To Plymouth

Rainy Day

I’m not superstitious and yet it is Friday 13th July and the barometer hits a low and there is rain for much of the day. What best to do? Al and I beached our boats at St Just in Roseland and took the car to Truro where we did essential shopping. I for one need ‘GAZ’ canisters for the cooker, milk and tomatoes. Al was desperate for a book, as he had exhausted his library.

While at Truro we visited the Cathedral which is something of a jewel. The architecture inside is supreme beautiful with high vaulted brick ceilings, magnificent pillars, and three large rose windows decorated with colourful stained glass. There’s a superb carved alter wall at the east end full of biblical figures. In the town there is a large pedestrian precinct with all the usual shops and stores.

After our short stay at Truro we moved on to Falmouth where we took the ‘Park and Ride’ service to avoid the difficulty of parking in the town. Despite the appalling wet weather, the main street was full of visitors and the red white and blue bunting strung across the road provided a festive atmosphere. We bought traditional Cornish pasties for consumption at Boat Park near the Maritime Museum where we had a view of the harbour.

Instead of returning to St Just via Truro we took a shortcut by using the King Harry Chain Ferry, and it was just as well we did, for the water was about to float our boats, but not before we had laid out anchors for hauling them into deep water. We used our yulohs to edge across the wind for re-setting the anchors, and as we did so down came the rain in torrents lasting for three hours. Needless to say, I used the time aboard to carry out two jobs: the first was fixing the GPS bracket, because it had come loose, and the second was repairing the join for the water pump that came away from the screw top attaching it to the water tank.

Because the wind was almost gale force, our boats bounced up and down and continued to do so into the night.

14th July

We sailed from St Just to Polruan and picked up mooring there. It was a great sail with a following wind and the sun all day.

15th July

It was a terrible morning with incessant rain. A three mast square rigger named the ‘Earl of Pembroke’ entered the harbour. Al took me in his boat to the town pontoon at Fowey in search of a chandler open on a Sunday. Sure enough we found one and bought the chart.

16th July

We left the moorings at 0840 and tacked out of the entrance to head for the Udder Rock buoy. Visibility was not great but Loe Island came into view. Al took a more windward course which paid off, because I had a real struggle around Rame Head, having to tack to get around it against the ebb. Al waited for me at Cawsands where we met for the run towards Drake Island. Barnpool was not protected from the wind so we made our way to Millbrook Creek and anchored in 10 feet of water at 1740.