The GPS Blog| Activity | Activity date | Activity description |
|---|---|---|
| Up and down the Exe Estuary | 2012-04-01 | Down towards Starcross a couple of times and up to the Turf on a gloriously sunny April afternoon. Lovely F3 to F4 wind. An average speed of 4.5 knots in a 30 year old Wayfarer is none too shoddy
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Exe Estuary
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| Sail with Liz and Julian | 2012-04-14 | No wind but some thunderstorms. Not the ideal sail on the estuary for Lizs brother.
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Exe Estuary
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| Down river dinghy cruise | 2022-08-13 | Safety boat duty on a down river dinghy cruise. Twenty one boats, a big spring tide and a few minor dramas.
And my first double scoop of ice cream in about 3 months. Lush.
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Exe Estuary
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| Work cycle ride | 2017-08-04 | Into work and back
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-03-10 | Into Exeter and back. Average speed not too bad given that there was quite a strong headwind on the way back.
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Exe Estuary
Mill On The Exe
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| Xmas day bike ride | 2016-12-25 | A ride with Liz into Exeter and back. Lots of kids on the cycle path with shiny new Xmas present bikes.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exe Bridges | 2018-03-10 | Into Exeter and back. Average speed reduced by having to walk past the flooding on the cycle path near the Turf.
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Exe Bridges
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| A perfect summers sail | 2012-07-22 | With the first spell of decent weather this summer the dinghy cruise down to the Beach Cafe and back had an excellent F3 southerly sea breeze and lots of sunshine. Marvellous.
All the best photos courtesy of Lizs brother Julian.
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Exe Estuary
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| A sunny Monday evening sail | 2012-07-23 | A great Monday evening sail. The tail end of a F3 sea breeze and a strong incoming Spring tide. The average speed over the ground may not win any prizes but a cracking sail down past the floating cafe and through the moorings
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Exe Estuary
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| A very gusty sail | 2012-07-29 | A very short sail as Liz wasnt too keen on the gusty conditions. It was windy as the top speed of 8.2 knots was actually against the tide. It felt fast for an old Wayfarer with a lot of the front of the boat out of the water as we planed down wind.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter bike ride | 2021-10-20 | Liz post work
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Mill On The Exe
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| Work cycle ride | 2017-08-01 | Into Exeter and back
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-04-16 | Into Exeter and back. A fair old head wind on the way out but speedy on the way back. Not a bad average for me given that I'm still not fully over the lurgie I've had for the last couple of weeks.
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Mill On The Exe
Exe Estuary
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| Weymouth to Topsham | 2016-11-14 | From Weymouth round Portland Bill to Topsham at the top of the Exe.
Stage three in bringing Derek H's new Fulmar back to the Exe.
With very big Spring tides, we took the offshore route around the East Shambles buoy and a few miles off Portland Bill.
With the wind pretty much on the nose after we turned west, we motored most of the way back from Portland Bill.
With the wind varying between 12 and 20 knots against us and 1 or 2 knots of tide with us, the first half of the journey back to the Exe (after Portland Bill) was a little bouncy at times.
We reached the Exe just as it got dark - the trip back up the Exe in the dark and with big tides was interesting! With the Exe's mix of lit and unlit buoys and moorings encroaching on the channel, I really wouldn't recommend going up the Exe at night without local knowledge!
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Exe
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| Autumn estuary sail | 2012-10-06 | An end of summer sail down to the beach cafe and back. Fairly light and variable winds. Six SYC boats.
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Exe Estuary
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| More rowing than sailing | 2012-10-20 | The last SYC dinghy cruise of the year. Varied between next to no wind and no wind at all. Rowed about two thirds of the way. Lovely morning to be on the estuary though.
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Exe estuary
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| Safety boat at SYC | 2013-02-17 | Too windy for us to go out sailing as we havent been out for a couple of months. So ended up doing safety boat. Good fun - a little bouncy. Suspect the occasional max speed peaks are GPS data anomalies.
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Exe Estuary
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| Last hurrah of the summer? | 2021-10-10 | Lovely morning on the estuary on Nigel H's Dart 18. The wind filled in a bit - nay just have guested F4 occasionally.
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Exe Estuary
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| Orcombe Point Paddling | 2023-10-26 | Around a low tide and out to (pretty much) Orcombe Point.
Lovely late October day with little wind and a fairly big tide.
The recent easterly storm has made quite dramatic changes to Bull Hill Bank.
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Exe Estuary
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| Lympstone and back | 2017-03-12 | Round to Lympstone with Liz. Watched the channel to Lympstone being deepened. The port hand channel mark at the Turf shouldn't be relied upon by mariners - given that it sits on a mud back - see the photos.
Windy from the north.
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Exe Extuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-12-26 | Easy ride on teh way out. Wet and windy on the way back. Stopped at SYC on the way back to fix the webcam and weather PC. Weather station recording 20 knots of wind right on the nose for the remaining part of the journey home.
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Mill On The Exe
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| Another 26 miles | 2016-11-06 | Round to Lympstone and back again. Another windy ride.
Stopped at SYC for the AGM.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exe Estuary dawdle | 2013-05-12 | Not quite the F4 gusting F5 that was forecast. That and the fact we managed to get the furling line wrapped round the head sail furling drum means that we didnt go very far.
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Exe Estuary
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| Super summer sail | 2013-05-18 | A lovely sail up to the Goat Walk at Topsham. We had planned to go as far as the motorway bridge but the wind didnt have the west in it that the forecast said it would. Met Malcolm and Graham at the Goat Walk. The max speed of 6.9 knots isnt bad given that there was no tide to speak of.
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Exe Estuary
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| First beach cafe sail of the year | 2013-05-25 | From SYC down to the beach cafe and back. The forecast said next to no wind but a lovely sea breeze kicked in.
Top sail.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exe estuary paddle | 2022-09-20 | A short paddle across the Exe estuary.
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Exe Estuary
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| Lympstone and back | 2017-07-23 | Round to Lympstone and back with Liz. Liz's first time back on a bike for about a month.
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Exe Estuary
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| Lympstone and back | 2017-10-15 | Round to Lympstone and back again. Choccie bar near Lympstone Sailing Club, said 'hello' to Graham A at Topsham Sailing Club (who was putting Celtic Breeze to bed for the winter) and then round to Starcross Sailing Club for a coffee and a look at the Topper Open Meeting. A bit slow as Liz had some aches and pains and the wind was starting to get up.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2016-12-18 | Foggy ride into Exeter and back
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Mill On The Exe
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| Lympstone and back | 2016-11-05 | A windy ride round to Lympstone and back.
Back on the Marin after its trip to the LBS for a new rear wheel.
Not a happy bike - gear change was really sloppy, the chain came off and the rear brake rubbed. No wonder it all felt such hard work.
Stopped at the Swing Bridges to watch them open to let yachts up to the canal basin.
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Exe Estuary
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| Liz, Jill and Ben stroke Agas | 2013-07-05 | Liz, Jill and Ben cycle to Darts Farm and lust after the Aga cookers. Jills son probably not so impressed. Back via Topsham.
Average speed severely affected by taking GPS with them when Aga stroking.
Rather unbelievable max speed generated when Liz heads towards the till mistakenly believing she can actually aford an Aga.
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Exe Estuary
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| Scooby's first canoe trip of 2013 | 2013-07-07 | Up river to the new wreck just north of Starcross and then back down to the Bull Sands where Scoobie ran non stop (when he wasnt digging). Luckily we were too early for the Olly Murs sound check!
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Exe Estuary
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| Canoe trip from SYC to Turf Pub | 2013-07-08 | A canoe trip from SYC to the Turf Pub on the Exe Estuary. Set out near low tide. Journey follows the just greater than paddle depth contour on the way out and later, with the higher tide, on the way back.
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Exe Estuary
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| Pole Sands Paddling | 2020-08-31 | An ideal days paddling. Wind and tide with us on the way out and on the way back!
Liz fell in when getting out of the kayak on the Pole Sands.
Much screaming from Liz and Scooby when we came back round the outside of the Pole Sands.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-07-16 | It was going to be a longer ride round to Lympstone but it started raining and the wind got up.
Still - first time ever with an average speed of over 15 mph! Would have been faster except for having to slow down so often for huge numbers of kids and walkers. They are also digging up the cycle path at Exe Bridges which meant walking round various diversions and not getting the full 20 miles in.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-02-21 | Another "fast for me" ride into Exeter and back. Fast - as in more than 14mph average. There was a sod of a headwind on the way out so made up time on the way back (although I could swear that the wind changed direction just as a I started back from Exeter).
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Mill On The Exe
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| Exeter and back | 2016-12-17 | First ride in a fortnight - work and the weather put paid to the previous weekend.
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Exe Estuary
Mill On The Exe
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| Exe SWM dinghy sail | 2023-08-30 | A lovely sail with Malcolm B in the Wayfarer. Out to the Exe Safe Water Mark and a little way beyond. Lunch on the beach and an ice cream at the Beach Cafe. The wind was mostly F3/F4 with occasional gusts to F5. A lovely sail.
And then used the new electric winch at SYC to retrieve the Wayfarer.
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Exe Estuary
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| Drew Trophy race from Exe to Brixham | 2013-07-27 | A very slow cruise from the Exe to Brixham for the SYC Drew Trophy race. Came 2nd! Partly due to some boats giving up and motoring due to lack of wind. The photos show the flat as a millpond sea at the start of the race.
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Exe
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| Brixham to the Exe | 2013-07-28 | A windy sail back from Brixham to the Exe after the Drew Trophy. Winds didnt quite reach the forecast 24 knots but were mostly between 10 and 20 knots. Lovely sail back under full head sail only.
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Exe
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| Bike ride to Exmouth and back | 2013-08-11 | Bike ride round the Exe Estuary from Cockwood to Exmouth and back.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exe Estuary Darting | 2020-08-30 | Back on Nigel H's Dart 18 for the first time in a long while. Lovely trip down and up the estuary. Wind was up and down - nothing too strong and it didn't completely die away/ Lovely.
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Exe Estuary
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| A drift and a sail to TSC | 2017-07-15 | Light westerly winds and little tide so we sailed and drifted towards Topsham Sailing Club. Ran out of wind just before TSC.
Sitting having coffee at SYC afterwards and we spotted a yacht where it shouldn't have been. Alan W's yacht had broken its moorings and was drifting down past buoy 29. There was already a safety boat moored up to the slipway so we took that and returned the yacht to a mooring.
Can't believe we did 5.9 knots at any point today (but that would mean my code is wrong so maybe we did!!!!!!).
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Exe Estuary
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| Lympstone and back | 2017-02-19 | Round to Lympstone and back with Liz
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-12-23 | Into Exeter and back with Liz
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Mill On The Exe
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| Cycle ride and SYC | 2014-01-26 | A basic cycle ride to the A379 and back again with a stop at the sailing club to watch the death and destruction. Some very big gusts of wind going through led to a few capsizes.
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Exe Estuary
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| Basic bike ride | 2014-01-27 | Along the estuary to the A379 and back
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Exe Estuary
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| Lizzie bike ride | 2014-03-07 | First time back on the bike after a couple of very wet months. To the Swing Bridges and back again.
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Exe Estuary
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| Teign Sail | 2023-04-15 | A lovely trip out with Derek H in his Fulmar along with Alan W.
Down the "inside passage" where we "stopped for tea" for about 15 minutes after we headed east a little early.
The wind didn't drop as much as had been forecast so most of the day was spent sailing.
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Exe
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| Work cycle ride | 2017-08-22 | Windy on the way back - hard work. The wind was against and small white horses were starting to develop on the estuary. Not a good combination for the ride home.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back - quite fast | 2017-02-18 | A very fast (for me) ride out to Exeter (averaged 16.2mph - would have been faster but for the hordes of pedestrians on the last couple of miles) and a somewhat slower ride back into quite a strong head wind. Stopped briefly at SYC to watch the dinghy instructor pre-prep course.
Fastest overall average I've managed on the 20 miles "Exeter and back" ride. First time averaging over 14 mph!
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Mill On The Exe
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| Exmouth and back | 2016-12-28 | A slightly longer cycle ride than usual. Average speed would probably have been a fair bit better if it wasn't for a strong wind right on the nose for the last 6 miles.
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Exe Estuary
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| Work bike ride | 2017-04-28 | Into work and back.
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Exe Estuary
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| Push The Boat Out at SYC | 2014-05-26 | SYC's "Push The Boat Out" day to offer people a taster of dinghy sailing. A very successful day - about 70 people got to try sailing and the winds were an ideal F2 to F3.
Liz got to try helming a Topper on dry land!
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Exe Estuary
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| Squires Cup safety boat | 2014-06-08 | Safety boat duty on a rather damp and drizzly Sunday in June. Free tea though!
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Exe estuary
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| Evening up river dinghy cruise | 2014-06-12 | A lovely evening's sail up to the Goat Walk at Topsham. Sun and a decent wind (which only died as the last couple of boats arrived back). We had a brief detour a little way down the Clyst taking advantage of the high tide.
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Exe Estuary
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| Drew Trophy - SYC to Brixham | 2019-07-20 | The Drew Trophy from the Exe Safe Water mark to the breakwater entrance at Brixham Harbour. A marvelous sail albeit the wind didn't veer as promised later on meaning that we had to put in one short tack in to make the finish line. Still - 2 hours 24 minutes from the Exe SWM to Brixham breakwater is none too shabby!
Everybody (well - all 3 boats that took part) claimed they didn't want to win it as they'd then have to store the humongous trophy in the loft for a year.
So a result of first across the line and second on handicap could be claimed to be ideal! But I'm sure Julian P on Kinfolk will find the loft space somehow. Either way, with all three boats finishing within about 5 minutes, it was a very pleasant way to spend the day.
Then dinner at SYC with sailors from Topsham Sailing Club.
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Exe SWM
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| Work cycle ride | 2017-06-16 | Into work and back
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-10-07 | Too windy for us to want to go sailing (F4 gusting F6) so Liz and I cycled into Exeter and back.
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Mill On The Exe
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| River Exe Cafe | 2018-04-08 | Birthday treat at the River Exe Cafe
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River Exe Cafe
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| Bart's Bash | 2014-09-21 | After ten year's sailing at Starcross Yacht Club we've completed our first ever dinghy race (we did start one about five year's ago but got bored half way through and sailed off up-river).
This race was in memory of Bart Simpson who died in America's Cup practice last year and to raise funds for his sailing academy.
Amazingly we weren't last - but pretty close. On the plus side, 68 boats in the water and we didn't hit one of them!
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Exe Estuary
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| October beach cafe sail | 2014-10-11 | Good winds and big tides for a late season sail from SYC down to the beach cafe. Some excellent winds round the Warren and the Docks. Died away a little bit for the last mile back to SYC.
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Exe Estuary
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| Starcross Steamer 2015 | 2015-03-15 | First cycle ride in ages. To SYC and back again for a brief watch of the Starcross Steamer pursuit dinghy race.
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Exe Estuary
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| Whole fleet paddiling | 2019-06-29 | Paddling with Richard and Helen - first time out on canoes.
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Exe Estuary
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| Cycle ride to work | 2017-06-13 | One of those "head wind in both directions" rides. Wind against on the way out and then a sea breeze against on the way back.
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Exe Estuary
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| Peter S returns! | 2023-08-27 | On a rib out to the Exe SWM to welcome Peter S home from his epic trip (through the French canals, around Corsica and other islands in the Med, through the Canal Du Midi and then back round the Britanny coast.
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Exe SWM
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| Newport Trophy race | 2023-06-17 | An SYC yacht "race" in Derek H's rather splendid Westerly Fulmar from the Exe to Dartmouth. Very gentle winds. So gentle, in fact, that the race finish line was moved back to Hope's Nose. We gave up sailing about 3 miles short of Dartmouth and then motored up to Dittisham for an evening meal in the Red Lion.
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Exe
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| And another twenty miles | 2016-10-21 | To the Mill On The Exe and back again.
This one was very slightly easier than yesterday but that's probably because it was such a still day.
Average of 12mph!!! I don't think I've ever averaged that before.
Cheating slightly by stopping to read a chapter of a book at the Exe Quay (safe water mark) and at the Turf Locks - as it was such a nice day.
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Exe Estuary
Mill on the Exe
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| SYC beach cafe sail | 2015-08-01 | We haven't been out on the Wayfarer for quite a while. That sounds bad given that it's the height of summer but a quick check shows that I've actually sailed over 490 nautical miles since our last Wayfarer trip so I haven't exactly given up sailing!
A breezy sail down to the beach cafe - we put in a reef for the way back which wasn't too cowardly as there were a couple of capsizes on the way back.
Big tides which is the main reason for the quite fast average speed.
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Exe
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| Pole Sands picnic | 2015-08-15 | Sail down from SYC to the Pole Sands. A bit of everything wind wise. From nothing to about a F4 and quite a lot of gusts in between, Put first reef in for the trip back which made things easier
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Exe Estuary
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| Paddle to the Pole Sands | 2015-08-17 | A paddle from Starcross to the Pole Sands making the most of the sunny almost windless weather. Scooby ran miles on the sands.
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Exe Estuary
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| Short Wayfarer sail | 2023-05-07 | Not much wind so just a short Wayfarer sail up the estuary a little way.
Docking arms now fitted to new launching trolley.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-06-12 | Quite hard work as I hadn't been on the bike for the last three weeks and there was a bit of a head wind on the way out.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-01-21 | Cold days cycle ride into Exeter and back. Just above freezing. Very gentle ride with Liz - reflected in the somewhat slower than usual average speed.
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Exe Estuary
Mill On The Exe
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| Exeter and back | 2016-11-28 | A windy ride into Exeter and back. Luckily the wind (F5 to F7 on Met Office forecast) was mostly on the side,
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Exe Estuary
Mill On The Exe
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| First dinghy sail of 2016 | 2016-04-02 | Weather forecast was for F5 gusting F6 and that was about right when we got to SYC.
As this was the first dinghy cruise of the year, it was cancelled and replaced with a sail near the club.
Put lots of reefs in so the crew didn't mutiny and then banged about across the estuary and back a few times. Turned out to be a fun sail.
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Exe Estuary
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| April Free Sailing | 2016-04-16 | A pleasant sail back and forth across the estuary. Started about F4 gusting F5 so we went out with one reef. Wind eased so we shook out the reef. The offshore lifeboat came up the river.
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Exe Estuary
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| First beach cafe sail of 2016 | 2016-04-23 | First SYC sail to the Exmouth beach cafe in 2016.
The forecast was north easterly F4 to F5. However, on the way back from the beach cafe it was really quite gusty and I'd guess that the gusts might just have been F6. Combined with a fairly large tide and the NE wind being against the tide, it made for an interesting sail back.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exe to Dartmouth | 2018-08-13 | A lovely sail down from the Exe to Dartmouth.
Wind ranged from very little to about 22 knots.
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Exe
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| Exeter and back | 2017-08-26 | Into Exeter and back. On the posh bike but far too many blind and deaf walkers, kids and doggies on the paths to be able to go too fast.
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Mill On The Exe
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| Another twenty miles | 2016-10-20 | Third day in a row of cycling into Exeter and back.
Every day is getting harder - surely that's not right!
A couple of "reading breaks" on the way back.
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Exe Estuary
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| SYC Mystery Dinghy Cruise | 2016-07-13 | "Officer Of The Day" for the SYC "mystery dinghy cruise". What the mystery was to be was, er, a mystery to us.
So we decided that it would be cricket and drinkies on the Bull Sands in the middle of the Exe Estuary at low water.
F4 gusting F5 a fair bit of the time but it seems a good time was had by all.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exe Regatta Committee boat | 2016-07-16 | On a rather nice Westerly acting as the Committee Boat for the catamaran racing of the 2016 Exe Regatta. Knowing nothing about dinghy racing, we were pulling up and down various flags at the request of the endlessly patient PK. No real idea what most of the flags meant and I suspect a very goodly proportion of the competitors don't (I think they just listen for the alternate sound signals).
Still a very pleasant way to while away a Saturday afternoon on the Exe.
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Exe Regatta 2016
Exe Estuary
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| SYC to Pole Sands | 2018-07-14 | A canoe paddle down from SYC to the Pole Sands in company with Ellie T and Marco F (and the hound).
Strong Spring tides both ways but a sea breeze made the paddle out hard work and super easy on the way back.
Scooby enjoyed having four different people to throw the ball for him on the Pole Sands!
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Exe Estuary
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| Work cycle ride | 2017-05-02 | Cycle ride to work and back. Not that windy but the wind was against on the way to work and against on the way home!
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Exe Estuary
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| Darts Farm and back | 2017-01-07 | Off to Darts Fram to hire a tandem for Liz's birthday next week. Liz bought a leek!
Average speed distorted by the time spent shuffling round Darts Farm while Liz looked for other stuff to buy.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2016-11-27 | Liz's first time back on the bike at the tail end of a two week lurgy.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2016-12-29 | Into Exeter and back. Moving average a little disappointing given how hard I pedaled!
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Mill On The Exe
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| Free Sailing Safety Boat | 2016-08-13 | Doing safety boat for a Free Sailing at SYC on a lovely summer's afternoon. A pleasant F3 with the occasional gust made for almost ideal sailing conditions with just a few things to keep us slightly busy. A surprising overall distance as we spent the first 15 minutes at anchor (and expected to remain there for much of the afternoon!)
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Exe Estuary
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| A tale of two ferries | 2016-08-14 | Up to buoy 45 at Topsham (off the Goat Walk) passing the Topsham to Turf ferry and then down to Starcross (to the Starcross to Exmouth ferry pier). Then round the floating cafe and back to SYC.
A gorgeous day's sailing. A strong F3 up near Topsham and one of those rare days that it was warm enough to sail without a spray top. Marvelous.
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Exe Estuary
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| Topper Open At SYC | 2016-10-09 | Junior Topper Open event at Starcross Yacht Club.
Safety boat crew for the 4 back-to-back races for the 23 boats at this open sailing event.
Decent winds all day between F2 and F4 from the north east.
GPS battery ran out after only a couple of hours so most of the track is missing.
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Exe Estuary
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| Straight Point Paddling | 2023-06-15 | A near enough perfect day's paddling. Out with the tide against just the start of a sea breeze. Then along the coast to Straight Point. Flat calm and pretty much no wind.
The Marines were firing otherwise I'd have gone on further.
Then back via the beach cafe (the choccie ice cream not as nice as Route 2's) and then pushed back up the estuary by the tide and building sea breeze. Hardly a cloud in the sky. Just about perfect.
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Exe Estuary
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| Lympstone and back | 2017-04-29 | Dinghy cruise was cancelled because the winds were too strong so Liz and I went cycling. Doh! Hard work on the way back from the Swing Bridges as it was straight into the F5 winds.
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Exe Estuary
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