TripSailor.com® Sailing Blogs

It is normal for Erimar to slip port with the milk train, it comes with the territory as she chases the horizon, as the curtains are pulled open on the dawn of a new day. Squally showers chased us as we headed for Padstow, sprinkling us with the wine of life only for the sun to steal it back, until the next squall allowed us to taste the nectar once more.

As with all of our passages this time out and being quite early in the season, Erimar has been a lone yacht – scolded from the fleet – ostrocised but content. Again the sea grumbled away, agitated and threatening like a playground bully, never actually becoming violent but we were never quite sure. The Cornish coast eventually loomed proud and tall and the river Camel, toothless, sucked Erimar towards Padstow and through the gate and into the heart of the town.

The  winds and seas continued their incessant onslaught and so Dave was to say goodbye in Padstow, defeated by the sands of time but so many memories remained scrawled in the grains. Several boats were sentenced and locked away in Padstow, severed from the ocean awaiting pardon or acquittal, knowing it would come but not knowing when.  

We met Paul and Finlay, his African grey parrot, sailing single handed around Britain raising funds for Crohns  & Colitis UK and of course Dave and Kim who had been rafted against us for so long now that our boats had become gelled!

Passage:  69.89nm                                               Distance run so far: 1689.14nm 

                       If you would like to donate to the Crohns & Colitis cause please go to:   paulhardakersailing.co.uk