Nick
Know the area well, we were there 18 months ago- very beautiful, saw the racing in Start Bay - looked good fun to me nice open water a NO sandbanks - must be a real joy (we are on the East Coast!)
My father learned to sail there between the wars, his uncle was the GP for Kingswear had a lovely house up on the hillside very near to Phillips yard looking out over to the Naval College he used to have a 65 ft schooner. (with 4 paid hands no less!) The schooner was laid up throughout the war, in the last few months of the war he got her ready to go to sea, but unfortumately a day or so before VE day, a German mine laying aircraft dropped a mine in the harbour which blew up, the shock wave threw the schooner off her shores and broke her back. Aparently Gt Uncle was heartbroken a died of a broken heart a week or so later!
I have some rather interesting photos of he Dart and surrounding areas (taken in the 20's & 30's) one that springs to miind is of a couple of Bibby Line Troopships laid-up during the depression, pretty much where the piles are just off the town quay.
Now Nova Scotia - that sounds brave! Though I'm sure the boat will be tough enough, The old half-toner "Chimp" made it accross in the last single handed transatlantic, (and back, and Around Britain amazingly) and she was full of Leggettisms - her previous owner Johnathan Leggett being reknowned for his bodges!
