Travels and boat care
Jo has written about the summer cruise for the PCC website, based on her experience starting as a novice sailor, and travelling on Molia for over 1000 NM to Jersey and back.
See the article here.https://pccsail.com/molia-summer-2023/
Ewan joined us for our last trip out in 2023. We went around the Holms Islands, and this brings our total mileage up to 1184 NM this season.
We took a trip up to the bridge for lunch with friends Maggie and Ovi his son Lucca. Tim helped us run the boat.
Welcoming Andy Woodhead on Molia for the first time, we went up under the bridge and found the channel mark being repaired. Then back to Portishead via Denny Island,
A glorious summer day for our cruise to Cardiff for lunch.
Molia in tied up in Cardiff for lunch, and Scrumpy J (Portishead boat) outside Cardiff on our way back.
18NM 1035-1500 4h25m (includes locks)
A mid-morning start for the final leg back to Portishead.
In the lock.
Tim met us on the pontoon to take the lines. We celebrated the completion of the voyage.
Many thanks to everyone who joined us, met us, and supported us.
99NM 0400-2230 18h30m (includes lock)
We decide to stay on the English side for a bit after Hartland Point – its a slightly longer track, but with the wind in the south, the fetch creating any waves is very small.
Rain sets in mid afternoon. It becomes heavy as we manoeuvre through the Cardiff Bay Barrage lock and the marina in Penarth. This is a difficult mooring in the dark and wet!
After two consecutive early starts, and long days; and after the heavy rain yesterday, we stayed all of Thursday in Penarth.
A really excellent dinner at the Pilot Inn.
60NM 0500-1800 13h
Around Lands End for Lou, Niv and Steve and Jo (again!).
We anchored off Stepper Point. In the end we decide to stay anchored for the night as it will be an advantage to leave Padstow Bay at first light.
35 NM 1340-1950 6H 10M
Lou arrives by train to Falmouth – and we are off! We decide on an immediate departure as the tide around the Lizard is still advantageous, and the weather looks OK.
We get the last available finger pontoon space in Newlyn – its in the middle, so we moor stern-to.
An eventful sail to Falmouth as the engine cooling warning came on when we were approaching Dodman Point. Good work from the crew kept us sailing while I checked the engine cooling circuit, but found nothing wrong. In the end on the advice of Mitch (our engineer from Advance Marine) we executed a 360 degree turn, and that cleared whatever it was – probably wrapped around the water intake.
Arrived Falmouth 1800 – dashed to the nearest restaurant Bodega 18 – excellent tapas.
Port Pendennis Marina – tranquil, tucked in amongst the buildings. This is an Arup (Bristol Office) job for Peter De Savery, built while I was working there.
The inner part of the marina is protected by a sill.
A visit from the Simon, Rosie and James Heald – from St Mawes across the estuary.
We are in Falmouth for a few days to wait for the next crew, and for the Fastnet weather to go past!