Saturday, 3rd July

Leaving Falmouth

Dodman Point

Local Racing Yacht


Today has been another lovely day. Yes, there were a couple of showers, but they just helped keep the temperature down.


I set off from the anchorage at Falmouth Town Quay at 0830. I wanted to wave goodbye to the live-aboard Steve on ‘Lenore‘, but he must have been below otherwise occupied, perhaps having breakfast. At the outset there was a good westerly wind that took us beyond St.Anthony Head, but there the wind petered out. An hour later off a shallow patch, know as The Bizzies, weed became entangled in the propeller. Clearing it was not at all difficult, and after crossing Gerran’s Bay, not too far from Gull Rock the wind sprang up from behind.


We reached Dodman Point quicker than expected, which meant we had more flood tide in our favour than anticipated. I was surprised to find that I was in in company with three other yachts heading the same way, but none of them were sailing when both the wind and tide were from behind. I can only assume their timetable was different to mine and perhaps they were pushing on to Plymouth, whereas my objective was Fowey. The scenery was rather grand with sweeping expanses of bays beyond the tiny islet of Gwineas Rock - Mevagissey Bay and St. Austell Bay, where at the eastern end, Gribben Head is distinctively marked with a tall red and white day mark.


While crossing the two bays, ‘Ladybird’ was overtaken by several much larger yachts, all under power. Near the entrance of Fowey the local sailboats were racing, fifteen in all, and when they were on the run home they made a fine picture with their spinnakers flying. I wished I could have taken a photo of them at that moment, but I was taking down the mainsail.


I picked up a visitor’s buoy on the Polruan side of the River Fowey at Brawn Point, and as I did so the Harbour Master hailed me from his launch requesting that I vacate the mooring for one closer to the jetty. This I did and felt pleased that the manoeuvre went well. Obviously the first mooring had been reserved for larger boats.


After evening dinner I took the dinghy to Albert Quay, so that I could walk to St Catherine’s Point on the Fowey side of the River. I took photos on the way. All in all, it had been a very satisfactory day, with ’Ladybird’ having done 22 miles of her homeward cruise.