The MBM depart Fowey bound for Salcombe
Wednesday 19th July
Day 12
Position – Visitors Pontoons, The Bag, Salcombe
50°14′.594 N 003°45.568 W
It was beautiful, early morning start for the fleet. As advised in the notes issued by Neale yesterday, boats began to disperse, with some proceeding to the town pontoons to re-fill with water. Time Flies was again the first to go on passage and by 0930 the two pontoons that MBM had once occupied were empty. Calm Voyager was one of the last boats to leave port.
As planned the two boats, Easy Option and Chaldon, made their way to Plymouth to overnight. A few other boats followed them into Plymouth to fuel, these boats included Dragonfly and AquaVit. Unbeknown to the leading boat AquaVit, the military had run a mile long submarine cable across the entrance to the Plymouth breakwater. The unmarked, submerged and non-visible cable found its way around the Princess 430’s props leaving her disabled. Quickly, the very embarrassed military came to the owner’s aid; retrieving the cable and diving on the boat to remove the tangle on the props.
All the boats were assembled in ‘The Bag’, Salcombe by 1500hrs and the MBM team announced that there would be a pontoon party at 1800hrs. After that announcement the rain came down but luckily by 1800 the rain had stopped. The socialising continued onto the early hours. Loud renditions of American Pie and ‘What shall we do with the drunken sailor?’ could be heard from one of the MBM boats, which shall remain nameless. Everyone seemed to have very nice evening.
Tomorrow is rest day in Salcombe and in the evening a cruise dinner will be held at Restaurant 42 on the waterfront in town. The restaurant will be preparing a superb buffet and have closed for the night just for the fleet.
Look out for the full postcard report in the October issue
