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.