Still on the Scillys

We are currently anchored off tresco, between Bryer and Tresco by hangmans rock. it looks like that there is some pretty bad weather coming in over the next couple of days, so we wil prob not set off till Sunday.

We have been having a good time exploring Tresco. We had a good walk around the north of the island yesterday, we found a cave which had been mentioned in the pilot book, on the north east coast. We climbed in not really knowing what to expect, but opened out into a deep pool of clear water, so we decided to plunge in and explore further to the back of the cave which then lead on to the very back, a narrow little place.

We have also got friendly with chap on the boat next door in the anchorage, Dave on Auk, a beautifull wooden ketch. And we have spent the last couple of wet and windy nights, having dinner aboard Hestur, and then Auk, and made a good go at the Bowmore. Going to explore Bryer now.

And we’re off

The sunset as we left …

We weren’t actually healed over this much…

We did slip our lines on Saturday night ( 8th June). Ruth and Martin , Dan’s parents , came down to see us off, and help with collecting all our provisions. We had a very full  basket or two from Lidl!! We woke up that morning to constant rumbling thunder and lightning, from about 5am – 9am and heavy rain. That all passed though and it was a hot and sunny day.  We stowed the boat and toasted our setting off with a bottle of Champagne Ruth and Martin had brought. We had something to eat at the well frequented “Chain Locker’ (pub).  We (Dan, me and James) left at 20.15 for the Scilly islands , after filling our watertanks at the pontoon, and into the sunset (literally) .

The crossing was calm and we had to motor actually, till a few hours before arriving, a couple of dolphins seen in the night and Many boats and ships, but going at night made it a bit easier to see them, as we could go by their lights. We also have a new VHF with AIS receiver which was very good for seeing what was what. It gives speed, course, name and size of ships around and how far they are from us.Hestur at anchor at St. Agness

We arrived at 10am at St. Agnes in the Scilly islands . Fried eggs aboard then a lovely hot and breezy walk around the island , perfectly ending up at the pub, for a pint and snooze in the sun, then the most delicious ice cream made from milk from cows on the island, and a BBQ on the beach. Then we motored over to the island of  St. Mary to anchor there for the night, as the wind was due to pic up (but it hasn’t yet) .

Me and James

Dan and James  soon found something to climb on

Prob heading to Tresco island tonight and thinking of making the crossing to France on Thursday.

The Pilot Cutter Review

Last weekend the Pilot Cutter Review was held in St. Mawes, and we were lucky enough to  crew on the Beautiful Edith Grey for the weekend. On Thursday ( 30th May) She arrived in to Falmouth in the morning, after having sailed down from the Wooden Boat festival in Baltimore in  Ireland which was held the weekend before, and from the Scottish Islands Three Peaks Race the weekend before that. Dan worked beside her skipper, builder and owner John Raymond Barker at the Underfall Boat Yard when we were in Bristol and got to know her there. ( she is usually kept in the summer on a mooring in Malaig N.W. Scotland). She was being crewed by John, and Ben and Phoebe and Austins more friends from Bristol, and a stowaway Paul, who they had picked up in Baltimore.

We did some shopping etc in Falmouth, and got ready to sail to Fowey ( about 20 miles) where there was going to be a pre event party that evening before the passage race the following day back to Falmouth. We left about 3 pm and headed out with a good south easterly breeze, We got the sails up in the harbour and shot off!! It was very exhilarating , she is so fast and steady.

Most of the boats were there for the evening on Thurs, and the race the following morning. It was a totally fabulous weekend, we came second overall in the races. Passage, race, 2 hour races and champagne reception aboard the superb Bessie Ellen. I really incredible experience.

I am writing quickly now as not long left on the computer battery…

Edith Grey left on Tuesday Morning, to head back up to Mallaig, and Nick and Maddy (Dans Brother and his girlfriend) arrived for a few days. We had a lovely time with them sailing locally: to the Helford, and St. Just, had some lovely weather, walks, BBQ and swim! (second of the year). They have left now and yesterday (8th June) – James Wake a very good friend from Edinburgh days has arrived, He is coming on down to spain with us.

Dans folk are arriving soon to say good bye today, and then perhaps tonight we will slip our lines…

beep beep beep battery running low…

 

equipment and inspections

We have been busy since I last wrote: There was a Boat Jumble in Falmouth on the 26th of May. It was a lovely sunny day. We cycled up to it with our old windless which we have needed to replace, Dan had it in his rucksack – a heavy item on these steep cornish hills! Our friend Barnaby had a stall there, where he managed to sell it for us, for spares or repairs, great to clear things off the boat , and get a little cash. We bought another spare anchor (from Barnaby) a 35lb CQR, some rope, spare rowlocks, some courtesy flags, and an anchor ball ( they all seem to use them down here) . We also had a look for some charts, we managed to get one of France, where we might be going, and a whole Folio! of Faroes, Iceland, Jan Mayen, Spitsbergen, some Greenland and sone Norway!! Places we would love to re-explore, but it wasn’t necessarily on the agenda for this trip, however we have always said its open ended… Very good to have in stock! we then had a lovely sunny afternoon out at Barnaby and Catrina’s place. 

We dried Hestur out at the again, to get the second coat of anti-foul on, and to have her surveyed! We have realised that to get insurance (which we need to have) south of Brittany we needed to have one. The surveyor was able to come and look at her against the wall, which was great as it illuminated expensive hauling out costs.  He was very thorough and detailed. which was good, he has given us a good report, he looked at our safely equipment as well which he was pleased with , and any recommendations we have been able to sort out , so that’s piece of mind. We floated again that evening (on Wed 29th) We had Barnaby, Catrina and Tim Start form Bristol aboard for dinner, we motored out to the anchorage that night. 

 

Back in Falmouth

Here is Hestur at the pier, floating again after a scrub and paint!

So, We are back on-Board, and now feeling well acclimatised again, to life on Hestur.
We drove down last Tuesday (21st May) in a hire car after a full day of packing, organizing our affairs and saying our goodbyes. My dear studio colleges had organised a gathering at lunchtime for me and had bought some exquisite, delicious cakes and a bottle of bubbly which we had at the communal couches in the studio- a fine farewell, I was really touched to have this send off and to have made such a connection with studio 3C !
Bristol has been a really fantastic chapter. We have met so many great people who have become close friends, even after this short time, and we have many happy memories of our time there.
We saw Ruth and Martin (Dan’s Parents) too on Tuesday. They were coming past Bristol on their way north to back to Shropshire. They very kindly helped us by picking up some of our possessions – for storage: Skis! and some items from my studio. We had a meal with them at the Nova Scotia, a really nice pub down at the Underfall Yard, where happened to regulars of a Friday afternoon after work!
Then leaving Bristol behind, with a fully laden hire car we drove south to Falmouth. It felt like quite a wrench to leave, as if we had been there for a lot longer than the 6 quickly passing months over the winter. Emotional to say goodbye to so many friends and places we had got to know- but indeed exciting to be on the move again!!!!
We arrived down to Falmouth so late on Tues that we had missed the ferry boat service to the moorings, or indeed a lift from any passer by… so we slept in the car.
Next Morning we “woke” early, to a fine day and headed down to the familiar High street to find an open coffee shop. We then spent the morning unloading the car / stowing the boat, and in the p.m. while we still had the car, we drove down towards the Lizard to drop off the life raft for a service.
The next couple of days turned out pretty shabby: Northerly winds ( Cold!) and rain, not an inspiring reintroduction to Hestur.
Over the winter Hestur had grown a great mane of kelp, weed and underwater foliage we had never seen, so on Friday we dried her out on the pier by the Bosuns Locker Chandlery in Falmouth- for a scrub and a paint. It was another horrible day but we were sheltered behind the pier wall and dry underneath Hestur’s flat bottom!
We had bought Hemple “Dove White” anti-foul as it was on offer x 2 tins. When it came to painting her “Dove white” turned out a rather pinky/ parma violet hmmm… We got one coat on before discovering that we had left the other tin in Bristol. Tim Start is coming down this week though so he will bring it and we will bring it and we will dry her again this week for that second coat.
We decided to stay an extra tide against the wall as it was absolutely horrible at 6 pm when we were floating again, so we left it till the next morning when it was blissfully calm. She looks very smart again with a new paint job and teh “Dove White” has now settled into a rather tasteful warm gray. Much better.
Saturday was a nice day – jobs aboard am, and a cycle to Penryn to drop off Dan’s dive gear for a service pm. Sunday was a scorcher! there was a Boat Jumble up at the rugby ground which which yielded a new 35lb CQR, a chart, spare rowlocks, rope a French courtesy flag, a quarantine flag and some chips . We then spent a very happy afternoon in the sun in the garden at friends house : Barnaby and Catrina, a cycle home then out again to meet some people in the “Star and Garter”, Great music there too, and a row home under a fabulous moon. Today was yucky! we were aboard all day doing jobs, then moved off the mooring ( as we had run out of our paid up period ) and into the anchorage . We are now in the most wonderful pub , which we were told about last night, in Falmouth called Beerwoolf . Its a bookshop and apub all in one, great atmosphear , it has a feel of Iceland about it.
Lots of Jobs still to do in Falmouth while we are here. There is a Regatta this weekend and friends arriving at different stages to stay and sail. We are thinking of setting off early June, will keep blog up dated
Cheers Charlotte

http://www.beerwolfbooks.com/

The empty studio

Well I haven’t written for a while! All has been going well (and busy!) , and now Dan and I are at the end of out time in Bristol .
We have spent the last few weeks, (since the beginning of May) with a friend in the St. Andrews area of Bristol, just up from my studio. We had to move off ‘Broadleaf’ at the end of April and Tori, a friend who we met when we were doing a ski season in France in 2009, invited us to stay with her. Its a really beautiful flat, high up and over looking the city, and great to experience another part of Bristol.
It has been a wonderful 6 months! We have met so many inspiring people, and made some great friends. Dan has been busy at the boat yard working with Tim: starting one 25 foot boat, starting and completing a 17 foot one and laying an entire new teak deck. I have been in the studio, working on new work and commissions since the exhibition in April. We are now packing up and tomorrow we are heading down to Falmouth, and back to Hestur!

New Page

Gallery View

New Page for the new exhibition “Landfall – New Paintings by Charlotte Watters”

I have just made a page here one the blog of images from the exhibition: gallery Views and individual pieces. Find it up on the black top bar. Works are for sale, please email me for details.