Well, all went well, and at 11.45 I arrived at Falmouth and anchored near the Visitors' Yacht Haven. By then the wind had picked up from zero to Force 5, and as I write, the northerly continues to buffet 'Sandpiper' into the evening. From mid morning the sun has been a blessing.
I set off at 05.40 using the engine, and for the most part the little Honda 2HP took the boat to Gerrans Bay, 4miles from St Anthony Head at the entrance to Falmouth Harbour. At St Gerrans Bay the wind came in strongly from the north, and it had me putting in a deep reef in the mainsail, balanced with a partially furled jib.
The washroom facilities at the Visitors' Yacht Haven are very good.
Having made myself respectable by shaving and showering I walked the short distance to the Custom House Car Park where I met an old sailing friend and his wife for tea and cakes at a nearby cafe.
We have arranged to meet again next Wednesday evening for a meal, the venue being decided that morning.
Where we meet will be determined by the weather and tide.
That gives me a week for exploring the Fal and Helford Rivers.
What happens then remains to be seen. My main objective has been achieved by reaching Falmouth. I would only sail to the Scillies if an exceptional area of high pressure occurs.
Therefore within a week I shall know if this summer's Pottering Cruise has come to an end.
Hi Bill,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on reaching your destination - I'm sure you'll have a lovely time pottering around the rivers. Aren't you tempted round Lands End and up the Bristol Channel?
Ian
Well done Bill on getting there. It has been fascinating reading about your trip so far. Hope the weather improves and The Scillies might be possible. All best wishes.
ReplyDeleteAndy.
Well done bill, a truly inspirational trip on such a small boat. I thought it was so good a blogged about it:
ReplyDeletehttp://mark-sailing.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/burnham-to-falmouth-in-wwp.html
Ian, Two of my sailing friends also suggested I sail up the Bristol Channel and continue along the inland waterways until reaching the Thames, finally completing a circumnavigation of Southern England. However, I am not a fan of canals, and the Btistol Channel can be tricky if one encounters bad weather. The combination of shallow water and very fast tides is not a good recipe unless the weather is settled and there are fair winds. Cheers, Bill.
ReplyDeleteWell Mark, You have a splendid blog. Thank you for highlighting mine. Finding a small trailer sailer for a crew of two may prove difficult - much will depend on your budget. I'll keep an eye on your blog to see if you settle for one.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Bill.
Thanks Andy, You'll note that I called into the chandlers on Thursday for a length of fibreglass batten. I had to replace two of the battens yet again! I can only assume I'm careless at handling them; therefore I've gone for a really tough solution.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Bill.