Beginning our English Adventure

We sadly left our friends, Annehei and Willem, and the wonderful Isles of Scilly on July 23.....



.... with a foggy early morning motor-sail from St Helen's Pool, Isles of Scilly, bound for Falmouth.

 

Wolf Rock stands guard off Land's End

 



A calm evening as we entered Falmouth harbor.

We declared the Isles of Scilly as "not really England yet" so that we could celebrate arriving on mainland England, at Falmouth!

Docked at the Visitors' Yacht Haven.

Looking across the mooring field at Falmouth.

Next stop: Fowey. You cannot imagine a prettier little spot.......

....until the evening, when the wooden sailboat race completes the picture.

 

 

After Fowey we motorsailed to Plymouth, where we anchored off Cawsand and were greeted with a teeming beach....

 



...which was a puzzle until we saw the old-style rowing sixes and eights, holding their annual regatta all around us!

The hundreds on the beach were the families and supporters of about thirty boats: the mixed-crew 'Tempest' was winning this race of sixes, and yes, it was unfortunate that the whole boat was not following their cox's example of scanty attire!

 

Sunset at Cawsand: this anchorage was open to the South and East; but no worries as the weather was calm.

 



 

The Devon cliffs with rolling hills, and Dartmoor as a backdrop.

 



 

At Salcombe we arrived in time for Sunday lunch at the Victoria Inn.

 



And for the evening we found Starehole Bay, just outside the bar at the mouth of Salcombe harbor: what a spot!

  In the Bay with us was just one other boat: and what a beauty! A 29 foot Cornish gaffer (excluding the ten foot bowsprit!) built in Falmouth: thank you, Patrick, for such a lovely view and great conversation!

 

 



 

After Salcombe we motor-sailed eleven hours South East to Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, This is the fort on Brehon Rock, with Herm to port, Jethou to Starboard, and Sark in the distance.

 



 

St Peter Port has an impressive fort and a prominent light on the port side of the harbor entrance.

 



 

St Peter Port, Guernsey is just as beautiful up close as it is from the harbor mouth.....

 



 

But the twenty nine foot tidal change is not to be taken lightly: it must be said, however, that the skipper of this boat intentionally dried out along the wall!

The harbour is a busy pot of sailing folks, reminiscent of Horta, Azores.

 



 

 

Guernsey preserves a charm and gaiety that rivals any townscape we have seen.

 

 

 

Here is the fort from the inside of the harbour. Will someone please move it out of the way so that we can show you Adventuress at anchor on the other side, in Havelet Bay?

 

 

Best to you all, and yes, we are indeed blessed!

 

John and Nancy

 

 



Isles of Scilly

We found a pretty spot to anchor: St Helen's Pool. This is surrounded by small uninhabited islands that are home to many birds. The Pool is protected from almost all directions, and you can dinghy over to either Tresco or St Martin islands.

 

 

 

St Helen's Pool viewed from Tresco 

 

Tresco has many footpaths that meander through its shoreline and countryside.

 A freshwater lake with flying fish!

 

 

 Wild agapanthus were in full bloom

 

 

 and are properly at their best in some English summer sunshine.

 

 

 The sun may be out, but no shorts for Nancy!

 

 Tresco has active farms set amongst the island's hills, with onions, potatoes, flowers and cattle.

 Shoreline at low tide


 

 

On St Martin's

Beaches are large at low tide

 

 
 



Nancy's scarf was hand painted on St Mary's

 

 

 

Best, John and Nancy

 



England!

 The North West corner of Spain was an unintended stop. Waiting in the Azores for wind to sail to England was hardly a chore: that meant longer in the Portuguese Mid-Atlantic islands that charmed us with their friendly welcome, impressive scenery and tasty local food. But after a while, we were keen to get to England. Those plans were upturned, however, by uncooperative winds; and so we took what God sent us, and said, "Watch out Spain, here we come!"  And after a really enjoyable passage to Spain, we had done a favourite thing: we turned a negative into a positive. The lands and rivers of Galicia were a surprisingly beautiful bonus that rewarded us for our flexibility.

While in the Azores several folks told us not to miss the Isles of Scilly. Our plan had been to sail to Falmouth; but here came more serendipity. Why not make landfall instead in the Wilsonian Scillonians?  And so here we are, after a three day passage from Spain, and below are Nancy's portraits of another bonus!

St Mary's Harbour, Hugh Town: and the Mermaid awaits you at the top of the steps!

And inside the Mermaid, what is an exiled Limey doing? A pint of bitter and fish and chips, of course! 

The boathouse and ramp in the background are the "old style" home and launching ramp for the St Mary's life boat.

 Nancy is bemused by the 20 foot tide....

 

 ....and the flowers in the cottage gardens.

 

 

 Now it is almost low tide....

 

 

 ..and Nancy is wondering if we will be able to walk back to the boat?

 

 Meanwhile the flowers remind us of the Azores....

 

 

 ...but the boats high and dry tell us that we are in the British Isles.

 

 

 

 

 

 Now the tide is completely out: look up five pictures and you will see that the stern of the blue motorboat was still wet!

 

 

 There is something both fascinating yet forlorn about boats stranded on the shore.

 

 

Most of the floating dinghy docks are firmly planted ashore. We may be new to all this tidal trouble: but that is our dinghy strategically moored five hours earlier at the far end of the third pontoon, now still afloat at low tide albeit on only 8 inches of water!

 

 

 

Best, Nancy and John

 

 



Goodbye Beautiful Spain!

 Here are our beautiful friends, Annehei and Willem.  We are posed on the promenade at Ares.  We leave today for England.  The roughly 400 mile passage will take less than three days and we will make landfall in the Isles of Scilly.  Our friends have a last minute repair to make so they will follow in a couple of days.

Annehei and Willem strolling through a residential street

Meerlust and Adventuress in the Harbour

The Promenade!

Squid!  Yum!

 

Long painters for the dinghy to cope with the 11 foot tide change.

 

We've enjoyed our "bonus" of visiting Galicia:  a great cruising ground to which we will return.

 

Best,

Nancy and John