S
ituated in the north-
west of St Austell Bay,
Charlestown used to
be a clay port and is an
interesting place to visit.
The historic private harbour
is owned by Square Sail, a
company that makes period
fi lms, so it can be a good place
to spot tall ships. The wide
expanse in front and south
of Charlestown can be used
as an anchorage, but only in
westerlies or calm conditions.
Stay at least 200m from the
shore to get enough depth
and to avoid drying rocks at
the south end of Porthpean’s
beaches and off the beach
below the Ropehaven cliffs.
The outer basin has plenty of
steps to use if you
arrive by dinghy. Time
your stay to ensure
enough depth (drying
1.2m in sections). The
approach dries and
the entrance to the
outer basin is very
narrow: the inner
basin can be entered
at HW +/-2.
Imray’s book TheWest Country: Lyme Bay to the
Isles of Scilly by Carlos Rojas
and Susan Kemp-Wheeler
warns sailors only to attempt
day entry, and only after having
made arrangements with the
harbour master (Tel: 01276
70241, VHF 14/16). The
entrance gate is 15m wide and
there are dangers immediately
to either side. Pick up the buoy
300m south of the
harbour if waiting
for the tide or for
the harbour master
to open the lock to
the inner basin.
Charlestown has
several places to eat
and drink, and
the larger town of St
Austell is about a
mile away.Cruising Notes
Free anchorage!
Charlestown, Cornwall
Charlestown’s private harbour is a
good place to spot tall shipsthe yard services the yacht’s systems
prior to an Atlantic crossing. Those
on a tighter budget are also
welcome at this friendly yard, said
manager Cecelia Willems.
Marina Lanzarote is brand new, in
the convenient and buzzing location
of the capital city, Arrecife. This is
the second marina to be built by the
Calero family, who after the success
of their fi rst, Puerto Calero, realised
that demand for berths on Lanzarote
was growing and that Arrecife had
deep water in its main harbour, with
excellent access from the sea and
superb shelter. The Caleros have
added strikingly modern marina
buildings, just a few minutes’ walk
from the city and its tapas bars,
shops, restaurants and beach.
The adjoining boatyard offers
services ‘befi tting the Atlantic’s fi rst
port of call from Gibraltar’, said
Calero Marina’s MD Jose Juan
Calero. Boats of all sizes can be
serviced there including wide,
racing catamarans. For exploring off
the beaten track, Marina Lanzarote
is close to a northern archipelago of
small islands which Mr Calero
describes as ‘pure nature with wild
beaches – a new sailing frontier’.
Cruising Lanzarote
Many boats from the other large
Canary islands head to Lanzarote in
summer, seeking its gently shelving
sandy bays, particularly on the
Papagayo peninsula on the
southern tip of the island where
anchoring is easy and the water so
clear you can see the sandy bottom.
Heading north, visiting one of the
jewels of the Canaries, the tiny
island of Graciosa, is much easier
now that Marina Lanzarote is
available as a stopover or start point
in the north of Lanzarote. From here
it’s a day’s sail to windward to reach
Playa Francesca on Graciosa’s
south coast, a beautiful bay with
good shelter from the prevailing
north-easterly tradewinds.
Lobos (meaning ‘wolf-seal’) island,
belonging to Fuerteventura, is a
short sail from Lanzarote and not to
be missed. Its beautiful, shallow-
water anchorage with white sand
and turquoise water could almost
be in the Caribbean. It’s a nature
reserve, and a walk ashore is
recommended. There are more
than 130 species of plant, and you
might see rare birds like the houbara
bustard and great grey shrike.Lanzarote ashore
Though the landscape is barren
compared to the more westerly
Canary Islands, once you start to
explore there is plenty to see and
do, and car hire is inexpensive. For
a close-up volcanic experience, take
the tour of Timanfaya National Park
which starts with a drive through
extraordinary lava fi elds, then to
holes in the ground that spew forth
smoke and fl ames, ending with a
barbeque lunch cooked over a
volcano in a restaurant with views
across peaks and craters towards
the sea. Magnifi cent caves are open
to the public: Cueva de los Verdes
(the green cave) and Jameos del
Agua, a fabulous cavern where you
can eat, drink and experience a
magical underground concert, are
not to be missed.
There’s a restaurant in the Castillo
de San Jose Museum with views of
Arrecife harbour, with a funky interior
designed by the island’s most
famous artist, Cesar Manrique.
Thanks to his zeal to preserve the
island’s natural beauty there are
strict laws to prevent high-rise
buildings and to use local materials
and styles in new developments.
If you are tempted to try the
Canaries but would like to see what
you’re getting before committing,
why not try a charter holiday there –
see the charter advertising section
at the back of this issue – or book a
cheap holiday to Lanzarote and visit
the marinas by car.
■ The second RORC Transatlantic
Race starts from Marina
Lanzarote on 28 November 2015.
http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.orgA venture down into Cueva de
los Verdes (the green cave)Amazingly, grapes are grown for
winemaking in the volcanic soil
Call 01202 440832 to order
our playing cards, with
54 top spots: just £4.99+P&PIn association with FREE ANCHORAGE
Bouley Bay, JerseyBcoast of Jersey. ouley Bay is a popular anchorage nestled under the cliffs on the north The wide bay is easy to
enter; a tidal harbour with deep water moorings. Holding is good on sand
school activity and rocks at the seaward south east of the pier. Beware local dive
end of the pier during low tides. The pebble beach shelves steeply. There are a few good pubs ashore.CHANNEL ISLANDSSend in your free
anchorages and win
a pack of PBO playing
cards for published
suggestions
Email [email protected] or write to
the address at the top of page 5St Austell BayCharlestown
BeachPolmear Is(^12)
(^0616)
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