Search Results

ActivityActivity dateActivity description
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.
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!
Exeter and back 2016-12-18 Foggy ride into Exeter and back
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!
Exeter bike ride 2021-10-20 Liz post work
Exeter and back 2017-02-06 Super fast on the way out. A bit slower on the way back. The last five miles were into a fairly strong headwind right on the nose. That and pouring rain and the cold put a slight damper on the last quarter!
Exeter and back 2016-12-17 First ride in a fortnight - work and the weather put paid to the previous weekend.
Exeter and back 2018-01-28 First time on the bike after the gears were mended. All good.
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.
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.
Exeter cycle ride 2017-10-22 Into Exeter with Liz. Strong headwinds on the way out - faster on the way back. Saw a Bentley with a bike rack on the back at the Swan's Next park.
Exeter and back 2017-04-17 In to Exeter on the Marin bike. Stopped at SYC on the way back to watch Liz and Nigel on the safety boat. About the same strength and direction wind as yesterday so it seems that the posh bike makes me about 1.5 mph faster.
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.
Exeter and back 2016-12-05 To the Mill On The Exe and back
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.
Exeter and back 2017-12-23 Into Exeter and back with Liz
Exeter and back 2016-12-03 A windy ride into Exeter and back, Liz still in post lurgie mode.
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!
Dawlish and Exeter 2017-12-18 Into Dawlish with Liz to pay a bill and then up to Lutzy's on Exeter Quay. A lovely sunny winter's day with next to no wind. Liz says "bad back and snotty nose" the reason for the slightly low average speed.
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).
Into Exeter and back 2017-08-05 Too windy for sailing so we went cycling. Quite a big bit windy said Liz after her first time on the bike for quite a while.
Exeter and back 2017-04-14 Wanted a nice gentle ride as it was the first time back on the bike in three weeks - a camper van trip and a slow to end lurgie having got in the way. And a nice gentle ride with Liz it was.
Exeter and back 2017-01-05 Quite fast on the way out but a bit of a head wind on the way back slowed things down a bit overall.
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,
Exeter and back 2017-03-04 A gentle wide into Exeter and back with Liz.
Exeter 2018-05-18 Into Exeter and back with Liz. Coffee at Lutzys and then a fairly strong breeze to contend with on the way back.
Lutzys cafe 2017-11-11 A cycle ride into Exeter and back with Liz. Stopped at Lutzy's Cafe for the rather nice custard tarts and some coffee.
New Years Eve bike ride 2016-12-31 Exeter and back
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.
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.
Exeter and back 2018-04-23 Into Exeter and back with Liz. Stopped for a coffee at Lutzy's. Watched the dredger deepening the channel out from the Turf Locks.
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.
Exeter and back 2016-12-29 Into Exeter and back. Moving average a little disappointing given how hard I pedaled!
Exeter and back 2016-11-27 Liz's first time back on the bike at the tail end of a two week lurgy.
Exeter and back 2018-01-29 Into Exeter and back with Liz to do a bit of shopping. Bit windy and had to walk past the people putting up a new fence along the railway along the estuary. There was a new cruise boat - The Spirit Of Loch Ness - in the Turf Lock. Not seen her before.
Floods, a puncture and a disputed cupcake 2018-03-04 Post snow flooding on the Exe cycle path meant a bunch of walking. Liz didn't want the gorgeous Lutzy's cupcake bought for her so it was half each - the first "snack" this year! Then a blowout on the way home on Lizzie's rear tyre. Not helped by the poxy pump we had with us only being able to half inflate the tyre. A trip to the LBS tomorrow for a replacement.
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.
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.
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.
Exeter and back 2018-02-16 Into Exeter and back with Liz. Straight into a headwind on the way home.
Exeter and back 2017-12-04 A ride into Exeter and back with Liz
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.
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.
Exeter and back 2018-02-12 A gentle cycle ride into Exeter with Liz. First time on the bike in nearly two weeks due to a winter lurgie that refused to go. Still not 100% right yet! Lutzys was still closed.
Bike ride into Exeter 2017-07-02 A leisurely bike ride into Exeter with Liz. Liz's first time on the bike in a while. Combine that with hundreds of ISCA Academy 10 year olds vying to see which one of them could throw themselves under Liz's front wheel first, and the average speed makes more sense. Stopped at SYC on the way back.
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.
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.
Another twenty miles 2016-10-19 Another ride into Exeter and back. Hard work!
Exeter and back 2017-12-09 Into Exeter and back. Just got bike back from a big service by Jon S. Combination of a freshly serviced bike and not much wind made the moving average a bit better than some other recent rides.
Bolberry Down and Soar Mill Sove 2019-09-07 First day of hols! Whiteley's off to new camp-site near Salcombe - remember for family happiness mobile signal not great for route finding! New camp-site with very friendly owners.Walked to Saw Mill Cove lots of dog swimming & ball throwing. Views of Rame Head (Liz's favourite headland!), Burgh Island & the Eddystone. Expensive pints at newly furbished bar on way back.
Down river paddle 2023-05-24 Down river but I was short of time. So that meant paddling back against the last hour of the outgoing tide. A sea breeze helped though. Lovely day - good exercise!
Channel Islands - Alderney to Exe 2012-06-06 The return sail from Braye Harbour Alderney to the Exe Estuary. The second half of the sail was very breezy as we sailed across in a gap between two lows. Unfortuantely only the 2nd half of the track was saved on the GPS.
Exe estuary drift 2012-06-17 Downstream against the incoming tide. Over on the Lympstone side for a change as there was some water. Got about as far as the Duck Pond before the tide started to change.
Beach cafe sail 2023-08-16 In Malcolm B's Vision down to the Beach Cafe for a choccie ice cream. Saw Colin and Avril Y in their inflatable kayak.
Salcombe back to the Exe 2024-08-14 And, finally, back to the Exe from Salcombe. The forecast wasn't too promising with northerly winds so we expected a lot of tacking. It was slow for quite a while after we rounded Start Point - from there to Berry Head seemed to take an age. We idled away the time crossing Torbay watching three large ships in a row come into the bay to take on pilots. As we passed the Ore Stone the wind freed up and we had a lovely sail straight up to the Exe SWM. We arrived an hour before low water but as it was so neapy we progressed up channel to just past the floating cafe where we picked up a spare mooring for an hour waiting for enough tide rise to make it onto Triskelle's mooring
Tags: Exe
Safety boat at SYC 2017-06-24 Safety boat for SYC dinghy cruise. Nearly an out to sea cruise but it was a little lumpy just out towards the fairway buoy.
Meandering on Exe Estuary 2012-09-09 Some gusts but mostly lulls on short Wayfarer sail
Down river dinghy cruise 2012-09-15 Down to the beach cafe and back. Very light winds most of the time but the sun was shining.
Out to sea dinghy cruise 2021-06-12 About 16 boats sailed down from SYC to the Pole Sands and Beach Cafe. Then a little way out to sea (up and down around the safe water mark). A little bouncy for about 100 yards in the swashway as the last of the ebbing tide meet the sea breeze. Comparatively little screaming heard from the crew.
Work cycle ride 2017-09-26 First time back on the bike after two week summer hols - hard work.
Up river to the Turf 2013-04-28 Only the 2nd dinghy sail of the year. Up river as far as the Turf in a nice gentle breeze
Gusty estuary sailing 2013-05-04 A sail in the Wayfarer with Derek H. The wind was very gusty and very shifty. Made for an interesting sail even though we only went back and forth across the estuary
Work cycle ride 2017-05-23 Into work and back. Not much wind which made it a bit easier.
Another 100 mile week 2016-10-28 Exeter and back - bringing up the 100 miles for the week. For much of the ride, the smoke from the large fire from the buildings surrounding Cathedral Green was visible. Very sad.
Liz and Jill go large 2013-06-14 Too much talking too much wind and too much carrot cake to make for a respectable average speed but not bad on the distance front. Next week the girls will be cycling to Exmouth and back apparently.
Exe estuary dinghy sail 2013-06-29 A nice sail on the Exe in maybe a F3 to F4 on the day of the Hurricane and Dart opens. Imploded trailer tyre cut short the time available for sailing a little bit,
Up river sail 2019-08-24 Out in the Wayfarer for an up river sail at the top of a very neapy tide. Near enough perfect wind. F3 - maybe occasionally a F4. Then out for a quick jaunt across the river in Richard F's Comet Versa.
Tags: Exe
To St Davids and back 2016-10-27 Slightly longer cycle ride today to make up for doing the last 2.5 miles yesterday by car (due to having broken three spokes on the rear wheel). So it was on the "spare bike" today which I hadn't ridden in about a decade. That's a Ridgeback Genesis Day 2. I stopped riding it as the estuary path used to be too rough for it. With the new cycle way its an ideal bike. At maybe a couple of stone lighter than the normal bike (with its panniers etc) and with no breeze at all, it felt like cheating. Keeping up with Liz was much easier than the last couple of time!
Post work paddle 2013-07-17 A paddle down the Exe Estuary and along the Pole Sands with Nigel after work. A lovely sunny evening in the middle of the heat wave. Photos by Liz from a distance!
Sunday evening sail 2013-07-21 That rare occurrence - plenty of water, plenty of wind and plenty of sun. A lovely evening sail on the Exe Estuary.
Dart to Dawlish Warren 2022-07-29 Down to Dawlish Warren with Nigel H on his Dart 18. Lovely gentle wind.
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.
Paddle round Pole Sands 2013-10-06 A paddle from Cockwood, out of the estuary and round the Pole Sands. There were even some little waves at times.
Start of holiday Scooby walk 2014-01-11 Scoobys first walk of our winter holiay
Dinghy cruise to fairway buoy 2019-06-01 An excellent dinghy cruise. A steady F3 most of the time. Lunch at the beach cafe and then out as far as the fairway buoy. Pretty slow tacking out from the beach cafe to Maer Rocks as a lightish wind and the tide was now starting to flood in.
Tags: Exe
Up to buoy 45 2017-08-19 Quite a "feisty" sail as the weather did pretty much what was forecast - which was F4 gusting F5. They were fairly big gusts on the way out. Ran aground near the Turf Locks - whoops - and mutinous crew made the captain get out and push us off.
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
Sunny beach cafe safety boat duty 2014-05-17 A lovely sunny May sail down to the beach cafe and back. Light winds but just enough.
Little Russell - Exe Estuary 2023-04-04 A kayak trip down the Exe to look at the channel near buoy 13 and the Little Russel buoy. It is much narrower than previous years. A summary note with photos and notes at https://aidanwhiteley.com/docs/lower-exe-and-little-russel-v1.pdf
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
Up river - twice 2014-08-31 A lovely sunny day. Wayfarer sail up river and then up river again. Winds got a bit light going up the Exe towards Topsham and the Clyst so just sailed round and round.
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
Back from Brixham to the Exe 2015-07-19 A slowish sail back from Brixham to the Exe after the Drew Trophy Race. Wind was up and down a bit from 5 knots to 15 knots but mostly around about 8 knots. Sailed past the practise race for the 2015 Wayfarer nationals being sailed out of Brixham Yacht Club. Only 7 boats of the water??? Managed to sail the whole way - whenever we threatened to put the motor on, the wind picked up a bit. Very nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon listenening to Genesis and Pink Floyd on the boat cockpit speakers with the sun out.
Tags: Exe
Beach cafe sail 2024-06-20 Sail down to the beach cafe in Malcolm B's RS Vision. No wind until we got some sea breeze. Then hot weather and a reasonable sea breeze. Sail aided by the new mainsail on the Vision.
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.
Beach cafe dinghy cruise 2015-10-17 A mid October dinghy cruise to the beach cafe. Winds of mid F4 forecast but mostly a bit lower than that. Broke the tiller extension universal joint which made sailing back a bit different to usual.
Exmouth and back 2017-07-30 Round to Exmouth and back. Stopped at the Turf Locks for a pint on the way back. And then another pint when Gerry H appeared. Quite a strong wind but mostly on the side until it moved to being dead on the nose after leaving the pub! The birds in the photos were by the Turf Locks. I thought they only "grouped up" like this just before they headed south for the winter and it's too early for that...
Exeter and back 2016-11-26 Another twenty miler into Exeter and back.
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.
Up river dinghy cruise 2016-07-02 An up river dinghy cruise. The weather forecast was about right with its F4 gusting F5. The "fleet" got spread out quite a bit and, as the weather wasn't great, we headed back to the club quite early. The camera was on the wrong settings when the photos were taken so they've been over HDR'd to see if they can be made slightly interesting.
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
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".
Jim Vallis Cruise 2016-08-06 The first Jim Vallis Memorial Cruise. A dinghy cruise in memory of our friend Jim Vallis who started up the organised dinghy cruises at SYC. A lovely sunny day with the wind varying between nothing and about force 5 - but with no big gusts so very sailable. Joined at SYC by many from Jim's family and Sandra joined us on our Wayfarer for a sail.
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