After our stay in Milford our next leg was 77NM right across the mouth of the Bristol Channel to Padstow. We left Milford an hour after low water, at about 0630, planning to arrive in Padstow Bay just about sunset and therefore around 2 hours before high water which was at 2333. The gate at Padstow is open at the very earliest 2 hours before high water.
The grey skies at the start of the day soon turned to blue, and the sea became a bright azure that I am sure rivalled the colour in the south of France. We saw puffins nearer to Wales, and then dolphins on and off all the way to Cornwall.
With a light wind directly behind us, we motor sailed, making good progress. But in the end we went too fast! At about 1830 we cut the engine and drifted the last 10 NM into Padstow Bay. You can wait for the tide in the bay by anchoring behind Stepper Point if the wind is in the right direction. This requires great care as it is over the notorious Doom Bar sandbank, and it is often a rolly anchorage. We prefer not to anchor here, and anyway today the wind (such as it was) was blowing directly into the bay.
On today’s neap tide the harbour gate opened promptly just after 2130, and we made our way up the River Camel with a small group of boats.
It is always a great pleasure to wake up in Padstow Harbour; it is the natural centre of the town, and there are lots of shops and places to eat. In the daytime the harbour sides swarm with land visitors; but they do not arrive early in the morning, and have left by the night – so then we have the place to ourselves.
We spent a week in Padstow, swam in the sea over Doom Bar and walked north onto Stepper Point to visit the day mark and National Coastwatch Institution (NCI Padstow) lookout.
We also walked east on the Camel Trail to Wadebridge. This path follows the river on a disused railway, and is part of the national cycle network – so there are a number of bike hire places if you prefer to cycle.
Footnote
We did find that this year the Padstow Harbour building is currently being rebuilt – this halved the number of bathrooms, but it was not a problem. It will look great when its finished, and the facilities for visiting yachts will be improved.
