Newlyn to Falmouth - rough

Newlyn is friendly and cheap, but the facilities are dreadful.  We could have moved to Penzance, but it has a lock gate so can only come and go 3 hours out of 12 and it does not work with the tides for the next passage.  The wind is forecast to switch to the east tomorrow, which is not good now that we are returning, so if we're to be waiting somewhere for a couple of days we want to wait in Falmouth - it is soooo boaty and there is soooo much to do.  So although the wind forecast was F5-7 it was NW which means it's behind us, and it was going to be sunny which always makes it more enjoyable - the dash to Falmouth was on with double reefed main and genoa.

First problem was getting off the pontoon in Newlyn where a brisk F6 at 9am was pinning us on.  With help from a neighbouring yachtsman we warped her across to the upwind pontoon, and then left with lots of engine and shouting - job done.  The sail across Mounts Bay was tricky because the wind was dead behind but the swells were on our beam - huge rolling, meaning that a goosewing (one sail each side) was impractical.  So we broad-reached out some miles off our planned route, then gybed over (choosing our moment as the seas had built up impressively) to sail past the Lizard some 4 miles off the avoid the overfalls.  By now we had plenty of "don't look now" sized waves bearing down on our stern, but every time Sirena IV lifted her bottom and they slid and sloshed under us.  The video gives some kind of idea though it's nothing like being there.  Top speed noted as we surfed down a big wave was 9.1 kn.

We'd had F5-6 all the way, with F7 gusts, and thought as we worked down the east side of the Lizard we'd get some shelter.  Not a bit of it!  As we beam reached past Manacles Rocks and the Helford estuary we had a full-blooded F7 with gusts just touching F8.  The seas were not so big, but much wetter as we began to work into them rather than running with them.  The boat was well balanced and she just takes it.  It's funny how everything is relative - when first setting out in 20kn it seems a lot of wind, howling in the rigging, but when it eases from a period of 30-34kn down to 20kn you find yourself thinking "oh the wind has dropped away, it's quiet now".

We had a couple of short rainstorms on the way, but otherwise the promised sun did shine.  As we approached Falmouth though the dark clouds gathered.  We were lined up to sail through the broad entrance (it's an estuary really rather than a harbour) into slightly more sheltered water for dropping the sails ... and then a tanker decided to come out and we had to alter course.  We had to furl the genoa in the full F7 before motorsailing in, and dropping the main in flatter water near the commercial docks.  At this point we had a vicious hailstorm - what a welcome!  As we motored into Pendennis Marina, tucked away in a protected corner under the wings of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, the sun came out again.  After bedding the boat down for the night we raced off the the Chain Locker pub (much recommended by our guru Tom Cunliffe for excellent celebratory grub & drinks.)  The superyachts from the racing last week are still here, and we're moored within feet of them - here's a few pics.