Sea Holly's Summer Holiday

For several years, Jean and I have spent at least part of our summer holidays sailing with our friends, Brian and Lindsey, on a variety of boats, including two trips on Sea Holly, our Seamaster 29. This years cruise to the West Country was a little different as Brian and Lindsay took their Trapper 300, White Horse II, and we went along on Sea Holly. It would be the first time that either couple had made such a trip on their own.

White Horse II planned to leave our homeport of Gosport on the Friday but weather delayed their departure until Saturday while we were unable to leave until Monday. We followed White Horse II to Poole and then Weymouth where we met up ready to tackle the long trip across Lyme Bay together. A large Maxi moored next to Sea Holly - two friends en route from Ipswich. Both recognised Sea Holly as a Seamaster as the skipper's first boat had been a Sailer 23 and the friend's father had owned a 925.

The winds had been stiff westerlies from the start and the trip across Lyme Bay was exciting with both boats well-reefed most of the time. While rounding Portland Bill, we heard, and saw in the distance, the lifeboat rescuing a sailing boat that had been motoring and snagged a lobster pot line. We have always been wary of pot lines but will be even more careful now.

Arrival in Brixham was welcome and we relaxed the next day before making the short trip to Dartmouth. The excitement in Brixham was a pair of dolphins in the harbour. Unfortunately, they seemed poorly and were taken out of water for treatment, before being taken out to sea for release. We spent a sunny day in Darthaven Marina before picking up a buoy upstream at Dittisham. Unfortunately, Lindsey twisted her foot on a rather strenuous cliff walk, so Sea Holly left White Horse II and made another boisterous trip to Plymouth where we were meeting some friends who wanted to spend a few days on Sea Holly.

The weather had now turned warm and sunny, with light winds and poor visibility most of the time. The trip to Fowey ended motoring in fog and a day later we motored out of the River Yealm in fog, which fortunately lifted slowly on the way to Salcombe where we met up again with White Horse II. We had a slap up meal ashore before our friends left by taxi to pick up their car at Plymouth.

The next day we managed to sail most of the way to Torbay, this time to Torquay marina. Brian and Lindsey stayed at Torquay to visit relatives while we made the short trip to the River Teign, with some trepidation, having read in the pilot book about the difficult entrance with shifting sands. In the event, it was straightforward in the settled weather and given enough height of tide. The new 60-foot visitors' pontoon was busy and we rafted out on a Seal 28. It was Regatta week in Teignmouth and we watched some rowing races in the evening. Then we rowed, more sedately, the 50 metres to the shore for a meal. The next morning we walked up to the Teign Corinthian Yacht Club for a drink and stayed for Sunday lunch, watching some of the gig racing, before returning to Torquay to meet up for the trip back across Lyme Bay.

The return trip across the Bay could not have been more different. We motored all the way in bright sunshine and flat seas, arriving in Weymouth in time for a welcome fish and chip supper. Three days later we were back in Gosport, having stopped at Poole and Lymington.

So how did we get on with our first long "solo" trip? In 17 days we visited 12 different ports, 3 for the first time and covered 425 miles. We encountered 2 metres plus waves, fog, winds up to 30 knots. As ever, Sea Holly behaved impeccably. And the highlight? For us, it was the River Teign - well worth a visit.

Ian and Jean Sandell