Y26 : D11 Mevagissey

Mon 29 Jun

Shipping forecast

(Lyme Regis to Lands End including the Isles of Scilly)

Sailing conditions

Winds were non-existent in the morning, and we knew what that meant—no sailing.

The harbour town of Mevagissey was right next to the anchorage, and a shore party was launched to explore the narrow streets and busy harbour.

The dinghy was attached by its painter to the harbour steps, and the Harbour Master was informed of our arrival.

Mevagissey was celebrating its Feast Week, with bunting and flags everywhere. Shops were full of traditional food, and the fishermen were unloading their catch on the quayside ready for market—a true buzz of activity all around.

It was easy to join in with so much on offer: pasties, cakes, pies, and ices.

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We were back onboard Liquid Asset by noon and set sail towards Plymouth. The winds had returned and blew steadily all afternoon, resulting in an easy, steady sail along the coast.

Daytime yarn / experience

Harbour Master tale

Welcome to our harbour—a busy crossroads for fishing fleets, ferries, pleasure boats, and yachts.

But things are shifting. Driven by climate change, an influx of crabs has drawn octopuses to our shores, and the Risso’s dolphins have followed.

Yet, while our waters teem with life, a strange paradox exists. The British public routinely buys imported, farmed fish from abroad, completely bypassing the beautiful, wild sea bass caught right here by our local fishermen.

We have world-class seafood on our doorstep; we just need to eat it.

AI prepared (opens in a new page)

Fisherman tale

Yes, those are octopuses packed in ice, ready for the fish market in Brixham or Newlyn. Ironically, they’ll all be exported abroad.

These creatures are incredibly clever—they sneak into our lobster pots, feast on the crabs inside, and slip right back out before we even haul the gear.

Ferryman tale

Business is steady enough with plenty of passengers, but people just aren’t spending like they used to.

‘Eight pounds a person around the bay!’ I shout down the pier. Still, the kids have a brilliant time out on the water, and honestly, seeing that makes it all worthwhile.

It makes me happy!

Shopkeeper tale

That’s £3.50, please. Thank you.

Yes, we were absolutely rushed off our feet yesterday! Feast Week is always brilliant for us—it brings the whole harbour to life and gives the local shops a massive boost.

Video of Mevagissey 180°

Children’s section

I spy with my little eye something beginning with R

Knot quiz

Helloooo, poppets! Are you ready to untangle yesterday’s clever riddle?

The grand answer is… the marvelous sheet bend!

And we saw both the single sheet bend and the extra-safe double sheet bend!

Oh, this knot has a wonderful superpower, darlings. Imagine you have two pieces of rope that you need to tie together, but they don’t match at all—one is big, fat, and heavy, and the other is tiny, skinny, and light! If you used a normal knot, they would just slide apart. But the sheet bend allows the skinny rope to tuck itself under the fat rope in a clever little lock, holding them together perfectly!

And if the ropes are terribly slippery, you just wrap the skinny rope around one extra time to make it a double sheet bend—giving it an extra-strong nanny hug so it absolutely cannot slip!

Did any of you guess this mismatched rope helper?

You are absolute superstars!

Lessons learned

Ropes and sails

One could argue there are no “ropes” on a sailing yacht; once a rope is put to work, its name changes.

It becomes a halyard, a sheet, a painter, a furling line, an outhaul, a downhaul, or a vang.

Similarly, the parts of a triangular headsail (such as a jib or genoa) have their own distinct names.

Its three corners are:
   Head: The topmost corner, where the halyard attaches to hoist the sail.

   Tack: The lower-forward corner, which secures to the deck, bowsprit, or furling gear.

   Clew: The lower-aft (rear) corner, where the sheets attach to control and trim the sail.

And some of those knots you learnt in the last few days join the “ropes” to the sails.

To tie it all together, here is how those recently mastered knots transition from practice lines into working rigging:

The Knots in Action

The Bowline: The undisputed “King of Knots” is exactly what you use to bend the sheets onto the clew of your jib or genoa.

It forms a secure, reliable loop that won’t slip under heavy load, yet remains easy to untie even after a windy day on the water.

The Clove Hitch / Constrictor Hitch: While you wouldn’t use these on the sails themselves, they are perfect for securing the fenders to the guardrails or gripping a spar tight so nothing slips while you are underway.

The Halyard Hitch: Used to secure the halyard to the head of the sail, ensuring it stays hoisted tight to the top of the mast without bulky hardware.

Once those knots are cast, you no longer have lines laying around—you have a fully functioning running rigging system ready to catch the wind.

Quote

At night, when the sky is full of stars and the sea is still you get the wonderful sensation that you are floating in space.

Natalie Wood

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