From Dartmouth we tacked all the way to the River Yealm, where we moored on the visitors’ pontoon. The Yealm is a delight – well hidden from the open sea and with the villages of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo clinging to steep hillsides. Many cottages have waterside access or boat houses.
We enjoyed walking around the head of the water to Noss Mayo, where the Ship Inn served an excellent sticky toffee pudding. At low tide it is possible to cross the harbour via Vosses in two places.
We had a good evening meal in the Yealm Yacht Club, where we chatted with our neighbours on the pontoon Sally & John.
From the River Yealm we had another beat of some 30nm to the quaint fishing town of Mevagissey where we moored overnight in the harbour. We were greeted by local Ovni owner Robert, who conducted us to the XV century Fountain Inn.
From Mevagissey it was 45nm against the last of the consistent westerly winds around the Lizard to Mounts Bay . We anchored under the remarkable St Michael’s Mount. This is Cornwall’s answer to Mont Saint-Michel in France – not quite so spectacular but without the crowds.
The weather has turned fine and the winds become fickle. Just as we could do with those westerlies to get us up the north Cornish coast, they have gone for the foreseeable future!
On Monday we managed to round Lands End and sail up the north Cornish coast to St Ives. The anchorage there is completely exposed to north to eastery winds. Unfortunately, the forecast north wester turned out to be north. We used our shallow draft to shelter in the harbour, where we dried out.
St Ives was as lovely as ever, although this was half-term week including the jubilee holidays, so it was absolutely packed. There are more amusement arcades that in former times. We were very glad to be out in the harbour some distance from the crowds thonging the harbour-side. Unusually, although this is a working harbour, all manor of water activity is allowed in the harbour, including swimming, paddle boarding, self-drive RIBs etc.
This was an opportunity to inspect Antpole under the waterline. All seems well.
We explored the town and walked out to the ancient St Nicholas chapel on the headland.
We visited the Tate St Ives gallery. This is build on the site of the former gas works and the gallery is centred on a magnificent rotunda reminiscent of the former gasometer. It overlooks the glorious Porthmeor surfing beach with its vast expanse of sand.
We passed on the last of the westerly winds for our day in St Ives and face a tricker passage up the coast to Padstow.
Our updated cruise track can be found here. That’s the news for now.
Tony & Ynskje xx
We are loving reading your blogs again, especially as we have visited all these west coast harbours. Enjoy your trip.
Nicky & Peter
Looks like you have visited lots of lovely spots in the south west!