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Dartmouth Aug 2011
Just a few images of our annual break to Dartmouth which we do with a group of other families.
We also meet up with a few locals we know, and generally have a huge crowd on the beach and proper community spirit at the camp site.
We were really lucky with the weather as we had very little rain, and the worst days being just overcast but very warm. We had several RIBs and SIBs around us for Diving and general mucking about.
As always we launched at the ‘Upper Ferry Slip’ most days and ran around to the beach.
Once again ‘The Nashers Revenge’ our 6.5M Ocean performed brilliantly, the only real issue being the price and quality of fuel available locally in Dartmouth. Unleaded jumped up 1p overnight at one stage, the cheapest and most convenient available being the BP garage at 138.9p/l.
We fill up by using Jerry cans filled at the BP garage, and unfortunately had issues with Water in the fuel. I had to drain the water from the bowl under my filter a couple of times, and one of our friends had water in the fuel stop his old 55hp Mariner half way across Start Bay. Luckily we managed to get it going again, but a local outboard mechanic told me he’d seen 3 engines that had experienced WIF issues following being fuelled from the same garage.
It was the first real test of rolling up the Smaller Nashers Bombard 380 in the Ocean and running it round to the beach.
It was obviously a little more difficult than their old 2.7 Zodiac, but proved to be very possible. The battery Powered Bravo Pump proved really worthwhile to blow it up in the mornings but it proved easier not to attempt to suck the air out at the end of the day with it pulled up sideways over the tubes of the RIB. Actually rolling it up was a little awkward but not impossible.
The 9.9Suzi proved to be about the biggest engine I’d like to transfer from one boat to another, but was possible partly because the sea was just so calm the two boats were not moving about much. I also tied off a safety line each time it was transferred in either direction and somebody was holding on to it with a ‘wrap’ around a seat frame just in case.
The pictures tell the story really, the boys really enjoyed the Bombard, and used it extensively to transfer us all to the beach from the anchored larger boats as well as running around all day with their friends. They loaded it up a couple of times and disappeared off with friends to snorkel off small beaches only accessible from the water. It was really worth all the effort we put into getting it up and running. The patching to the deck held up well and everyone was impressed with how well it went and handled.
For the record, my 12 and 14 year olds are reasonably big lads for their age, but running alongside them in the Ocean at one stage the GPS was showing they were achieving @19knots with the little 9.9 buzzing away.
Oh, and how I wish I could afford the new property being built overlooking the harbour.
Nasher.
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