Y26 : D8 Helford

Fri 26 Jun (26-6-26)

Still no mobile reception at Helford River anchorage

Trebah Garden guest WiFi is patchy and weak.

Photos added finally!!

Shipping forecast

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

Sailing conditions

Attached to their mooring buoys, yachts almost always point into the wind, swinging in near-unison. Because we needed the forecast southerly wind to make our passage back east, opening the window shutter to check the view was a tense moment.

Yes! We had swung 180°, head-to-wind and pointing right at Fraggle Rock pub on the shoreline ahead.

The southerly blow had arrived.

07:30 We dropped the mooring line, and the engine kicked in to take us clear of the buoy. With another spurt of power, we headed out into the Celtic Sea before rounding the top of the archipelago and setting a direct course toward the Lizard.

A strong, steady southwest wind backing south was absolutely perfect.

Daytime yarn / experience

As we approached the shipping lanes, a slow-moving vessel seemed to be edging its way south, staying just out of the main channel. It was a dredger traveling at 5 knots, heading for Falmouth, and it became our companion for the next six hours.

With our boat speed at 7 knots, we were on track to pass it and then the winds eased. Then, due to our relative angles, our closing speed was only about half a knot (5 knots vs. our effective vector of 5.5 knots), putting us on a potential collision course in about half an hour.

Time to alter our heading. Once we adjusted the course, we traveled in parallel at a safe distance.

Aside from that close encounter and a welcome visit from a couple of dolphins, it was a perfect 60-nautical-mile crossing.

Children’s section

Knot quiz

Helloooo, poppets!

Did you manage to trace the shape of yesterday’s clever knotty mystery?

The grand answer is… the super-strong

Figure-of-Eight Loop!

Oh, it has the most wonderful name, darlings, because if you look at it terribly closely, it looks exactly like a big, twisty number 8 sitting right on the rope!

Sailors love this knot because it is incredibly strong and safe. But the very best part about it is that it’s a total breeze to check with your eyes—even from far away, you can see that perfect little number 8 shape and know your rope is perfectly secure.

Did any of you spot our favorite number hidden in the rope?

You are absolute superstars!

Lessons learned

Answering the question “Where am I?” is straightforward on land—we can simply stop and look at a road sign or walk to the next crossroads.

Now, imagine a blank canvas: a flat, empty sea with a single rock in the middle. Of course, modern sailors can just glance at a GPS electronic chart for pinpoint accuracy.

But let’s look at the traditional method: a running fix using a hand-bearing compass.
Remember the equilateral triangle from school, where all sides are equal and all angles are 60°? We can use that exact geometry at sea.

Step one: Take a compass bearing on Wolf Rock, noting both the bearing and your current log (mileometer) reading.

Step two: Calculate what your bearing will be once it has changed by 60°, and continue sailing on a steady course until the rock reaches that new bearing. At that exact moment, record the new log reading.

Step three: Calculate the difference between the two log readings to find the distance traveled.

Because of the equilateral triangle, that distance is exactly how far off Wolf Rock you are on your second bearing.

Navigational Fix: Wolf Rock
First Bearing: 164°
Second Bearing: 224° ( = 60°)

Distance Logged: 1.6nm

Actual GPS reading 1.9nm

Thanks to the elegance of an equilateral triangle, our distance run matches our distance off. The log showed 1.6 nm and a GPS check showed 1.9 nm clear of the rock on that final heading.

Modern GPS is a luxury, but there is immense satisfaction in watching classic geometry prove itself true on open water.

Quote

We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.

Aristotle Onassis

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