2023 June 25th, Day 73 St Mawes to Fowey

With a strong south westerly wind forecast it seemed sensible to get out of St Mawes early for a night in Fowey by which time the F6 (possibly F7) should have blown through, so I was away at 05:15 which also gave a fair tide past The Dodman almost to Fowey by which time the tide in the estuary would be ebbing which is good for coming alongside at the short term pontoon and the fuel berth. 

After motoring for an hour and a half in light winds the engine went off as the very light south-easterly  veered to the SW and increased to a nice F3 although it became significantly stronger as I approached Fowey and the sea became bumpy from multiple directions, not uncommon in the area; it was bad enough that I took the main down on a broad reach rather than heading into wind, somewhat tedious but safer given the boats likely motion if I turned.

Fowey AWB coming out on exercise as I went in.

It was quite "lumpy" in the entrance.

There was no room on the short term pontoon, (It's short term but there is plenty of time to get a shower and to do some shopping) so I went up to the fuel berth, for me that is easiest to get onto port side too during the ebb, it also puts the fuel filler, nearest to the pump. With the tank full and another 30 litres in cans I now had plenty to motor all of the was back to the Hamble if I had to, fortunately I didn't.

As I already had the fenders out and mooring lines in place I went to a Pontoon berth rather than a buoy, my first time on those in Pont Pill where there was a spot available on the lee side so I had a quite night, if only windward berths had been available I would have gone to a buoy rather than face being bashed against the pontoon all night.

Pontoon #1 in Pont Pill from Pontoon 2.

Fowey from Pontoon #2

For a quick visit I did not bother getting the dinghy and outboard out - with the tide it is not advisable to row across in any wind and it was blowing 15 or 20 knots - and instead took the water Taxi to town where I had an expensive shower and did some shopping including a good pasty for a late lunch from a baker I have been going to since the 1970s if not before.

23 Miles in 6 hours.

Click here for the next leg east.

2023 June 24th, Day 72 Day trip to Turnaware.

I arranged to meet up with Ron, a long time and current Achilles 24 owner but who also has a Hustler 25, "Carrie Anne" which he keeps on a tidal pontoon at Penryn. I weighed anchor at 07:10 and motored over to the Penryn river to meet him as he came down.

The Brig "Phoenix" of Portsmouth.

Falmouth, the Penryn river goes round the town to the north, Ron
was hugging the north shore and I did not see him between the
moored boats until we were almost abeam.

Meeting up off Falmouth, Pics of Sancerre by Ron Dustow.

Heading NE from Trefusis Point

Ron is still recovering from major injury to an ankle
 so I went ahead to moor first so as to take his lines

Sancerre with "Carrie Ann" right just above Turnaware Point.
A long chat with other owners followed by lunch.

In the afternoon I headed back to St Mawes just in time for a display by the Red Arrows.

Boats gathering at Little Molunan bay to watch the display.

Pilgrim of Brixham, last seen coming north from The Lizard.

10 miles in 3 hours.

Click here for Fowey.

2023 June 22nd, Day 71 Newlyn to St Mawes

A pleasant sail although a little uncomfortable in over-falls off the lizard and with plenty of action. I left at 05:15 for optimal tides, and had the engine off 25 minutes later sailing in a nice 11 knots from the SSW.

Things livened up big time just after I passed the Lizard when Falmouth Coastguard put out a general "pan pan" request after multiple reports of red flares seen c 3 miles south of the Lizard and asking for information from boats in the area. They also contacted several vessels directly asking two fishing boats to go to the area. Several boats including the Sailing Brixham Trawler "Pilgrim of Brixham" headed for the area. 

I was down wind so it would have taken a long time to get there so I started a scan with binoculars. Then another yacht reported flares astern that placed the incident somewhat closer in. The Lizard Lifeboat was then east of the Lizard and was on the scene quickly and recovered a fisherman who had been clinging to his bow of his capsized and swamped fishing boat for an hour. After getting the casualty to shore the lifeboat recovered the fishing boat that was a danger to shipping to Cadgwith Cove.

The Coastguard's excellent report on the incident can be found here.

The Angle (Milford Haven) Lifeboat was on passage and diverted
to assist but the Lizard boat got there first.

The trawler "Pilgrim of Brixham".

Running north east to the east of the Lizard.

Reaching north having gybed at the Manacles and flying the
Cruising Chute from the spinnaker pole.

For some reason when I am around, the wind always seems to freshen off the Helford even when it is not blowing down the valley, this time I saw it coming and got the Cruising Chute down before I was overpowered.

Pendennis to the west of the entrance to the Fal.

St Antony Head to the east.

Lots of pics (69) of lots of Falmouth working boats racing.

34 miles in eight and a quarter hours

Click here for a day up the Fal.

2023 June 21st, Days 69 & 70 Carbis Bay to Newlyn & Gwavas Lake

Leaving Carbis Bay required care as I counted at least 30 Lobster pot markers within sight, again no wind:

No wind as I motored towards Pendeen

Pendeen, abandoned tin mines ashore and lots of dolphins offshore.
The ripples on the water are largely down to tide not wind.

Here are just 2 of several videos of Dolphins of of Pendeen, they are hosted on Flikr as it is too big for Blogger The first is almost 2 minutes long, the second 59 seconds, both will play full screen on a large screen:

Common Dolphins

 

"The Longships"

I had thought to go inside "The Longships" but the water was rather turbulent so I changed my mind and went outside, that was probably a mistake as I went east from "The Lonships" the sea looked calmer inshore. Not dangerous but uncomfortable:

Over-falls south of The Longships, with less than 5 knots of
wind, one day from a spring tide but not at it's peak.

The Scilionian on route to Hugh Town, St Mary's in calm water,
you can see the edge of the overfalls just this side of her. 

Mousehole

I went into the harbour and was lucky to find the inner berths full but several spaces on the outer fingers so there was no pressure to go and double park there which is tricky with limited space and water. Soon all of the outer berths were full and most had 3 boats in each bay but the third in "mine" being a big boat had tied up to the other boat rather than to Sancerre.

I was surprised to see another boat flying the RAFYC burgee, actually one designating one of the club officers (know as in most sailing clubs as a "Rear Admiral), chatting with them I found another boat was due in and later we all sat down for a drink. One boat was, like me, heading back to the Hamble the other heading for the Isles of Scilly. During the cruise I spoke to club members on three other boats and saw another, remarkable considering there are only a couple of hundred boats flying the club burgee.

After a shower, shopping and a visit the the laundrette in Penzance I moved out next afternoon to anchor in Gwavas Lake for another night before heading off, saving a nights berthing which is rather expensive for what you get.

Newlyn harbour from the Gwavas Lake anchorage.

That evening there was another RNLI "shout" to witness as the All Weather Lifeboat (they also have an "Atlantic" class inshore boat) went out of harbour at high speed to return fairly quickly in company with a dive boat. A diver had suffered "the bends", trained crewmen assessed him and the casualty was taken to Penzance Heliport and flow by a Coastguard helicopter to Plymouth where they have a decompression chamber.

The Penlee Severn Class Lifeboat returning from the shout, the original lifeboat house and slipway is visible by her bow from which the "Solomon Browne" launched to the aid of the "Union Star" in December 1981 - that resulted in the loss of the boat with it's entire crew and that of the ship and all on board, some of whom had made it to the lifeboat. There is an RNLI account here also an excellent BBC documentary available on YouTube here: penlee lifeboat diaster - cruel sea

32 miles in 6 hours

Click here for St Mawes

2023, June 20th, Day 68 Padstow to Carbis Bay

The Camel Estuary

Another leg under engine most of the way due to little or no wind.

No wind and a calm sea.

Trevose Head

Approaching Godrevy and "The Sound" taking a short cut
inside rocks that extend 2 miles off the headland. A few minutes
later there was a major downpour, fortunately I saw it coming
and had the waterproofs on.

At anchor in Carbis Bay after dodging a lot of pots crossing
St Ives Bay.

34 miles in  seven and a quarter hours.

Click here for Newlyn

2023 June 18th, Days 66 & 67 Milford Haven to Portquin Bay, Padstow.

The various weather models and forecasts were equivocal as to wind strength and direction although none suggested particularly strong winds so there was nothing to do but head out and see what happened deciding on a destination when things became clearer.

It turned into quite a torturous trip with tides and winds conspiring against me. Light variable winds to start then some hours of good sailing, albeit beating, and a couple of hours of quite rough stuff west of Hartland Point with force 5 winds on the nose requiring lots of sail handling.

Light winds & strong tides early on took me a long way to the west.
I was unable to "Lee Bow" the tide so this was the only way to
make at least some progress.

A fairly close encounter well offshore.

By the time I was half way across it was clear that Lundy was not a good option, the anchorage might not be tenable and I would loose a lot of distance to leeward, St Ives was a long way to windward and Land's End even further. 

Padstow is tidal but there are anchorages east and west of there so I continued south then south east as the wind backed then dropped. At 02:40  the wind was southerly and light so on went the engine and I motored to Portquin Bay.

Off of Tintagel I had another encounter with a pot buoy, the most serious since getting tangled off of St Ives last year. Again I was looking directly ahead, and had been for some time, when out of the gloom appeared a pair of buoys a few boat lengths ahead. I had the power off immediately but hit one of them, fortunately this time the buoys were tied close together and I was almost going down tide so there were no lines across my path and I did not get one round the keel, skeg or propeller.

I anchored in Portquin Bay east of Padstow below The Rumps Iron Age Promontory Fort, 61 Acres across two headlands with some impressive ditch and bank defences.

The Mouls from the anchorage.

86 miles over the ground but a lot more through the water thanks to the tides, in 24 hours.

Click here for Carbis Bay