Unfinished Business: The 2024 Attempt

After years of saying ‘maybe this year we will make the Isles of Scilly’, we finally made it back in the summer of ’24 – on Thursday, 18th July, to be precise. Two days later we endured the most uncomfortable night ever aboard CoCo, our Hanse 400, with Colin fearing that the cleats would be pulled from the deck and me listening to the VHF chatter as the lifeboat helped a couple of boats that were dragging anchor in a neighbouring sheltered anchorage.

When we had gone to bed, the visitor moorings in Hugh Town, St Mary’s, had been full, but by the time I woke at about 8am (after finally falling asleep at about 3am), the moorings were empty; everyone had fled for the mainland. A quick look at the weather confirmed that we could expect similar conditions to persist, so we swiftly followed suit.

But don’t feel too bad for us, as we enjoyed a couple of weeks in the West Country before crossing to Guernsey and then on, through the Channel Islands, to St Malo and Normandy, eventually getting back to our home port of Chatham, on the River Medway, on the 16th September – exactly three months after we had departed. We agreed that we had unfinished business in the Isles and vowed to return.

Setting Off Again, More Relaxed This Time

Move forward to June 2025, and we slipped lines again for our summer cruise, with no firm plans, but this time in company with a number of other yachts from our local yacht club who were heading for the Netherlands. After a brief stop in Ramsgate (45 nautical miles, ‘NM’) we decided to strike west, rather than head to Holland, as the inland route to Amsterdam was suffering from a number of unplanned bridge and lock problems. We parted company with our friends and made the short trip to the new marina at Dover (15NM); a great facility and worth the slightly officious entry procedure.

Whilst we admire those who push on relentlessly, our cruising is more relaxed nowadays, there being no time constraint of a two-week holiday and rush back to work. I made two promises to Colin: the first, that we would not beat upwind unnecessarily, and the second, that we would not sail two days consecutively unless we both agreed to do so. These rules made for a nicely relaxed cruise, often resulting in us staying multiple nights in the ports that we visited.

From Dover we headed to Eastbourne (44NM) with an unusually civilised departure time; usually it’s a crack-of-dawn job to ensure you make Dungeness with a fair tide.

A Pan-Pan Call off Selsey Bill

From Eastbourne we made for Chichester (45NM) and were through the Looe Channel and west of Selsey Bill when we heard a Pan-Pan call from Solent Coastguard. Initially we gave it a thorough ignoring, as someone else was responding, but then had second thoughts as we were not too far away. The Coastguard comms confirmed that the casualty was in our vicinity, so we called them up on VHF.

Having first mistakenly interrogated a couple of bemused, non-English-speaking fishermen, we were eventually guided to our designated target (casualty) by the Coastguard, using AIS, where we took them in tow. Then it was off to Hayling Island where, having left our captives in the capable hands of the Hayling Island inshore lifeboat and its crew, we enjoyed a few days of rest and relaxation in Chichester Harbour.

West Along the Coast to Weymouth

From Chichester we headed for Yarmouth (IoW), but as it was gone 14:00, we were advised that there was already a queue outside the harbour, with only rafting available, even though it was mid-week in June. So, a quick change of plan, and we were off to Lymington instead (26NM). Then a couple of short hops to Studland Bay (19NM), where we enjoyed a spectacular sunset, and on to Weymouth (24NM). Being before the school holidays, Weymouth was surprisingly quiet, and we were allocated a berth alongside, with nobody rafting – a great way to celebrate our 29th anniversary, on the longest day of the year.

Rounding Portland Bill to Salcombe and Plymouth

On leaving Weymouth, we shot down the east side of Portland and, hugging the shore, took the inside passage around Portland Bill in remarkably calm conditions. We watched a much larger Hallberg-Rassy getting thoroughly bounced around about half a mile south of us – they were simply not close enough either inshore or offshore! You really do need to feel that you can touch the rocks when rounding Portland, or go much further out. Once around the Bill it was across Lyme Bay to Torquay (49NM).

From Torquay we headed to Salcombe (24NM), with an ‘interesting’ arrival in thick fog, whilst at the same time avoiding the lifeboat that was towing a yacht with a huge fishing net around its prop! We were allocated a buoy off the town quay, again with nobody rafting, and we were treated to a night ashore at club members James and Tony’s fabulous new house between Salcombe and Dartmouth. Colin could see cows and I could see the sea, so it really was a perfect location.

We continued westward to Plymouth (20NM), arriving just in time to be chased by two police launches patrolling a temporary exclusion zone that was just about to come into force for an air show. I shouted to the second boat that we didn’t have time to chat, as we only had seven minutes to get across the harbour before the exclusion zone activated, and I calculated it would take us six and a half – but we made it!

Fog, a Brass Band and the Wait for a Weather Window

Onward to Fowey (23NM) and another foggy entry. We were very grateful for our excellent chart plotter at the helm, as well as AIS. Once moored, the fog thickened, to the extent that we could only just see the bow of CoCo. So we sat in the cockpit listening to a brass band playing the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau; it all felt very bizarre.

Falmouth was our next destination (22NM), after which we were set for the Scillies. We had to wait four days for a weather window, but then we were off. With fuel and water tanks full, and the weather set fair, it was a wonderful 60NM trip under sail and then motor, during which time we were accompanied by two pods of dolphins.

The Scillies at Last

Arriving at St Mary’s, we tied up to the same buoy in Hugh Town that we had fled eleven months previously. The South of England was now enjoying its first heatwave of the year, and we spent a fantastic six days exploring all the major islands, basking in glorious sunshine and light winds. We slept very soundly, with only the gentlest of rocking motion, in excellent, calm conditions. The islands are beautiful, with perfect white beaches and crystal-clear waters; the pictures don’t do it justice.

The Journey Home

With memories of our previous visit in the back of our minds, we kept an eye on the weather. With a low approaching, we decided to turn eastwards for home, retracing our route to Falmouth, then Fowey, where we rendezvoused with fellow S&CA members Keith and Glenn on Zanzibar, who were on their way to Ireland.

A few days later we rafted in the Bag at Salcombe with Jubilant (Andy, David and Johnny) and Shameless (Ian and Mark), with Endeavour (Simon, Harry and Luke) taking up an RNSA mooring closer to town. We all met ashore for a very enjoyable meal and convivial conversation in the quayside pub.

After Salcombe, CoCo continued east, retracing our route west with a few variations in the ports visited, arriving home two months after departure, having covered approximately 800 nautical miles.