Intrepid Travels

We left the Isles of Scilly early in the morning to catch a light northerly wind to Land's End and the fishing port of Newlyn, just south of Penzance. We couldn't believe our luck, having another gentle passage through one of the most treacherous and notorious waterways in northern Europe. We galloped along at a good pace, fighting part of the way against a strong south setting current, trying to push us towards Wolf Rock. Sun shone and visibility was excellent as we approached Land's End. It was a poignant moment as we had not been here since August 1985. At that time, we had stood at the land's end lookout in rain and mist and saw a single yacht pushing its way south against a swell and strong winds to round the lighthouse just offshore. I felt at the time that I would love to sail around the Land's End lighthouse one day!
The south coast was spectacular as we sailed close to admire the beautiful cliffs with a few white sand beaches along the way. As we turned north towards Penzance, the fairy-tale castle on St Michael's Mount came into view. In the 4th century BC, Geek traders are thought to have settled on St Michael's Mount. Later, Cornish fishermen claimed to have seen an apparition of the Archangel St Michael and the fate of the island changed.
We entered the working fishing harbour of Newlyn and settled into a berth on the pontoon. Afterwards we jumped on a bus to Penzance and looked around the city centre.