They must have a different kind of sea at Plymouth – for at the end of November, just a couple of weeks ago, fearless Will Stirling actually went swimming in it and survived, as the photos above show. Ugh!
Here’s what Will has to say about the escapade:
‘We visited the breakwater in the summer in our new expedition dinghy.
‘Our anchor fouled and I had to swim out to the boat and cut the rope. Last week we recovered the anchor which had become caught under a rock but was none the worse after four months in Mr D Jones’ locker.
‘Best wishes, Will’
Will reports that the construction of Plymouth Breakwater began in 1812 and completed in 1841. It is 1,560 metres long, 13 metres wide at the top and 65 metres at the base, lies in about 10 metres of water and is composed of 4 million tons of rock.
The beacon on the Eastern End has a spherical steel cage on top that can accomodate six shipwrecked sailors – though Will is dubious about the the benefits of dying slowly from exposure in the cage rather than dying quickly by drowning.
Thanks for the photos and the story Will!
Traditional yacht Builders and wooden boat repairers Stirling and Son Ltd are at the No 1 Covered Slip, South Yard, Devonport, Plymouth and has a website at www.stirlingandson.co.uk. The 14ft Expedition dinghy is one of the company’s range of handsome clinker-built dinghies.
