Ship Ahoy!!

     The crew have made it off dry land and clambered aboard the Sea Princess which slipped effortlessly from Ilfracombe harbour under skies as clear as the water. Incidentally the reason for the clarity of the sea around this part of the coast is that it is far from the muddy waters of the estuary, the journey west of Ilfracombe was quite spectacular. Our lyrical skipper was never short of local information and was able to point out many points of historical and geographical interest, including old smuggling caves and hidden entrances to very old mines. We journeyed past Coombe Martin and up to Watermouth Cove with its amazing castle and hugged the coast on our return to the bustling harbour of Ilfracombe.This was  a grand day out for adults and children alike and the journey time was 1.5 hrs; perfect for us all. Ilfracombe being so close to us at  Silver Cottage it is a perfect day trip for our guests, and at £12 per adult and minnows under five go free, we thought it was good value.Ilfracombe has a lot to offer in the way of cafe's and eateries (Damien Hurst's restaurant on the harbour and the Gendarmarie being two of our favorites). There is also an excellent wet fish shop on the harbour which we try and visit every time we go. The family concerned land their catch seemingly straight in to the shop it's so fresh! We indulged in gurnard which we smoked at home a la Jamie Oliver - delicious.Ilfracombe Princesshttp://www.ilfracombeprincess.co.uk/Damien Hurst's cafe / restaurant    http://11thequay.co.uk/Gendarmarie Restaurant                    http://www.foodanddrinkguides.co.uk/ilfracombe/la-gendarmerie/restaurant/1778/S and P fish                                                http://www.ilfracombepeople.co.uk/cafes/cafes-snack-shops-and-tearooms/S-P-Fish-Shop/business-10614038-detail/business.html