Day 11 – Budleigh Salterton to West Bay – 31st May – 22.7 nm
Another early start, but yesterday’s early stack meant I got
some sleep last night so I'm feeling good this morning.
The weather was going to go bad for the next few days so we were
trying to get whatever miles we could. The day’s forecast had a window for a
few hours before lunch but then worsening, with swell and strong winds coming
in early afternoon.
Though the tide ran out around lunch time too it was less
of a concern, it was neapish tides and bar a few cliffs there were no
significant features on this stretch. I also was getting to feel that the book didn't tell the full story on the tides.
If the forecast was correct I was not
going to progress along Chesil Beach, so it looked like a return visit to
West Bay.
Looking out from the beach at Bud it was choppy; to launch I
was going to use my friend the stream, to dodge the dump on the
beach once again. The first hints of the swell were
crossing in the far distance but thankfully they didn't look interested in reaching
too far into Lyme Bay. We were going to push up close to the changing weather so this was going to be another ‘options day’ – ticking off
Sidmouth, Seaton, and Lyme Regis on the way. It could be West Bay or it could be a 5 mile day. Either way it would be 'close in' day.
I packed the boat in the muddy lagoon under dark skies and
rain. Then it was a mini-log flume ride down the stream, followed by a sneaky
gap through the rocks, and away to quickly get around the headland, nicely
named ‘Danger Head’.
Once around the headland conditions were smoother, there was
a different flow there and it held much of the swell out, nice. I made quick
downwind progress, confident enough to skip Sidmouth and head straight for Seaton.
Seaton looked inviting in the grey distance but things were
still ticking along nicely, so a quick call to the Team Manager and onwards
once again, for another 5 miles of cliffs, leading to Lyme Regis.
Short of Lyme Regis the wind started to strengthen, the
sky grew dark and the swell picked up, but I was on a roll. I surfed around the
corner into perfectly tranquil Lyme Regis with a smile on my face and a little urgency
from last night’s Biryani.
Time out to assess the conditions with the Team Manager, who
arrived slightly stressed from big van – small roads syndrome. As we had a
brief lunch, things looked not too bad out there, the swell was growing a little
but the wind was not changing much.
Off I set again, now with a mascot, in the form of Lego Man Larry
from Lyme Regis, who was waiting patiently on the beach. (Larry was to stay
with me through thick and thin for the remainder of the trip, well, until he finally
went overboard on the very last day.)
More cliffs, more downwind.
About a mile short of West Bay things changed, it got lumpy
with a nasty rebound from the harbour wall. I didn't even consider the dumping beach.
The Harbour Master wasn't answering the radio, but like it or not here I come! The
swell followed and I watched it break on perhaps the world’s worst designed
slipway -” hmm... pontoon looks good to me”.
Every day there is a sting in the tail.
Later we took a drive down to look at Chesil Beach. Pascale
remarked that it was steep enough to ski down, which I reflected was not the best
of criteria for a lumpy weather landing beach.
All things considered, better miles than expected.
All things considered, better miles than expected.
