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Leg 2: Newlyn to Padstow
The day promised to be a great day at sea and it was, but not without a little hiccup at Land’s End.
It certainly wasn’t the calm, sunny day that the forecast promised but it was a good sea day none the less. I had originally planned to go outside everything and go 3-4 miles outside just in case there were overfalls but after sitting down with "Patch", Patrick the RNLI Mechanic, he said that there was plenty of water inside and given the weather and neaps that it would be fine. He was right. Rounding Land’s End, the inside route was spoiled only a little by the claggy, misty weather and a ground swell that looked like it had come all the way from America… and it probaby had! Nothing spoiled it for me though. Only last year I visited Land’s End and stood on the viewing point looking out at the boats wondering what it would be like to go around… now I know.
After passing inside the Longships Lighthouse the sea flattened out allowing me to plane again but the weather was murky until almost at Padstow when it brightened and the entry to Padstow, timed to arrive just after the tidal gate opened, was a wonderful sight. I have never seen such a busy harbour albeit that the action was on land with hundred of people milling around the inner harbour… holidaymakers. Many of them looking at my arrival and it is a little disconcerting to have so many watching me tie up to the harbour wall. Still, I reasoned that not many of them know much about boats so if I did anything wrong probably nobody noticed!
Tied up and off to the harbour office where they welcomed me with free berthing and harbour dues and offered to fill my fuel tanks. Wonderful. Then it was off to have fish and chips and relax for the evening. I spent that evening on the wall by the boat just talking to people… excellent.
Given the weather and the fact that I was now behind my proposed schedule I decided to make for Milford Haven while the good weather lasted. The problem was that the tidal gate only opens 2 hours either side of high water and if I left it until the high water the next afternoon then I wouldn’t be leaving before 1pm. So I decided to do what all proper boating people do… get up before dawn to "catch the tide". So up at 3am to be out just before the gate closed at 0415hrs… and so on to the next leg - Padstow to Milford Haven…
PS Photos will have to wait… still no 3G coverage in Milford Haven. I might try to scrounge some wifi but I don’t hold out much hope. May have to wait until Pwllheli!
