The Lovely Dart.

Day 11
Thursday 13th May
A lazy start. We got up at gone 08.00 and had a leisurely breakfast. I decided it was time to change the fuel filters. The old ones came off, no trouble. Then the new ones went on. Could we bleed the system?? No fuel flow. Logic demanded that an air leak was preventing fuel from running through the system. Eventually we discovered that we had been trying to fit two o-rings where one should be, and rectified that one. Still no diesel. There was plenty of fuel in the tank, but we emptied a jerry can of fuel into the main tank to fill it and raise the level. This allowed fuel to fill the primary filter bowl. By turning the engine over with the decompression lever lifted we thought we would get fuel through to the fine filter, but it did not want to come. Finally we filled the fine filter from a funnel, replaced the bleed screw and turned the engine over. After some hesitation it ran!! By now it was 11.00 and our restful morning had gone, but we enjoyed a shower, and for me, a shave before walking down into town. I was able to buy a card reader at last, and Steve did some food shopping. Back on the boat we had lunch and set off for Dartmouth.
Outside the harbour it was blowing SWf4, so we sailed on the genoa before turning south and motoring to the entrance of the Dart. There we sailed again until we entered the narrows and the wind became very flukey.

Dartmouth is very interesting. The banks rise steeply from the river, where there are very many moorings. Two ferries, which have right of way, ply back and forth. Being there early in the season meant we had no problems, and we were soon winding up a most picturesque river whose well wooded banks were a pleasure to behold. The timing was good. In the Brixham Yacht Club a gentleman had told us the best time to be at Dartmouth for going up to Totnes was three hours before HW. We were early on that, and had no difficulty motoring quietly upriver to the Baltic Wharf. At Dittisham I rang Baltic Wharf, and was given instructions, and , importantly, the gate code.

Finding the pontoon and tying up was no problem and we were soon on our way into town. Totnes is pretty and seems well-heeled. About the size of Tenterden, it is divided by the Dart. We arrived after things had calmed down in the evening. In the Lord Nelson we enjoyed a good meal and a couple of pints before mooching back to Pepsand, still afloat. We shall stop over here for a day, perhaps dropping down on the tide tomorrow night to a n anchorage or mooring nearer to Dartmouth.