New month, new county. 1st June 2019

Water pump fixed and off we go - destination Brixham. The ironical thing is, had we originally said that Saturday was our set off date, then we could have stayed at Weymouth as we could have gone out with the 8am bridge. But I must say we enjoyed our few days on the Isle of Portland as there were lots of things to see and do.

It was with some nervousness we set of as you read so much about the Bill of Portland. However the weather forecast was good, with F3 & F4 predicted.

The best advice is to be at the end of the Bill four hours after high tide Portland, sail as near as you dare to the coast and watch out for lobster pots.

Before we came out of Portland Harbour we put the mainsail up ready for the days sail. We passed the most enormous jelly fish. It was hard to hang over the side and take a picture of them.

As we came out of Portland Harbour we could see a couple of yachts in front of us, a little bit later we spotted four or five who had just left Weymouth. It's always a good sign, if your passage is time crucial, to see other yachts going your way. As we turned the corner we realised there were a lot more yachts in front of us. Our friend Mick, from Fleur, was following us on AIS and he messaged later to say it looked like we were in the middle of a flotilla. We aimed to be at the bottom of the Bill by 10.00 and we were actually there at 09.50. So not bad timing. We had a steady swell until we got to the Bill, when the seas were a bit confused, but nothing major. We went through at a good rate of knots and had gone through a sailor's rite of passage. It was interesting seeing from the sea the route we had walked two days before.

The next part of the journey was to cross Lyme Bay, we had hoped there would be dolphins but sadly none came near us. The wind forecast was totally out and we mainly had a force 2 so we were a motor boat. It was a very warm day and I spent most of the day in a tea shirt. the only time I put my fleece on as when I was at the wheel as I was under the Bimini and in the shade.

As we approached Torbay the Torquay Air Display had begun, so we were lucky to have a good view of the Red Arrows. The skipper was not impressed with my steering as I was watching the display. WE made good time across Lyme Bay and were soon approaching Brixham which looks really pretty. I cant remember much of it from when I was last here 47 years ago. I remember enjoying my time here.  I must say the berthing instructions were excellent and we were quickly in our berth. It is and MDL marina so has all the facilities including good wifi. It isn't the cheapest of marinas but as John says location, location, location.

On our arrival the plan was find a good chippy (back to the boat to eat), have a shower then find a pub showing the football match. It was a bit far to get back to the boat with the fish and chips still hot so we found a nice place we could eat in. The shower also went to plan but then we hit a wall and decided we would watch the footy on the boat. We got it up on the ipad, john watched it and I fell asleep.

Looking at the forecast we decided to stay in Brixham for four nights before moving on to Dartmouth. Sunday mainly rained so we stayed put on the boat. But managed a quick walk round Brixham and a walk out to Berry Head that night. Brixham is another of the towns which played a large part in the D Day landings. The Americans left from here to Utah Beach, Brixham was gearing up for D Day memorials. All the shops were decorating their windows with various displays.

Monday was a better day so we did a longer coastal walk past Berry Head. We had a good view of where we will be sailing on Wednesday. It was a lovely walk with superb views. Berry Head lighthouse is only 6ft from the ground but as it stands on 200 ft of cliff it can be seen for more than 20 miles.

I'm there to show how small the lighthouse is. It is both the highest and smallest in Britain. 

There is a seal on the rocks down there.

A good day was finished by a meal at Rockfish. At some stage in the winter I heard an interview on the radio with the owner Mitch Tonks, I told John that day that this was a restaurant  we would definitely be visiting. It lived up to all expectations. An added bonus was as Cruising Association members we got a 10% discount.

Another feature around the harbour were the 'Pride of Brixham' gardens, which were really inventive. The sheep was our favourite.

 I also like the statues on the waterfront.

Whilst in Brixham we broke the budget! I have mentioned the fish and chips and Rockfish, but we also found a Smoke house and Grill that looked good. It was we eat there as well. Home cooking for the next week or so.

Finishing with some lovely views of Brixham.

Sailing Information
Portland Bill to Brixham  50.7 nm
Time 8hours 23minutes
Marina not cheap £44 a night.
Excellent mooring instructions as you are coming into berth.
Toilet facilities quite good I'd put them on second at the moment.  Individual shower rooms for ladies but men's aren't. However their are two unisex shower rooms that men can use. They are kept very clean.
I didn't use the laundry facilities but it was £3 a wash and £1 for 20 minutes drying. Very small laundry room so you couldn't sit there whilst the washing is being done.
Good wifi
Lots of shops in Brixham, I was decidedly underwhelmed by the Tesco Express and Coop on the fresh meat/fish front. Although I usually prefer butchers and fishmongers, if sailing and am stocking up I like to get food with an eat by date on. So little choice at both Tescos and the Coop.