The GPS Blog| Activity | Activity date | Activity description |
|---|---|---|
| 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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| Swing Bridges and SYC | 2021-04-30 | Down to Dawlish Warren for the bakery then up to the Swing Bridges and then back via SYC to pick up everything I'd left there on Wednesday. And some sea weed.
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Swing Bridges
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| Swing Bridges and Sainsburys | 2020-11-24 | More cycling
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Swing Bridges
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| Swing Bridges bike ride | 2021-04-01 | Slow ride to Swing Bridges
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Swing Bridges
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| Swing bridges and back | 2013-03-03 | Along the estuary and canal to the swing bridges on the newly serviced bikes. Stopped for a cup of coffee at the Turf on the way back
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Swing bridges
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| New cycle cafe | 2017-09-30 | Down to Dawlish Warren with Liz to have a look round Join S's new cycle shop and cafe. Then up to the Swing Bridges and back again.
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Swingt Bridges
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| Dawlish Warren and Swing Bridges | 2020-12-22 | Pre-work cycle ride
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Swing Bridges
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| Swing bridges and back via Powder Castle | 2013-08-12 | Along the estuary and canal to the Swing Bridges and then back via Powderham Castle
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Swing Bridges
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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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Swing bridges
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| Swing bridge and back again | 2014-03-08 | A lovely cycle ride to the Swing Bridges. Bit of a sod on the way back straight into the southerly force 5 all the way. Aidans first time back on the bike for a couple of months.
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Swing bridges
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| Swing Bridges cycle ride | 2020-08-13 | Was going to be further but Liz didn't like the thunder. Slow - very slow.
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Swing Bridges
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| Swing Bridges | 2017-10-02 | To the Swing Bridges and back with Liz
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Swing Bridges
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| Exminster bike ride | 2021-10-27 | Swing Bridges bike ride
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Swing Bridges
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| First cycle ride in months | 2016-10-10 | First bike ride in a very long time. Only as far as the Countess Wear swing bridges over the Exeter Canal.
Work is about half way through the 14 month schedule of work on the swing bridge / roads.
As per the pictures, one of the bridges was open because of the work.
The swing bridges are being retained but re-aligned during the work.
The bridges have history - there's a plaque on them that reads "In May 1944, these bridges played an important part in the preparations for D-Day. They were used over a period of three days and nights, for rehearsals of the famous and crucial glider borne attack on the bridge over the Canal de Caen (Pegasus Bridge) and the River Orne (Horsa Bridge), by the Second Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, on the night 5/6 June 1944"
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Swing bridges
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| 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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| Ice cream at Lympstone | 2018-08-18 | As the wind was so light to start with, we sailed across to Lympstone for a chocolate and orange ice cream - but they were out of stock! A creamy strawberry was almost as nice.
Then a few bits of decent wind as we sailed back and forth across the estuary in the Wayfarer.
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Exe
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| Exe to Brixham | 2024-07-27 | A lovely sail down from the Exe to Brixham for the Drew Trophy. All the better because the weather forecast had hinted that we'd be motoring but, instead, we had a nice F3. OK, it was mostly from the "wrong" direction which meant it took a long time to get to Brixham but it was a nice day for it!
Then an evening meal at Brixham Yacht Club with its spectacular views (and an eighties night!).
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Exe
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| First Wayfarer outing of 2024 | 2024-04-21 | A late start to this year's Wayfarer sailing but quite a good one. Mostly F4 so one reef in the main and then backwards and forwards across the estuary umpteen times to get the a feel for the boat again.
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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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| 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 | 2017-06-23 | In to Exeter and back. Stopped at SYC on the way back.
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Exe Estuary
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| Another twenty miles | 2016-10-26 | Out with Liz for another cycle ride into Exeter and back.
Trying to "power" up the bridge at Powderham, I broke 3 spokes on the rear wheel. So the last 2.5 miles are Liz alone as she went home to get the car to rescue me and the broken bike.
That means the "reserve" bike tomorrow - the almost unridden Ridgeback Genesis Day Two.
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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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| 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 | 2017-06-20 | Hot. Very hot.
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Exe Estuary
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| Starcross Steamer 2017 | 2017-02-05 | Down to Starcross Yacht Club for the annual Starcross Steamer dinghy pursuit race. One hundred boats on the water.
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Exe Estuary
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| Lympstone and back | 2016-12-04 | Round the Exe Estuary trail to Lympstone and back.
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Exe Estuary
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| Round to Exmouth and back | 2016-10-25 | I missed out on yesterday's cycle ride due to the incessant rain and being a wuss. To make up, today's ride was round to Exmouth and the start of the Jurassic Coast.
On the way out I told myself that I'd catch the ferry back. When I was there I thought "that wasn't so" bad so I rode back.
It's a long way for someone like me!
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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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| Exe to Salcombe | 2018-04-21 | A great sail from the Exe down to Salcombe.
Sailed past Simon T and Andy B on Nelly Nui as they prepared for their Round Britain sail.
Met up with them again off Dartmouth and we sailed on together towards Start Point.
We took the inside passage around Start Point and encountered a really heavy rain shower including some very loud and rather too close for comfort thunder and lightening.
After that it was a beautiful evening sailing across Salcombe Bar and onto a mooring followed by a fine dinner ashore.
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Exe
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| Work cycle ride | 2017-07-28 | Very windy (WindGuru said 25mph gusting 40) on the way back and wet. Wind was maybe 30 to 45 degrees off being dead on the nose so slightly easier than it might have been.
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Exe Estuary
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| Lympstone and back | 2017-01-28 | Round to Lympstone and back with Liz. Got rained on at Countess Wear.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2016-12-03 | A windy ride into Exeter and back, Liz still in post lurgie mode.
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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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| Exeter and back | 2017-02-27 | A gentle ride into Exeter and back. A mixture of sunshine and showers but at least the wind was from the side.
Most impressively, Liz managed to come off her bike but still remain standing at the end of the manoeuvre!
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Exe Estuary
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| Xmas eve ride | 2016-12-24 | Into Exeter and back. First solo ride for a couple of week and the slightly higher speeds made it hard work!
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Mill On The Exe
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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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| Work cycle ride | 2017-05-12 | Into and Exeter and back to work.
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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.
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Exe Estuary
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| Round to Exmouth | 2017-08-14 | Round to Maer Rocks at Exmouth. Started raining just as I got to Exmouth. The last seven miles straight into the wind and the rain were hard work.
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Exe Estuary
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| Second Wayfarer sail of the year | 2017-04-14 | A short sail in the Wayfarer. Sail somewhat shortened as replacing the forestay with a new one took longer than expected - the mousing line was shorter than the mast so we ended up with no stay or mousing line in the mast!
Light winds so we practiced some on water reefing.
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Exe Estuary
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| Start of holiday Scooby walk | 2014-01-11 | Scoobys first walk of our winter holiay
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Exe Estuary
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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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| Exeter and back | 2017-05-08 | Cycle ride into Exeter and back with a stop at SYC on the way back.
Not a bad average for me as I was on the Marin hybrid loaded up with a pannier, locks and a book.
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Exe Estuary
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| Up river to Topsham Quay and back | 2014-04-19 | Second sail of the season up the Exe as far as Topsham Quay (where the winds got a little too light and fickle to go much further). A high tide sail so straight over "Greenland" on the way up.
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Exe estuary
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| First beach cafe sail of the year. | 2014-05-03 | A lovely F3 south easterly for a sail down to the Exmouth Beach Cafe and back again
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Exe estuary
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| Brixham to the Exe | 2019-07-21 | Back from Brixham after the Drew Trophy.
Another day of ideal winds and we decided to scoot back to the Exe to get in on the falling tide. Some lovely downwind sailing with the cruising chute up much of the way after the Ore Stone.
As it was heading towards Springs, there was the usual Exe estuary tides against us on the way in.
Back on the mooring with time to spare - time used figuring out how to release the tender from the mooring chain - after it had managed to solidly wrap itself around the chain.
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Exe
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| Beach cafe paddle | 2024-11-01 | Too little wind to go sailing so Malcolm B and I headed down river in the Sea Eagle kayak
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Exe Estuary
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| Sail on Nigel's Dart | 2014-07-14 | Beach cafe and just a bit beyond on Nigel's Dart 18. A day of lulls and gusts. A max speed of 14.6 knots is just a bit faster than I'm used to with my Wayfarer
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Exe Estuary
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| Sail on Nigel's Dart | 2014-08-18 | A decent wind (gusting maybe F5) for a storming sail on Nigel's Dart. Some excellent speeds with a top speed of over 17 knots - probably the fastest I've been under sail. Top stuff
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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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| New Years Eve bike ride | 2016-12-31 | Exeter and back
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Exe Estuary
Mill On The Exe
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| Another twenty miler | 2016-11-20 | Well almost a twenty miler. The 2 inch rain fall in Exeter meant that the last part of the cycle path ride was under water.
Hard work cycling in to the head wind that was the remnants of Storm Angus. Disappointing that the winds dropped away for the homeward leg - as shown by the drifting boats when stopping briefly at SYC.
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Exe Estuary
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| Another twenty miles | 2016-10-19 | Another ride into Exeter and back.
Hard work!
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Mill On The Exe
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| First beach cafe sail of 2015 | 2015-04-19 | A down river sail from SYC to the Exmouth beach cafe.
Strange winds - a bit of everything. Off Cockwood the NE wind met a sea breeze and shifted 180 degrees! It did this on both the way down and the way back. Coming back to the Club the wind got a bit lively for the last 5 minutes of the sail.
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Exe Estuary
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| First SYC dinghy cruise of 2015 | 2015-04-25 | An upriver dinghy cruise to start the 2015 season of SYC organised dinghy cruises. Pleasant wind - maybe F3
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2018-01-20 | Into Exeter and back with Liz. Picked up some free tide timetables from the very nice people at Bridger Marine on the Quay.
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Mill On The Exe
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| Exeter and back | 2017-04-24 | A fairly gentle ride into Exeter and back. Had the Marin loaded up with a pannier and computer bag as though I was going to cycle into work. After a bit of adjustment it all seemed to work ok.
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Mill On The Exe
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| Exeter and back | 2016-11-19 | Another 20 mile ride into Exeter and back.
First ever average of 13 mph on a twenty mile ride.
Storm Angus had left the flood prevention overflows in full spate in Exeter.
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Mill On The Exe
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| Bike ride to Exeter | 2016-10-18 | Start of a possible attempt to maybe get a little fitter.
A twenty mile round trip ride into Exeter (Mill on the Exe area) and back again.
The final climb back up Cockwood Hill nearly killed me.
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Mill On The Exe
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| Ore Stone and back - Chaos | 2015-09-26 | Trial SYC "race" from Exe safe water mark, round the Teignmouth outfall buoy, round the Ore Stone and back to the Exe SWM.
A really great day's sailing. Relaxed and sunny on the downwind leg to the Ore Stone and really good sailing on the upwind leg back to the Exe SWM. The wind moved round a little to the east on the way back making (for us) a straight line sail; pretty much all the way back.
The "Chaos" in the title refers the the race's putative title - "CHase Around the Ore Stone"
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Exe SWM
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| October dinghy cruise | 2015-10-10 | An iffy weather forecast (F4 gusting F5 with occasional F6) didn't tie up with the conditions at the start time so we went out with one reef. In the end, it turned out to be a lovely sail.
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Exe Estuary
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| Brixham to Exe | 2017-04-23 | A lovely day sail on Derek H's Fulmar.
First a quick trip with Liz on board round Berry Head. Mostly motor sailing and watching the wildlife.
Then, after dropping Liz off back in Brixham, a sail back up to SYC on the Exe. Light winds - but enough to sail most of the way. A chance to "play" with some of setup on Thalmia including the cruising chute and a think about how a preventer might be rigged.
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Exe Estuary
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| Exeter and back | 2017-03-04 | A gentle wide into Exeter and back with Liz.
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Mill On The Exe
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| Lympstone and back | 2016-12-19 | Round to Lympstone for a very nice and rather spicy tomato soup in the Swan Inn.
This ride takes me just over 500 miles since I started this regular cycling stuff back in mid October.
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Exe Estuary
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| SYC to Topsham SC | 2016-06-11 | A paddle up the Exe from SYC to Topsham Sailing Club and back. First paddle of the year - a poor do indeed!
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Exe Estuary
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| Squires Cup Safety Boat | 2016-06-12 | Safety boat for the Squires Cup racing for dinghies and cats on the Exe Estuary. Not a lot of wind so not much call for our services. Some rain at times.
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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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| Exeter bike ride | 2021-10-20 | Liz post work
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Mill On The Exe
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| Work cycle ride | 2017-09-01 | Into work and back
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Exe Estuary
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| First Wayfarer sail of 2017 | 2017-04-02 | First time out in the Wayfarer this year. A very gentle sail and then a drift back down with the tide as the wind died away as forecast.
Some noisy scroat was scaring up the birds in a hovercraft between the Clyst and the Goat Walk.
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Exe Estuary
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| Mackerel for tea | 2016-07-18 | A glorious summer sail on a Dart 18 with Nigel H. Caught some mackerel for the first time ever - a few hundred yards off the safe water mark. Blisteringly hot and light winds - ideal for a summer sail / drift
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Exe Estuary
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| Summer Sail | 2016-07-30 | Went up river to about the Goat Walk and then back again. Liz did some helming for about the 3rd time in the 10 years we've been sailing on the Exe. Then some on water reefing practice and then back to SYC for the "Commodore's BBQ".
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Exe Estuary
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