Friday 30th and Saturday 31rd August
We spend a good night rest in the charming port of Newlyn, shared between professional fishermen and a handful of boaters.
Newlyn harbour by night
Bruno and Christian having taken advantage of the early morning to complete our supplies, they fall for “cornish pasties” which will be our lunch. They come back enthusiastic about the charm of the small streets of this old port.
Our departure being set for 11:00, we take the time that remains to wander together at random through the alleys, houses with colorful shutters and flowery surroundings.
The weather is very nice.
Charming streets of Newlyn
It is a pleasant moment, and we will remember Newlyn as a picturesque and endearing little town.
My passage plan included the next stopover in Milford Haven, 115 nautical miles on the Welsh coast.
But plans are made to be disrupted, dependent on weather, time constraints and the mood of the captain – sorry, the crew !
From the beginning, we had adopted a motto , thanks again to Eric, which would apply throughout the trip: we would decide everything “dynamically” ! Rather than admit that events don’t follow any plan …
So, “dynamically”, we decide to get ahead of our schedule and head straight for Ireland, with Kilmore Quay as our objective. A 150-miles leg, with night navigation.
We set sail once again under the sun, and to our great delight the wind is in our favour. The sea is rough and the navigation sporty, but the boat is doing 7 knots and everything is going well.
Land’s End
The crossing to Ireland, day and night, goes smoothly.
A little nap… Do not disturb!
From the first night navigation, we have adopted of 3.5 hours watches, always with 2 people in the cockpit.
And of course, when the night is over and the whole crew is awake, there is still time to slip away for the luxury of a little nap !
Diesel leak, we are pumping…
A persistent diesel smell worries us, and we find a pool of diesel under the engine. We assume a leak in the port tank. The pumping sessions resume, to empty the bilges and the tank into jerry cans, but we will have to live with the smell of fuel.
The arrival at Kilmore Quay, around 4:30 p.m. the next day, also turns out to be “dynamic“! First of all, without having been able to contact the harbor master’s office, we confuse the port entrance with the access to the beach, behind the breakwaters. Fortunately, we realize our mistake soon enough, avoiding sowing panic among the bathers of this late afternoon.
As we correct our entry into the harbour and the crew is busy setting up the mooring lines, for a reason known only to him, a fender decides to jump ship. The proximity of the rocks and the lack of space quickly convince us that any recovery maneuver would be a source of more serious problems, the fugitive already escaping towards the nearby rocks.
This is without counting on the goodwill of a walker, who does not hesitate to venture into the stones to capture the fugitive, and triumphantly comes back to us while we are busy mooring the boat !
Dear unknown passer-by, we are guilty of not having invited you to have a beer on board. Perhaps we were too busy setting up our mooring lines ? Unfortunately, our thanks will remain empty words …
Graham Cathal at the Kehoes Pub
After another session of diesel pumping, here we are at the Kehoes Pub. The kitchen is closed, but the waitress recommends a local takeaway and even encourages us to enjoy our fish and chips in the pub. A good atmosphere reigns in this place, with the presence of Graham Cathal, an excellent local artist, guitarist and traditional singer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tggiVeI6bg ).
A few pints of beer and Guinness later, we return to the boat around 11:00 pm.