Summary of the 2021 Round GB trip and some statistics .

Statistics

438 hours sailing.
1,879 nautical miles over the ground.
47 days sailing.
24 days weather bound.
39 nights at anchor.
29 nights in a marina.
5 nights on a mooring (Tobermory & Fowey).

Days weather bound were due a forecast of strong or gale force winds likely to arrive before I could reach shelter, I sometimes left with a forecast of strong (Force 6) winds if I was in sheltered waters and / or I would be running before it and seas were not expected to be excessive. Forecasts of course were not always correct, in both directions. No days were lost due to lack of wind.

Although not as restrictive as in 2020 Covid-19 restrictions still limited options and length of stay ashore and I still haven't visited Skara Brae and a number of other places of interest.

Day by Day

	To	Day	Hours	Miles
Thu 15 Apr 2021	Seaford	1	14.0	67.9
Fri 16 Apr 2021	Rye	2	8.5	39.2
Sat 17 Apr 2021	Ramsgate	3	14.0	55.1
Sun 18 Apr 2021	Ramsgate	4
Mon 19 Apr 2021	Lowestoft	5	15.0	74.6
Tue 20 Apr 2021	Lowestoft	6
Wed 21 Apr 2021	Lowestoft	7
Thu 22 Apr 2021	Filey	8	28.0	134.0
Fri 23 Apr 2021	Filey	9
Sat 24 Apr 2021	Blyth	10	14.5	72.4
Sun 25 Apr 2021	Holy Island	11	8.0	38.1
Mon 26 Apr 2021	Holy Island	12
Tue 27 Apr 2021	Holy Island	13
Wed 28 Apr 2021	Holy Island	14
Thu 29 Apr 2021	Holy Island	15
Fri 30 Apr 2021	Peterhead	16	28.5	129.9
Sat 01 May 2021	Peterhead	17
Sun 02 May 2021	Peterhead	18
Mon 03 May 2021	Peterhead	19
Tue 04 May 2021	Peterhead	20
Wed 05 May 2021	Peterhead	21
Thu 06 May 2021	Peterhead	22
Fri 07 May 2021	Peterhead	23
Sat 08 May 2021	Peterhead	24
Sun 09 May 2021	Hunda Sound (Scarpa Flow)	25	22.0	98.1
Mon 10 May 2021	Hunda Sound (Scarpa Flow)	26
Tue 11 May 2021	Stromness	27	4.5	13.7
Wed 12 May 2021	Stromness	28
Thu 13 May 2021	Loch Eriboll	29	12.8	55.5
Fri 14 May 2021	Loch Nedd	30	11.5	48.5
Sat 15 May 2021	Stornoway	31	9.0	47.0
Sun 16 May 2021	Loch Ewe	32	9.0	38.0
Mon 17 May 2021	Loch Shieldaig	33	7.5	33.3
Tue 18 May 2021	Churchton Bay	34	8.5	29.8
Wed 19 May 2021	Lochcarron	35	6.0	23.2
Thu 20 May 2021	Lochcarron	36
Fri 21 May 2021	Lochcarron	37
Sat 22 May 2021	Plockton	38	2.3	8.0
Sun 23 May 2021	Plockton	39
Mon 24 May 2021	Plockton	40
Tue 25 May 2021	Loch Na Dal	41	5.3	17.5
Wed 26 May 2021	Tobermory	42	10.0	41.8
Thu 27 May 2021	Tobermory	43
Fri 28 May 2021	Tobermory	44
Sat 29 May 2021	Ardalanish	45	8.8	38.2
Sun 30 May 2021	Port Ellen	46	11.1	51.8
Mon 31 May 2021	Port Ellen	47
Tue 01 Jun 2021	Port Ellen	48
Wed 02 Jun 2021	Port Ellen	49
Thu 03 Jun 2021	Port Ellen	50
Fri 04 Jun 2021	Bagh na Doirline	51	5.5	20.2
Sat 05 Jun 2021	Eilean Dubh, Carsaig Bay	52	4.8	20.1
Sun 06 Jun 2021	Crinan Canal	53	3.0	6.3
Mon 07 Jun 2021	Ardmarnock Bay	54	8.5	15.0
Tue 08 Jun 2021	Portavadie	55	1.5	3.5
Wed 09 Jun 2021	Portavadie	56
Thu 10 Jun 2021	Portavadie	57
Fri 11 Jun 2021	Campletown	58	8.0	33.1
Sat 12 Jun 2021	Browns Bay (Larne)	59	8.0	39.8
Sun 13 Jun 2021	Bangor	60	4.5	15.2
Mon 14 Jun 2021	Ardglass	61	7.3	35.6
Tue 15 Jun 2021	Ardglass	62
Wed 16 Jun 2021	Dundalk Bay	63	10.0	38.1
Thu 17 Jun 2021	Sorrento Bay, Dublin	64	11.5	40.6
Fri 18 Jun 2021	Milford Haven, Dale Shelf	65	21.5	110.0
Sat 19 Jun 2021	Milford Haven, Dale Shelf	66
Sun 20 Jun 2021	Milford Haven, Sandy Haven Bay	67
Mon 21 Jun 2021	Milford Haven, Sandy Haven Bay	68
Tue 22 Jun 2021	Newlyn	69
Wed 23 Jun 2021	Newlyn	70	26.0	120.0
Thu 24 Jun 2021	Newlyn	71
Fri 25 Jun 2021	St Mawes	72	7.8	34.3
Sat 26 Jun 2021	Fowey	73	5.5	20.9
Sun 27 Jun 2021	Fowey	74
Mon 28 Jun 2021	Plymouth, Jennycliff Bay	75	7.7	23.3
Tue 29 Jun 2021	Hallsands	76	8.8	25.5
Wed 30 Jun 2021	Lyme Regis	77	11.0	45.0
Thu 01 Jul 2021	Studland	78	10.8	49.0
Fri 02 Jul 2021	Hamble	79	6.5	30.0
	Totals:	79	436.7	1,881.1

Click here for a list of defects and issue found with the boat during the trip.

Round GB 2021, Day79. Studland Bay to Hamble.

Another tidal gate to make. The tide out of the Solent through Hurst Narrows runs strongly with over-falls, even well engined yachts like Sancerre will struggle to make progress and at springs would be going backwards. The tide would change to be favourable a little after 10:00 and I would need much of it favourable to make reasonable progress to get up the Solent in time to get on the mooring at slackish water so another early start was needed and I left at 06:15. With plenty of room I was under sail within a few minutes of getting the anchor up but I was under engine from about two thirds of the way across Poole Bay due to lack of wind.

Again an anchored ship directly on my desired track. There were
a number of others in Weymouth Bay.

The direct route into the Solent from the Poole area is via the North
[of the Shingles Bank) Channel, I prefer this route to the Needles
Channel when coming from the west and in strong winds, its quite
narrow but the north side is very steep too so you can go close in
to avoid the shallower and less predictable water depth further out
that causes any significant sea to break.

I reached Hurst Narrows with the tide still going out but running at less than one knot so I was though quickly and on the home stretch. 

Recent damage to Hurst Castle due to subsidence.

There was now the main tidal issue for this leg, I can get onto my trot mooring single handed during the flood tide but it can be very difficult if the tide is running strong and not possible with a strong tide in some wind conditions. Getting on during the ebb is not a good idea as it is very strong but, due to the double high water fortunately only lasts about 4 hours.

The best time is at slack high water, that does not last that long near neap tides (but several hours at springs) or at a partial stand that occurs to a greater or lesser extent about two hours after low tide, these were around 18:00 and 13:00 respectively, a quick passage and a scramble to get off the boat would enable to get home to collect the car on Friday avoiding public transport on a weekend with some trains not running requiring 4 changes of train.

The central part of the Solent was very busy with yachts practising for or positioning for the next days Round the Island race but I managed to dodge them and I picked up the very weedy mooring at the first attempt at 12:45. I did not want to use the dinghy as I would have to leave the outboard in the open until Sunday or Monday (The car park would be full on Saturday because of the RTI race and was close to it on Friday), so after securing the boat the RAFYC launch picked me up and had me ashore 12 minutes before the hourly bus departed so I skipped the desired shower and was up the hill in time to catch it at 14:18 and I was home by 18:30 after the bus, 3 train legs and a taxi. Next week I will be down to unload and clean up the boat. 

30 miles in 6.5 hours.

Slide show all of my pictures from Studland to Hamble. Page through by clicking the arrows or click in the centre of the pic to view from Flickr in a new window or full screen:

Click here for a summary of the trip and some statistics.

Round GB 2021, Day78. Lyme Regis to Studland Bay.

I had initially thought to take the last of the tidal gate around Portland and to go into Portland harbour but I found that the Round the Island race was due to start on Saturday, that would mean about a thousand boats in the Solent so I thought it best to press on and try and get to the Hamble on Friday before the mayhem. So, I left at 04:45 to get the start of the gate using the engine in zero wind.

"Golden Cap", east of Charmouth and Lyne Regis at Dawn.

Rounding The Bill by the inshore route which is 300 yards wide,
further out and you will likely end up in the most extensive and
dangerous race and over falls in the channel. This was taken two
minutes after the tide makes the transition practical.

The old quarries on the east side of The Bill.

Approaching Old Harry Rocks (right).

Old Harry.

Old Harry and Old Harrys Wife.

Sunset over the anchorage.

49 miles in 10 3/4 hours.

Slide show all of my pictures from Lyme Regis to Studland. Page through by clicking the arrows or click in the centre of the pic to view from Flickr in a new window or full screen:

Click here for the last leg to Hamble.

Round GB 2021, Day77. Hallsand to Lyme Regis.

With light winds forecast I did not fancy a long sleepless trip across Lyme Bay so decided on following the coast which might give a better chance of sea breezes and, in settled conditions, give a number of options to stop for the night any where from Tor Bay to Lyme Regis. 

I left at 07:00 for what turned out to be the best sail of the whole trip with lovely weather and favourable light winds, haze did make photography difficult but I got a lot of sun bathing in between multiple gybes of the big spinnaker which was up most of the way from the middle of Start Bay to close to Exmouth.

Very light winds to start but with a glassy sea I was able to ghost along.

Slapton Sands, site of Operation Tiger a disastrous practice for the D Day
landings when e-Boats got in amongst the fleet resulting in the deaths of
 almost a thousand American troops. 

Approaching Dartmouth with the 60 sq.m. spinnaker set.

Berry Head

Babbacombe Bay, The Cruise ships Ventura (P&O) and
the Cunarder RMS Queen Mary at anchor waiting for Covid
restrictions to be lifted.

RMS Queen Mary.

And not shown on the pic above the Regal Princess.

With a freshening wind I was making good progress, almost 6 knots
in just under 10 knots of wind. It didn't last much longer, the wind
was backing and became too much for the big spinnaker.

Beer, I had thought to anchor here but despite the earlier light winds
I had made good progress and with calm seas I decided to press on
to Lyme Regis so that I would not have to leave quite so early in
the morning to make the tidal gate around Portland.

I was disappointed to find yet more buoys in the anchorage off
of Lyme Regis harbour further restricting the space to anchor and I 
was quite a way out. By co-incidence a face book friend replied
to a post by the skipper of the yacht on the right, a very young lady
making her first stop on a round GB trip accompanied by her father
in his own boat and her mother following by road in a camper van.

45 miles in 11 hours.

Slide show all of my pictures from Hallsand to Lyme Regis. Page through by clicking the arrows or click in the centre of the pic to view from Flickr in a new window or full screen:

Click here for Day 78 to Studland Bay.

Round GB 2021, Day76. Jennycliff Bay to Hallsand.

Another day of light winds requiring a couple of hours under engine but a very pleasant sail in good weather.

Close into Start Point to keep out of the tide.

Hallsand Bay anchorage.

I anchored directly off of the beach to avoid quite a few lobster pot
floats further south, probably not a good idea as in light winds and
a calm sea there was more "surge" causing the boat to rock
than I have experienced anchored a few hundred yards further along
then it was blowing a hooligan. 

25.5 miles over the ground in a little under 8 hours.

Slide show all of my pictures from Plymouth to Hallsand. Page through by clicking the arrows or click in the centre of the pic to view from Flickr in a new window or full screen:

Click here for Day 77 to Lyme Regis.

Round GB 2021, Day75. Fowey to Jennycliff Bay.

A pleasant sail from Fowey apart from a lot of rain for a couple of hours and initially some light winds which piped up to about 12 knots from the south east so I went to Jennycliffe Bay on the Eastern side of Plymouth Sound, a secure anchorage in an easterly or the forecast northerly wind. 

Another topsail schooner pictured as I left Fowey before the rain came.

A fine old gaffer off of Cawsand Bay approaching Plymouth Sound.

Plymouth Sound from the anchorage. At anchor HMS Tamer a River
class offshore patrol vessel with WWI vintage Dazzle camouflage.

Seven hours forty five minutes to cover the 23.3 miles.

Slide show all of my pictures from Fowey to Plymouth. Page through by clicking the arrows or click in the centre of the pic to view from Flickr in a new window or full screen:

 

Click here for Day 76 to Hallsand.