Weymouth, Dorset, UK
Each excursion for us this month has been about pushing and challenging ourselves a little further and learning more about Inelsamo. So this week we planned a passage down the Hampshire and Dorset coastlines to the beautiful seaside town of Weymouth. This hidden gem is situated in a fabulous sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey. Our choice of destination is kind of funny given that for the past three years, we have lived in Weybridge, which is at the opposite end of the River Wey.
Anywho...what was I saying?
Weymouth is a tourist town in many ways and understandably so because it really is quite gorgeous. It is halfway along what is known as the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site in Dorset and Devon, and is a bustling boating centre. Cross-Channel ferries come and go, its one of the most important fishing harbours in the UK, and as can be seen, pleasure boating abounds.
It has an amazing history too, for those like us who just love a good story. Apart from its ancient history and early settlements, it is also famous for its part in the spread of the Black Death, the settlement of the Americas, the development of Georgian architecture, and significant involvement in WWII.
We were very impressed and made the most of the sunshine, taking a lovely walk along the Coastal Path to Portland and Chesil Beach, and enjoying some of the fresh local cuisine.
In terms of our sailing experience....we had little wind on the trip down the coast so that made for a slow journey, taking us about 8 hours. Then we had the challenge of the Weymouth Harbour, where we had to tie off and wait for the Town Bridge to lift, before negotiating our way into a very tight and shallow marina berth. The trip back took even longer primarily because we had the wind and tides against us. But nonetheless, Captain Craig's passage planning and pilotage was spot on - his written plan came to fruition and we hit all our waypoints on time and according to the plan. We managed to sail around the Lulworth Live Firing range without incident (yay!) and got home safely. So another good outing for the Chaotic Compass!!
