A short cruise to Charlestown and Fowey meeting "Lizzie Dripping" and impeller change at sea!

After Falmouth, Helford and a run up the length of the Channel, on "Bonita", we returned to "Susan J" in the Helford.  Accompanied by sister, Anne, "Susan J" planned to cruise, in company with Roger on "Lizzie Dripping", another Heard 28, out of the Percuil River at St. Mawes.

A leisurely breakfast meant a late and hasty departure from our mooring. The wind was on our nose but very light. By the time we had the mainsail up, the engine alarm went off - it had overheated.  We had not opened the raw water seacock, a cardinal sin.  We made full sail and slow but steady progress, while the engine cooled enough to risk opening said seacock. Again the overheat alarm sounded, despite some water in the exhaust.

Probably, the impeller? It took the skipper two hours to flush out, what he hoped was, the remains of the impeller vanes and installing a new one.  Fortunately, he had replaced teh impeller as part of the annual service ashore on both the new and old engines.  Access is less than ideal but during installation was ensured, it is reassuring that it can be done at sea! we had reached the entrance to Falmouth and were able to motorsail again but Roger was already shopping ashore at Fowey.

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We reached Charlestown, our objective, by 1530.



 and were joined at anchor by "Lizzie Dripping" half an hour later and went ashore.

A pleasant couple of pints at the Rashleigh Arms was followed by a meal aboard.  Roger has to be back in St Mawes and had left at 4 am.



Sunset over Charleston

 By 9 am the weather was so hot that Julie went overboard for her first swim of the year.

We then went ashore again and, after making our peace at the Harbour Master's office, spent a pleasant 4 hours inspecting the film set ships and the Shipwreck Museum. A well arranged inside exhibition of many shipwreck artifacts from around the coast, reminded us of the respect the sea is owed. 

Outside there was an interesting display of Charleston's history.  A privately owned and run port, initially for the sardine industry and then, until the mid twentieth century, an important china clay processing and loading port, serving surprisingly large steamers.  More recently it has become the home of several square rigged ships, a few of which go to sea and others are tied alongside.  In both cases, both the vessels and the port acts a s a film set for a wide variety of TV and film.


A pasty lunch preceded a gentle sail to Fowey.

Here, we picked up a buoy and went ashore for a swim at Money Penny beach, showers at the Golant SC and a pint, before another meal aboard, in anticipation of an early windward beat to Plymouth in the morning.