Dartmouth is a very pretty little town and we have moved between the anchorage and the town Jetty for mooring or anchoring.
The town itself is so pretty and a little touristy but the anchorage is also a tricky spot with a 4kn current going each way constantly. So we motored down the river to anchor just off the red marker near Dittisham. First night on anchor was glassy calm and freezing but otherwise uneventful. The second night was another adventure with the bow anchored in 13m and the rudder sitting in half a metre with 25kn wind fighting the current so we are sideways and bouncing all over the place. Not a lot of sleep was had. Ever trying to keep costs reasonable we like to take the cheap option if possible. Anchoring is £37 per night and the town jetty is £75.00, Not exactly the most comfortable either.
With strong winds forecast we hit the town jetty for the night and we’re leaning over the jetty giving the fenders a good workout.
So the next day the harbour master moved us onto an inside berth which was quiet a feat in boat driving for me as I had to bring her in backwards with a 4kn current and 40kn wind blowing us in at about 6 knots.
They offered to help with the RIB in the water and we needed every bit of the rib and the bow thruster to keep her straight. There’s no room to get it wrong.
The young fellow on the jetty asked for a bow line which confused Tony as I had said get the aft spring on first. I needed a hand break fast and the bow line wasn’t the right line. Thankfully with a bit of gentle persuasion…. The aft spring was attached and then we stopped before hitting the naval vessel behind.
It’s always good to believe in yourself and not always assume that a line handler knows more than yourself. The RIB driver was a lady driver so it was good to see a women in this role working with confidence and a lot of skill.
After the weather blew through we went back out to the anchorage and have had 2 peaceful nights.
This week we finally found places for all the stuff on board. Sorting through the tools and categorising what goes where so we don’t have to play boat yoga every time we need a basic tool.
We also finally launched the dinghy to go exploring. We have been onboard for about 4 weeks and have not used it yet.
We found a fabulous pub and a steep hill in Dittisham plus a couple of chandleries so far. Leaving Osprey on anchor feels like parking a pram outside a shop and coming back later hoping all is still ok. We are getting used to all these new experiences slowly.
The anchor is amazing and despite some very dodgy anchoring locations recently we have not dragged yet. Long may it continue.
