2024 August 30th Days 16 - 17, Back to St Mawes having given up on the Channel Isles.

I have given up on the C.I. (again), due to a combination of strong winds, very light / adverse winds and general uncertainty with contradictory forecasts. I can’t risk not getting back to Milford in time to be lifted out. 

I have returned to St Mawes with a view to visiting the Scillies on the way back to Milford, at the moment I don't know when I will move further west, again due to uncertainty about the weather, particular the timing for the forecast easterly winds changing to the west and what strength the winds will be early next week, the forecast is changing twice a day. I will probably go to Newlyn at some point to get the laundry done and resupply although I am OK with fresh foods for a week after going ashore at St Mawes.

Being awake early I left Cawsand at 06:00 as the tide turned to the west and enjoyed some good sailing for an hour or two but the wind then died to 4 knots or less and on went the engine for a quick trip to St Mawes in otherwise lovely weather.

At 08:30 I down loaded the latest ECMWF model (I also downloaded it the previous evening but did not save it):

The NW wind on the previous download (on my last post)
is now southerly rather than north-westerly and still with
fairly strong.

Caribbean Princess off the Fal as she had been last time I arrived.
 Cost $500m 20 years ago. 290 metres long, 17 decks, 3,142 passengers
 plus 1,200 crew. A different type of cruising and defo not for me.

Entering the Fal, on a lovely day, left to right: St Mawes,
Carricknath Point, St Anthony Head.

This could be interesting, the large yacht in the centre is anchored
on the sailing club's start line and there will probably be racing over
the weekend.

A Falmouth working boat dried out in St Mawes Harbour for a
scrub at 10:00 on Sunday, they must have got up early.

I think this was her racing on Saturday.

Traditional Piper one designs and Rustler 24's a modern version
racing from St Mawes.

37 miles in seven and a quarter hours,

Update Saturday 31st.

I had thought to round the Lizard today to take advantage of todays brisk easterly, anchor off St Michaels Mount before going into Newlyn during the strong wind but with the option of anchoring in Gwavas Lake for some or all of the time. But the forecast is for the wind to turn southerly tonight before turning westerly on Sunday night, it’s not likely to be that strong but could make the anchorages uncomfortable and on a lea shore.

Instead I will stay in St Mawes tonight and probably Sunday night before, once again, going to the Truro River where I have a night left on my bulk buy last week. After that we shall see but a brisk northerly may see me back at St Mawes before an onshore wind MIGHT see me on my way.

Weather bound again, but a change of scenery.

2024 August 28th days 14 & 15, Fowey to Looe then Cawsand

DRAFT

Wednesday

I slipped at 10:15 when the weather radar and forecast showed the drizzle had passed only for the gas alarm to go off, so after turning off the gas at the bottle, pumped the bilge (gas being heavier than air will go to the bilge and the manual pump will get it out) and with the engine still running to get any gas out I returned to the pontoon. It seemed unlikely that this was really a gas leak and there was a strong smell of hot rubber down below, unfortunately the alarm kept going so I disconnected then reconnected it and it was silent, it should reset so I might need a new alarm or perhaps sensor and cable, the latter has been squashed by a floor board a few times.

I initially thought that the rubber smell was coming from the alternator belt which was being punished as the alternator was delivering almost 30 amps, it was a little slacker than I recall when I did the oil change when stuck in the Truro River but it seemed OK, however I tightened it a little started the engine and the alarm went off after a minute and again did not stop without being disconnected and reconnected.

More investigation showed the water pump belt was rather slack so I changed that and tightened it - there is little room for adjustment as the pump gets rather close to the engine mount so it gets changed  once a year - but I have done more motoring this year than normal. This time the alarm stayed silent and after letting the engine run for 10 minutes or so I set off again.

East of Fowey, the Gribbin Head day mark disappearing into
the cloud.

The drizzle and mist set in again as I turned east out of the harbour and did not clear for a couple of hours after which it was quite a pleasant sail in light winds. I was not going to make Plymouth on the tide without motoring so,  I anchored behind Looe Island to enjoy the warmest afternoon of the trip and the previous one as well.

From the anchorage

13 miles in four and a half hours.

Thursday

There was no wind when I woke or when I was ready to leave and with a forecast for light winds I left under engine, initially I thought to go to the Lynher River as the wind was forecast to be N or NE but changed my mind as I approached Cawsand, the wind is not going to be that strong, I could always move if it became uncomfortable and if I decide to abandon the Channel Islands (see below) I did not want he extra hour or so to come down river and to miss a good bit of the west going tide.

Naturally as I was anchoring a decent sailing breeze set in.

Prawl Point guarding the west side of Plymouth sound.

HMS Iron Duke (Type 23 (Duke Class) Frigate) on exercise
coming into anchor briefly before going out to sea again.
Two other T23s are also around. Picture from Cawsand

Still short of fresh meet I got the dinghy out and rowed ashore only to be disappointed, all of the meat in the small Spar shop was dated today, I generally keep to the dates not wanting to be ill at sea, I did however get a Pasty for tonight [very disappointing with very little meat] and a Pizza that when partially folded just fits in the electric cool box.

12 miles in  three and three-quarter hours.

Decision time this evening.

The weather is not looking good for the Channel Islands due to a risk of being stuck there in an expensive marina (had far too much of that this year) and more importantly not getting back to Milford by the end of September in time to go ashore which would cause all sorts of problems and put work painting work into winter - I need a spring tide of at least 6.8 metres to be lifted out, 2 - 4 days a fortnight at best and sometimes even a Spring tide is not be enough, also the lifts during the next spring tide may already be fully booked and the one after that is too low.

The forecasts have been changing constantly but are starting to come into agreement with strong winds early next week, this could shift to whole schedule by a week as light-ish winds are forecast before and after and I have no intention of motoring across the channel. I could wait until Monday to make the decision but then I would be stuck in the Plymouth area and then have head winds all the way back to Land's end.

So I will decide after I down load this evenings models, sod's law says that there may be a brief fresh easterly on Saturday so if I am going back west I want to get at least to Fowey tomorrow and perhaps St Mawes, then again shelter up the Truro River or perhaps at Newlyn.

Click here for a revised plan and my return to St Mawes.

2024 August 26th Days 12 & 13, To St Mawes and Fowey.

Draft WIP, poor internet in Fowey with all the tourists using up band width!

Finally after 8 days hiding from strong winds I was able to move on.

An unsatisfactory shower early at Malpas as I had left the shampoo there on a previous visit and someone had walked off with it so it was just a wet down. I left the pontoon a little after 9, not ideal as I would be against the tide most of the way to St Mawes but the Ocean Cruising Club were holding a rally (I had been there for last years as well) and there was little room between me and large yachts fore and aft so I needed the flood tied to go out under control heading into it. 

I motored down river to Loe Beach then sailed to St Mawes under headsail only in a W to SW F3-4. The wind was supposed to back to the south later in the day but did not do so until 07:00 next morning, fortunately the wind was generally strong enough to keep the boat head to wind and waves, when it didn't and the tide turned the boat broadside to the waves things became a little uncomfortable but less so than I anticipated.

6 miles in 1.5 hours.

Tuesday 27th.

I am actually back on to my original schedule for moving on to Fowey despite the early start. I left at 08:15 to catch the east going tide off St Anthony Head starting at 09:00 this was planned to get me to Fowey just after the ebb started, ideal conditions to get onto the short term pontoon and the fuel berth. For once things went to plan even though I was sailing from St Anthony Head to Gribbin Head just short of Fowey, and I went in at 13:15 about an hour after high water.

Dodman Head (AKA The Deadman, iirc for a coffin shaped bit
of hill) Sailing in a F4 southerly under headsail alone, the chute
would have been OK much of the time but marginal so I didn't
bother and in any case I didn't want to arrive before the ebb tide.

And miracle of miracles there was space on the short term berth, the seconded in successive visits and only the 2nd or 3rd time in many visits. Getting on was tricky, the tide was quite weak and there was a brisk wind from astern and it is the first time I have ferry glided with the engine in reverse for most of the time, once I had the angle right the tide and wind kept me straight against the prop walk and I went very slowly backwards and sideways onto the berth.

It was then a quick visit to the small convenience store for shampoo, down to the Royal Fowey YC for a proper shower, some shopping on the way back - not satisfactory, I had wanted some long dated meat but couldn't find any, decent cheese was at exorbitant prices and the queue for pasties was so long I couldn't be bothered, it was getting rather close to dinner and I would easily of overstayed my welcome on the short term pontoon. I got back in time to replenish the water then went up to the fuel berth, it would have been cheaper to get fuel in the Channel Isles but I particularly wanted to completely fill from a pump so I could check fuel consumption and I last did that at Fowey so a good check point.

I normally take a buoy at Fowey but there was one spot vacant on one of the upstream pontoons and I already had the fenders and mooring lines rigged on the correct side to I went there for the free night they owed me for the 6 previous nights.

22 miles in five and a half hours.

Click here for Looe, Cawsand and an approaching decision point.

2024 August 19th Days 5 - 11, Stuck in the Truro River. Again

Being updated as and when

It looks like I could be here for a week, a good job I left early!

The pontoon on Tuesday, wind gusting c 30 knots.
The two nearest boats appear to be here long term.

Noisy neighbour, it came back down two or three minutes later..

The forecast on Tuesday evening, I had thought of a short sail tomorrow, I think I’ll stay put.☹️

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly - Strong wind warning

24 hour forecast: Westerly 5 or 6 backing southwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in west. Slight or moderate in east, moderate or rough in west. Mainly fair. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southwest 5 to 7, occasionally 4 at first and again later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in west. Occasional rain or drizzle. Good, falling moderate or poor for a time.

Heading to Malpas for a shower on Wednesday morning. The
calm did not last long! Sancerre on the pontoon in the centre
of the picture. I have invested in a discounted 10 day ticket so
will hopefully have a few days left for the return trip or for
next year.

ECMWF @ Wednesday morning
With this much wind on Friday the sea is likely to be pretty ugly
on Saturday so I will probably not go further than St Mawes,
if that. More likely I will hang around here till Sunday or Monday
before heading for Fowey hoping it will not be too busy on the
holiday weekend.

It doesn’t get any better, from “Weather School” (Weatherweb) Wednesday afternoon.

Be prepared for gusting winds over the coming days. Regular 50mph+ over western and southern areas (red on charts below is above 50mph).

Particularly be aware of a spell of extremely strong winds for a few hours from the early hours of Friday morning, mostly affecting Wales and southern England. During this spell gusts could breach 60mph and damage to trees, fences and tents could occur.

And the inshore forecast Wednesday evening:

Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly - Strong wind warning

24 hour forecast: Southwesterly, 3 to 5, increasing 6 to gale 8, veering west 4 or 5 later. Slight or moderate at first in east, otherwise moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later near Isles of Scilly. Rain or drizzle for a time. Good, occasionally poor for a time.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southwest 4 or 5, increasing 6 to gale 8, veering west or northwest 4 or 5, backing southwest 3 or 4 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough near Isles of Scilly, becoming slight or moderate later in east. Rain or drizzle at times. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.

I had hoped to go to Tesco's in Truro but work on flood defences may make that impossible till Saturday or Sunday, I have fresh food to last me to St Mawes or Fowey but the choice at both is rather limited and at the latter expensive.

Saturday 24th, 11:00:

Still here with strong wind warnings for today and tomorrow and one heavy shower already this morning. The plan, such as it is, is to go up to the Tesco's in Truro tomorrow, hopefully I'll be able to get through; work on flood defences has closed the river for navigation for the last 4 days and it was due to open this afternoon at 3 o'clock but talking to the river patrol man they found heavy silting and are arranging dredging so a new notice to mariners is being prepared keeping the river  closed to navigation but I should be OK in the dinghy providing (as always) I go and return on the tide. I have run out of all fresh food apart from one pie for dinner this evening so I hope so!

The Ocean Cruising Club will be here for a rally over the weekend, coincidentally I was also here for last years, there may be some interesting boats to ogle.

The tide on Monday and Tuesday is not that good for going to Fowey in one hop from here as I would be against the tide to St Mawes and it would be an early start, so I will probably go to St Mawes on Monday afternoon, or Sunday if the conditions look OK, then to Fowey the next day leaving between 8 and 9 for a favourable tide all the way and the ebb in Fowey for easy access to the fuel berth. 

Fortunately the fee here for a berth on the mid-water pontoon is less than a third of the price I was paying at Portland marina earlier in the year, the shower is a 10-15 minute boat ride away but I can live with that!

The weather looks reasonable for the rest of the week to amble down to Plymouth and the Salcombe area but the models differ widely a week out (not unusual) with the European ECMWF showing little or no wind to get to Guernsey and the American GFS showing fairly brisk easterlies which can be a problem at St Peter Port, but both are likely to change before then so I will have to wait and see.

Approaching Truro close to HW.

Tesco's have a direction sigh just for mariners.

On to St Mawes and Fowey
 

2024 August 18th, Day 4 , Parn Voose Cove to the Truro River.

DRAFT

I needed sleep so I did not set the alarm so when I left at 07:00 I theoretically had a maximum of an hour of north going tide, which I hoped would get me past Black Head where I know from experience the tide turns quickly, unfortunately I didn't make it and was heading into almost 2 knots of tide and narrowly missed a pot buoy that was towed under and did not have a flag. I was very lucky that a wave trough briefly exposed it dead ahead and I was able to cut the power and put the helm hard over an miss it by a few yards. I didn't see it again. 

I got the sails up at the Manacles as the wind set in from the SW so was preparing the cruising chute but as soon as I was ready to hoist the wind started to veer so I stayed with the genoa and before long was close hauled and a little over powered but I was approaching a big cruise ship anchored off Pendennis Point and unlikely to weather it so I slipped into her lea and dropped the sails to motor up to the Truro River.

I was in a bit of a hurry as I wanted to get onto on of the relatively cheap pontoons up the Truro river rather than go to an expensive marina and I did not want to risk anchoring as the strong wind was due to set in from the south, OK in St Mawes but then veer to the West which would be bad news in a Force 7. However as I passed "Cross Roads" heading for St Just Pool (it was low tide so I was following the channel) I spotted a bright yellow small boat heading towards the local clubs racing start line and went back towards Penarrow Point.

Facebook Post to the Achilles Group:

Going up past Mylor, I spied with my little eye something beginning with H (Hot Foot, an Achilles 24). Went over for a quick chat, as Roeland, having cleaned up at Falmouth week, prepared to do the same at the club. Only a short video clip as this is high res on the SLR and longer ones often gets rejected. Pics to follow.

It was a very brief chat as he had to get ready for the start.

A couple of videos and some stills of A24 Hot Foot.

On I went up the river and was surprised to find a couple of spaces on the pontoon at Turnaware, but that is rather exposed and as there were no boats following me I carried on to the more sheltered areas up river, avoiding collisions with two self drive motor boats, one of which had not seen me despite me being alongside having been slowly overtaking for at least three-quarter of a mile - people do forget to "check 6" and this "helm" did not bother to check things were clear to port before turning. The other was told by someone in the boat which way to go but pushed the tiller the wrong way.

Waiting for the King Harry Ferry to cross.

I was extremely surprised to find only half a dozen boats on the first and largest pontoon and 2 of them were short stay so I made fast there and looking at the forecast I will probably be here for the rest of the week.

Pics to follow.

21 miles in 5 hours

Sheltering in the Truro river.

2024 August 16th Days 2 & 3, Dale to Parn Voose Cove (The Lizard)

WIP - Draft 

I had woke up at about 04:45 and had the anchor up by 05:15 on a clear day with little wind. I motored out via the east channel as a light wind set in from the N and before reaching Turbot bank about nn miles from the Haven entrance  when the engine went off and the Cruising chute went up at about 08:00. The sea, as it often is around there, was fairly choppy in the strong tide, putting the chute onto the pole helped but progress was quite slow with the sea stopping the boat and knocking the wind out of the sails. 

Unfortunately the wind that had been 7 - 9 knots dropped at mid day and on went the engine for almost 3 hours before the wind returned at 9 knots from the NW and I was sailing again under "all plain sail".

It was sunny all day but not warm - I kept the fleece on all day. There were even more sightings of dolphins than usual despite being under sail - they seem to play more when you are motoring at 5 or 6 knots then when you are sailing at any speed.

Part of a large pod that came alongside when

I was sailing slowly, in fact I had to delay putting

on the engine until they moved off (abiding by

the code of practice,

By early evening I was getting worried about making the tidal gate that opened between 04:00 - 04:30 and later than 07:00 would be seriously bad news but at 21:00 the wind picked up and I had to reef for a while making 5 to 6 knots. The wind dropped to almost nothing at 02:00 and I was making less than a knot so the engine on, cruising easily at 5.5 knots. This was a bit of a surprise, confirming what I suspected going to dale against a strong headwind and sea, much of the speed lost through a dirty hull towards the end of the last cruise had returned, in fact I could now make 6.5 knots into wind with a calm sea, not far off the maximum with a clean hull.

I have no real idea why, presumably some weed, perhaps a big bit on the keel which I can't see had come off, perhaps helped by the brackish water or Mullet in Milford. It will be interesting to see what the sate of the hull is when she is lifted on October 4th.

With the high speed sailing and a couple of hours under engine I was off Cape Cornwall when the tide was still pushing north at a knot and a half but with a light wind the sea was no problem and I made good progress and made it all the way round Land's end with a favourable tide. With several hours of fair tide left I decided to go for the Lizard as to go from Newlyn would require a very early start on Sunday and with the forecast weather I could have got stuck there for days.

The tide turned adverse before I got to the lizard, I initially stayed fairly well off as there was a fairly big residual see running, south of the point I could see the state of the over-falls and how boats coming the other way were coping and I cut in closer surfing straight down the waves and making good head way despite a fairly strong tide. Not wanting to battle the tide much of the way to the Fal and being tired I decided to anchor overnight then head to the Fal in the morning, hopefully getting a pontoon berth in the Truro river before others arrived to shelter for the force 7 winds due on Monday.

There is a strong tide off Black Head south of Coverack so I went into the large bay just north of The Lizard and anchored off Parn Voose Cove at 10:15, adjacent to the Lizard lifeboat station.

Passing east of Lizard Point

The Lizard RNLI station from the anchorage

The lifeboat returning from the Coverack "Lifeboat Day"

Short but high res best full screen.

And recovering up the slip

Church Cove adjoining Parn Voose Cove.

128 nautical miles in 29 hours.

Click here fore the trip up to the Truro River

2024 August 15th Day 1. Milford Marina to Dale.

The UK Met Office forecast for Monday on
Thursday morning, from Predictwind.

Off again, and as usual a change of plan. The forecast for next week is not good with strong winds likely on Monday and Tuesday and south westerlies thereafter making the trip to Land's end difficult and probably delaying me by at least several days. However, on Tuesday morning is seemed likely that there would be a window of very good weather for the trip from Friday through Sunday.

With approval from management (she is mobile again) I packed in record time and was at Milford by late afternoon and loaded the boat getting very wet in the processes. On Wednesday morning I went shopping and got some diesel, fitted new gaskets around the fore hatch, and did the return trip in about four and a half hours. I'll definitely be avoiding day trips to the boat.

Thursday it was a six and a half hours back to the boat by train, and some time to ready the boat. 

I locked out at 18:00 two hours earlier than planned and am now at anchor on Dale Shelf, cooking a Beef bourguignon for dinner with another portion to eat on route Friday, and ready to leave at or a bit before first light, depending on when I wake up, I'll not be setting the alarm too early and I'd like some sleep in the bank before leaving on a long trip.

Head to Dale Shelf into a brisk headwind.

The question is where an I going, the forecast for early next week of a W or SW wind followed by NW precludes a stop off on the north Cornish coast. If the forecast improves it might be Scilly but, especially in high season, shelter from a SW backing NW wind will be in very short supply, or more likely I will end up in Mounts Bay for Saturday night, or if the forecast it to be believed an extra 15 miles or so to get around the Lizard to Coverack leaving a short sail on Sunday to shelter in the Fal.

Click here for the trip around Land's End.

Sailing again? To Jersey & Scilly?

Average wind for Newlyn
 in August (Predictwind)

Hopefully I'll be able to resume sailing later in the month, I’m planning to leaving Milford Marina around the 21st to anchor at Dale or Sandy Haven Bay and then heading out of the Haven early the following morning. 

However if, as is likely, the bottom of the boat is really bad with weed I may try and book the piles at Rudders yard to scrub or perhaps dry her out at Newlyn, Hugh Town or elsewhere. The loss of 0.5 - 1  knot of speed is bad enough, more would be seriously bad news on a 600 mile trip.

The route and stop off points will of course depend on the weather, and writing this probably dooms the expedition, but the plan is to head for the Channel Isles, first to Guernsey to meet up with Jester sailor John W, something I have tried and failed to do the last two years, then on to Jersey where my sister will be on vacation.

September

The tricky bit out-bound is likely to be getting too and around Lands End, against the prevailing west to south westerly wind. The good news is that once round I should be able to make a quick passage to Salcombe, or more likely the free anchorage at Hallsands behind Start Point, then to Guernsey.  

Getting back is likely to be tense, a north westerly or gales could cause problems all the way and a westerly would slow down the passage to Land's End.  

I need to be at Milford by the end of September for the boat to be lifted out on October 4th, the next suitable tides start two weeks later and lifts may already be booked.

There will be at least 2 long passages each way but hopefully there is sufficient slack in the return plan, I'll be watching the forecasts very closely! 

Preliminary plan (click to enlarge) and key planning data @ 7/8/24.
Includes "slack days" and ignores some likely intermediate stops.
Stopping points are indicative, so for example "Newlyn" could be
Mousehole, Newlyn Harbour, Newlyn Anchorage, St Michaels
Mount, Mullion or a combination. HWD = HW Dover.

Click here for (another) change of plan and setting off.