Report 1 - St Michael's Mount Anchorage

There is a well-known anchorage to the west side of St Michael's Mount which is ideal for boats with a shallow draught. It would be quite exposed in any form of southerly wind but is protected when there is a northerly offshore wind. Give the island a good berth as there are unmarked rocks and shoals and head in from the southwest on a bearing of about 75 degrees towards the end of the harbour wall. Beware of Great Hogus rock to the west. The beach shelves very gradually. We motored in at L/W when the anchorage was already quite busy and nudged ourselves into 2 metres before dropping the hook and then lifted the keel and rudder meaning we could get closer to the shore than the other yachts. A southerly yacht motored in two hours later and went inshore even closer. We don't know if they actually took the bottom. However, you could easily beach a Parker/Seal on this sandy beach, although I'm not sure what the locals would think of it. Looking at the view of the anchorage from the top of St Michael's Mount you can see clearly the areas with  cleaner bottom and those that are likely to have more seaweed. Just a short tender ride to the harbour and a visit to St Michael's or ashore and the village of Marazion with all the touristy facilities. You can moor your tender against a ladder on the inside west wall of the harbour on the island.

The pilots suggest you could go alongside inside the harbour but we found this to be very full with small fishing/pleasure boats and the turning space would be minimal. Also the ferries servicing the island kick up quite a wash.