The day after our visit to Tresillick house dawned bright and breezy but the forecast showers stayed away and we walked around the entire perimeter walk around the Trelissick estate and added on a visit to Roundwood Quay and the Iron Age fort at Roundwood, a scheduled ancient monument. The quay at Roundwood, now on the drying Lamouth Creek was once a thriving deep water trading port.
On Friday the incoming storm was starting to make itself felt, with strong winds and rain squalls. We managed a short trip up the river to the site of the Smugglers Cottage, which we remembered as a popular stop for cream teas in our holidays when Richard and Robyn were small. Long since closed, all the D Day landing memorabilia was gone and the cottage is now a private house, all the character gone. Back on board we kept out of the rain.
On Saturday Storm Hannah was at its worst with very strong winds and rain only easing slightly in the evening, but by the next morning the storm was replaced with drizzle and no wind. We left our mooring and returned to Falmouth Haven to top up our diesel and water tanks and to plug into shore power to fully top up the batteries in preparation for sailing on Monday afternoon. On Sunday afternoon we had a long walk around Falmouth to loosen up after our enforced stay on the boat. Returning to the marina we saw that ‘Melody’ a Sigma 292 owned by Dave Snow and Katie had arrived at the start of their Round Britain sail. Dave and Katie have been fellow crew members racing on ‘Veto’ in Torbay. They were planning to sail to the Isles of Scilly on Monday afternoon. Our plan was to sail towards the Scillies and then decide whether to call in or carry on to Ireland. Over tea and fruit cake on Lacerta we met the rest of Melody’s crew, Steve, Katie’s father and Charlie, a fellow doctor who looked impossibly young, or is it me getting older.
The afternoon sailing time was planned to get the maximum advantage out of West going tide but did mean arriving in the middle of the night. The trip started in a good 15 knot SE breeze which died off as we approached the Lizard.
With not enough breeze to keep the sails filled in the swell we reverted to the engine for a while. Melody, behind us, managed to keep sailing a bit longer. While under power we were called by a car carrier, ‘Victory Leader’, who was overtaking us to say that he was going to overtake us on our port side and we could hold our course, very reassuring to know that she had seen us and was obeying the Col Regs.
Just after a fine sausage and bean casserole dinner and as it was getting dark the wind veered to the South and increased, allowing us to sail again, making 6 or 7 knots at times. As the forecast outlook was for a further veer in the wind to the NW, bang on the nose for Kinsale we opted to head into St Mary’s harbour. It turned into a very dark night, difficult to see the plotter and instruments and maintain night vision. We set watches with Debbie off from 9 to 11 then David from 11 to 2 then Debbie again from 2 to 5, by which time we should be in. We sailed much faster than planned so by 0200 we were approaching St Mary’s Sound so no kip for Debbie. As we were reasonably familiar with the entrance we went in, probably too fast with a bit of scary pilotage but once through the sound we knew we had plenty of space for taking sails down ready to enter the harbour, picking up a mooring and being settled down by 0400. Katie, behind us, took a more cautious approach and slowed down to wait for dawn before coming in at about 0630.
After a few hours kip, a late breakfast and lunch, we have moved across to New Grimsby Sound ready for heading for Ireland tomorrow. Melody is hanging around for a few more days to watch the gig racing championships so our next chance of meeting up is on the West Coast of Scotland in a few weeks time.
Sailing Lacerta 