23rd July 2014 - Mevagissey, Gorran Haven, St Mawes

Living in the UK at anchor with a dog and a toddler - what can possibly go wrong?!
Post Reply
Jeff
Site Admin
Posts: 751
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:54 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

23rd July 2014 - Mevagissey, Gorran Haven, St Mawes

Post by Jeff »

For the last two weeks we've been pottering around between Mevagissey and the Fal; moving now and then to find a more sheltered anchorage given the forecast conditions.

During one of the moves we weighed anchor, sailed out of Gorran Haven, around the Gwineas Rocks, right up to Mevagissey harbour wall, and dropped anchor again... and we didn't use the engine at all, not once. I really love it when we can do this, it feels great not to have had to rely on anything but the wind in our sails, and our anchor.

We had to make a sharp exit from the Mevagissey area last Thursday as the wind was forecast to turn to the East making it directly onshore and making all nearby anchorages untenable. The wind was set to be 15 knots by noon, and then build all afternoon and evening, peaking at around 2200 with gusts of 44 knots - very very serious winds (Beaufort Scale classification: severe gale, one less than 'storm').

Before departure we rowed into Mevagissey harbour so we could exercise Lunar and buy some essential provisions. We figured we might be stuck aboard for 24 hours at least until the weather passed.

There was something definitely odd in the harbour. A palpable feeling of impending danger.

There were very few boats in the outer harbour compared to the last few days and a few hairy beardy fishermen (pirates?) had furrowed brows and were working to relocate their boats to the shelter of the inner harbour - which was absolutely rammed. Two of them made a point of coming over to us to ask if we knew what was coming and to warn us that under no circumstances could we remain anchored where we were. They seemed concerned that we weren't immediately leaving but instead going ashore to the shop.

We've rarely shopped so quick. We were back aboard with Lunar looking disappointed within 15 minutes, underway within 25.

A motor and a sail and 3 hours later we were anchored off Turnaware Point, a few miles up the river Fal, with a number of other boats also looking to ride out the storm at anchor.

We'd chosen an excellent spot and felt very little wind at all but the lightning storm was amazing, lasting for over an hour.

I was a little annoyed to have had to pay £5 for the privilege (Truro Harbour Dues) as it was the first time we've had to pay anyone to park since Salcombe nearly a month before. It did make me realise though that we've now been afloat since late April - nearly 3 months now - with only 6 (I think) nights not at anchor!

One night while anchored off Portmellon we were disturbed by the sound of snap crackle and pop, everywhere. In every cupboard, under every floor board. A little research and we think it was pistol shrimp - a migrant species normally associated with the Med - now found increasingly in Cornish waters. Amazing!

I've also been below with snorkel and mask to check on Towser's hull. We had an entire ecosystem down there! So I've spent some hours with a wallpaper scraper and a lot of breath holding and have managed to clean off the worst of it. When I came back up I was _thick_ with small creatures with weird hook legs, gripping my wetsuit. Quite grim.

Here's a video of Towser's hull garden followed by a recording of the snap crackle and pop sound caused by pistol shrimp.
<iframe width="800" height="600" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/O2DDailptgk" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Here's us anchored off Mevagissey
Image

Here's Mevagissey inner harbour on Thursday morning before the storm. More boats in here than usual
Image

Here's me with creatures from our hull after scraping Towser's bottom
Image
To join our mailing list and receive notification of blog updates, please send an email to watchblog@yacht-forum.co.uk and we'll keep you posted. You do not need to sign up to the forum to do this, and we absolutely WILL NOT share your contact details, or send you anything but notifications of new blog entries.
Discus
RNLI Supporter
RNLI Supporter
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:46 pm
Location: Floating around the SW

Post by Discus »

:o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

Impressive gimp suit :lol:

Managed to fit in a crotch shot as well!

Please let me know what antifoul you used - you are losing at least 2 knots boat speed dragging the octopus' garden around with you! Little creatures are some kind of louse I think!
Jeff
Site Admin
Posts: 751
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:54 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

Post by Jeff »

Thank you :)

It was XM antifoul. Complete waste of time and money. A quick search online reveals similar experiences by some, the complete opposite by others.

I don't think we were losing as much as 2 knots because we were seeing 5+ when sailing in quite light wind and no current - so I think we were losing more like 0.8 ish.

My trips below to scrape will have to become a regular thing - good exercise (as someone on another forum pointed out). It's interesting how you run out of air so much quicker when working hard on a breath hold. My legs and arms hurt while swimming to the surface after I pushed it a bit on a couple of keel bottom scraping dives.

(PS. My wetsuit is awesome. I've had it for years now. Bought for winter surfing and kitesurfing, it's a bit much for summer hull scrubbing and far too buoyant but it has the fabulous feature (which I have no idea how it does it) that when you first go into the water there's no initial cold flush - like every other wetsuit I've ever used. You're just warm the whole time. It's an O'Neill Psycho II)
To join our mailing list and receive notification of blog updates, please send an email to watchblog@yacht-forum.co.uk and we'll keep you posted. You do not need to sign up to the forum to do this, and we absolutely WILL NOT share your contact details, or send you anything but notifications of new blog entries.
Discus
RNLI Supporter
RNLI Supporter
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:46 pm
Location: Floating around the SW

Post by Discus »

[quote="Jeff"..it has the fabulous feature (which I have no idea how it does it) that when you first go into the water there's no initial cold flush - like every other wetsuit I've ever used. You're just warm the whole time. It's an O'Neill Psycho II)[/quote]

Not pressing on your bladder is it? :lol:
Jeff
Site Admin
Posts: 751
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:54 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

Post by Jeff »

Yuck!
To join our mailing list and receive notification of blog updates, please send an email to watchblog@yacht-forum.co.uk and we'll keep you posted. You do not need to sign up to the forum to do this, and we absolutely WILL NOT share your contact details, or send you anything but notifications of new blog entries.
Discus
RNLI Supporter
RNLI Supporter
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:46 pm
Location: Floating around the SW

Post by Discus »

BTW, is that you in this months Yachting Monthly? They are doing a second hand boat review of a Bowman 40 based out of Dartmouth. Wide shot of the Dartmouth vista with a Nautical anchored in the foreground. Coincidence? Blue sail covers, davits with a a solar panel on them. Fame at last?
Jeff
Site Admin
Posts: 751
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:54 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

Post by Jeff »

Ooh sounds like us indeed! Can't seem to find the image online anywhere to confirm. Is it a good picture?
To join our mailing list and receive notification of blog updates, please send an email to watchblog@yacht-forum.co.uk and we'll keep you posted. You do not need to sign up to the forum to do this, and we absolutely WILL NOT share your contact details, or send you anything but notifications of new blog entries.
Discus
RNLI Supporter
RNLI Supporter
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:46 pm
Location: Floating around the SW

Post by Discus »

Is it you?

<a href="http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/robmc ... 8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag2 ... 475918.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo imagejpg1_zpsb6475918.jpg"></a>

Sorry- crap quality pic with the I pad. Can scan you a better one if you want
Jeff
Site Admin
Posts: 751
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:54 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

Post by Jeff »

Hehe super! Definitely us. Thanks for posting that!
To join our mailing list and receive notification of blog updates, please send an email to watchblog@yacht-forum.co.uk and we'll keep you posted. You do not need to sign up to the forum to do this, and we absolutely WILL NOT share your contact details, or send you anything but notifications of new blog entries.
Discus
RNLI Supporter
RNLI Supporter
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:46 pm
Location: Floating around the SW

Post by Discus »

Full picture is a bit better in the flesh. I said as a joke to Karen it could be you! At least you have made it into national print. Looking good! Probably earlier this season. Will sort out a better pic (camera on I pad is a bit weedy). :cheers:
Jeff
Site Admin
Posts: 751
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:54 pm
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

Post by Jeff »

Must have been a while back. Not had covers on the sails for ages! Or been in Dartmouth for that matter.

Currently anchored near Falmouth.

Thank you!
To join our mailing list and receive notification of blog updates, please send an email to watchblog@yacht-forum.co.uk and we'll keep you posted. You do not need to sign up to the forum to do this, and we absolutely WILL NOT share your contact details, or send you anything but notifications of new blog entries.
Post Reply