Finally, about 9 hours out of Poole, the wind picked up and we hoisted the cruising chute. Normally Ventata is well-balanced on the helm, but it was strange steering her in the dark with no points of reference. If you dropped your concentration she would round up by 30 degrees and speed up to 8 knots, in the wrong direction. Ventata was determined to go to Teignmouth, we wanted to go to Dartmouth. Anyway, steering a slightly wobbly course under sail we paced a yacht motoring in the same direction for 5 hours and both of us made it into Dartmouth at 1 am. Bizarrely, this was bang on time for our passage plan; the law of averages worked out after all!
A damp and dark entry to Dartmouth. The cloud had come right down but even so this is a magical town. It is almost completely hidden from seaward: no lights are visible except the cardinal marks to keep you off the steep cliffs and the sectored light to bring you into the river (flashes white when you’re on the right track or red/green if you’re not). As you enter, the town opens out with houses lining the banks on both sides. It’s another port that historically has been well-defended: we have been walking around some of the gun emplacements today and marauding ships would be very vulnerable to cannon fire!
We visited a modest museum to Thomas Newcomen, a Dartmouth citizen of the 1700s who it credits with inventing the first usable steam pumping engine. Originally intended for the problem of clearing deep mines of water, his rather inefficient design was developed later by Watt and Boulton and formed much of the basis for industrialisation. It is an atmospheric engine, a term I hadn’t heard of before, and there was a rather good video demonstration of the principle (can’t wait to try this at home):
1. Heat a quantity water to boiling inside an empty drink can
2. Wait until the can is full of steam, and most of the air has been driven out
3. Invert the can and dunk the open end in a bowl of cold water (use tongs and don’t get too close!)
The cold water condenses the steam. As water, it occupies much less space. The thin-walled container is unable to support the partial vacuum and it is instantly and rather dramatically crushed by atmospheric air pressure. In Newcomen’s engine, the walls of the container are stronger and the vacuum draws down a piston, operating a beam engine to pump water. Awesome!
The countryside around Dartmouth is pretty. The Dart trail follows the steam railway upriver where you can cross by ferry (there are lots of ferries here) and return to town. The forests are green and vibrant, which is a strong contrast to the greys and blues of the sea.
Having stocked up on fuel, power, food, gas and water, we are now moving on west, next stop Salcombe (probably).
Ventata 