Thursday 16 March
This morning was an early start to make the most of the ebb tide: we slipped the mooring line at 0900 and headed back to the open sea, past the chain ferry with its cargo of local business vans. We turned West around the red-and-white-striped daymark atop Gribbin Head, gambled there’d be no overfalls close in around Dodman’s Point (there weren’t) and motored again across a smooth oily sea in poor visibility – definitely a beige day. Skipper wasn’t feeling on top form, and opted for an extended off watch, leaving Mate in charge at the helm. She was pleased when the dumpy white St Antony’s lighthouse at the Eastern side of the Falmouth estuary finally hove into view, and she was able to rouse Skipper to drop the main sail before readying lines and fenders for a new berth. We came alongside at Falmouth Harbour Visitor’s Yacht Haven very smoothly, and were glad to find a small amount of credit on an electricity post right beside us.
Mate took the opportunity to make a quick recce of Falmouth, and reported back to Skipper that it was “just like Cowes” – lots of yachtie tottie shops: gift boutiques to sell you what you never realised you don’t need, and a huge selection of eateries (and drinkeries). She was disappointed, however, to find that the Tourist Information Office, always her first priority in a new port, closes daily at 1500, and doesn’t open at all on Fridays or Sundays – how does that help support much needed visitor numbers? Oh well, she persevered and found useful leaflets at an art gallery and in the architecturally interesting foyer of the Public Library. Supper was a simple but delicious salmon steak with patatas bravas and broccoli stems.