Utterly Maritime Falmouth

Sirena IV centre, behind pillar, in good company

After a morning of tasks, mainly a big re-stock from Sainsburys, and an early lunch on board, we took ourselves off to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall (NMMC) which is all of 50 metres from the boat - we nestle in its shadow.

Falmouth waterfront

Before that, a few reflections on Falmouth (which we do love to bits).  A lot of young people, many in sweatshirts branded with their posh yacht name - these are the paid crew.  Others skateboard down the narrow High St.  There are little lanes leading down to old quays.  Pasty shops outnumber the fish&chips shops ... just.  The superyachts right next to us are a nuisance now we've stopped going 'wow' because there's a huge amount of work going on by many & varied nautical tradesmen who have turned the pontoon into a work yard - sometimes it's difficult to get past the boxes of tools, bits of boat, sails, and unspecified stuff.  It's very reminiscent of a film set, where it appears totally chaotic yet you feel somewhere there must be someone organising it all.

SV Rebecca, Newport USA

So to NMMC - free entry because we are members of Royal Museums Greenwich which encompasses the National Maritime Museum just 200 metres from our house - that saved £24, hoorah.  It's a modern building (2001, I think) and just a wonderful experience. Historic dinghies, speedboats and small working boats hang from the ceiling.  There is the full story of the Falmouth Packets, delivering mail all over the Atlantic seaboard from the 17th century until the age of steam.  The Search and Rescue section has harrowing stories and a Sea King helicopter that we could sit in.  The tower has excellent views over the marina, Falmouth and the Penryn river (the river Fal is behind the commercial docks) - the 3 pictures are through the tower windows.  They had to throw us out when it closed at 5pm.