The membership for next year is £25 per adult. You can download an application form from the website. For ease, you can fill it out and take a picture/scan of the form and just email the picture to admin@pnyc.co.uk. We will then print out the form and send you membership cards. If you are paying online the details are:…
We are now pretty much set for the Winter with Summer boats out and Winter boats in. We are delighted to welcome two lovely wooden yachts onto the beach – Wanderer II which was built in 1901 and Mystery which was built by the current owner’s dad. If you are at a loss for…
This week a local groundworks company installed a new drain across the entrance to the club in the hope that we can stop the continual flow of water and soil into the car park. I cannot recommend them more highly so if you have any need for groundworks contact Edd Jeffery – info@greenstonecornwall.co.uk. They also sorted…
15ft Boston Whaler Dauntless with 50 cc Yamaha Outboard – 1998A cracking boat for the Helford. Includes a trailer. The boat is currently on the pontoon. Contact admin@pnyc.co.uk for more details. £7,850.
For those of you who love Julia Bradbury, I can report that you missed her last Sunday wearing a wetsuit and paddle boarding in the creek! She was recording a short segment on paddle boarding for her next series of Best Walks With A View for ITV.
Along with the approach to winter, we will be having a clear out of the engine store in November. Can you make sure that everything you have in there is named? Anything un-named will be photographed and shown in the next newsletter and, if unclaimed, will be disposed of.
As per the last newsletter, membership for next year will be £25. Many thanks to those few members who have commented about this and said it is fine. Gawd bless ye. Equally we have luckily had no gasps of horror to the announcement and it’s too late for those now! We are sourcing recycled, cardboard membership cards for 2021…
For the first time since we took over, we have a waiting list for the pontoons, the beach and the trots for next summer. If you know you want the same mooring next year, or you know that you don’t, then I would really appreciate an email. The same moorings are yours again if you want them. The…
With 3 weeks left of the Summer Season, just a gentle reminder to all boat owners that moorings need to be cleared by 31st October. However, if you want to extend your stay, we can offer the cheapest Winter moorings on The Helford! We have some pontoon spaces for the Winter and have done away with the minimum…
We have decided to change the membership fee for next year, increasing it to £25 for the year. This reflects the fact that, at £15, it costs almost £2 a year in postage just to send out application forms and then membership cards to each member. I hope that this is acceptable. Mooring prices will not change…
Sadly we have learnt that a number of outboards have been stolen from the Ferryboat beach this morning (September 9th). They were cut off with bolt cutters. It was apparently done very early in the morning. All we can do it just keep our eyes out for any suspicious activity. Very sad.
Mike and John, staying in The Lower Deck, have honed their skills as mullet fishermen and have landed lots before putting them back in the water. The heaviest was 4lbs. The trick, apparently, is to have some bread bags hanging off the pontoon and then once they arrive, to use a small pellet of bread on…
The last two “thin” fingers have been widened to three planks. I was hoping to get this finished early on in the season, so am delighted that it has finally been done as we draw towards the end of the season. Almost “drectly”. For the observant amongst you, you might have noticed that there are three types of…
We have purchased a green marker (in place) and a red marker (to be placed) to make the channel to the Yacht Club more obvious. We have also added Max 6 Knots To Ferryboat just to re-emphasise the speed limits on the river. I think I ordered one size too big! When I measured it out it seemed to…
2020 Regatta cancelled due to Coronavirus pandemic. The Port Navas Regatta was first held in August 1914, in the same week that war was declared. It was not held again until 1921. There were lapses again in the years before and during the second war, and after the war it was often difficult to get a…
The moorings are full, the holiday cottages are all booked in the village and from this week the Bar and Restaurant is open from Friday and Saturday for the season from 4pm, while the take away service will run every Thursday – see below for more details. Not everyone has the same perspective on Covid so it is only fair that we all…
We have more new boats than ever before – at least under our stewardship. So welcome to the crews of Jeanie, Obi, Auriel, Idler, Seaskate Fourteenn Crevette, Coburg, Scruffy, Sea Spray, Wagtail and a number of un-named boats.
The trot and swing moorings have been serviced by Seawide Services. We have removed trots 1 & 2 to give more room to the boats on the pontoon by the Clubhouse and have replaced them with two new swing moorings. Not before time, we have also added boards and fenders to the landing pontoon and the pontoons…
At the end of June there was a “tense” rescue situation as Simon and Charlotte Boote were forced to head back to the landing pontoon after engine failure. Turned out the pipe inside the fuel tank had fallen off, preventing any fuel from getting to the engine. 15 tools later, the offending vessel (the fuel tank)…
One member is looking for a small 8-10 foot tender which might need some TLC.Another member looking for an Oppy for his grandson – happy to do work on it. Happy for it to be wooden.
Nare Point opened again on 25th May providing a watch keeping service 7 days a week from 09.00 to 17.00 covering the mouth of The Helford, Falmouth Bay and the Coastal Path. The 66 volunteer watch-keepers are now operating a full service inspite of having reduced volunteers and having to create a single-person watch rota due to Covid….
We have decided to serve twin markets as we go on to the next exciting stage of lockdown lottery. There are a good number of you who are tentative about going out to dine and there are some who cannot wait. We have therefore decided that we will continue to do a weekly takeaway, initially…
It’s been a frantic first week or so since the restrictions on boating were lifted. It’s been wonderful to see lots of people on their boats, kayaks and paddle boards enjoying the water and the amazing weather we have had. Please remember to keep your social distance from other people at the club. There seems to…
The pontoon and beach are completely full and for the first time since we took over, the trot moorings are full as well. Please be aware that there are pick up lines between Trots 1 to 8 and 9 to 15. We have put floats on all the lines to show you that they are there. Don’t…
We got a call from George’s son Russell on Wednesday to sadly let us know that, after quite a long illness, George died on Tuesday surrounded by his family. It was not Covid related. George was a charming, smiling Scouser who absolutely loved the Helford and all things boating. The picture here encapsulates this kind man. Our thoughts go…
The parking is reserved for people on the pontoon (who pay a premium), the holiday lets and for the bar and restaurant customers. Please please can you park in the village before going out on the water. Kayak, paddle board and dinghy owners might turn up when there is one inch of water, find an empty car…
One member looking for a small sailing dinghy to learn how to sail. One member looking for a dory type boat – 13 to 16 ft. And one member looking for a Shrimper 19ft or Cape Cutter 19ft or something similar.
Following Boris’ recent announcements, as from Wednesday 13th May, people are free to travel by car to the Club and use their boats provided that: They do so alone or are a family group living together And that everyone maintains social distancing of 2 metres According to the RYA website, from Wednesday 13th May “unlimited outdoor activity will be…
All the moorings are ready for use and have been since 1st April. However, on the pontoon there are a couple of boats that are on the wrong berths because owners have not been able to move them from Winter moorings out onto their moorings on The Helford. When you want to get your boat onto its place on…
The UG (Uncle Giles) is getting some well deserved TLC. Phil Clark is very kindly making a new hatch cover for the forward deck and she is going to get a wash, a good internal paint and some danish oil on the woodwork. To do this work I will put her on the slip for a few days….
Does anyone claim this inflatable? It’s been on the wall of the shed for almost year with no name. I have put a notice on it but no-one has called. If I hear nothing by return, I have a buyer who will make a contribution to HRCST.
We very much regret having to report that Adrian Seys-Prosser passed away at home over the weekend. Ade and his partner Jan lived at Covehill in Port Navas for many years before moving to Constantine a few years ago. They were always actively involved in village life and Ade loved living in Port Navas, appreciating…
We hope that you and your families are all coping with the current situation. Ant and I feel very lucky to be living in this beautiful place, especially at this time. Fingers crossed, we believe that we still might enjoy some part of the season as the Government amends its restrictions in the coming months. In…
We’re very sad to report the untimely passing of Alan Gardner. Many in Port Navas will know Alan as the always cheerful and generous former owner of Port Navas Yacht Club. Sandra, Alan’s wife, has said that their years owning PNYC and getting to know all the members were some of the happiest years of…
In the next few months we will be doing some work on our club tender, The UG (Uncle Giles). Phil Clarke has very kindly repaired the oars. She could do with a good clean, a lick of paint and some Danish Oil. We are also putting three kayak racks down on the pontoons below the…
The beach is ready for anyone who is able to get their boats launched. I have laid out orange line to mark out all the beach moorings. The pontoons are also all ready. If you can launch your boat, can you let me know in advance so that I can check that your pontoon mooring…
We’re very sad to report the untimely passing of Alan Gardner. Many in Port Navas will know Alan as the always cheerful and generous former owner of Port Navas Yacht Club. Sandra, Alan’s wife, has said that their years owning PNYC and getting to know all the members were some of the happiest years of…
Dear AllWe hope that you all ok. This is such an unprecedented event – unless perhaps you listened to Bill Gates in 2015: We are constantly looking at Government Sites for advice – Maritime Service, Coast Guard and other Helford River sites. At the moment all the advice is as follows: Keep your distance No…
Ant and I would like to thank all those who have paid their mooring fees while the crisis has been escalating and while not being sure about how these moorings can be used. We are also really grateful to all those who have renewed their membership or joined for 2020. What a year. But we…
Our kids have been told that they will not be returning to school until September….! This is going to create some interesting moments in The Ellemann household. Martha’s A-levels, end of school, summer jobs, working in a school in Zambia and then travelling have gone out of the window. So the girls have been dying…
The new Government guidelines regarding essential travel preclude us from progressing with the Friday Feast takeaway that we were planning for this week. We will instigate this scheme if and when we can. I imagine this will be a possibility before we are allowed to open fully again. I have been looking into the history…
Port Navas, alongside Constantine and Mawnan Smith, have put together a Volunteers List to provide assistance to PN residents who might need help. If you need help yourself details are on the Port Navas website: portnavas.com/ and for Constantine: constantinecornwall.com/
We were sad to learn of the death of David Burke in Port Navas last week. This followed on from a period in hospital at the start of this year. David was a charming and joyful man and will be sadly missed. Our thoughts go to Jane and the whole family. There is more about David on the PN…
1936-2020 It is with much sadness that we heard of the death of David today. Our thoughts are with Jane, Christopher, Irena, Jennifer and Nicola; Michael, Caroline, Jasmine and Louise. David was a man of many parts and gave so freely of his time, knowledge and skills to the community. The Garden Society, History Society…
Along with a friend from up-country, Tim Hunt, we have put new decking down on two more pontoons. We even had enough sun yesterday for T-shirts. The anti slip strips are to follow once it stops raining! There are a couple of cleats missing because we had to cut the bolts off. These will be put…
We have a Shrimper on the pontoon that a member is looking to sell. £5,950 or nearest offer. For full details contact Tom on 07798 824435 or admin@pnyc.co.uk
Work on the path beside the slipway leading on to the beach wall has been completed replacing the old, cracked surface that was there – thanks Tony, Pete and Mike.
Mooring applications have been sent out today to everyone who had a mooring last year so expect those in the post shortly. We will then send out invitations to join as members for 2020. We have had a few online payments where it has been impossible for us to know who has made the payment…
It seems we have been sabotaged at the club. The ansaphone system has been creaking, but our very own René Artois, no relation to Stella, has saved the day and he, Nigel, assures me it is now working properly again. So please accept our apologies should you have been trying to get through to us….
Well, its hardly cold enough for that is it! So, just a quick reminder that we are doing a late Burns Supper tonight at 7.30, with a simple menu of haggis and all the trimmings and a couple of sweets. This all helps Mike readjust to the rigours of working three nights a week, having…
Continuing my work as a slightly haphazard DIYer (probably with emphasis on the ‘hazard’), I have to report that while installing some insulation in the big corrugated shed, I managed to angle-grind my way through the mains supply. Amazingly, and much to the electrician’s surprise, there was no large bang or, more to the point, electric shock. So now…
In the next couple of weeks Tony and Mike Comyn will be re-concreting the path from the slipway to beach moorings 1-5, replacing the cracked and irregular surface. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Mooring application forms will also be sent out to everyone who had a mooring last Summer. The fees remain the same as last year and will not change in 2021 either. Many mooring owners have let me know by email that they want their moorings again. If you haven’t already let me know, could you drop…
This week all members will be sent a membership form for 2020. £15 per adult for the year. You can also download a form from the website. We are really very grateful to all our members for their kind support which helps us to make steady improvements to the club, such as restoring the ladies…
We have undertaken some work on the wall in the bar area in an attempt to kill the draft monster that lurked in the corner. Having peeled away the thin garden cladding we have re-wired the interesting collection of wires that we found (a professional electrician not me!), put in insulation, sprayed insulation foam liberally around and…
Please can you make sure that anything kept in the engine store is named. As promised, we will be having a Spring clear out of un-named, unclaimed items in the near future.
This dinghy, below, has mysteriously, at least to me, appeared propped up against the dinghy rack. I have put a note on it asking the owner to give me a call so I know who it belongs to but that was weeks ago. If this is yours, or you know who it belongs to, would you…
Please be careful on the pontoons. I almost took a tumble just before Christmas. Still haven’t fallen into the creek yet (touch wood) but it is surely only a matter of time. The first four pontoons now have new decking in place and I am starting to add anti-slip strips to the rest of the…
I promise no political comment, so the title of this email has nothing to do with yesterday’s election result. It is simply that the end of December now looms large and that becomes a turning point for us as we will be closed for the greater part of January. Tom and Ant are off to…
We have two yachts on the beach and room for more next year. We have also welcomed HMS Hocus Pocus onto the pontoon for the winter. If you still haven’t found a place just email admin@pnyc.co.uk. Thanks to everyone for getting off their moorings – even Simon Boote has moved his dory!
Crevette, a Cornish Shrimper 19ft 1980. Sail No.23 – one of the early GRP versions. Owner has reluctantly had to admit that sailing boats are too much of a challenge and that a motor cruiser is, reluctantly, the answer. A new unused PortaPotti, new sail cover and hardly used spinnaker. The engine is a 2015…
Corair F31 Trimaran 1995 for sale. Fast, fun and fantastic. Much loved. Currently out of the water on it’s trailer in Port Navas. For specifications go to: https://www.boat-specs.com/corsair/corsair-f31-center-cockpit 50 litre water bladder for fresh water, electrically pumped to galley and head. Cooking facilities via portable camping gas double stove with grill. Habitent cockpit cover. Road trailer…
Mike and Nigel will be away for most of January and will be opening again Thursday 30th, Friday 31st January and Saturday 1st Feb 2020. HOWEVER Frantic Fridays will be back with Fran and Ant in the kitchen and me behind the bar. We plan to open on three consecutive Fridays in January 2020. It will be cash or…
We had a great evening on 14th November when nine teams of four competed in our second Quiz and Curry Night, this time in aid of The Village Hall. The competition was ferocious, some of the marking was fiendish and there was little to choose between the teams. In fact, we went to a tie break between…
I know, I know. It is only the 21st November, but it is eveywhere! Mince pies have been on sale since August, the street lighting is in place in Penryn and Falmouth and it won’t be long before I am wobbling on the top of a ladder trying to hang the lights on the ever-growing…
That can only mean one thing! It is Curry and Quiz Night next week. Actually it means a little more than that in terms of how I approach the food we offer in the restaurant. I am sure that some of you will have noticed that there are often dishes on the menu from the…
The Committee is looking for some new volunteers to help organise next year’s regatta which in on Saturday 1st August 2020. This fabulous event, which is over 100 years old, relies on people from the community helping. As well as creating a fantastic day out, it also raises money for a number of charities ranging from…
On a house-keeping note, if you have anything in the engine store, please could you make sure that it is clearly named. Some unnamed things have been appearing in the shed over the last 12 months. This is the second year that we are asking everyone with engines, or anything else in the store, to put…
Black Dog, flying under the PNYC burgee, took first place in the IRC South West Championships in Dartmouth at the start of this month and also won the 1st Overall IRC 1 at the Royal Dartmouth Regatta, thereby ending the season in some style. Congratulations to all who sailed on her throughout the season.
Definitely a little bit of autumn creeping up on us along with the earlier sunsets, giving a real feeling of something changing. And it is that time of year as we ease ourselves out of the summer routine and I look at changing the summer menu into more seasonal choices. Although I love cooking and…
While the rest of the country struggled with storms and strong winds, Port Navas enjoyed a balmy evening for its traditional Summer Barbecue. The crowd was convivial; mostly local friends and neighbours with a few very welcome visitors. Good food and good company.
From Friday morning to the end of Sunday we are predicted high winds up to 46 mph with gusts at greater speeds. We are well protected being out of the Helford River but nevertheless it might be worth checking moorings today to make sure that everything is in good condition. I will be going down during the…
The Ladies loo has had a complete make-over and all that remains is to find the brass “Ladies” sign that I carefully put away in the shed for future use and which is proving increasingly difficult to find. The unisex loo will now revert back to Men Only.
The Regatta was by all accounts a great success with lovely weather, very competitive racing (I believe there were 18 kayaks racing in one event) the beer tent was drunk dry and Brian Roper gave away the prizes with smiles all around. Thanks to all those who came and to all those who helped make…
A typically wonderful Port Navas Regatta: fabulous weather; a happy crowd; great competition on the water, and well-deserved prizes. Next year’s Regatta will be on August 1st at 3pm.
Update: We’ve added some photos kindly contributed by Jonathan Thornton.
It is with huge pride that we would like to congratulate the whole crew of Black Dog for coming first in The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 2019 IRC National Championships. Flying their PNYC burgee, this was the first time this amateur Cornish team entered these Championships, taking on mostly professional or semi-professional crews. “We haven’t…
The Ladies Loo should be back up and working by the end of today I am told by the builders, ending our brief foray into a unisex environment. A number of people have requested that the ladies be re-opened, including Ant, and so this has been undertaken. I will need to change the signage on…
We have one beach mooring, one swing mooring and 6 trot moorings available. But all the pontoon spaces have now been taken. The trot and swing moorings have been serviced by Seawide Services. The lure of a drink after work proved too much so the crew parked up on the landing pontoon and they all adjourned to…
Peter and Margaret Goad, much loved and long standing managers of The Club, have sent us a picture of their boat Andante proudly flying the PNYC burgee on The Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. This joins a burgee from Guernsey from Daniel and Vicky Williams and a lost-at-sea burgee found off Penzance and returned to…
Ant and I attended the launch of the HRCST facilities at Travassack Lake last month. It was a great turnout on an overcast day. We were really impressed with the lake. Although an old quarry, it feels much more like a sheltered lake with a pretty island in the middle and wooded banks all around….
There have been two undramatic rescues so far this season. Steve and Mel pulled in The Boulton’s after engine failure a few weeks ago. And yesterday, Martha and Friends were rescued by mum and dad from The Helford after another engine failure. Hard to blame Martha since it was our faulty engine over heating…
Rebecca of Helford took part against five other boats in the annual Currie and Brown Cup organised by St Mawes Sailing Club. After three laps of the course Rebecca was leading and probably would have gone on to win. Unfortunately Rebecca and four other boats all misread their sailing instructions and were disqualified, leaving Ruby,…
Last year we installed a number of stainless steel shackles on eyebolts so that people could tie up their dogs. To our horror and disappointment we have noticed that all five shackles that where outside have been nicked. I can’t decide if I prefer the thought that it was just one person helping themselves to all five or…
Huge apologies to members and neighbours for the inconvenience caused by the extended works and the shear number of vehicles clogging up Quay Road. We had hoped to be finished by now and are pulling out all the stops to get the work finished.
Well, that last week flew by! We made a flying visit to London for my lovely niece, Eva Rose’s wedding which was a great do. Just before we heard about the wedding plans we had booked a short break away in Bordeaux with Nigel, Debs and Helen. So back from London on Saturday, evening service,…
When merry lads are playing………so goes the old folk song. It is almost tempting to draw parallels with the comings and goings in Westminster…….but no, the month of May is more important in the culinary calendar as we now have the asparagus season in full bloom, new potatoes are arriving and crab and other shellfish…
Well, in my book, there is only one darling bud of May and that is English asparagus. It has been around for a couple of weeks from the sheltered Wye Valley, but this week has seen the arrival of the Cornish crops. A little thick at times for my liking, but I can live with…
Building work on the Old Kiln should be finished within the next 6-7 weeks. It will be available for week long lets from July. The house has two big double bedrooms, one smaller twin bedroom, three bathrooms and a massive open plan living room/dinning room/kitchen room plus a lovely garden that gets the afternoon and evening sun….
Well, what a week! With storms raging across the Atlantic and as the stormy scenes in Parliament continue to roll on, I feel that we need some stability in our lives. I am therefore voting for gradual change in order to not rock the boat. I had a conversation with one member last week where…
Ah, how that opening song from the Morcombe and Wise show resonates this week! Beautiful is not the word for Cornwall on a warm spring day. There were builders on the roof of a house in Port Navas today working in shorts, no shirts….Not something we are likely to see in February very often. Sadly,…
A new book on the colourful history of the Helford has been penned by one of PNYC’s very own members, Christian Boulton. Due to be published in May, Five Million Tides is described by Sir Tim Rice in his forward as having been written with “skill, panache, enthusiasm and authenticity”. Very different in tone to the…
“Decibel” Lucas has a mint condition 5 HP, Tohatsu four stroke engine for sale. It has only done one outing for one hour. She is asking for £750 for this essentially “new” engine. If you are interested email us at admin@pnyc.co.ukand well put you in touch with her.
For all the romantics amongst our members and friends, the news is good. As Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday this year, we will be open with a full menu on February 14th, so no tempting one pot wonder that evening. As tables are limited, and I assume most of them will be booked by…
Not, sadly, a bit of a bop on the wharf, but rather where Nigel will find himself this week! He is due to go into hospital on Friday morning for his first knee replacement operation. I am sure you will all join me in wishing him well for the op and as comfortable and speedy…
Huge thanks from Ant and myself to all our member in 2018. Without your support we couldn’t keep The Club and the bar and restaurant running. And if you’d like to renew your membership for 2019 that would be wonderful! Click here to download your 2019 membership form. Forms are also available at The Club. Bank…
The bar and restaurant is going strong. Your support to keep it going all year round is much appreciated. After years of cricket-abuse, Nigel is going to have a new knee fitted early February so you might see me behind the bar for a couple of nights over the first few weeks of February, filling in as…
Much to Ant’s satisfaction, we are going to re-decorate and then re-open the ladies loo by April – slightly hedging my bets by not saying whether the beginning or the end of April. Interestingly it has not just been the ladies asking for their own loo. Apparently a number of gentlemen don’t like enjoying the…
It’s a glorious Boxing Day morning with the Sun shinning and blue clouds. Ant and I hope that you all had a splendid Christmas. The plan was to get this off on Christmas Day but being my usual chaotic self, this was superseded by events including a much-longer-than-anticipated stay at The Trengilly Wartha Inn for a…
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all members, customers and friends of Port Navas YC Bar and Restaurant. We thank you for your support and encouragement over the last 12 months ….and of course your patience when we’ve been fully booked in the busy months. We are open next week on Thursday, Friday and…
New members are welcomed and Social Membership is only £25 per year.
Visit our Members page to find out more.
