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
Here's Mevagissey inner harbour on Thursday morning before the storm. More boats in here than usual
Here's me with creatures from our hull after scraping Towser's bottom
