Padstow to Penzance

After five days of strong winds, there was finally a break in the weather allowing all the boats that had been holed up in the harbour to move on to wherever they were going. I had a very long passage to negotiate, all the way down the coast to Land's End and around the corner to Penzance. It was the longest and trickiest passage I've had to plan so far, with a very rugged and unforgiving coastline and vicious tidal streams to contend with. The wind was also not favourable, and I had to use the motor to make progress.

Most of the other boats were heading north, so I was one of the only boats heading down to Land's End. However, I was not alone!

There was a large pod of maybe a dozen dolphins which came and played around the boat for quite a while. I have to admit to jumping up and down shouting 'Wheeeee!' whenever they broke the surface together in perfect synchronization.

Another distraction was the breathtaking scenery along the Cornish coast.

Tin mine chimneys perched along the cliffs

Passing Land's End