The wrong pub
What a good article Trevor Cherrett produced on the subject of his West Country cruise. I may be biased as I have a small boat on Mylor Creek and have visited some of the inlets he mentioned, but as to the details of his cruise I cannot fault them – particularly the need to explore on a rising and preferably spring rising tide.
I remember almost getting stuck (and particularly sticky it almost proved to be!) in a tributary of the Helford on a falling tide. My, how quickly those hidden mud banks appear! We were only saved from a long wait for the next tide by shifting ballast (sorry Wendy!) urgently to the bow pulpit and hanging over it and using an oar as a pole together with the engine hard in reverse to eventually inch off the greasy bank.
One small error did creep in to the inset map which concerns an excellent pub which I feel needs to be corrected. That is the Old Quay Inn at Devoran, which in the map appears as the Old Quarry Inn. I’d hate to think of thirsty sailors hunting for a non-existent pub!
One further and important point which Trevor may not have realised or benefitted from is that at Point (downstream from Devoran) there used to run a tramway and latterly a railway line to Portreath on the north coast. The thinking behind this endeavour was to save time due to winds and tides shipping materials round Land’s End.
There is an excellent cycle route from Point to Portreath (the coast to coast route) for those sailing with wheels on board. If not, bikes can be hired at Bissoe cafe which is a reasonable but longish flat walk from Point. The bacon butties there are a reward in themselves! Paul Willis by email