Newlyn - yacht friendly or not?

John_Silver

John_Silver

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I've got eight weeks for a bit of cruising. Loosely heading for Scilly (again!) and on to Ireland. Wondering about Newlyn as a jump off point for Scilly - avoiding tide v's lock timing issues at Penzance. I've heard all sorts of tales about Newlyn's welcome (or not) for yachts. Anyone got recent experience that they could share?
 
We stopped off for a couple of nights 3 years ago, on the way back from Scilly.

Very fishing-boat orientated, which we loved ... made a refreshing change from the usual South Coast 'yachtie' marina.
 
I stopped off at Penzance a couple of weeks back on our way back from Cardiff.
Didn't find the lock too much of an issue.
Spoke to guys in the wet dock there and they said Newlyn is a bit hit and miss in terms of welcome.
Newlyn is very much geared for Fishing boats, especially early and late on in the season.
A Westerly something followed us round from Padstow and was told when approaching Newlyn to continue to Penzance.
He did and had to dry out against the wall there until the next tide.
He didn't expand on why he was refused entry so we'll just have to assume Yachts are to be discouraged during April.
 
Newlyn

We went in for two or three days twice last year July and Aug' both times they were friendly ,welcoming and helpful.
There was a yacht with a major engine problem.They gave him a lot of help over a few weeks while he stripped his engine down and rebuilt it .(replaced a piston )
But they dont have many spare finger berths if they are full they are full.
 
We were there in 2010 and the harbourmaster (Dave, fantastic chap, lots of funny stories) made it very yacht friendly, no along side berth so he squeezed us in between two small fishing boats. Newlyn is the best hopping off point as you have to leave around an hour after LW for the start of the west going tide IIRC, when Penzance is still firmly closed.

Newlyn itself isn't much to write home about.

There are down sides, fishing boats getting ready at 4am in the morning with their VHF on LOUD and avoid the smugglers restaurant

We had a very good night in the red lion (up the hill past the smugglers)

The shower facilities are only open when the seamans mission is open (not sundays or bank holidays), and the public toilets have needle bins.
 
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I have a great recollection of Newlyn last year on my round England trip.
When i go to these places i like to go to "local" pubs & cafes. I needed some info on the inshore passage at lands end so felt that a fisherman would be the one to ask
I found the world's scruffiest pub & went in
A drunk was cavorting infront of 2 weather beaten women of dubious character!!
As i went to the bar he challenged me with " who said you could come in my pub"
I asked the landlady ( had a missing tooth & evidence of a past black eye) if i was in the wrong pub. She said no i will see you are safe.
The drunk proceeded to rip his shirt off & show of in front of me as i sat down with a pint
2 embarrassed locals came & sat next to me & started conversation & kept drunk away
It turned out there were no fishermen in that night so i went after 1 pint
I returned next night when the fishing fleet came in & drunk was there
He came over & apologised for being an idiot the night before , he was drinking off some bad news. In fact he was a really nice guy
2 fishing skippers came in & when i asked about tides they said they had fished there 35 years & could not work them out themselves. To get through the inshore channel just remember, if you can see a rock do not hit it
If you cannot see a rock then there isn't one there!!
Following morning i left & an owner on the next boat insisted on giving me his chart of the lands end area before i left because i had helped him tie up his catamaran & showed him how to motor against a warp to bring it in to the pontoon
All in all a lovely place & on the list to visit next year when i repeat the trip
 
Javelin said:
...A Westerly something followed us round from Padstow and was told when approaching Newlyn to continue to Penzance.
He did and had to dry out against the wall there until the next tide.
He didn't expand on why he was refused entry so we'll just have to assume Yachts are to be discouraged during April.
Click to expand...

Wrong accent on R/T? We overnighted there last 'summer' and received a great welcome. (26' b/k)
 
Great place. Spent a night there on our way to Scilly last year. Refreshingly un yotty yes a bit noisy, you should call ahead to check there is a berth but there are plenty of finger berths further in as well as those
closest to the entrance. No dogs allowed to land on the pontoons but you can row them across to the disused part of the harbour. We loved it. The port is I believe owned by the Fisherman so has no
art galleries, trendy clothes shops or Bistros around the harbour itself. (Think there was a flat rate of £18.00 a night, showers in the harbour as well as the Mission) Red diesel from the dock or white diesel
from the petrol station quarter of a mile down the road to Penzance!
 
We've been there twice.

First time on our honey-moon. In 2002, i.e. before the harbour was modernised with the floating pontoons. Second time two years ago, en-route to an impromptu trip to the IoScilly, at Easter (April).

Both times we were made welcome, and we loved the place.

The first time, we rafted up (for free) outside three fishing boats/trawlers. We were told that they would not be going out the following day because of a funeral. Luck would have it that the only skipper who was not attending the funeral, was in charge of the boat we were tied up against. Result: at 4am we get a hard knock on the side, and the sound of an ancient MHp diesel firing up next to us.... we hopped on deck in our PJs and let them off.

The second time, we were shown to one of the (two?) visitor berths, paid the fee and had a completely peaceful night.

Long walk to Penzance, shorter walk to Mousehole. Worth-while in both cases.

Summary: a real harbour. Not specifically aimed at leisure sailors, but we are made really welcome.

I thoroughly recommend it.
 
Stopped in there a dozen times in recent years. It's a hard-working port, and it's important you/we don't get in the way. That said, if you have an engine problem, the skills to fix it are right there on the quayside. The harbourmaster is a star, and ever-helpful, but be aware that there are often bigger problems for him to resolve than ours.

It's certainly a 'rough and tumble' place and, after dark, probably no place for your maiden aunt or your bolshy teenage sons, but if you find yourself in need at sea thereabouts, do remember that the Penlee lifeboat crews for the 'Ivan Ellen' and 'Paul Alexander' come from there. < http://www.penleelifeboat.org.uk/crew.html > It worth reading the comments.... :cool:
 
Stopped in at Newlyn about 10 years ago on a delivery trip to Cork. Had been beating down channel into 40+knots for best part of 2 days. Tied up along side a fishing boat who made noises about leaving early (but as we were due to leave earlier they were happy). Then off to the Swordfish Inn which was an epic night. Would have thought we were in for a rough reception (given we were all in team kit and poncy yachties) but given the conditions we'd been out in and were intending to go out in again seems like we got accepted (well tolerated at least :)).
 
oldbilbo said:
Stopped in there a dozen times in recent years. It's a hard-working port, and it's important you/we don't get in the way. That said, if you have an engine problem, the skills to fix it are right there on the quayside. The harbourmaster is a star, and ever-helpful, but be aware that there are often bigger problems for him to resolve than ours.

It's certainly a 'rough and tumble' place and, after dark, probably no place for your maiden aunt or your bolshy teenage sons, but if you find yourself in need at sea thereabouts, do remember that the Penlee lifeboat crews for the 'Ivan Ellen' and 'Paul Alexander' come from there. < http://www.penleelifeboat.org.uk/crew.html > It worth reading the comments.... :cool:
Click to expand...

I find that a smile and something like " Could you suggest a place where we won't be in the way?" works for me.
 
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