12th November 2013
Well, I managed to get away again from Falmouth on Monday 11th, Armistice Day. By coincidence I am reading a great book by Christopher Clark called The Sleepwalkers. It’s about the political build up to the First World War and how the statesmen of the time made the, often completely irresponsible, decisions, which led to the slaughter of millions.
There was a NW’ly wind forecast to come in the early hours of Tuesday morning and I left a bit early to get a head start on it. I think Sue Jackson, a local journalist Alyson and I had spoken to a couple of weeks ago, was the only person to see me leave. As I pulled up the anchor I heard someone shout, “Andrew!” and looked up to see her waving and taking photos from near the Greenbank Hotel.
The ebb tide carried Elsi out and we passed Black Rock at about 1420 with a light W’ly. I was busy throwing bucket loads of water on to the anchor to clean off the Falmouth mud so I could get it stowed below.
The wind picked up to a good sailing breeze and we were abeam The Manacles bouy about an hour later. The bell rang, “Ding! Ding! Ding!” as we passed and I waved it a fond farewell; “See you in a years time!” I said.
As we passed The Lizard and headed out into the Channel making good speed it was hard not to feel a bit like Bilbo Baggins as he closed the round door of his hole in the ground behind him and ran off down the hill shouting, “I’m off on an adventure!”.
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