Falmouth waters

This morning we were visited by a family of swans - seven fluffy little cygnets. 

We decided to go for a day sail to the Helford river and come back to Falmouth Haven to sit out the forecast big winds. Nic eased the boat out of her berth and into a sunny day with hardly any wind. We motored towards Helford and past a giant cruise ship moored outside the harbour. Motoring was on and off as the wind waxed and waned. We had decent spells of sailing and then frustrating periods of engine on. There are always interesting yachts around here, many gaffers.


We approached Helford still sailing but once in the river there were terrific gusts and the wind boxed the compass.

Motoring at high revs was no kind of fun, so we turned around and headed back to Falmouth, with some lovely broad reach sailing on the way. 

As we approached the turn towards the town and marinas, we heard a giant blast of horn. Another cruise ship was about to exit, coming our way. So we chugged slowly in shallower water as it passed us - and weirdly, it was a meeting of the two Sirenas, because the Italian ship was also called Sirena!


Back at the marina, we found a berth next to the one we vacated earlier. Close by, we spotted a boat from Burgtiefe on Fehmarn in Germany, where we kept Sirena IV for three years of Baltic sailing. We said hello. 

And you might think after 5 hours on the water, we would have a rest. No, we walked for 20 minutes to the nearest sandy beach for a swim. The waves were bracing, but the water felt good. Ice creams were our reward, sitting in the late afternoon sunshine. N nearly lost his to a gull who swooped, leaving a beak/claw mark across the top; N ate it anyway.

Then it was back to our little boat, a shower,  a gin and tonic, and a boat stew. Exhausted now. Goodnight.

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