A mixed day of good and bad.  The best was the weather - beautiful warm sun all day - and the opportunity to get our first decent sail. We left Plymouth as planned, this time taking the 'shortcut' through The Bridge, which looked frighteningly narrow and potentially shallow, but was a good route, as advised by Tom Cunliffe.  I haven't mentioned before that I have relied on 'Uncle Tom's writings in the Shell Channel Pilot both for their sound advice and the wry humour all yachtsmen have grown to know and love: how he will be missed when anno domini catches up with him!  Leaving the Sound we turned SW round Start Point and shaped a course to Falmouth with no waypoint for 45miles!  As the wind was about due west we were faced with yet another long day on the iron mainsail, or a very long tack  out to the south, allowing a few hours good sailing in 10-14k of wind before having to point towards our target.  Needless to say I chose the latter, and had a very enjoyable and worthwhile diversion for the next two hours, close-hauled on a starboard tack, passing within a mile of the Eddystone Light, before turning head to wind on a four hour engine slog to Falmouth entrance.  There was entertainment during our sail from naval vessels (HMS Kent and Lancaster) on live firing manoeuvres (picture of? Kent, which is a vessel 'adopted' by our club, RCPYC).  Once we reached Falmouth the 'bad' of the day started.  We had difficulty contacting Falmouth Yacht Haven, and eventually were directed to a berth which was not vacant, amnouvred very badly in trynig to find even a rafted slot, and had to be fended off (thanks, Cate, yet again) and eventually gave up making further radio contact, and left.  We tried Pendennis Marina, with equal lack of result and decided to head back into Carrick Roads and up to Mylor Yacht Haven.  Could we raise them on the VHF?  Could we B*****y!  So we made our way there anyway, heading into a blinding low western sun to find the narrow buoyed channel, weaving our way through a Wednesday evening racing fleet of RS4000s and Lasers, to find an alongside berth with no authority.  Our neighbour said he found himself in the same position (and he is a berth-holder displaced from his rightful slot), so here we are as I type - after Evening Prayers and overnighting in a glorious evening light in a quiet creek without power or access to the bar, but probably free, so  can't complain!  Sorry though to have missed the chance to meet up with Denise (my former PA) and Terry. Will have to wait until next year, when we may spend a longer time than we have had on this cruise exploring the glories of the West Country.  Off now to heat up our pork and lentils.