Tidal racing - Studland Bay to Dartmouth via Weymouth

We left Studland Bay aiming to catch current all the way to Dartmouth (60 nm) - but we had a lesson in tidal races/Channel currents. Ultimately, we didn’t pull out far enough to catch the main current, got caught down the side of the bay, and nearly into a tidal race off St Albans headland which was very exciting! The race is where 2 tidal currents meet and the white caps were impressive. This particular race extends up to 3 miles off the headland and we slid down the side of it to stay on the outside of Weymouth Bay. We then tried to push past the Shambles off the Portland Bill (which is the other headland of the same bay), but realized we were going to be in for a very long sail indeed, and weren't in a good position to make best use of the current.
We were being carried along sideways faster than we could sail in our intended direction. Finally, at the last minute we safely could without being sucked into dangerous waters, we decided that wisdom was the better part of valor, cut our losses and headed cross-current into the bay. We then got to "ooo and aahhh" at the very cool rock formations of the Jurassic Coast all the way to Weymouth, at the head of the bay.

Weymouth was a little beach town - past it’s prime perhaps, but plenty to entertain us in the ways of shops and walks. It was the venue for sailing in the 2014 Olympics - there is good viewing of a wide bay and I imagine it was spectacular…seeing the setting makes me want to watch footage of the races.
After obsessing from the water over how to get around the tidal races at The Portland Bill, we took a bus up to see the lighthouse from land-side, which was a eye-openingly windy excursion.

We also got lunch at a true local’s pub and were regaled with stories from a sailor who was in both Her Majesty’s Navy and the Merchant Navy - he had been all over the world. Favorite place? The Caribbean (I think we should take advice from an expert).
Portland is also the site of many quarries (St. Pauls Cathedral is made of Portland granite) and there is one abandoned quarry that sculptors have used as a playground. You can wander through it to find all manner of sculptures carved out of granite in the now-overgrown hills and ravines of the quarry. That was my favorite part of the day.

Another highlight was the Nothe Fort and especially an exhibit of nearly 1,000 military ships/planes/etc made entirely out of wooden matches and matchboxes (to scale, with moving parts). Sam and Murray went first and Sam was so enthralled he brought me to see it another day - when to our delight, the man who made them was there! He was very chatty and appreciated Sam’s fascination with his collection.

He reminded me of my Congdon side - technical, detailed, full of engineering knowledge, and very, very persistent. Really shocking what people can accomplish when they spend their lives doing it.

The next day we had to start late in the day to juggle the tides/currents - we left Weymouth at 1 pm for a lovely sail, ghosting out of the harbor, past the massive Portland harbor (major embarkation point for the Allied troops on D Day), and around the infamous Portland Bill - our timing was perfect and no tidal races or whirlpools in sight.

In order to get to Dartmouth (still about 50 nm away), we decided eventually to start the engine - and it was a long day motoring, our longest day yet. Cream tea then dinner on the water, and we tucked the kids into bed with the engine vibrations for a lullaby. I slept a few hours but Murray refused to lay down until we were safely into Dartmouth and anchored in the heart of the town at 4 am - our first night navigation. Scary but successful!
We woke up in the midst of a busy town that straddles the Dart River with multiple water taxis and ferries. After getting some words of navigational wisdom from the harbor master launch, we motored up the river to explore. We enjoying the quiet pastoral bends until the turn of the tide, when we eased back downriver, through the dance with the ferries, and out past the double castles at the mouth of the river.

And sailed past another picturesque lighthouse on another breathtaking headland…they never cease to amaze.

Our first few hours we made good time but as we rounded the point we were heading directly into the wind - which was picking up and due to increase through night. Wisdom being the better part of valor, instead of pushing on we ducked into Salcombe Harbor, a historic river harbor now filled with posh summer homes elegantly cascading down the steep hillsides. It’s undoubtably nicer to come into these narrow, winding harbors in the daylight rather than 3 am.