Day 12 - Tuesday, July 1st - so what has happened to the last week? Two nights in Dartmouth became  four in the end as we really enjoyed the place and also decided on one extra night because of the forecast. Had a great day out to Greenway, Agatha Christie's lovely holiday home across the river from Dittisham, going there by steam train and a half hour woodland walk and returning by ferry on the river.
Another day we walked out to the church and castle at the river entrance and then back to town to enjoy a welcome pint of Proper Job in the Cherub, a wonderful very old pub that I first enjoyed when sailing on Lutine several years ago - and the same old character was sitting in the same seat.
Would recommend Annabelle's Kitchen where we went for a really good meal on the Friday night, our last there.
Having delayed our departure because of the weather we then had worse weather on the Saturday than it was on Friday.  Typical. As it was, apart from two truly biblical torrential downpours, one as we were leaving Dartmouth and the second as we passed Salcombe and the occasional drizzly spell, we had some good sunshine and a good 10-12 knot breeze that allowed us to have the first proper sail of the trip.  Windhover flew along with fairly flat seas, averaging 8 to 9 knots - I could not believe how fast she was romping along.  Really exhilarating sail with just a single tack required in 34 miles, heading for the river Yealm.
It looked so much more peaceful than Plymouth and we were certainly not disappointed.  A real delight, once Jane had overcome her fears as we headed for a very narrow entrance that was alarmingly close to plenty of jagged rocks. Once in the river it deepens enough and we picked up a swinging mooring that was so quiet we could hear nothing but birds and sheep on the hills above.
Sunday involved us inflating the tender for the first time in three or four years (!) and realising that I had forgotten to bring the fuel can with us.  Not clever, as that meant a 500 metre row to the Harbour Master's office, where we had a welcome shower before set to off to find some lunch. Yes, we had had a nice lie-in, thanks, enjoying the peace and quiet. The yacht club in Newton Ferrers had stopped serving food by this time so we headed across the "Voss", a pedestrian causeway over to Noss Mayo that can used when the tide is out.  That allowed us to enjoy an excellent lunch in The Ship.  The drawback was that by be time we headed back, the tide was well on the way back in, with knee deep water over the Voss! With no real alternative but to venture onward, Jane took her shoes off and rolled her jeans up while I was wearing beach shoes and shorts.  Even then, the water was up above my knees but all was well until Jane veered a little too far to her right and stepped off the causeway. Let's just say that it caused much mirth for the drinkers in the yacht club. I am sure we were not the first and won't be the last. And we then had to ask to be towed back to the boat as I was rowing like a mad thing and getting almost nowhere against the tide.
Monday dawned bright and sunny with little wind as we set off at 10.00 for Fowey - finally leaving Devon for Cornwall - motoring all the way, sadly, but enjoying the warmth and relaxing, hoping in vain to see some more dolphins. In the end, we headed closer inshore to take a look at Polperro from the sea before clearing the delightfully names Udded Rock and to Fowey.  A beautiful place and a really helpful  harbour patrol who haloed us tie to the mooring and then went off to get us some petrol in a new tank.  Fantastic and so kind to help us.  Thank goodness we are here in a quiet time so he had time to assist us like that.
Now the end of our full day here, more sunshine, more shopping, another welcome shower and beer at the Royal Fowey Yacht Club and an excellent crab sandwich lunch, followed by more sightseeing and shopping for Jane while I had my hair cut! Then back into the Galleon for another beer, internet access and a catch up on the log.
Tomorrow we are off to Falmouth, where Imy joins us on Thursday.  What a way to pass the time - we are getting very much into the live aboard lifestyle!