Day7- tuesday 24th May- Newlyn

It certainly seemed like a student town when I hear revelry screams when i awoke at dawn on the mooring,! Managed to sort out my bank problems after a trip to Nat West. Seems my get started on this trip had caught up with me and i don't get paid until tomorrow.

Filled up with petrol at £1.85 a litre on the pontoon.I commented on the difference in price from the garage forecourt. He said it was £1.99 yesterday but they had reduced it to keep it under £2. I said it was already under £2. his answer was not illuminating. However my engine is very frugal using about 1 litre per hour so my four x 5.l tanks weren't going to break the bank. Not quite anyway!

Jane sent me an email entitled "Bloggin on the Ooggin". Great title. I'm beginning to welcome nice long emails-from followers -hint! This sailing lark can be a lonely business. Then just as I set sail Justine phoned me to answer a stack of IT related queries I'd left with her. Then I picked up an email from Gyll and managed to talk to Wendy so I began to feel connected again.I could probably have done without Joe's account in his email of getting so pissed a couple of days ago he slept in the yard outside his flat as he didn't manage to get through the door

The sail to Penzance was good overall apart from a lumpy bit around the Lizard. My outboard is positioned off centre on the back so when motor sailing and on starboard tacks its dug well into the water. however on port tacks it often leaves the water and screams until it re-enters. In certain strong waves it is also knocked sideways. The bit around the Lizard was rough and I was on a port tack.

Not surprisingly, being at sea involves a lot of time looking at the water. The waves that roll toward you never look much on photos. You need to be there to sense the difference between being in the hollows and rising to the crests. people who write about these things comment bout the difficulty in capturing this effectively.

In the way around I spotted the hotel where the management team went in February 2005 for a bonding session. I got to thinking that's the last of those I shall ever go on!

The waves smoothed out once around the Lizard and I savoured passing St. Michael's Mount. Its a very special and atmospheric place. It merges with the rest of the coast line so I was almost upon it before it stood out clearly.

It has such a presence and looks even more dramatic form the seaward side. It has been occupied by the St Aubyn family since the 1600s. it was once the main port for the Bay until penzance harbour was built.

And just to prove I was there:-

Moored in Newlyn.The Harbour master was a very friendly fellow. I commented that my Pilot Guide said that the mooring would be £4 rather than the £12 he wanted. We pondered on the effects of inflation since 2001! He also suggested that Cornwall has not got much to offer other than pasties and fish. Getting abit of money off tourists/ yachties probably compensates a bit.