Saturday 14th September
We catch the RNLI mooring buoy
It is 9am, we arrive too early for the opening of the harbour gates.
The harbour master authorises us to moor temporarily at the RNLI buoy (the British equivalent of the french SNSM) .
At 1.30pm, we finally enter the charming port of Padstow.
The harbour master’s instructions are clear: “Moor at ladder 7 !“.
Indeed, the moorings are at the bottom of a wall, from where you can access the town by numbered ladders.
In Padstow Harbour
I have trouble locating the said ladder, but, ironically, the harbour master comes to help me by VHF: “Ladder 7 is between ladder 6 and ladder 8 !“.
We finally find it, the harbour master welcome is cordial, and the joke is never far away.
An Englishman in Padstow
After a well-deserved shower, we spend a relaxing afternoon, with a walk in this pretty town, where we have the opportunity to meet a few authentic English people!
At the end of this leisurely walk, bathed in the euphoria of the summer weather and the letting go that accompanies the completion of each crossing, we obviously conclude with a beer in a port pub.
We have our evening meal on board, and prepare to regain our strength for the next day, in order to be ready for a tourism day without sailing.