Sail the coast of Cornwall

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Eve of St Mawes anchored in the Cove beneath St Agnes Lighthouse, Isles of Scilly

Cornwall - Why You Should Visit

When we told our bank manager we were going to set up a sailing business in Cornwall in 1996, his advice was nobody would ever travel that far west for a few days sailing. Well we have news for him. He was wrong in 1996 and he is way out today. In the last 10 years Cornwall has emerged as “one of the world’s iconic travel destinations.” The far west of England has benefited hugely from European Community funding - revitalising a resilient and resourceful people to feel even more proud of the Cornwall they love.

It has become the ‘in place’ to escape for city and suburbia dwellers; a chill out zone for young people who love the surfing and sunsets; A ‘to die for’ natural landscape that fosters more green tourism businesses than any other part of Britain; a fresh food mecca for foodies and prolific source of new talent for art lovers. Cornwall is still a rebellious County (if not a Nation) but Cornwall is also an ambitious county with a lot of ‘new blood’ entrepreneurs trying to make their mark internationally through innovative projects, green energy schemes and plans to save the planet.

Cornwall – With a St Mawes Skipper as your Guide

There is no need to be conventional in your accommodation choices for your whole visit to Cornwall.

 Spend a short break or a weekend away living aboard our pilot cutter ‘Eve of St Mawes’ as guest crew and experience a taste maritime life that has been a part of the real Cornwall for centuries. You don’t need any sailing experience and it is great for solo travellers. Our skipper will be your tour guide, expert cook, sailing instructor and can introduce you to our fairly eccentric locals, without you feeling like a tourist.

Eve of St Mawes - Our Cornwall based boat

Our Cornish based boat is the lovely wooden pilot cutter Eve of St Mawes. She is 38' on deck and from bowsprit to boom end is 51ft so there are plenty of sails to play with.

With plenty of short breaks from March to November yo can always escape to Cornwall with minimum hassle for an action packed weekend.

Also a regular visitor to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is her bigger pilot cutter 'sister' 'Annabel J'. She comes down for our annual pilot cutter gathering and racing and June and spends most the summer in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and Brittany

Dates, Prices & of 2010 Cornish coastal voyages on Eve of St Mawes

Dates & Prices of 2010 Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Voyages on Annabel J

Eve of St Mawes Scillies 2010 voyages are full but we have draft dates for 2011 so please ring on 01872 580022 if you want to reserve a place.

The Cornwall Coast - Outdoor Playground for Grown Ups

Forget the bucket and spades image. The coast of Cornwall is too good to be ignored as an invigorating 'outdoor playground for grown ups' all year around. There are plenty of remote coves in Cornwall that even the most adventurous family will leave to the grown ups and outdoor pursuits enthusiasts. Outside the main school holidays you really can wander lonely as a cloud on the beaches, clifftops and ancient woodlands, and if you have a boat like Eve as a holiday base you can even get away from it all in July and August.

Apart from offering some of the best sailing cruising grounds in Europe, Cornwall is the place for watersports like body boarding, kite surfing, windsurfing, international surfing and surf lifesaving events. Our rugged long distance footpath (South West Coast Path) can be as tiring as any day out in the mountains; Try coasteering - where you jump off sea cliffs into turquoise zawns; wild camping is not impossible; the indented coastline and tidal rivers carving deep inland are perfect for sea kayaking; the clean seas offer world class dive sites and plenty of wrecks; or try yoga on the cliff tops or gig boat rowing with a local club. Turn you trip to Cornwall into a mini expedition:

Ideas on how to combine an Eve Sailing Voyage with other Cornish outdoor pursuits

Atlantic Edge – 'Where the Wild Things Are'

Whilst the TV can bring the world's wildlife to our living room, it is far more reassuring and spirit lifting to rub shoulders with amazing wildlife in your home country. The Cornwall coast has more than its fair share of unspoilt nature as it sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean; the maritime weather systems carry virtually no pollution;  the warm Gulf Stream brings us unusual sea creatures from as far as the Caribbean and the plankton upwelling along the Continental Shelf to the West of the Scillies and Northern Spain creates one of the richest marine fisheries in the world. To see a common dolphin playing in Eve's pressure wave as she pushes her mere 14 tons of oak through the sea might be a cliche in a brochure, but we defy you not to rush to the bow to take a closer look.

Sometimes it takes an outdoor holiday (and a company dedicated to raising awareness of marine wildlife)  to that remind you how precious the natural environment on our doorstep really is.

Read more about  the Cornwall wildlife we see on an 'Eve of St Mawes' or Annabel J Voyage.