Roger Ryman: Round Cornwall Day 6
Brilliant support from the Lifeboat Inn in St Ives last night, bottle of Tribute and our evening meal orders taken on the beach. A massive fund raising evening in the pub that night, with raffles and auctions, raised a huge contribution for our causes, the RNLI and Charlestown Rowing Club community building project.
After a comfortable nights sleep at the Pedn Olva Hotel, and breakfast watching dolphins swim in the bay, we set off in the morning to round the Lands End peninsula. This part of the coast is renowned for difficult seas, strong tides and shipwrecks. However, with the exception of huge choppy seas at Gurnnard's head, (which we looked at straight in the eyes and rowed on through) conditions couldn't have been better.
We were joined by Cape Cornwall gig and the Sennen life boat (and a basking shark) who accompanied us past Pendeen, Cape Cornwall and on past Lands End. With the strong tides we were able to turn on the weight on the paddles, moving along at a steady 6 to 7 knots.
As we moved on from the Atlantic to the Channel, the cloud cover burned off to reveal clear skies and blues seas. By now the tide had turned, and we moved in to 50 yards out from this most spectacular stretch of Cornish coast line. We were joined by our support boat 'Buster', who will take us back all the way to Charlestown, and chugged our way on through the tide.
Fresh mackerel sandwiches were on offer at Penberth from Anita George of the nearby Logan Rock Inn, from where we pushed on along to our mooring for the night in Newlyn harbour.
