After informing the Coastguard of our passage, Moonshadow slipped out of Padstow on the first lock opening at 0315hrs. The pilotage out of the Camel Estuary was made easier by noting the group light flashes of the buoyage, in large text on a whiteboard. It is not easy to read in the dim light of the cockpit, but the large text and a head torch allowed us to follow the channel buoys with ease. We also found it useful to put a dark cloth over the chart plotter to block out the glare. Even when set on 'night palette' the plotter is bright enough to interfere with our night vision.
Once out of the Estuary, we made good speed south and anchored in St Ives Bay for a brunch stop. There was not enough time to go ashore, as we needed to make Lands End by slack water. St Ives looked picturesque and it was easy to see why artists love St Ives for the quality of its light. The town was very bright against the blue sky.
In the time it took me to make a bacon roll and a mug of tea, the wind went from a force three to a force six. A heavy swell comes into the bay in windy conditions and it was clear that we needed to pull up the anchor and leave! Once out of the bay the wind eased to a force four, however, a moderate sea kept us on our toes. As we reached Lands End the seas became quite confused and remained so until we turned into Mounts Bay. We arrived in Penzance at 1645hrs in good time for the lock gate. Then it was an early night as we needed to be up and ready at 3am for our next passage to Falmouth.
Photograph was taken in St Ives when we first arrived.
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