longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
Just back from a long weekend with hlb on Muckyfarter, sunburnt, tired, stuffed and very entertained.
Got Haydns message on Thursday and said I'd meet him in Plymouth late Friday afternoon, axshully finished rather earlier than anticipated on Friday so foned hlb to tell him I'd be there earlier, ahh, slight problem, he was in Fowey, just about to eat a mackerel late lunch, but he'd be back for 4pm.
As always I was late, hlb getting fidgety waiting, set off again for somewhere new, well almost new, Fowey again. Stopped in Polperro for our first of many pints tied up against a wall in the outer harbour bit. Shall we cooook the black puddings now, says hlb. Bugger, thought I, how many of the bleeding things has he brought down. Only 2 it turns out, suggested we leave them for another day and have bacon and eggs for supper.
So we park up in Fowey and head for the pub, good few hours of drinking, asked barmaid could we have another after she'd called last orders. A firm no, and then she carried on serving all the locals! If she wasn't so attractive I'd call her a bitch.
So we stumble back to MF and hlb's scotch appears, don't really do scotch but made a reluctant exception on this occasion. 2 or 3 hours later crawled into my pit with hlb still talking at me. Agree we'll make an early start in the morning, I wake up with a slight headache at about 8-30, make a cup of tea and one for hlb, only problem being I couldn't wake the bugger! Eventually at about 10 I hear a bit of a groaning from his cabin so chucks him some fresh tea and a bacon sarnie. That seems to revive him enuf to decide we'll go to Megagrotty for lunch. Knowing wots on the menu I says I'm not that hungry, but as soon as we tie up to this huge wall he sends me up with his destroyer size ropes, must think I'm some sort of mountain goat. Having tied MF up, he then sends me off on a marathon route march to get some vinegar and mustard for his black puds. In Mevagissy there's only one shop which doesn't sell kiss me quick hats and candyfloss, and that shop's just about as far away from the harbour as you can get. And it's the hottest day of the year and I've got a sore knee. Great.
Eventually find my way back to the harbour to see an enormous trawler looking type boat bearing down on MF, thort he can't tie up against us, he's huge. Hlb was also in his cockpit looking a bit anxious, a look of relief on his face as the big boat veered away.
Ay up, black puddings are cooking, one slight problem, with all the excitement they've been coooooking too long and burst. A sigh of relief followed by consternation as he's serving them up anyhow. Don't tell him but they weren't too bad.
So leaving the delights of Megagrotty well behind us we set off for Falmouth, still hot and flat calm. Brilliant.
Get there and Haydn says let's try the Pandora Inn, probably won't be able to tie up there but we'll still have a look. Well there's plenty of room and being about 5-30 we thought we'd have tea there. Sorry sir, no food served before 7pm! Bugger, bugger, bugger! We'll just have to fill the time with a few more pints. Over the next 90 minutes the place rapidly fills up, seems everyone knows about this 7pm rule. Only now there's a huge queue for food. Hlb wants muscles, so I stand in the queue for about 15 minutes only to find as we snake past the menu board that muscles have been wiped off. More buggers, don't know what else he wants so leave the queue to find 2 other boats now tied up to MF. Haydn says bolx to this, let's go back to Falmouth for fish and chips. So how are we going to get out with thosew 2 boats tied up to us. No problem says hlb, I'll spin them round so we're on the outside and the Princess 33 on the far side will then be against the quay.
So off he sets mch to the consternation of the fellow Princess owner who came running down from the pub with a very worried look on his face. He seemed to think hlb was running of with his boat!! After much re-assurance that Haydn knew wot he was doing he calmed down, particularly when his boat gently nudged the pontoon in the small gap that MF left. Much muttered praise from the watching crowd, luckily out of earshot of hlb, I told them all last time he tried that trick several boats were sunk. That quietened them down, or maybe it was their long awaited food going cold. Princess owner shouted after us that he wanted parking lessons but Haydn shouted back something like bugger off, I'm on holiday!!
So back to Falmouth for fish and chips and lots of beer, but no scotch for me as we'd agreed on an early nite, but hlb flushed by his boat spinning success decided he'd better celebrate with a bit more late nite scotch. Also we're parked in the dinghy berth which almost dries out. I reassure hlb that with the rule of twelths we should hace a good 1.5 meters under our bum. Come back from the pub, still a few hours before low water and the echosounder's telling us there's just over a metre. So much for the early nite, but this time I'd learnt my lesson and stuck to water. Echosounder watch finished about 1-30, made our own lead line from the useless fishing line, this told us we were just about ok, about a foot to spare. Made plans for next day, up the river to Mr Newmans at Tolverne cottage where they lay up the big ships.
Another hot sunny morning, up with the larks, hlb again misses breakfast. Asks hlb if he's got a hat I can borrow, gives me a woollen bobble hat! Not wearing that so looks in my bag on the offchance there's one in there. For once my luck was in!! Passes back the teapot cosy. Mr Newmans is a great place, pretty gardens and brilliant views. The biggest ship has been there 6 years, and according to Mr Newman it belongs to Mr Bamford of JCB fame, seems it was on of the last of its type made in this country and he's keeping it as a museum piece. £300 a week. Alongside is the Windsor Castle, owned by the same chap with the intention of converting it to a luxury charter vessel for 12 passengers to cruise in the Med.
Next back down the river for a trip up the Helford River, must be one of the prettiest rivers in the country. Got there a bit late, just in time for last food orders at 2pm. Sat watching the tide come in thinking we'd have a few pints when last orders were called!! Wot's all this, middle of summer, best weekends weather of the year and they're shutting the pub!!! Strange!!!
So decide we'll head back towards St Mawes, stayed there a few years back, lovely place. Stopped at a beach for a quick swim, not as cold as I thought it would be. Had to take the plunge with hlb pointing his video camera in my direction.
Looking at his footage make a mental note to lose a bit of weight! /forums/images/icons/frown.gif
Then into the small St Mawes harbour, 2 very helpful officials take our ropes, and before we can say thanks and it'll be ok to stop for just a few minutes, the chap with harbourmaster on his shirt says that'll be a fiver thankyou. But we'll only be a few minutes! Still a fiver for an hour, don't worry if you're a few minutes longer!! Walked about 50 yards and HM passed us on his way home, must have seen us coming!!
Back to the town marina, another small gap to squeeze mf into, more muttered praise from various raggies who were expecting to be clouted, one nice young lady came over for parking advice from hlb, twice in 2 days!! Luck was on his side, suspect it was really the effects of about 10 pints of tinminers special.
Bacon and eggs again and then off to the pub, by now decided that getting up every few hours during the nite was not a good idea so also went onto the double g & t's, but none on the boat so had to make do with neat bacardi (no coke!).
Lazy morning before setting off for Plymouth, bit lumpy on the way back, port engine overheats, sweat several pounds off in hot bilge clearing raw water strainer and refilling header tank. Head for the Yealm and anchor in a perfect little bay for a few hours before returning to the yacht haven. Now we try more of hlb's boat remover, works a treat, the P35 is now only charged for a 20' berth!! TCM, you have been warned!!
Best weather of the year, flat seas, a great weekend. Thanks to hlb.
<hr width=100% size=1>
Got Haydns message on Thursday and said I'd meet him in Plymouth late Friday afternoon, axshully finished rather earlier than anticipated on Friday so foned hlb to tell him I'd be there earlier, ahh, slight problem, he was in Fowey, just about to eat a mackerel late lunch, but he'd be back for 4pm.
As always I was late, hlb getting fidgety waiting, set off again for somewhere new, well almost new, Fowey again. Stopped in Polperro for our first of many pints tied up against a wall in the outer harbour bit. Shall we cooook the black puddings now, says hlb. Bugger, thought I, how many of the bleeding things has he brought down. Only 2 it turns out, suggested we leave them for another day and have bacon and eggs for supper.
So we park up in Fowey and head for the pub, good few hours of drinking, asked barmaid could we have another after she'd called last orders. A firm no, and then she carried on serving all the locals! If she wasn't so attractive I'd call her a bitch.
So we stumble back to MF and hlb's scotch appears, don't really do scotch but made a reluctant exception on this occasion. 2 or 3 hours later crawled into my pit with hlb still talking at me. Agree we'll make an early start in the morning, I wake up with a slight headache at about 8-30, make a cup of tea and one for hlb, only problem being I couldn't wake the bugger! Eventually at about 10 I hear a bit of a groaning from his cabin so chucks him some fresh tea and a bacon sarnie. That seems to revive him enuf to decide we'll go to Megagrotty for lunch. Knowing wots on the menu I says I'm not that hungry, but as soon as we tie up to this huge wall he sends me up with his destroyer size ropes, must think I'm some sort of mountain goat. Having tied MF up, he then sends me off on a marathon route march to get some vinegar and mustard for his black puds. In Mevagissy there's only one shop which doesn't sell kiss me quick hats and candyfloss, and that shop's just about as far away from the harbour as you can get. And it's the hottest day of the year and I've got a sore knee. Great.
Eventually find my way back to the harbour to see an enormous trawler looking type boat bearing down on MF, thort he can't tie up against us, he's huge. Hlb was also in his cockpit looking a bit anxious, a look of relief on his face as the big boat veered away.
Ay up, black puddings are cooking, one slight problem, with all the excitement they've been coooooking too long and burst. A sigh of relief followed by consternation as he's serving them up anyhow. Don't tell him but they weren't too bad.
So leaving the delights of Megagrotty well behind us we set off for Falmouth, still hot and flat calm. Brilliant.
Get there and Haydn says let's try the Pandora Inn, probably won't be able to tie up there but we'll still have a look. Well there's plenty of room and being about 5-30 we thought we'd have tea there. Sorry sir, no food served before 7pm! Bugger, bugger, bugger! We'll just have to fill the time with a few more pints. Over the next 90 minutes the place rapidly fills up, seems everyone knows about this 7pm rule. Only now there's a huge queue for food. Hlb wants muscles, so I stand in the queue for about 15 minutes only to find as we snake past the menu board that muscles have been wiped off. More buggers, don't know what else he wants so leave the queue to find 2 other boats now tied up to MF. Haydn says bolx to this, let's go back to Falmouth for fish and chips. So how are we going to get out with thosew 2 boats tied up to us. No problem says hlb, I'll spin them round so we're on the outside and the Princess 33 on the far side will then be against the quay.
So off he sets mch to the consternation of the fellow Princess owner who came running down from the pub with a very worried look on his face. He seemed to think hlb was running of with his boat!! After much re-assurance that Haydn knew wot he was doing he calmed down, particularly when his boat gently nudged the pontoon in the small gap that MF left. Much muttered praise from the watching crowd, luckily out of earshot of hlb, I told them all last time he tried that trick several boats were sunk. That quietened them down, or maybe it was their long awaited food going cold. Princess owner shouted after us that he wanted parking lessons but Haydn shouted back something like bugger off, I'm on holiday!!
So back to Falmouth for fish and chips and lots of beer, but no scotch for me as we'd agreed on an early nite, but hlb flushed by his boat spinning success decided he'd better celebrate with a bit more late nite scotch. Also we're parked in the dinghy berth which almost dries out. I reassure hlb that with the rule of twelths we should hace a good 1.5 meters under our bum. Come back from the pub, still a few hours before low water and the echosounder's telling us there's just over a metre. So much for the early nite, but this time I'd learnt my lesson and stuck to water. Echosounder watch finished about 1-30, made our own lead line from the useless fishing line, this told us we were just about ok, about a foot to spare. Made plans for next day, up the river to Mr Newmans at Tolverne cottage where they lay up the big ships.
Another hot sunny morning, up with the larks, hlb again misses breakfast. Asks hlb if he's got a hat I can borrow, gives me a woollen bobble hat! Not wearing that so looks in my bag on the offchance there's one in there. For once my luck was in!! Passes back the teapot cosy. Mr Newmans is a great place, pretty gardens and brilliant views. The biggest ship has been there 6 years, and according to Mr Newman it belongs to Mr Bamford of JCB fame, seems it was on of the last of its type made in this country and he's keeping it as a museum piece. £300 a week. Alongside is the Windsor Castle, owned by the same chap with the intention of converting it to a luxury charter vessel for 12 passengers to cruise in the Med.
Next back down the river for a trip up the Helford River, must be one of the prettiest rivers in the country. Got there a bit late, just in time for last food orders at 2pm. Sat watching the tide come in thinking we'd have a few pints when last orders were called!! Wot's all this, middle of summer, best weekends weather of the year and they're shutting the pub!!! Strange!!!
So decide we'll head back towards St Mawes, stayed there a few years back, lovely place. Stopped at a beach for a quick swim, not as cold as I thought it would be. Had to take the plunge with hlb pointing his video camera in my direction.
Looking at his footage make a mental note to lose a bit of weight! /forums/images/icons/frown.gif
Then into the small St Mawes harbour, 2 very helpful officials take our ropes, and before we can say thanks and it'll be ok to stop for just a few minutes, the chap with harbourmaster on his shirt says that'll be a fiver thankyou. But we'll only be a few minutes! Still a fiver for an hour, don't worry if you're a few minutes longer!! Walked about 50 yards and HM passed us on his way home, must have seen us coming!!
Back to the town marina, another small gap to squeeze mf into, more muttered praise from various raggies who were expecting to be clouted, one nice young lady came over for parking advice from hlb, twice in 2 days!! Luck was on his side, suspect it was really the effects of about 10 pints of tinminers special.
Bacon and eggs again and then off to the pub, by now decided that getting up every few hours during the nite was not a good idea so also went onto the double g & t's, but none on the boat so had to make do with neat bacardi (no coke!).
Lazy morning before setting off for Plymouth, bit lumpy on the way back, port engine overheats, sweat several pounds off in hot bilge clearing raw water strainer and refilling header tank. Head for the Yealm and anchor in a perfect little bay for a few hours before returning to the yacht haven. Now we try more of hlb's boat remover, works a treat, the P35 is now only charged for a 20' berth!! TCM, you have been warned!!
Best weather of the year, flat seas, a great weekend. Thanks to hlb.
<hr width=100% size=1>
