Fantastic few days on Carrick Roads at Easter: Rowan’s 6th birthday was on Good Friday, but we still got off from Bristol at 10.15. The roads were reasonable and we arrived at Feock, on The Fal at about 2pm. After unhitching and unpacking and lunch we got on the water by 4pm from Loe Beach. With Rowan now able to steer (after a fashion), and Toby now 9 it is all a bit easier. We scooted down to Falmouth and back, nice breezes and a great feel to the whole of Carrick Roads. Chocolate cake and candles before bed.

Next day we sailed again, this time mooring at the Falmouth Visitors’ Yacht Haven whilst we went to buy provisions: pasties. I’m still amazed at how small a Wanderer looks when you get off, especially when moored next to big boats. Still amazed that for some the Bank Holiday excitement is a stroll (or worse, a slow drive) through Falmouth High Street.

The northerly wind had picked up so we reefed, but still got very wet on the hard slog back to Loe Beach. The boys were excellent, although they do tend to adopt a sort of dormant-shut-down-glazed stance at these times, which makes tacking a wee bit fraught.

Day three saw us head up river and we sailed up the enchanted Fal, past Trellisick, oyster farms, the marvellous King Harry Ferry (which we had used on a cycle ride from Lands End to John O Groats back in 1984), past large ships in mothballs, and on to anchor off a beach as we headed up the Truro River for the family Easter egg hunt: we retrieved all but one of the 20 eggs we hid. The kids were most intrigued, and slightly worried, by a pirate’s lair we found.

We carried on up to Malpas but decided against a visit to the pub which, from the river, sounded to be in full Bank Holiday mode: why waste the beauty of the quiet river? We turned and sailed back, shadowing a beautiful old Falmouth working boat as we headed down stream, touching the ground a few times off Turnaware as we waved them goodbye.

Day four: I dropped Clare and Rowan off at Mylor Yacht Haven: they walked to Flushing. Toby and I head with the northerly breeze and gybe down and out beyond St Anthony’s Head and poke our bow out to sea: I’m tempted to head for the Helford, but Toby wants to get back to the beach: so we tack over to Pendennis Point under the castle and then slowly round Black Rock (isolated danger mark: enormous) and in a stiffening wind we head towards Flushing and spot Clare and Rowan on the beach: land and anchor off as the tide falls so we need to keep the boat afloat with a fore and aft anchor.

We head home but stop at Mylor again as the kids want an ice cream. Again the tack home takes a lot longer than anticipated.

Day five: round the corner to Restronguet Creek where, despite being there at high tide, we touch the bottom just off Point, where the chart shows a disused mine shaft in the middle of the river. So we head down stream and sail up to the pontoon at the Pandora Inn: heaving. After a drink we head off again to the small creek by St Just in Roseland: sheltered from the (still) northerly wind the kids paddle and the sun gets so hot we have to take sailing kit off and are down to shorts!

It still takes two hours to get back to Loe Beach in a stiff wind: after that the wind changed to the more normal south westerly and force 5 plus, so we went for a walk instead. All in all – marvellous week and still only April.

Postscript: a week later: Wanderer launching trolley repaired, down to Chew: Toby sails the Topper solo for the first time, Rowan and I are in an Oppie. The sun is shining and lots of people are out for the first time this season: the club feels vibrant. What could be better?

Jeremy Iles Wanderer 605