Best of Summer: Sailing, Rowing & Wild Swimming Special

1st crew dip of the year in April 2011 at Tremayne Quay.

Wild Swimming - a little frission of glee !

Yes it a normal sailing voyage... and no you don't have to swim in the sea but on this voyage we do aim to find some of Cornwall's best unspoilt locations for a dip in the sea.  With a sailing boat you are always looking for an anchorage well protected from any swell or wind, which happily also fits with some great coastal swimming spots.  The sea temperature is close to its warmest at this time of year....but we can't vouch for the above water weather !

 Give yourself a little frission of glee and make your skin come alive.

Snorkelling Too ?

We have some world class dive spots locally and in the Scillies due to the lack of major sediment bearing rivers, rich underwater ecosystem and wrecks, so it is well worth bringing a snorkel, mask & wetsuit if you have serious mermaid (or merman) tendencies. Many of our anchorages are near interesting rock pools or eel grass, or maerl beds where seahorses hide.

Rather go Rowing ?

If you want to  'look after the swimmers' then we will have our newly commissioned wooden rowing boat to play with too.  Our rowing tender with it's 13ft oars (and a smaller pair for solo rowing) can take the whole crew on forays ashore, whether it be a beach, pontoon or secret stone quay.  Night time rowing to the pub brings out the smuggler in most of our guests......
 

Cornwall Escapes - 3 Day Breaks

We paint our pilot cutter Eve of St Mawes dazzling blue to match the Cornish seascape. Artists have been drawn to the sea, rugged coastline and the famous light quality in the far west for centuries. Eves turquoise blue decks and hull seems to help get everybody in the holiday mood too. On the edge of the Atlantic Ocean we have our share of wild grey days, but they just seem to make the achingly beautiful blue sky / deep blue sea days extra special.

 Founders of Classic Sailing Adam and Debbie based the company in St Mawes because we felt Cornwall and the Scillies was the best cruising ground in the world. We now promote sailing holidays in many far flung destinations but a flat water blast along the South Cornwall coast in a crystal clear north westerly takes some beating.

Western Approaches - a historic cruising ground

Stretching between Brittany and the Scillies, and covering the anchorage’s and ports of the West Country, we sail the same Western Approaches as the original pilot cutters would have to patrolled in search of the next sailing ship to put their pilot aboard.

 The Breton, Scillionian, and Cornish that fringe the Atlantic hang fiercely onto their seafaring traditions—celebrating their history with gig boat racing, traditional wooden boatbuilding and maritime festivals. In eleven years of operating Eve we still receive warm welcomes from local people wherever we go. I think it is because we fit so well into their timeless landscapes.  

 3 Day Tasters - a relaxed way to learn to sail

Beginners & experienced Sailors are welcome on all our 3 day voyages.Over the last 12 years, on Eve alone we have introduced at least two thousand newcomers to sailing.

Eve makes a great boat to start sailing on. She has wide decks with plenty of room. She is a fine sea boat with a well proven safety record and kept to the highest standards. With blocks and tackles you can see what you are doing and the team work makes for a great sailing holiday.

We are also a recognised RYA Training Establishment so if you want to do a 6 day beginners course then look at our RYA Competent Crew Course on Eve of St Mawes for a more intensive and structured introduction to practical seamanship.

Healthy Exercise & Environmentally Friendly

Traditional Sailing boats like Eve are powered by the wind, but to harness it requires quite a bit of satisfying physical effort and teamwork. There are no winches on board except the antique brass handled windlass, so you soon get to know your fellow guests as you haul on blocks and tackles. Sometimes we glide effortlessly through the water with 14 tons of oak and larch propelled by the wind or tide. If the forecast is wrong it can be more of a struggle. After the tenth tacking manoeuvre into the teeth of a freshening gale you might begin to wish you had been to the gym more often. Its unlikely you’ll go home thinner (e.g. creme brulee, clotted cream, Lamb with camenbert, rosemary, flageolet bean and red wine) but we can guarentee you will leave looking a lot healthier and either sun tanned, or windswept and interesting. There is plenty of conversation, but even on a 38ft deck you can find a corner for quiet contemplation. For some strange reason, everyone seems to sleep very well on board cocooned safely amongst Eve’s timber curves.

Unspoilt Sailing Ground

 From Eve’s mooring in St Mawes we can explore Falmouth Bay, one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Much of the Coastline is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, AONB, and there is no better way of appreciating than from the deck of beautiful sailing boat.

See the intinerary tab above for more our our favourite haunts, a typical itinerary and more details on where we might sail.

Wildlife at Sea & Ashore

The remoteness of the Cornish coast this far west bring their own special reward to those who travel with us: Starry nights with no street lights; ocean sunsets, isolated lighthouses and tiny fishing harbours; cliffs sculptured by pounding winter gales; almost tropical white sands with sparkling mica sticking to your toes; woodlands stunted by the wind but with trees adorned with lichen (a sure sign of unpolluted air) and lush ferns and springs along the many coastal footpaths.

The Gulf Stream provides unexpected sightings of turtles, sunfish and more regular visits by dolphins (common, bottlenose and risso’s dolphin), porpoises, whales and giant basking sharks. Gales often bring in wheeling gannets, tiny storm petrels, guillemots, razorbills and even puffins.

The Fal and Helford Estuaries are designated as Special Areas of Marine Interest. Breeding seals hide in sea caves and deep zawns. The drowned river valleys (called rias) have dense oak woodlands with branches sweeping down to deep green waters. At low tide the mudflats are home to egrets, curlews, oystercatchers and leggy herons—all the birds that go screech. At night you hear owls hooting in the moonlight, and a few guests have seen elusive otters in the early morning mists.

We record all wildlife sightings in the ships log and occasionally run specialist wildlife voyages or marine conservation breaks on Eve., but you only need to keep your eyes peeled on any voyage to see the best wildlife moments. Our Skippers have learned much from wildlife experts we have invited on board. Both Debbie and Adam are acredited (Wise) wildlife safe operators and we encourage all new skippers to develop their wildlife expertise.