Chris and I left Itchenor at 9.00 on the 10th July hopefully bound for Helford River and back. We had already dinghy cruised in the Wight-Poole area for several seasons and also sailed down west in a four tonner. Our boat was Albacore 89 equipped with a boom supported tent, special bunk boards and the usual camping gear. In addition to carrying charts, compass and flares, the side buoyancy had been replaced by side buoyancy bags. The latter were invaluable, enabling us to sleep in the boat ashore and to leave her unattended safely. Our Albacore normally carries a trapeze, spinnaker and storm jib, as well as the standard rig.

The wind was light NE, but soon became SE 4. Good time was made as far as Hurst castle at first under spinnaker and later with three rolls down. However as we crossed Christchurch bay a bad storm appeared over the Needles and soon engulfed us. Conditions were appalling with squally winds and lightening all around. The wind then died completely and torrential rain sent visibility to 100 yards, christening our new compass. When the storm had passed we paddled thankfully into Christchurch for the night. Despite the weather both we and our gear were dry, but not for long.

Darkness found anchored off a shallow lee shore in force 6 S.W., a condition opposite of the forecast. Sleep was impossible due to excessive rolling caused by short waves and the windage of the tent. For the sake of a good night's sleep we up-anchored and, using our roller buoyancy moved the boat onto dry land. We wake to the sound of dropping water, sodden sleeping bags and a gloomy morning. The tent has leaked!

After an exhilarating plane across Bournemouth bay to Studland, the gear was dried out in the now hot sunshine. Lunch completed, we left for Portland Harbour with a strong westerly wind and a spring ebb ender us. Once clear of Anvil Point the full force of the wind was felt, so we reefed to small jib and five rolls. No badly breaking waves were experienced until we tacked in towards St Albans to pass inside the race, where supposedly safe inshore passage was a wall of broken water right up to the cliff.

Fearing at least a swamping we reached quickly out to sea until a gap in the race was found. We eased the sails and just maintained steerage way so that the tide carried us through without to much water coming aboard. A wonderful beat to Portland Harbour followed, the whole 23 miles from Studland taking only 4 hours.

Friday's forecast was bad, so we stayed put, enjoying the hospitality of the Castle Cove S.C and examining Lyme Bay from Chesil Beach.

We were woken on Saturday morning by the timely whoop-whoop-whoop of a naval vessel entering the harbour, which enabled us to catch the early shipping forecast, S.E 3-4. This was ideal for crossing West Bay, so final preparations were made including informing the coastguards, who placed us on their lookout list as far as Salcombe. They asked us about flares and other equipment, although their questions concerning liferafts and communicating signals did not seem to apply to our Albacore.

As we rounded the Bill at 14:10, the correct time that day for passing inside the race, the forecast was winds veering and strengthening. So we reached on course S. of Start Point as a precautionary measure to enable us to lay Dartmouth should the wind shift occur sooner than anticipated. However, the wind held, so later we altered our course for start picking up the light 8 miles off at 21:00, having subsisted across the Bay on a diet of squashed rock cakes and pop music. The tide was now foul, visibility decreasing and the darkness descending. We finally reached Salcombe entrance at about midnight, two hours after high water, with the wind still S.E winds, but considered force 3 permissible. However nearing the bar the waves steepened and we could hear breakers. The next few minutes were decidedly alarming as we surfed through the entrance, rolling violently. We landed thankfully at Millbay, phoned the coastguards to tell them of our safe arrival and after drying the boat turned in.

During breakfast/lunch next day the lifeboat was called out to two cruisers in distress on the bar. One was dismasted in the seas and the other had lost a man overboard. Fortunately no lives were lost, but this decided us to wait for better weather.

It was not until Wednesday that the wind had died sufficiently for us to continue our cruise westwards. Despite headwinds of force 3-4 we made good time and stopped for successive nights at Noss Mayer in the Yealm river, Cowsand, Gorran Haven near Mevagissey and finally our goal Helford River. Yealm river gave us a quiet night and on our trip across to Cowsand we landed on the giant Mewstone close to the Plymouth Guns.

The subsequent exploration proved very painful due to the shorts and abundance of nettles, but it was worth it for the view from the top. On reaching Cowsand the Albacore was rolled clear of the tide line to avoid the gentle swell in the bay.

The next day after a short flat calm, the wind filled in from the S.W. veering later to the N.W., so that we could just lay our course on both tacks. After a night on the beach at Gorran Haven the last 16 miles to Helford river were completed in only 3 hours- close hauled to St. Anthony's head, followed by a plane across to Falmouth Bay when the wind veered. From Salcombe we had covered about 60 miles in 17 hours sailing.

Two days were spent exploring Helford Estuary on foot and sailing as far up the creeks as possible. At Gweek we overdid it and hit a submerged oil drum, fortunately with no serious damage.

On Tuesday the 22nd July, fully reprovisioned we started back bound initially for Gorran Haven. Of course the wind was now well E of N. force 4 increasing to 5. Under 4 rolls and storm jib the beat took us 4 hours. In spite of the offshore wind and deep water the seas were surprisingly short and nasty, forcing us to tack in to Pennare Head to find calmer conditions, but bailing was necessary every quarter of an hour. On reaching Gorran we just sat in the boat for about half an hour recovering our energy, before having a swim.

We did not bother to leave until lunch time the next day, but still managed to sail the 23 miles to Rame Head in 5 1/4 hours against a light S.E. wind. However the wind then died forcing us to paddle to reach Cowsand for the night where the boat was again beached. The staff of the local cafe very kindly brought drinks down to us as we were finishing a large supper.

In contrast to the previous days, Thursday's wind was so light that the 13 miles to the Avon river took us 5 1/2 hours even with 2 miles of paddling. At first we entertained ourselves by catching mackerel and later by attacking very large jellyfish which were lurking below the surface. The next day the boat had to be rolled 300 yards across the flat beach to reach the sea. The wind was again easterly, giving us a plane to Bolt tail followed by a beat to Salcombe against the tide, sometimes only yards from the rocks. On the way a shark lazing on the surface forced us to change course, although it did not seem to notice the boat.

Three days were spent at Salcombe during which we repaired the stern decking, as it had worked loose. My father and brother joined us, having sailed from Chichester in under 30 hours in a Kestrel 4 tonner. Together we used the Albacore to picnic around the coast.

On Tuesday, although the early forecast was N.E. 5, locally 6-7, the kestrel left for Poole and we went out to see if a passage to Dartmouth was possible. With a strong flood tide and a weather eye lifting we shot past Prawle Point well reefed, only ten yards from the rocks to avoid the very bad race a few yards further out.

From there to Start Point breakers out at sea forced us to keep close inshore. On the way we noted possible landing places in case conditions deteriorated further. Approaching Start the only safe passage appeared to be the narrow gap inside the rocks, where there was still a 3 knot weather going tide. While we tacked through the gap a lighthouse keeper was seen following us around the cliff anxiously. As soon as possible we fetched into Start Bay to avoid being set into the race, which would have swamped us. From there to Dartmouth was comparatively easy in spite of a heavy swell. The night was spent anchored quietly in Old Mill Creek.

Next day the early forecast of N. 3-5 decided us to attempt the West bay crossing. Clearing the Mewstone at 9.20 on a fast plane all land disappeared before 10.00, as visibility was poor. Holding a compass course while planing was very difficult and soon the increasing wind forced us to put 4 rolls in. In the first 4 1/2 hours we covered an estimated 31 miles. However our luck changed and in half an hour there was no wind at all. The remaining swell was so bad that we lowered the sails and were soon both sick. The calm lasted nearly 6 hours while the tide carried us back about 3 miles.

Paddling would have been pointless so far from land. The new wind was very light south east, but with the now favourable tide, it enabled us to raise Portland Light, 10 E. of N. about 6 miles away, about half an hour sooner than expected.

The wind gradually veered to the west and increased to force 3. Under these uncertain conditions it was unwise to approach Portland harbour, due to the proximity of the race, so a course was set for anvil Point and Poole, although bad visibility obscured the former's light. the wind continued to veer to N force 4, the night being very black but with plenty of phosphorescence. By now we were very tired and mistook a steamer's floodlit red funnel for a large port light, but without serious consequences.

Anvil light was raised at 2.00 and by dawn was 2 miles away on the beam, but there now was a 3 knot foul tide. Accordingly we tacked in close under the cliffs, but we were carried well to the leeward of the point. In the comparative shelter of the land we had some glucose- the first food we could face since leaving Dartmouth, because of the 'calm'! Then followed a hard fight close in on the rocks against the wind and tide to round Old Harry at 8.45. By 10.00 we were sailing up Soy' Deep in Poole harbour, where the Kestrel was already anchored. The rest of the day was spent recovering from the 71 mile trip.

The remainder of the cruise was comparatively easy, as in spite of continuing head winds we reached Chichester in 2 more days with an overnight stop at Christchurch. Friends met us on the jetty at Itchenor with our trolley and helped us to beach and unload the boat.

We had sailed altogether an estimated 438.5 miles in 25 days away, for only 2 of these was the wind astern. Every night was spent in the boat, 7 at anchor, 1 1/2 underway and the rest hauled up above the high tide line. At most places people seemed willing to help us, but we only met one other cruising dinghy, also an Albacore, in Helford River. We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and particularly appreciated the speed and seaworthiness of the Albacore on the longer passages.