2023, 17th August, Days 11 - 13 Weather bound in Newlyn

I arrived in Newlyn on Wednesday the 16th with strong winds forecast to arrive on Friday. Facebook posts by the Met Office (click for animation) and myself, reproduced below, cover the weather situation. Stuck there for 3 or 4 days I took the opportunity to go to the Laundrette in Penzance and to store the boat, except for fuel which is only available to commercial users.

Met Office animation and info about Storm Betty.

Facebook Posts:

16th August:

I think I’ll stay in Newlyn for a while.

The Uk Met Office model is now saying gusts to 60 knots, the AROME and GFS models are a bit behind at 40 - 50 knots, the ECMWF is showing “only” 30 knots, I think the ECMWF is out voted although it is my default model. Watch out for mayhem in the Isles of Scilly if the worst projections (gusts to 54 knots) come to pass on Friday evening. 

Update: The worst did not materialise but St Mary's lifeboat launched twice to 3 boats dragging anchors one of which ended up on shore and is likely to stay there until the next spring tide:

It looks like at least a 4th night in Newlyn harbour that is getting crowded, mainly with French boats. Only one berth left (small boat only) and only 1 space for a large boat to raft up on a yacht unless they raft 3 deep on the hammerhead which would be very problematic given space (blocking access to a large part of the small boat harbour) and a French 2 masted gaffer already rafted out side of a much smaller modern boat. Lots are going to be rafting on fishing boats or lying against a wall tomorrow.

Latest inshore forecast: 19:00 Lyme - Scilly

24 hour forecast: Easterly 3 to 5, occasionally 6 at first in east, veering south-easterly 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later in west. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later near the Isles of Scilly. Mainly fair then thundery showers, rain later. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: South-easterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in west, veering south-westerly 6 to gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later. Slight at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough. Thundery rain and showers at first. Moderate or poor becoming good.

All models now showing gusts to 40 knots by mid afternoon and 50 - 60 knots this evening. And a modern French boat just left for the Scillies.

18th August

Quite bumpy in Newlyn and the wind is forecast to peak
 in a couple of hours. Latest fc is for “high” (6 - 9 m) waves
west of the Lizard.

19th August

The worst has past but it is still a bit lumpy, staying another night, I'll then either move out to anchor or, hopefully, head for Scilly. Éire is looking unlikely with north westerly winds setting in later in the week for a week or more, which is not conducive to cruising the SW coast of Ireland.

Click here for my passage to Scilly.