Round Britain for the RNLI Blog

I have had a chance to speak to the RNLI crew and to fishermen here in Newlyn and by all accounts they say that I needn’t be at all concerned about overfalls or tide issues around Land’s End over the next couple of days. Winds are light and it is neaps and any case they are generally easterly and in these conditions it isn’t going to be an issue.

I have replanned the route to round Land’s End closer in and it is saving about 8 miles on the route. I shall still have my careful head on though… I always do when rounding headlands and Land’s End certainly is in that category

Now I have refueled ready for the next leg I have had a chance to see just how accurate the fuel flow sensor is. The sensor said I used 89.8 ltrs from Plymouth to Newlyn… it actually took 91 ltrs!!! Now that is more than accurate enough for me.

If you don’t have a fuel flow sensor on your boat I really do highly recommend it. You can make informed decisions on when to throttle back and also get accurate range/duration figures and if you don’t have a chartplotter that will display the data then there are some very smart display devices, such as the Garmin GDI10, that will show you all this data in a very neat, sunlight readable, unit.

I wouldn’t have a motor boat without it now.

Today was absolutely flat here in Mount’s Bay, Newlyn. I hope it stays like it because if it does then I shall depart here tomorrow. The weather looks like it may get up tonight so I am not holding my breath but if it stays like this for my next leg it would be just beautiful… smooth, smooth, smooth!

If not then the following couple of days are looking good so if I don’t go tomorrow then it is looking good for Friday. I shall decide if I am going tomorrow morning after the forecasts are in and I have taken a look at what I have.

What a wet day. Doesn’t inspire me to go out, but I have just ventured down to the Post Office to ship some candles. How come they are shutting Post Offices, just when we all start selling online? Maybe we need somewhere specifically as a "Parcel Drop" ….. just a thought.

The bathroom floor now has its vinyl - looks very smart. The garage is full and will now stay that way until Monday. It’s a good excuse for not being able to do anything else that involves the garage until Tuesday

And now, a nice cup of tea….

I have to say that Newlyn has been a very pleasent surprise. It has a rather fearsome reputation for the leisure boater and that does have an element of thruth about it but only a small element. It is very much a working and fishing port and nothing is geared up for the leisure boater and so the average leisure boater may feel a little overwhelmed and perhaps a little confused. There are pontoons but they are very much reserved for fishing boats and the only other options for leisure boating appear to be against parts of the piers or rafted up to a fishing boat… not my choice of berth. I have been told that a pontoon might be available if it is known that a fishing boat is going to be away but it is not at all guaranteed.

Having said that, respect the fishing boats, don’t get in their way and realise it for what it is and it is a delightful and friendly port. Everyone is readly friendly and helpful. I don’t know why but I expected less… I love the place and I think it has had bad press in the past.
 

Question
Did you know that it is the 2nd biggest fishing port in the UK and THE biggest in England?
Make a comment with where you think the biggest in the UK is and I will respond when I get to Milford Haven .
No prizes but just the qudos of being the first to post the correct answer.
 

Yesterday evening I took the mile or so walk into Penzance. The small harbour there is not unlike Newlyn in its feel but there is more scope for the leisure boater with some moorings. If I were visitng the area I would prbably choose Penzance but as a stop-off port on a journey for one night Newlyn would be the one as there is no tidal access issues. Just don’t expect facilities.