🍂 Welcome to our Autumn Newsletter

As the days grow shorter and the colours of autumn settle over the creek, it's time to take stock of another season at Sailors Creek. The summer may be behind us, but there's still plenty happening around the creek and moorings as we prepare for the colder months ahead.

Autumn is a good time to check in on our boats, make sure moorings and lines are secure, and get ready for the windier weather that comes with the season. It's also an opportunity to reflect on what we've achieved together and look ahead to the projects, plans and community activities that will keep Sailors Creek moving forward.

As always, Sailors Creek depends on the time, effort and goodwill of the people who make it such a special place. Thank you to everyone who has contributed over the past few months, whether by lending a hand, helping with projects or simply being part of our community.

Progress on pontoon Access

Work is progressing well on improving walkway access to the pontoons and moorings throughout the creek. This is an important step towards making Sailors Creek a safer, more accessible and better-organised place for everyone who keeps a boat here.

We’re incredibly grateful to the volunteers whose hard work and commitment are helping turn this project into reality. A special mention goes to Cora and Svend, who have made a fantastic contribution to the creek since arriving, bringing energy, enthusiasm and practical support to the work underway.

Mark has also been working tirelessly to coordinate and drive the project forward, and we’d like to thank him for the considerable time and effort he continues to put in.

These improvements are about more than simply building walkways. They’re part of our wider commitment to creating a safe, accessible and sustainable community at Sailors Creek, making the most of the site and ensuring it works better for everyone.

It’s great to see the progress being made through the combined efforts of our community, and we look forward to seeing the project continue to take shape over the coming months.

Annual Tree Planting – Sailors Creek & Father Christmas at Enys Gardens

Our annual tree planting is a collaboration between Sailors Creek CIC and Father Christmas at Enys, and has developed into a lovely local tradition with a long-term purpose.

The story actually begins at Christmas the year before. Children visiting Father Christmas at Enys Gardens are given seeds or acorns and encouraged to take them home, plant them and care for the young trees as they grow.

Almost a year later, in November, the families are invited to bring their young trees to Sailors Creek, where everyone comes together for a community planting day. The children therefore get to follow the process all the way through — from receiving a tiny seed or acorn at Christmas, to nurturing it at home, and eventually planting their own young tree into the ground.

In November 2025, more than 60 young oak trees were planted at Sailors Creek. Families turned out despite the showers, with children getting thoroughly involved and plenty of muddy hands. Father Christmas at Enys described the children as a little army of “woodland helpers”, helping to grow what has become known as the Christmas woodland.

The idea behind the Father Christmas at Enys tradition is a simple one: plant trees at Christmas rather than chopping them down.

What makes the project particularly rewarding now is its continuity. Each year we aren’t starting again, we’re adding another generation of trees. During the planting day we can see the trees planted by families in previous years becoming larger and more established, while another group of tiny saplings goes into the ground alongside them.

It’s also a very tangible way for children to experience conservation. Rather than simply hearing about the importance of trees and habitats, they’ve had responsibility for something living for almost a year and then have the satisfaction of physically planting it somewhere it can continue to grow.

The planting is gradually creating new woodland and contributing to the wider work at Sailors Creek to care for and regenerate the land for nature. The available planting area has filled considerably as the tradition has grown, and further clearing is needed to create space for future years.

From Falmouth to The Edge of Life

A Falmouth sailor’s extraordinary voyage of adventure, survival and second chances.

For many of us around sailors creek Penryn, the sea is thankfully part of everyday life. We see the boats come and go, watch the weather change, talk about engines, sails, repairs and dreams of voyaging to far flung corners of the world or just taking a trip out into the bay. It is a

community built around the water — and for me, that connection has shaped the latter part of my life. My 39 ft steel hull ketch Acid Rain has seen more than her fair share of adventures, I am honoured to add to mine to her story and to recover her from from the depths of the gulf

of Mexico.

My name is Alex Carter, and I’m a local sailor and author of The Edge of Life, 'a risk worth taking' a true story about a turbulent voyage that turned into something unimaginable. The journey took me from the rugged coast of Cornwall to the boiling jungles of Guatemala. Eventually it became a fight for survival.

During the journey I suffered a catastrophic brain haemorrhage in Guatemala. Later, after getting back on the water, the voyage took another dramatic turn when equipment failure left me in a life-threatening situation at sea. There were times when quite frankly I didn't know whether I would live or die. When I got home my dad told me I should write a book about it. 

Ultimately it was written to help me deal with the trauma of it all and in lots of ways it did. I never imagined it would have been such a success and resonate with so many people. The Edge of Life isn't only a story about almost dying. It is also a cautionary tale about what happens when we get too close to the edge of life. The book gave me the courage to start rebuilding my life, rethinking what truly matters, and that is my family and friends and our precious time on this earth. It touches on finding the strength to start again and discovering just how much we can survive when we have no choice but to keep going.

The Edge of Life is ultimately about something we can all understand. 

I would be hugely grateful for the support of the local community as I continue promoting the book and sharing the continuing story of my voyage. If you've got a copy, thank you. If you haven't, I'd love you to discover the story. And if you see me around, come and say hello — and I will answer the inevitable question: “So... what actually happened out there?”

The Edge of Life is available on Amazon.

At Falmouth book seller

At Falmouth Maritime museum

At Helston bookshop

At the edge of the world bookshop Penzance

Alex Carter

Author & sailor

The Edge of Life

Instagram: @sv.acid.rain

Website: www.svacidrain.com

Facebook: Alex Carter