Plymouth, Falmouth, Fowey, Plymouth, 29 Sept - 1 Oct, report by Alex Barry

Boat: Plymouth Sailing School, Cleo, Bavaria 34.

Skipper: Alan Howells.

First Mates: Jeff Woolmer and Neil Webber

Crew: Alex Barry, Colin Burbidge and Nigel Alltimes

After a light supper on board, we left Plymouth in the good ship Cleo at ca 6pm out of the western breakwater under sail in good visibility with high expectation of a night sail to Falmouth.

What little wind there was was coming from Falmouth direction so we close hauled as best we could but made little westerly progress and by nightfall were getting close to Eddystone having passed the 5 flashing light yellow mark to port. The motor was engaged and we headed for Falmouth under motorsail, passing close by Hand Deeps West Cardinal on our port side.

Good visibility allowed fixes on Eddystone, Polperro, Fowey and Mevagissey lighthouses.

Wind then backed and we sailed again without motor, initially 260 but increasingly greater as it veered.  Picked up the 50m contour and could have tacked out but time was limited so motored along the contour until St Anthony light became visible with the Lizard light looming beyond the headland.

We turned towards Falmouth, passed St Anthony light to starboard, identifying the twin flashing light of the hazardous Black rock inconveniently placed in the middle of the harbour. The night time navigation was of great interest to those with less experience, trying to find charted lights against the massed illuminated backdrop of the town and not confusing lights seemingly adjacent but actually far apart in distance. Jeff guided us safely in to the edge of Carrick Roads where some discussion with Skipper took place as to the location of the visitors marina… this was eventually settled by the Skipper who said it was over there because he’d been there.. or words to that effect..

We made a noisy entry into the harbour and found a free berth in an otherwise crowded location. Hot chocolate and calvados followed before retiring to bed.

Morning was overcast and drizzly and Alex and Colin mooched about the town with the excuse of finding medication for Neil’s stomach cramps. Eventually a six pack of coke was settled on.

After a fine lunch Skipper tried to illuminate us on the method of adding a third reef; in the event we headed out with 2. By day it was good to see the route we had taken the night before and we headed out to sea, putting in a good distance from the coast before turning east. Winds were now strong and with gusts up to force 9 the third reef was considered. We were on a broad reach which turned in to a very broad reach and Skipper provided us with a demonstration of skilled ‘aggressive helming’ to avoid an accidental gybe as we were pushed from windward by a periodic big swells. I have attached Skipper’s words to the end of the report for those interested in the Skipper’s account of the options at this stage.

The crew contented themselves on taking numerous fixes in the poor visibility on Zone Point, Gull Rock, Dodman Point, Gorran Haven, Gwineas, Megavissey before losing sight of land in the Cornish mizzle as we headed out across St Austell Bay. We looked out in hope for the appearance of Gribbin Head and Cannis Rock cardinal which did amazingly both appear where they were supposed to.

We approached Fowey and dropped main neatly on a close reach and continued in under headsail, rolling this away before Jeff guided us onto the visitors’ pontoon with the help of an onshore wind.

Awaiting dinner on board, a minor excitement was a personal call on the radio from another yacht wanting assistance with docking due to being short crewed due to one member having chest pains. We lined the pontoon and did our best to slow the huge spanking new twin wheeled Elan down on its overly fast approach to the pontoon. The affected crew member was later chatted to in pub so fortunately seemed to be ok.

Dinner in the Lugger was had where Alan ordered a main of mussels as a joint starter. This proved a huge and generous bucket and when the main course arrived, fish stew (another bucket) and belly of pork, we realised our eyes had proved bigger than our stomachs and left defeated. Sleep for most but Calvados for others.

The morning brought preparation for departure with adjustment of lines and springs and discussion as to the best way of swinging the bow off the pontoon to avoid motoring into the back of the shiny Elan. The crew of the Elan must have picked up on our deliberations and perhaps alerted to the large letters spelling ‘Sailing School’ on the side of our boat came out to loiter innocently on the pontoon. In the event, motoring backwards against a stern spring swung the bow out and we made a textbook departure which brought the first smile of the weekend to Jeff’s face.

Out and away under the fully mastered three reefs and another left turn. Wind and sea less active than the previous day and reefs were all incrementally removed. On a similar point of sail we all had enjoyable turns on the wheel, whilst the others watched nervously as the headsail got to the point of wanting to goosewing. Good fixes were taken off Udder Rock, a hilltop church, Looe Island and eventually Rame Head.

A casual look behind at one point we spotted a nice fender floating in the water. A second casual look spotted similar missing from our stern. Skipper below was informed who instructed us to retrieve it.. or words to that effect.

There followed 20 minutes of cat and mouse whereby we tried to snare the stringy tail of the fender with a boat hook undertaking good gybing practice as we coursed back and forth. Eventually the casualty was brought on the boat cold and senseless.

We were all somewhat sobered by the exercise and the recognition that this could have been a crew member and we all clipped on for the remainder of the voyage. A lesson learnt was that pointing works and never stop pointing even when the object disappears from view. That and the importance of being clipped on and not to fall off a boat.

Past Rame head the skipper asked which breakwater we would take. The western seemed obvious but he advised on the eastern which indeed set us up for the better final approach on a reach as opposed to what would have been a run within shelter of the mainland. We dodged a trawler and an anchored freighter and turned in between the Tinker twins, took down main by Drake Island and sailed under headsail into the river. A small amount of refueling and home to the pontoon.

A truly exhilarating three days and thanks go to Skipper for fine provisioning, fine cooking, amusing stories, easily understood language in moments of confusion and generally keeping us safe and to Neil and Jeff for navigational skills, Nigel for driving and Colin for medical provisioning and myself for spotting the rogue fender and for definitely not being the one who tied it on..

Alex Barry