It’s almost impossible to sail past Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo - they’re just too irresistible not to visit if you’re anywhere near this coastline. And the floating pontoons on the River Yealm make for a secure and sheltered overnight stay if the weather is less than optimum.We certainly had a swift and feisty sail from Plymouth, speeding along at 8-9 knots with just a reefed headsail! But once safely berthed, the brisk wind and choppy conditions beyond the harbour were all forgotten, and Exeat barely swayed an inch all night.With the nights drawing in, we made straight for shore to...

Like so many of the beautiful Cornish anchorages we’ve stayed at over the past fortnight, I could easily stay in Polperro another few days (or weeks!). But we had to get Exeat back to her temporary berth in the Mayflower marina in Plymouth, so that we could zip home to the Isle of Wight for a few days. So we slipped lines from our two mooring buoys and waved farewell to this most photogenic of Cornish seaside villages.This season, we’ve taken advantage of the Mayflower marina’s fantastic Flexible 30-day visitor berthing deal, which has allowed us to come and go from...

Before heading to Plymouth on Tuesday, we wanted to try and squeeze in one more additional stop along the beautiful Cornish coast. Despite sailing along this coastline many times over the years, the conditions have never been right for us to go into Polperro. Its small harbour has a narrow entrance encircled by ferociously jagged rocks so it’s only really appealing in fair weather. Today, there was barely a breath of wind and the sea was glassy flat, so we seized our chance. As clouds began to settle over the bay where we’d been anchored, we raised the hook and motored...

With a decent north-westerly wind filling Exeat’s sails, we had a speedy trip from Portscatho to Lantic Bay on just one tack, averaging 7 knots all the way. We had originally intended to make for Polkerris for the night but, with the wind coming round to the west, it didn’t look a terribly sheltered option. Lantic Bay (just past Fowey) on the other hand was drenched in golden sunshine, and looked both peaceful and sheltered.We’d walked down to this glorious, secluded beach many times on holidays to Cornwall, but arriving by boat and anchoring in the bay was a first for...

Although we needed to continue our journey up the coastline towards Plymouth, we couldn’t resist pausing briefly en route at the pretty cove of Portscatho.The sea lapping at the sandy shoreline here made Porthcurnick Beach look like an advert for the Caribbean. There were just two other boats anchored in the bay, and a few young families paddling in the shallows. If the day had been a few degrees warmer, I would have been tempted to take a dip in the crystal-clear water myself (this is saying something for me, as I rarely swim in the sea!). Instead, we rowed the...

After three days off-grid, we needed a marina pitstop to replenish the galley cupboards, top up our water tanks and charge the boat’s batteries before continuing on our way. Heading back up the Cornish coastline, Falmouth is the first and most convenient place to pause at, with a short (four hour) stay in the marina costing £24 for our 13 metre vessel - as anywhere, fees are charged per metre. You can also anchor in the harbour for considerably less (roughly £10), but this is only attractive if you don’t need pontoon-side services.Once we’d hooked Exeat up to the marina’s power...

We couldn’t visit this part of Cornwall without a trip to the Helford: this heavenly spot is a delight in rain or shine, and one of the most peaceful anchorages in the West Country. As we dropped our anchor in “The Pool” we were inspected by a pair of resident swans, while a clutch of paddle-boarders skimmed silently by. Just upstream, round a bend in the river, is Frenchman’s Creek, the cove (with a Landmark Trust cottage) which inspired Daphne Du Maurier’s novel about a French pirate who hid his ship here between smuggling trips - an excellent spot for hiding...

After two nights in Fowey (one of which was a freebie, as we’d clocked up enough previous visits that our berthing loyalty card had a full set of stamps!), we continued south to Falmouth. With high winds forecast overnight it seemed like a good idea to be safely tucked into a marina, plus we needed to fill up with water and fuel…and, after a week on board, I was keen to avail of the local laundry services!But Falmouth has more going for it than just a bells & whistles marina, it’s an utterly charming place with a uniquely arty vibe to...