With downwind and fast sailing forecast for the 430-mile trip across the Bay of Biscay to Falmouth, I suppose the only thing we should really have expected is anything but. It being Friday 13th, what would the wind gods actually have in store?  Setting sail after lunch on Friday with Liz, sailing herself towards 4,500 miles all told on Cassini to date, Nigel and myself, we motored out of the harbour in light winds. 

We put the clocks forward to UK time so we wouldn’t need to add another hour to anyone’s watch-keeping, and settled in to a passage start under engine, waiting for the promised wind.  

Two hours into the passage, sufficient puff finally arrived to sail, and it steadily grew to about 20 knots; this is the kind of breeze that Cassini loves and she picked up speed quickly, regularly topping 8 knots. At this rate the projected arrival would be Sunday night – creating a little problem – where to stay on arrival – since our marina booking was not till Monday… would have been a nice problem to have!  

The wind moderated a bit over night, but we continued under sail until Saturday evening when, with less than six knots of breeze we started the engine to keep up progress.  In fairness to the weather forecasters, they had mentioned lighter wind areas, but they should have been quite a bit further east of us before they developed. The advancing high pressure that is expected to bring heat waves in the UK had caught up with us. We sailed for a little while on Sunday morning before the wind died once more until tea time. A mix of sailing and motoring overnight… now near the centre of the high, the wind was constantly fluctuating in direction and not enough to sail, so motoring it was.  

It was another trip watching dolphins and pilot whales swim close alongside. These lovely mammals actually look quite similar, except the dolphins are smaller, faster and behave like wanton teenagers jumping and dashing toward, under and away from us, whereas the pilot whales, much bigger, are happy just to swim in the pressure wave that we create.  

We made landfall on the Cornish coast on Monday at dawn, my favourite time of day, with a slightly disappointing misty sunrise eventually burning off to gorgeous sunshine.  Motoring up the estuary toward our berth in Falmouth was lovely. Beautiful coastline and a flat calm sea. We were passed in the estuary by one of the yacht transporter ships on our way in, carrying what looked like a 70-80ft yacht on deck with three other smaller sailing boats and a lot of power boats. We were quoted for this way to cross the Atlantic, West to East after the ARC+ trip - £25000 for a boat Cassini’s size… not part of our financial plan and not to mention missing all the fun and experience of sailing another 3500 miles!  

More dolphins in the bay all around us to welcome us back to UK after nearly two years away (for Cassini). We made it alongside in Port Pendennis marina and did all the usual admin – washdown, filled the water up, electricity on, registered Cassini with the office. Had to call UK Border Force up this time to register our arrival which was duly recorded and we could lower the Q flag, the yellow flag that signifies a request for free pratique (permission to enter a port). Historically, it meant the yacht was under quarantine and couldn't dock until cleared by health officials. The new online immigration forms were all completed – also required by HMRC who, if your yacht has been overseas continually for three or more years, can, under some circumstances, charge another 20% VAT on your boat value AGAIN; robbery if you ask me!

Once all sorted and ship-shape, we scouted the ‘hostelries’ in Falmouth during the afternoon before drinks and dinner onboard.

Today is Nigel’s birthday so we’ve put the bunting up. Cake and candles this afternoon – we exhausted Tesco’s supply of them this morning! Hopefully he has more cards at home – only this one (pictured) stashed onboard in time!  

Enjoyed a Fat Boy Trucker (FBT) breakfast in the Windjammer restaurant this morning, recommended by my niece Bella, who’s at Uni here (in between sailing which I’m happy to report is a lot – another convert). An enormous plateful of sausage, bacon eggs etc. No lunch required after all that, and birthday dinner ashore tonight. Nigel is returning home tomorrow; Liz is planning to complete more of the SW Coastal path since she pre-parked her van here. Hopefully I might get to enjoy some of that myself while I’m here for the next four weeks. Plenty of exploring for me to do before Sally gets back aboard and we prepare for some family guests onboard in July before Catherine and Nigel return for the Scillies.  

Simon