Update 67 part 2

Sat 31.8.13: PART 2 of 2




In Old Grimsby Sound; Round Island, St Helen's and Tean are sheltering Stargazer, from the rolling Atlantic swell. The wind veered north overnight. Tomorrow a north to north westerly 3 is forecast, for our passage east. The Cruising Chute is at the ready.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Tresco,United Kingdom

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 67

Sat 31.8.13: Old Grimsby Sound, Tresco, Scilly.

PART 1 of 2




Granite Tors, sun bleached grass, spike leafed palms and large blue flower heads; stand above the shell sand cove, at Crow Point. Out in St Mary's Road, the Mare Ledges provide a, submerged, lee. I'm out anchorage spotting, from the coastal path.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Tresco,United Kingdom

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 66

Fri 30.8.13: Old Grimsby Harbour, Tresco, Scilly.




I'm up on The Old Blockhouse - looking out over Old Grimsby Harbour. The Caribbean vista evokes thoughts of Long John Silver; his peg leg and parrot. Treasure Islands jewel the horizon. Platinum sands mingle with topaz seas. A graceful, clipper-bowed ketch, joined Stargazer here, yesterday.



She came in, as the wind backed from north to southwest and rose. The forecast is for it to rise some more, today; before veering north or northwest, on Sunday.



Sunday's tides suit for a passage east, to the mainland; northerly winds would give us a reach. If they go north east, the anchorage under St Michael's Mount would be sheltered....


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Old Grimsby Quay,Tresco,United Kingdom

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 65

Thr 29.8.13: Old Grimsby Harbour, Tresco, Scilly.




Green bracken, brindled with purple heather, yellow gorse, and the magenta red, of ripening blackberries, clothes the hillside.



I've walked across the island, to climb Cromwell's Tower. It commands New Grimsby Sound - and the approaches to Tresco and Bryher.



The rough damp, of the staircase walls, closes around my shoulders. They spiral steeply right. My sword arm is pinned, to my side. I'm unsighted by the turn and the steepness of its steps.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Tresco,United Kingdom

Post 64 update 3

Playful sculptures, silhouetted on the skyline, entwine with the foliage; at one with nature.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Carn Near Road,Tresco,United Kingdom

Update 64 part 2

Part 2 of 3





Boldly coloured, tropical birds, forage in the shade; beside me as I picnic.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Carn Near Road,Tresco,United Kingdom

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 64

Part 1 of 3
Wed 28.8.13: Tresco Abbey Gardens.





Honey bees settle on vibrantly coloured petals.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Carn Near Road,Tresco,United Kingdom

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 63

Tue 27.8.13: Old Grimsby Harbour, Tresco, Scilly.

(delayed post - searching for signal)




I decided not to set an alarm, when I turned in, last night; after 38 hours on the go.
I awoke, today, at 18.00; to be greeted by this view from the cockpit. I pinch myself, to be sure that I'm not still dreaming; before launching the dinghy, ready to go exploring, ashore.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Post 62 part 6

Overnight we rode hissing greybeards, in 20-25 knots of breeze; surfing at 8 knots; making up for lost time; and, picking up a stowaway fish, on our windward deck.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Post 62 part 5

We chased zephyrs, in the daylight hours of Sunday and Monday; working our way steadily, south, one gybe at a time, under cruising chute.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Post 62 - part 4

The skies were clear, for our 150 mile / 28 hour crossing, of the Celtic Sea. By night, a bright moon lit us a path, south, over the waves.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Post 62 part 3

This morning, as we made our landfall, a smokey dragon's breath, of sea mist, hung over Scilly. The isles revealed and then re-concealed themselves; wraith-like and mysterious.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Post 62 part 2

Inside a labyrinth of turquoise sea and jutting crags.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 62

Mon 26.8.13: Old Grimsby Harbour, Tresco, Scilly.

(Delayed posting - no signal in anchorage. Not much ashore either. Going to split this into 6 parts, each with only 1 photo, & try again)

PART 1





We're anchored off the shimmering white sands, of Tresco, in Old Grimsby Sound.
















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 61

Sun 25.8.13: South of Reen Point, 51.30N, 09.09W




Our weather window, for Scilly has opened. We said 'au revoir,' but not goodbye, to the wild charm of The Emerald Isle; and sailed at 09.00.




ETA off Tresco is between 11.00 and 16.00 on Monday - which should give us enough daylight, to find a sheltered spot, to anchor.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 60

Sat 24.8.13: Castle Haven.




The sun bathes me in a honey glow, and the breeze has yet to wake.




I eat my breakfast, on a deck studded with iridescent droplets of dew; as the lobster boats put to sea.




I check the forecasts. Today, variable winds are expected. For Sunday and Monday, a force 3-4 north to north east flow is predicted. Our weather window, for the passage south, to Scilly, stands ajar!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:The Mall,,Ireland

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 59

Fri 23.8.13: Castle Haven




We sailed round to Castle Haven, from Barloge Creek, this morning....




....to anchor under the lee of the castle.




A front came through overnight; so today the wind is, a blustery, north westerly. I can hear it huff and puff overhead.




As the weather system moves east; it looks as though there will be 48 hours of force 4-5, north or north east, breezes.




They would give us a fast passage to Scilly - a reach all the way; with the ability to hoist the kite, if the breeze dies.




Depending on how quickly the system moves; that weather window will open, for us, on either Saturday or Sunday morning...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:The Mall,,Ireland

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 58

Thr 22.8.13: Barloge Creek (delayed posting - too scenic for signal!)




I row ashore, to a low, rough hewn, stone, quay; which clings to the wooded hillside. It has a, small, green, post van, parked on it. The postman takes our painter.




He explains, as he makes us fast, that I should have been here, this time last year:




...If I'd cast a single feather, I'd have pulled out four mackerel on it..... I'd have seen whales too..... They came close in - after the mackerel.




A fisherman (on the red boat) calls, over the silent cove; 'We've plenty of mackerel here. Will you be wanting a fresh one, for your supper?'

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 57

Wed 21.8.13: Barloge Creek (delayed posting - the same cliffs, which are keeping out wind and swell, are blocking phone signal. Fortunately, we're still receiving VHF and Navtex, for weather forecasts).




Barloge Creek, is an intimate cove; behind the rearing cliffs, of Bullock Island.




From seaward, the only sign of it is a nick in the horizon.




I scramble our mainsail down, off the, dog legged, entrance.




We edge in. The cliffs part....




...on either side, to admit us...




... to a landlocked, world.




The rush and chuckle, of a waterfall, at the head of the bay; mingles with the sound, of wind sighing, in a stand of conifers. A donkey brays, discordantly; water laps and slaps; and the rasping calls, of rooks, are answered, by the raucous chatter, of gulls.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - PS to update 56

PS to update 56:
Whilst I'm on shore power, I've downloaded the HD camera:




Glengarriff: Tranquility, islands...




...and soporific seals.




Surfing past The Fastnet Rock.




Portmagee: Pastel houses on the hillside....




...Crab boats in the harbour.




And always: those towering, enchanted peaks; on a skyline that reaches to the ends of the earth.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Ireland

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 56

Tue 20.8.13: Baltimore.




Stargazer is alongside, in Baltimore, today.




When I got close in to the quay and saw the size of the trawlers...




...and their willingness to raft outside frailer craft, however carefully, I decided to cough up€20 for the visitor's pontoon. It has shore power, so the batteries are getting a top up, as well as our water tanks.




I replenished our fresh fruit, veg and bread stocks, whilst exploring the village. So we're set for another two weeks of cruising.




Today's forecast 'near gale' missed us and went north.




Surfing the outlooks, for sea area Fastnet, it sounds as if the wind is expected to go light, then fill in from the SE veering NW - the two directions we don't want, for the crossing to Scilly.




If tomorrow's forecasts are the same, we'll go exploring in the maze of islands and channels, just to the north, for a day or two. I have a feeling that the wind will swing back, into the west or south west, when it settles; so it won't pay, to sail east, to get our slant. Time will tell!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Castle End,,Ireland

Into The Mystic Cruise 2013 - update 55

Mon 19.8.13: Baltimore.




A Glenan's Sailing School is based here in Baltimore. There's some resemblance too, between this anchorage; and our anchorage, in the Iles de Glenan -where I celebrated my 50th birthday, last summer.




In both there's a shallow, rock strewn, lagoon, ringed by low, wave gnarled cliffs; and a feeling of wind-swept wildness.




The forecast is a 'near gale,' from the south, overnight. There's enough fetch, in the bay, for a chop to kick up; but, the ring of cliffs should keep the swell out and calm the winds.




I plan to make for Scilly from Baltimore. It looks as if I can get alongside the quay, before leaving, to take on water; whilst the fishing boats are out. From here, we have a good slant; for anything other than south easterly, or north westerly winds. Now to find a weather window!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Castle End,,Ireland