Kim Hollamby | The anchor swallowed

Missing Link is escorted over the border into Cornwall, finding lighter winds but mistier conditions.

Missing Link indulges in a marina crawl around Plymouth, punctuated by a meander several miles up the Tamar to Calstock.

The NE wind doth blow but we shall have shall have a day dodging a gale to look at Devon’s pearls between Dartmouth and Plymouth, both along the coast and inland.

A F7 NE keeps us from our original aim of testing a re-engined Fairline 36 Turbo, so we decide to make the best of a sunny day by taking the late afternoon tide to Totnes instead.

A tale of two charming rivers and a most peculiar case of propeller fouling.

Stuck again! A S to SE F6-7 blow is slapping Missing Link’s transom in Topsham and the rain is back as well, but we hope to move tomorrow.

The forecasters threaten rain, but we make the most of the brilliant sunshine to give Missing Link a good look over in Torquay before moving on to the quieter sanctuary of the River Exe.

Missing Link finds a gap in the weather, noses out of Poole hoping at least for Weymouth and manages to get straight through to Torquay. Crew very happy!

Weather stops play yet again, so Missing Link’s crew head ashore with the MBM Cruising Club to visit Sunseeker International and the RNLI’s headquarters depot.

A full gale is blowing but the crew of Missing Link have to undertake underway trials and photography of the chart plotters on test. Will Poole Harbour provide a safe enough haven?