Adventures on Xiphias

More than point and go…

As far as Falmouth I had not really been doing navigation. I would put in some way points into the GPS chart plotter

The picture does show how bumpy it was a Lands End

and following the prescribed route. That’s been great and when rounding some of the headlands I would cut the corner because the turbulence was not so great that such a good clearance was required. Rounding the Lizard I had to work out an appropriate time of arrival because Penzance has a sea lock to stop the water of the inner harbour draining away. The information is in the Almanac but not in a presentable form so I create a table heights and times for the local port. It’s a bit fussy but it means I can see when I have to arrive and then work backwards to the work out when I should leave.

The buoy leading into Padstow has limited periods of use!

Getting round Lands End into Padstow needed even more planning because there is nowhere else to go on the North Cornwall coast and like Penzance it has a locking inner harbour and a huge expanse of the threatening  named DOOM bar at the entrance that the pilot, now known as the voice of doom, advised should not be approached in heavy weather. To add note urgency as I approached the Padstow the coastguard repeated a gale warning Southerly Force 8. I was a bit panicky but managed to get into the harbour with two hours to spare before they shut the gate. I sat snugly has the ropes and halyards of other boats beat against the masts in the strong wind. Padstow would be my last landfall in England. Two days later I crossed the yawning jaws of the Bristol Channel with its shocking tides and no ports of refuge. The island is the only hope of shelter for boats caught in westerly gales. My passage was smooth and a light southeasterly breeze enabled me to reach across with the sails eased. Dolphins greeted me as I left the bay and again when I was 20 miles south of Milford Haven in west Wales. I don’t know why the sight of the dolphins makes me happy maybe its their carefree playfulness, whatever it is I am always glad of their company.

Now in sunny Wales I am plotting the crossing to Ireland and have been joined by friend David to assist me in the 70 miles, 16 hour passage to Kilmore, the nearest safe landfall on that coast. It’ll be great.