Plymouth to Helford 1- 4 April 2022,  report by Alex Barry

Skipper: Phil Steele  ; Crew:Nigel Alltimes  , Mick Hewitt  and Alex Barry 

Boat :’Sea Shanty  ’ Bavaria 36, Plymouth Yacht Haven

This was the second part of the storm - curtailed week of April 2021, skippered by Jerzy Wieczorek, rescheduled and then cancelled for October 2021.  The trip’s jinx struck again on the day of departure with Jerzy testing positive that morning and Dougal Matthews having to drop out at the last minute.

Luckily Phil was on the list and able to step in as skipper and it was with some surprise that those of us remaining arrived at QAB with a crew of four still intact. Phil and Alex attended David’s comprehensive handover of the beautifully maintained and presented Sea Shanty whilst Mick and Nigel shopped a greatly reduced provisioning list.

For evening tucker we headed across the swing bridge, Phil guiding us to Platters seafood restaurant where he reeled off his succulent favourites from the menu amid embellishments of the fishes having literally walked out of the water minutes earlier.  Losing a crew vote we headed for Stavros with  disconsolate Phil dragging his heels behind, his face that of a monkfish which was only finally cheered by the sight of a large slab of moussaka.

The forecast was for a weekend of very light / non-existent wind with a promise of a decent westerly on the Monday so the decision was to head west in the hope of returning with this from Falmouth.

Saturday we headed out, uncertain as to whether we would settle for Fowey or do the whole distance to Falmouth but light winds dictated and after some sailing on a millpond sea we motored into Fowey early afternoon.  The crew took turns in docking the boat on the visitor's pontoon, stern and bow springing off and a bit of ferry gliding all under Phil's patient watchful, non-training, eye.

The evening was spent in the Lugger where we made the usual mistake of ordering starter and main and struggled with the size of the mussel pot which could have served on its own for all four.

The night was clear and cold and in the morning the deck was under a lethal coating of ice.  We dallied about until the sun had risen high enough to thaw this before setting off in warm sunshine and even less hint of wind than the previous day.  This made for a full day's motoring to Falmouth, only raising some canvas off Falmouth as a light wind picked up and we managed a bit of sailing before entering the Helford River.  Here crew did more practice at the helm, this time reversing the boat in circles around a floating tethered racing mark in the river entrance and a challenge to reverse the boat along a transit in a flood tide. This produced a variety of water courses, most akin to such as would be left by a snake in its death throw on hot sand.

We motored past the Helford passage and on up to the upper area of moorings before returning to take a visitor mooring in exchange for 24 English pounds.

An evening was spent on board where Mick produced a fine risotto a la chorizo, massaged to perfection, which was enjoyed along with the ship's wine store.

Monday we rose at 6am to the predicted wind from the west, an overcast day with light rain.  We slipped at 8am and put up the full genoa alone in the river.  

The wind being F4 from south west and dead behind for the course to Plymouth we bore off slightly at first to south east and then north east tacking along the desired line before the wind moved around to northwest which enabled us to ease onto a perfect beam reach for Plymouth.  Visibility was poor with a few glimpses of Dodman point.  We were surrounded by leaping dolphins for 2 hours which raced under our bow as the following swell surfed us down waves.  Wind picked up to F5, gusting F6 and we made good progress at 7 to 8 knots enjoying exciting sailing. Eddystone came into sight and then Rame Head which took what seemed ages until we drew level, the wind having slackened marginally by then.

Entering the Sound to the west we were caught by funnelled wind from Cawsand and overpowered for a while there and passed the breakwater at 3pm, 7 hours after departure from the Helford. Dropping sail in the Sound we took fuel at QAB.  The request was that we should book a slot but a phone call sufficed and were told the booking idea was invented due to Covid and trying to keep down overcrowding which they were no longer enforcing.

Alex was congratulated on a gentle berthing only marginally spoilt by David pointing out to us later we were in the wrong berth.

88 NM sailed overall

Thanks go to Phil for skippering, Mick and Nigel for provisioning/ cooking and commiserations to Jerzy and Dougal for missing what was a fine sailing few days.

Phil has added the point that the Helford mooring buoys are on a chain, not rope, so to avoid damage the anchor was removed and the buoy chain taken on board over the bow anchor roller.