Pirates in Penzance

08Sep13

Penzance Bay with Mousehole, Newlyn, Penzance and St Michael's Mount piercing the coastline to the east is a fine introduction to the southwest and the flavour of South Cornwall. Once around Land's End a total contrast and a new vista meets the weary traveller; a corner of England unlike any other; a corner where some arrive to be forgotten – evidence all around of inspired, yet abandoned projects; people no longer wishing to go back home; Cornish smugglers; pirates; a land at the end of the road; a land where the world might be flat.

A brief stay and we were off again. An early start would see us around the infamous Lizard Point with favourable tide and perfect wind. Not quite so. Thankfully, the Lizard was sleeping as we struggled by in fading winds but we had made enough ground making the turn towards Falmouth relatively easy despite pushing a little tide. We searched in vain for another view of a basking shark the first of which we had seen rounding Longships but not so – the nearest repeat being a black fin-like shape off Newlyn the day before which turned out to have two legs and scuba gear! The traffic exiting the English Channel was now in evidence as huge container ships and town-sized cruiseliners made passage west into the gloom of the chasing squalls and the number of leisure yachts had increased at least 10-fold.

The Helford River was to be our next point of call, just before Falmouth it is an idyllic place to grab a mooring buoy and simply chill taking in the glorious scenery where people picnic, play cricket on the flats and enjoy a leisurely pub meal in the late Summer sunshine.