Jurassic Coast: The Final Leg and Entering a Firing Zone

The final leg of this journey was between Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth. The route took me past Otterton Point and then round Straight Point to the main channel into the Exe Estuary. 

It was a straightforward route, but inexplicably I failed to spot something basic.

Unaware, I passed the beach at the west end of Budleigh Salterton, with their elegant houses and flats.

Out to sea two fishermen conferred, as they attended to their lines.

I scanned the horizon.  Not many yachts were out there, but a large one with a junk rig caught my eye. I was making good progress and closing in on Straight Point.

It was at this point, however, that I saw a large launch speeding towards me. When it arrived the crew told me that I had strayed into the Straight Point Firing Range exclusion zone. I was told politely to return to where I had come from as quickly as possible. 

I looked out to sea again and about two miles out were buoys marking the outer periphery of the zone. I immediately realised I had to be a mile back and then round these buoys to continue my voyage, but I was running out of time to get into the Exe Estuary before the tide turned.

When I explained my predicament, the launch crew took pity on me and agreed to speed things up by towing me out of the zone. A large line was thrown to me with instructions to hang on to it and let go if anything went wrong. On no account should I make it fast.

We sped along very quickly with me just about hanging on with arm and streering with the other.  For good measure they took me back by about a mile and a half. They told me that this would ensure I got round the exclusion range without being swept back into it. The launch sped off, gunning up it's powerful engines.

 It felt like I was nearly back at Budleigh Salterton.

I rowed hard, at the same time trying to calculate whether I would make it. However, after about ten minutes, the launch came on the radio and told me that the firing had stopped and I could now continue on my way. 

I was relieved I would now make it. I rowed briskly without incident to Straight Point and then up into the Exe Estuary.

Subsequently I found out that the Royal Marines train using the range, fire live ammunition. I am still not sure why I did not spot the firing range on the chart.