Whitehaven to Falmouth via Wales.

We left Cumbria with every intention of making a swift passage to Lands End, with only a few overnight stops. However...Having decided to stop at Bangor overnight and negotiate the Menai Straight, we found that after the Swellies it was necessary to spend a night in Carnarvon to get the tide right for the Bar.
This was just long enough for the weather to change.

We made a good passage down to Fishguard but from there it became very lumpy and we had to pull into Milford Haven to wait for suitable conditions for Landsend.
The tail end of Hurricanes  Elaine, Lee and Katia steamed across the Atlantic one after another, while we waited.
It seemed sensible to use the time to hire a car and head home to visit family, which we did for a week. Unfortunately we returned without the camera, so a bit low on pictures for this blog.
We waited a further week before setting off again in very favourable conditions (though with a two metre swell) for the trip round to Falmouth, arriving after a twentyfour hour sail.
This was the only trip during which we saw dolphins at close quarters and in significant numbers. They joined us just after midnight and stayed with the boat for several hours jumping and diving in our bow wave.  We looked out for them again next day but they didn't appear.

Lands End

Longships Lighthouse. Taken from my phone.