The clouds have lifted and the wind is OK (ish) with a decent F4 from WSW. We cast off from the marina at a reasonable hour (8.30) and push out down the river, slipping through the Drake passage piles and on to the western end of the breakwater. We start to dry off some gear which has got a bit damp over the previous sail from Salcombe and during a very wet stay in Plymouth. Heydays has a certain Twankyish charm???
We take the opportunity of some calm water to get some sails up and for the first time for a while, we have full main and genny and we get to enjoy the peace of water rushing past without the accompaniment of the engine rumbling in the background. The sail is glorious and we round the magnificent St Anthony Head light, which guards the less than delightful Shag Rock…
…and then John decides to kill himself. This may be overstating the case, but about 2 hours out of Falmouth he dives below and starts crashing about with pots and pans. Soon the smell of garlic and onions is wafting up and we can hear chopping and boiling and light braising as we close the entrance. He puts a pasta bake into the oven as we start to take our sails down and motor in to the estuary. John is complaining of a headache and the harbour is busy as usual and there don’t seem to be many visitors mooring buoys around. We are trundling up and down when a rather urgent alarm sounds. Depth is OK. Engine temperature is OK. Oil pressure is OK. We are concerned that it may be gas and turn the oven off and open the hatches…all while we are trying to pick up the one vacant buoy. By the time we have tied ourselves on, the culprit is found…the CO alarm. It all starts to become clear…the oven burners were blocked by the tray of pasta hence the CO and hence John’s headache. Much longer below…and he would have stayed there!
As the suns sets on the harbour (and not, thankfully John himself), we dine in the cockpit on a wonderful pasta washed down with some Prosecco and another lesson learned.
heydays346 