We saw the Blood Moon rising over the Essex Coast on 27^th September, huge, magnificent and majestic. The following day we went to the UK debut of Blood Moon, “a killer slice of comic book horror” at The Genesis Cinema in Mile End. www.bloodmoonthemovie.com is released today in the UK on DVD and digital HD and it’s a hoot. It’s not a nasty scary movie, it’s tongue in cheek spoof of the American Wild West with a werewolf twist. The debut was great fun. The director, Jeremy Gooding, was introduced by Tyrone Walker-Hebborn who renovated and owns the lovely independent cinema. The auditorium holds over 500 people and was very nearly full. All the cast were there and we caught up with a good number of friends who’d travelled from near and afar for the evening. Travelling on the train into and out of London reminded us both of how much we don’t miss commuting! Liverpool Street was rammed when we got into the City and it took us almost 2 hours to get home again.

We drove back to Torquay last Wednesday to find an easterly wind causing a massive swell in Torbay. Poor Distant Drum was being rocked into the pontoon and one of the ball fenders had burst with the constant bashing. After Clive spoke to his brother Jason we between us determined that whatever the state of the weather and sea, DD should be sailed to Dartmouth the following day.

Jason rocked up, literally, at 6am after a bumpy motion filled night aboard. I got the long straw, hurrah, and was driving the car round to Dartmouth to take Jason home again after their voyage. The boys set off at 7am and I took the camera up to the harbour wall. The first thing I saw was our bow plunging into the waves and rising up high again. Quite terrifying when you’re watching it from the shore even though on board you feel safe.

Distant Drum sailing at dawn out of Torquay Harbour

I looked over the harbour wall and felt VERY sorry for Clive & Jason, and VERY glad I was driving the car round to Dartmouth. It was rough out there!

The sea was rough and as I drove along the coast road, waves were crashing over the sea wall in my path. It’s only 11 miles to Dartmouth from Torquay and I got to the town in good time to have a cup of tea and find the library, which I joined (why not?). As I went to make my way to the harbour office, I recognised the familiar sight of Distant Drum gliding towards me on the river and ran down to the pontoon to take the ropes (warps). Phew, what a relief. With the sea state as it was, I was very glad to see both Clive and Jason safe and sound, smiling from one ear to the other, having had a roller coaster ride the last two hours. Their final approach into the Dart was aided by a five meter breaking swell on which Distant Drum surfed into the river-mouth. The boys were ecstatic, and though both admit at the time all they wanted was to be at destination, they’d had an adventure they both enjoyed.

What happens in a rough sea – the cockpit

What happens in a rough sea – the saloon!

What happens in a rough sea – the galley!

And amazingly, nothing broken!

Dartmouth is a lovely town, so much to explore and centuries of history. Here are a few photos I took over the weekend.

The Cherub is the oldest building in Dartmouth, built in the 1300s as a cottage and remained a dwelling until the 1960s when it became a pub. Its back door used to be on the water front. The land has been reclaimed over the centuries and it now sits up steep steps two streets back from the river. Further, it has the clumsiest barman on the planet!

A chap has been building this house among the rock face along the river from Kingswear of about 20 years. He has even built his own rail tracks to transport building materials etc up & down the steep cliff side

Kingswear Castle from across the river at Dartmouth Castle

The Dart Mouth

Lower car ferry

Kingswear from across the River Dart

We’re currently getting remnants of Hurricane Joaquin so the river is a bit rocky, though not nearly as bumpy as it was in Torquay last week. We’re over-wintering in Dartmouth and are geared for visitors. We will be back home to Harwich for a few weeks from Wednesday and of course are geared from visitors there too! And it’s the Sea Shanty Festival this coming weekend…..