Cruise from Teignmouth

[jools]

We took TomKat out on Saturday from Boatpark, Teignmouth (thanks www.boatlaunch.co.uk!)
- Great launch site. Area for preparing your boat and getting into your wetsuit, then launch and park - still with trailer attached. Plenty of parking due to the site being through the docks and therefore full of boaters, not tourists! And when you return another reserved area to strap down your boat. Tap and Loo available! all for £5.30.

Anyway... Where we went... We set of from Teignmouth and set off towards Torquay, passing Oddicombe beech with its cliff railway - The cliffs along this stretch were quite spectacular.

Arround Hope's Nose, Ore Stone and Thatchers Rock and in towards Torquay. Arround this area the sea was like a millpond getting rougher the further we went into Torbay.

Torquay harbour was busy and the harbour master was sitting in the harbour entrance so we sailed pass and along the beahes towards Brixham passing Paignton Pier on the way.

Cath took over the helm and after reaching Brixham we turned back towards Torquay and found a beech where there were a number of water-ski boats to stop and have lunch.

After eating lunch and watching the waterskiers fall in! and off their "Donuts" we went for another spin around the Bay before heading back towards Teignmouth, a quick look at Dawlish before heading back up the Teign to the slip.

A great day RIBing!

One thing we could do with is a face mask as we get covered in spray when its a bit choppy! Does anyone have any experience of the Gecko helmets?

Sorry forgot to take my camera

Bye for now....

[John Kennett]

Sounds like a great day out!

After a certain amount of trial and error, this is my choice of head/face gear:

Musto peaked cap (with ear flaps)
Dirt bike goggles (like ski goggles, but with clear lenses)
Fleece "snood" (tube) to cover mouth and neck

This has the advantage that you can wear as much or as little as the conditions demand.

I haven't tried a Gecko helmet, but I can't find anyone who likes them very much. They seem like a great idea, and the RNLI obviously rate them, but all the ribsters I've spoken to who tried them said they were uncomfortable and noisy. Helmets in general seem to be much less popular than they were a few years ago.

John

[jools]

Today I've flown from Bristol to Cork via Plymouth and we flew right over the area where we had been out over the weekend!!

It also puts into scale the area and next time I think we will venture down to the Dart and explore that (avoiding the Dart ferries!)

TTFN

[John Kennett]

<Discussion about helmets for ribbing moved to new thread -- see Head and face protection>

John