Sunday, 4th July

Rame Head

'Hardiesse' anchored nearby

Barn Pool Beach


There was a heavy dew on the decks this morning and the sky was clear, but by the time ‘Ladybird’ was making out to sea under engine clouds were forming rapidly and the barometer as falling. The sea was pretty bumpy with white crested waves and progress was slow until we were clear of the land, when I was able to set heavily reefed sails. This was the roughest weather of the trip, but the boat was going well beam reaching to the west. To leeward the scenery was splendid; rolling hills marked with hedge lines and wild bush, along with clumps of trees in places. After Udder Rock Polperro soon came into view. There was a massive platform with a crane right in the entrance to the harbour. Two yachts were coming up from behind.


Gradually the sky darkened and the wind freshened, but the drizzle I expected held off. I saw a storm petrel, the first for a very long time. It looked like a very large swallow and it gracefully glided over the waves as if touching them with its feet. Just then a gannet hurtled towards the boat and nearly collided with the forestay. One or two seas were large enough to have me alter course and run before them. Off Rame Head the seas increased in height and one came over the stern, but not a lot of water entered the cockpit.


I found a protected anchorage at Barn Pool, Plymouth.