Mooring in Mounts Bay

Judders

Judders

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Despite being Cornish, I have done nearly all of my sailing East of Portland Bill, however next month we are planning a trip from Southampton to the Isles of Scilly and back. The logical ports of call for a long keeled forty footer, such as Fowey or Falmouth are all well and good, but I am really quite keen to nip into Penzance and see my folks who have recently returned to mum's home town. Now the harbour looks a nightmare and I am told anchoring is a no-no. Any thoughts or experiences Scuttlebutters?
 
penzance is a lovely harbour to visit, staff are friendly and v helpful. main problem is locking out will put you with unfavourable tides for passage to scillies.. best thing is to lock out and tie up on moorings just outside harbour. alternative is
go into all tide newlyn.good luck best cruising ground
 
Terh irony is that I know the harbour well as a landbound pedestrian, but have not looked at it from the yachtsmans viewpoint until now.
 
I spent a couple of nights there last year. The wet dock has lots of space but you will have to raft up alongside something bigger. We found it easier to go ashore by rowing across to the steps by the lock gate than to climb over the assorted vessels inside us.

I addition to the dock, you can anchor off St Michael's Mount (or even go into the little harbour if you can take the ground - hard sand bottom) so you'll be able to pick your departure time.
 
At this time of year though, the vessels in the harbour might be three or four deep, I guess I'll need some longer warps?
 
There's no current & little wind effect inside so you probably won't need to run shore lines. In any case it's good to have a couple of warps around 30m and you can extend them by tying together.

I personally carry 6 x 10m, 4 x 20m and 2 x 30m. I also keep the last 80 m from the original drum at the bottom of the locker but have never had to take it out yet.
 
You might consider Mousehole as an alternative to St Michael's Mount. Shoreside it's very touristy in season but there is an anchorage between the harbour walls and St Clements Island which is sheltered from the west but exposed to the east. It's a good overnighter in settled conditions. Approach from teh south and beware pot markers
 
Idealy Penzance or Newlyn at a stretch are best, as my folks own a wine merchants in Pz and thus it will be a shorter walk with a heavy load!
 
In an offshore breeze, outside Newlyn (north of the entrance) is very calm for anchoring. Inside Newlyn is calm too but the fisherman can be a mite 'heavy-handed' so you might be rafted up with some quite big and rusty metal work against your topsides. I've never felt wlcome there despite the Harbour Commissioners avowed desire to have more yachts visiting.

Penzance is fine but you will have to wait for the gates to open.

Marazion has a good anchorage to the west of the Mount but you'll need a calm day for it.

Newlyn and Penzance are very close however, if the weather changes.

Mousehole dries but there is an anchorage outside but it's a good row to the (nice) pub.

Good scenery all round though! Enjoy!
 
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