Additional donations received with thanks from Cath and Bill. Also Malcolm Morling at Portsmouth ( Great Mechanic) Falmouth Marina - all will be added to the just giving page on my return. Many thanks to Premier marinas for hospitality at Eastbourne and Falmouth.

 Beachyhead

 Portsmouth

 Solent (Athos) Too busy avoiding others to take other photos

Weymouth

At lastI I've found an internet point in a marina that isn't flakey. I am In Falmouth after a busy week. I can't believe it that it was only a week ago that I returned to the boat.  Since then I have a number of long days sailing in great weather. So good i thought I was back in Greece. 

From Eastbourn I did a long hop to Haslar marina in Portsmouth. Slight mistake in planning the next day not to realise that it was the first hot Sunday we have had this year - resulting in wall to wall boats of all description.  The main problem was that evry other boat believed they were the "stand on vessel" and I was the give way vessel. If ever there was a case for mandatory licensing of boats the Solent gives the evidence. There are some very professional people down here and there is another school of  the not so clever.

I should have realised as I emerged from the marina there was a constant flow of VHF messages asking the coastguard for radio checks - not something that is heard elsewhere in the Uk.

I sailed down the Solent to the Hurst narrows and then set off for Weymouth.  This was a fanmtastic little place with a great atmosphere. I arrived just a day before the security systems were to kick in for the Olympics. Even so i was made welcome and found a space virtually in town and next to a pub and coffee house; with a supermarket just round the corner - bliss.

When I left Weymouth I sailed past HMS Bulwalk, I also saw the Lazer Teams coming out of Portland for a practice. There were also lots of helicopters and rigid inflatable speedboats whizzing around looking at passing yacIhts.

From Weymouth I moved onto Salcombe. This is a beautiful little placed which seems to be totally geared to yachting. I moored on a buoy in the fairway and then went for a pint. When I returned to the boat via the water taxi I was amazed to see that a boat had rafted up next to me on the same buoy. The boat was from Conwy and belonged to Cath and Bill who I'd had a drink with in Conwy Marina on my last night before setting off - coincidence or what ( must buy a lottery ticket). I had no idea they were down here.

From Weymouth it was another long haul to Falmouth where I am sorting the boat for my final big right turn round Landsend. All the photos are on the next post.

Just a reminder that the direct donation link is:-  http://www.justgiving.com/Ian-Papworth

Just a note of thanks to the people who have given me donations that I haven't been able to get onto the just giving site. Thanks to the teams at: Shotley marina; Dover marina; Eastbourne Marina - particularly Oliver Carpenter for his personal donation; Handel Phillips; and James Castle. The money you have donated will be passed onto the Just giving site next week when I get home . Many thanks

White cliffs of Dover

This is Ramsgate to Dover. We didn't get any photos of the trip from Dover to EastBourne as we were primarily focused on pointing the boat on each tack through the 3 metres waves!

not sure whats happening with this blogspot as it keeps resetting. Sometimes things go on twice and then have to be deleted. This is my third attempt at a post.

We took a small weather window and escaped from Dover and we are now in Eastbourne ( Sovereign marina which is actually a 45 minute walk from Eastbourne.

The trip down was a little uncomfortable but we really didn't want to stay in Dover. The marina staff were friendly ( and gave £5 to the charity) and there was a nce bar at Cullins yard. The only other redeeming feature was it was a handy stop off and the yacht club is great ( fantastic proper cider)

I'll try to post some photos but this thing keeps crashing Thanks for your help James.