July 16th - 30th 2005

Getting down was slow but easy enough starting off at midnight and arriving at Penzance by about 8. The journey down was delayed from Saturday to Monday due to boat work needing to be done and safety issues needing to be solved. Launching was straight forward but took a while as we had to wait for the tide to cover the slipway. Once in the water we stayed at Penzance a night to sort out some problems we had with the VHF antenna not working and by the time we had launched and I had tinkered with the engine to make sure it was primed properly, bled through and running smoothly. The engine had been set with the slow running screw a bit high which caused the engine to tick over at about 1400 RPM. When you knocked it into gear it clonked loudly and raced forwards at a hasty 8 knots!

Once adjusted we found we could switch from standing to 1 to 2 knots smoothly and had more control than initial trials demonstrated. The initial trial went fine without sinking or crashing and after a night of restless sleep and panic through losing cash cards on the boat in amongst all the junk we set off with all well the next morning. In order to use the radio a piece of wire was rigged up and the antenna checked until it was found to be working for an unknown reason. Our stay tiring and restless showed great need to beat a hasty retreat when Guy decided to flood dining room and living room of the pub below where he stayed using copious quantities of water from the shower in which he bathed which gradually seeped through the floor of the B and B. A non understanding and angry barman greeted the guys to allow minimal conversation before making a sharp exit in due haste.

A quick safety data check with HM coastguard station at Falmouth conveyed the vessel and voyage details with an estimated time of arrival and a check of the weather conditions gave our journey a safe start. With water as far as we could see and a long journey ahead of us we set off the boat rocking gently as we cut through the mirror like sea at a good 12 knots. We headed southwest from Penzance once out of the harbour for 36 miles until we met the warm weather, clear waters and harsh rocks of the eastern Isles to be greeted by several atlantic grey seals sunning themselves on the rocks. The journey had gone as smooth as the water we had crossed and had taken a mere 2 hours running on average at 14 knots but occasionally running up to 22.5 knots for short periods.

A vivid day unfolded around us revealing a sky as blue as the fairytale backdrop and not even one wispy cotton wool cloud floating in the sky. A searing heat greeted us with beads of perspiration forming on our faces after seconds in the sun. Guy now brown as fried chicken drumsticks and sunglasses taken from a movie set had sat all the way sunning himself on the engine box and would not have seemed out of place in a Baywatch remake. Once clear of the Hats Ledges we motored over to Town bay where we anchored and set about arranging mooring with the harbourmaster and carrying our large cumbersome rucksacks up the long and windy road to the beautiful Garrison Campsite situated in the grounds of star castle and the Garrison ramparts, a historic fort surrounding the hill of Hugh town St Mary’s.