5 knots. I'm heading a bit north of the required course so as to avoid some of the heavy traffic heading into the Channel. Had a chat with big tanker last night. The Chemo Leo heading for Antwerp, only making 12 knots, while Taonui was making 8. So it took an age for him to get from the bottom to the top on the 24 miles covered by the radar screen.