[ad_1]
Snorkeling among kelp, anemones and spider crabs a few miles from our home was a rare treat, and we may have missed a more adventurous endeavor … Theo Stocker presents the September 2021 issue of Yachting Monthly
Our cruise plans this summer were initially ambitious, to make the most of the freedoms that have been restored.
A cross-Channel race to Guernsey, however, was thwarted by the intricacies of post-COVID travel regulations.
So we decided to head west.
Our newly mobile mini-teammate had other ideas, however.
He made it clear from the get-go that beach days and ice cream were allowed, unlike long trips.
The first few days we settled in Studland Bay.
With a forecast of dead calm and rising heat, we sniffed around the corner of Chapman’s Pool and the Jurassic Coast.
I have never seen the Channel so still for so long, as undulations lapped obediently on the often hostile shore, day after day.
Snorkeling among kelp, anemones and spider crabs a few miles from our home was a rare treat, and we may have missed it on a more adventurous endeavor.
Continued below …
Ken Endean thinks sunny weather can turn violent after dark
The Seahorse Trust association and the group of pleasure boats have teamed up to install 10 ecological moorings in Studland…
Yachting Monthly experts and seasoned skippers give their advice on a whole series of issues for yachtsmen
The Tean Strait off St Martin is sheltered from the west and the east but the mooring room is obstructed by moorings. Credit: Ken Endean
Scilly in the easterly winds
Ken Endean describes a similar experience in the Isles of Scilly a year or two ago (see p62 of this issue), when the raging Atlantic fell silent, allowing him to explore the otherwise exposed west coast of these beautiful islands.
It is good to seize these opportunities when they arise;
on his return this year, Ken took time off from Storm Evert as the others’ anchors dragged and the moorings parted.
On the other end of the spectrum, Graham Sykes interrupted a westward cruise and his detoured route prompted a Border Force escort to return to port (p42).
A decent autopilot can be essential in these circumstances; calmly take the helm as you enter a reef or shape a new course.
Even an old autopilot can perform a lot better than you think.
Knowing how to get the most out of it can make them an indispensable crew member, allowing you to go where the wind blows.
[ad_2]
