Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Sunday 28 June 2015

Summer plans

Are coming together. My original plan was to explore Falmouth and sail back to Plymouth and possibly around to Torquay but I am having problems working out how to get a trailer and car back from Falmouth and around to Torquay as 'her indoors', rightly, doesn't feel confident enough to drive a trailer those distances.
Thus I will sail firstly to Fowey where I will probably stay at Penmarlem. A day exploring the Fowey and then it is on to Mevagissy, possibly via Charlestown. From Mevagissy, it is a long sail of around 20nm to Falmouth. Here I would like to try and find an anchorage somewhere up the river alongside St Mawes, so if anyone has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.
A day sailing around the Fal. Perhaps a trip up to the smugglers inn?
Then after another night somewhere, again if anyone has nice overnight anchorages in the Fal area, please let me know, a crossing to the Helford river. A day spent sailing around the Helford and then the following day, a long sail back to Mevagissy. Overnight there and then the last day back to Plymouth.
It will be a round trip of some 150nm
I hope Arwen is up to it.....of course she is.

4 comments:

Alastair said...

Opposite St Mawes, on the south shore, is a deep sheltered bay, ideal for a quiet night. Further up the Fal there are more quiet corners than you can shake a boathook at.

The DCA have a meeting on the Helford, at Tremayne Quay, on Sat 18th July, if you are in the area then.

Stuart said...

Looks like a great summer project, Steve. You might like to try visitmyharbour.com (go to the page "Channel, West) which gives charts and descriptions of moorings, anchorages, etc for most of your planned meanderings. It's entirely free, but I think you can pay a subscription to it to gain more benefits.
I can understand the car/trailer dilemma. I'm not at all confident with reversing (and therefor not good at it). The distance isn't the problem, it's the fiddly bits athe start and end of a journey which are the issue with me unless there's enough space to park a Hercules.
I'm looking forward to your posts on the trip.
Bon voyage!
Stuart

steve said...

Thanks Stuart
I use visit harbour but forgot to this time...thanks for the reminder.
Alastair...thanks. I've looked at that one
I think it is called cellars beach
Steve

Stuart said...

...and I forgot to mention the tidal stream charts on visitmyharbour.com. They are really useful for inshore passage planning.
Stuart