M&N returned from their couple of days back in Dartmouth. We stayed on in Falmouth Marina for two more days. M&N caught buses to Newquay and walked part of the South West Coast Path to Holywell Bay. A very nice walk and another section of the path completed. Passage plans done we decided to head towards the Isles of Scilly via Mounts Bay. The weather forecast was getting worse so we anchored off Newlyn with the alarm set for 04:00 when the tide started going west. The weather forecast then was even worse showing a couple of days of full gales. Not a time to be heading for the Scillies where there is not much shelter and no marinas. We went through the tidal gate (only open 2 hrs before to 1 hr after high water) into Penzance wet dock and rafted with 4 boats inside us and a rickety ladder to negotiate to get onto the quay. It is basic but very secure and safe, and where we stayed 4 years ago when a storm went through. Our timing was good and our stay coincided with the Golowan festival when Penzance celebrates midsummer. M&N went to an excellent folk music concert at the Acorn theatre and saw Granny’s Attic as well as a local band. The streets closed for the festival with temporary stages set up for music, processions through the town, food and craft stalls, a firework display off the quay, and a big crowd visiting the town. Good fun and a nice way to entertain ourselves as the gales howled through. M&N also enjoyed good coastal walks to Marazion and to Mousehole.
The winds died down and we headed out of the tidal gate to spend the night on a buoy just off the quay. The next morning we sailed past the lovely West Cornwall coast and Land’s End to the Scillies. We picked up a mooring buoy in St Mary’s Pool surrounded by French boats. The crew of the nearest boat gave N a nice round of applause for an excellent job of picking up the mooring first time (unlike many of the other arrivals). The Scillies are beautiful and atmospheric and it was nice to be back, and this time with an outboard engine that worked!
The next day M&N took an inter-island ferry to St Martin’s which they had not visited before. They walked right around the island and enjoyed the scenery and the café. They also walked around the garrison part of St Mary’s and were excited to find a serviced laundry which was much needed.
After 3 days in St Mary’s Pool we motored around Bryher to the lovely anchorage of New Grimsby Sound between Bryher and Tresco islands. M&N dinghied to the beach of both islands for walks and to explore. The setting is stunning and we were between Hangman’s Island (complete with gibbet at the top) and the old Cromwell Castle.
Sadly after a couple of days there it was time to start heading home. We motored across an unusually calm sea past Land’s End and on to Falmouth. We had a wonderful experience where 7 dolphins joined us and played in my bow wave for a few minutes, seemingly enjoying themselves as much as we were enjoying seeing them. We reached Falmouth and anchored off St Mawes. M&N had showers at the sailing club and mooched around the town. They also did a nice loop walk which they had done last year. The next day Nick & Jane arrived. They were on holiday at nearby Feock. M&N picked them up from the St Mawes dinghy dock and, after coffee and cake, we used the light breeze to sail to the Helford River where we anchored and had a leisurely lunch on board in the sunshine. We motored back to St Mawes and visited the pub before N&J headed back to Feock.
The next day we went to Mylor and had a nice spot on the inside of the visitor’s pontoon. We had the local riggers take a look at our mainsail and furler as we have been having problems with jamming. They were able to get the sail in and out but there is an underlying problem which needs looking into when we get back. M&N had a nice walk then an excellent dinner at Castaways.
The next day we headed up the river to a favourite anchorage just past Trelissick House. It is a lovely peaceful spot but a little less so this time as there was a big freighter ship nearby with a generator. M&N dinghied to Trelissick for a really nice walk and equally nice ice cream.
From there we sailed east to Fowey where we picked up a visitor’s buoy (free as we had enough stamps on our loyalty card). M&N spent the morning ashore then we took the afternoon tide to Plymouth Sound. The wind had picked up and it was quite a rocky & rolly night at anchor off Cawsand.
The next morning we headed east again, picking our way through the yacht racing in Plymouth Sound for Plymouth regatta. We arrived in a manic Salcombe in lovely sunshine late in the afternoon. We saw that Mark & Sarah had arrived just before us in their motor yacht Nelly. We were directed round to a spare resident mooring in the Bag, just around the corner from the town quay. It is like a different world there and a lovely rural spot with cows and sheep welcoming us noisily. M&N dinghied to Nelly for a drink with Mark & Sarah.
M&N spent the next morning on shore then, after a quick coffee on board Nelly (Mark & Sarah were staying for a few days) we headed around a fairly bumpy Prawle Point and Start Point and back to our berth at Darthaven.
A great few weeks and a few jobs to do, especially getting the furling mainsail sorted out, before we head out again.
Katrina
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