29 May 2009 - Waiting to get into Bude
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2 June 2009 - Padstow (Or was it Newquay?) to Bude
29 May 2009 - Waiting to get into Bude
We've been in Padstow for almost a week now. The weather is beautiful and life would be great if we were on holiday, but the wind has blown stubbornly, and very strongly, from the Northwest. We have also been close to spring tides, when the tides are at their highest and lowest. All this has meant great weather for surfing into Bude, but no chance either of sailing in or of being able to open the lock gates once we get there. It's essential to get inside the lock gates and into the canal as Bude Harbour dries right out. The Artemis is a carbon fibre boat which needs at least 1 m of water below her, even with the bulb keel right up. If she was allowed to dry out, even fendered against a harbour wall, it would cause serious damage. This has meant a frustrating week for the crew, waiting around for the weather to be right very early on in the sail. The three of us who are remaining crew from last year were more prepared for this than the others, but it hasn't made it much easier.
The good news is that Monday at 00:00 looks like it should be a possibility, at least. The strong winds we've had all week should die down today (it's now 17:00, so I hope it happens soon.) This will mean that the waves currently breaking onto Bude Beach, which are currently approximately twice the height of a man, will get a chance to calm down somewhat
I am determined to sail as much of the coast as is possible, rather than just picking up a tow when the wind dies or is in the wrong direction. Of course, most boats have some sort of propeller which they would switch on in these conditions, but mine doesn't. I want this to be as independent a sail as is possible. This can be problematic...
My "rules" mean that, because I picked up a tow just outside Newquay, I have to be towed back to that spot and pick up the sail from there. On a sail like Padstow to Bude this isn't too much of an issue since the sail would only be around 29 nmiles anyway. As it happens there's not much wind, so punching the tide for 4 hours could be a challenge...
Page last updated on 31 May 2009 at 23:20