Pure Wind Power Challenge with James

We always try to sail Eve as much as possible, preferring to anchor under sail or slip a mooring quietly with the main sail and jib already up.  Our new skipper James wants you to join him on a challenging but fun voyage where we go back a century to when engines were not an option and everything had to be done with sails, oars, ropes and anchors. The aim is to not use Eve's engine at all, and still explore the  Cornish coast, rivers and ports. At the end of the voyage everyone will be awarded a certificate to say you have completed the 'Wind Power Challenge' and how many hours without an engine was achieved.  If we are really clever we may be able to work out your carbon footprint for the 3 days.

Develop your sailing skills

If you have done a bit of sailing and really want to get to grips with good sail trim, sail balance and a bit of old fashioned resourcefulness then this is a great voyage. Learn to love your bowsprit and use it as a lever to get you away from the dock rather than into trouble.  Practice ferry gliding accross Fowey harbour moving sideways with the tide better than any modern bow thruster. Set the jib in 'stops' - a kind of roller reefing for historic ships, where you roll up the sail into a sausage and tie it with 'rotten cotton.' Hoist the sail and crack it open when you need the power.

If this all sounds like a foreign language you have two choices: Come anyway and immerse yourself in traditional sailing, or alternatively do a taster voyage or Competent Crew course first where you will learn a mix of traditional and modern sailing skills.

The wind direction shapes your holiday

You live onboard Eve - and for this voyage  the wind and tide really dictates whether we sail East or West. South Cornwall is lucky that it still has open bays and deep coastal creeks to sail into without too many moored boats or marinas.  Some of the historic ports have not changed a lot since all the fishing boats would come home with their catch and manouvre into port with sail, oars, a well placed boathook or a quayside sailor surging them around a corner with a rope wrapped around a granite bollard.

Swing the Lead

Eve does have modern instruments, but it is always good to practice the old skills in case one day the electronics fail you.  Find out how hard it is to swing the lead for depth readings whilst moving. Try a running fix, or have a go at bringing down the sun to the horizon with a sextant.

Scull our new rowing gig (or Eve)

Our trusty 15ft wooden rowing boat "number 8" has had 14 years of adventures, and 7 hearty crew rowing her, so over the winter of 2011-2012 we are commisioning a new wooden 'expedition' boat to be built to replace her.  'Pieces of Eight' will still have gig boat oars and thole pins and fit the whole crew on board. New will be a sculling oar.  If the wind dies you may find youself helping to tow Eve by rowing boat, or pehaps try using the long oars on board Eve.  Two 12 year old girls once rowed Eve 200 yards into Falmouth Inner Harbour....so it is not as hard as it sounds.

A wooden pilot cutter as your floating base

In terms of the sailing there is no experience needed and the skipper will break you into a whole new language of sailing terms and show you what ropes you need to pull and why ! It is however a hands-on activity holiday with the skipper being the only staff on board - so the guest crew will fully involved in handling the sails, steering and keeping a lookout, rowing ashore and assisting in the navigating if they want - but we won’t drop you in the deep end without help !

Wildlife spotting under sail and oar

The beauty of a sailing boat is you can glide into anchor without any engine noise.  Using a rowing tender rather than a dinghy and outboard engine means you can explore creeks and coves silently and unobtrusively in some very special places.

These voyages also typically seek out more unspoilt anchorages where Eve might be the only boat and provide a chance to get away from hectic 21st century life and be more in tune with your surroundings, the natural elements, wildlife and the beautiful coastal landscape of South Cornwall. We have maps and guidebooks on board.