Padstow to Clovelly

Cornwall seemed to have taken pity on me for this last stretch along (more accurate description would be 'off') her shores. There was less swell and the offshore winds were mostly sufficient, only entirely absent for a short while, never too much, and frequently about right. Highlighted on this trip is just how variable the wind is: this was a good day of maneagable wind but I still had a full range of force 0 to force 4-5. I have a growing appreciation of how the winds and the tidal currents are two of a kind as they swirl around headlands, accelerate through some valleys and become chaotic over others. The perfect day of a constant force 4 will be a rare occurance indeed and conditions seen from the beach rarely match those found at sea.

I set off early from Padstow to catch high tide and make it easy to get out the river Camel, avoid grimy weather later in the day, and with any luck hit Hartland Point with a reasonably slack tide. Planning more or less worked out.

I had 3 dolphin sightings, including a very special few minutes when a pod of 3 or 4 individuals were swimming along with me. It was quite strange - without warning suddenly there they were! They spent a lot of time twisted over sideways, presumably to get a better view of who or what I was. Certainly a memorable and uplifting experience.

Hartland Point was a pussycat and even enjoyable.

Very nice to have a day of good progress without any major concerns. A relief to have ticked off Cornwall, which is a tricky coast to sail round, and perhaps I had underestimated.