Love Sailing

As lovely as the River Avon was, the forecast was for strong east winds by the weekend and it now being Thursday it was time to move on. I was out at 0700hrs and had breakfast and before the tide started coming back in, l climbed down the boarding ladder to check Elektra’s bottom. All looked ok apart from her prop which was covered with barnicals and stiff to rotate. So l climbed back aboard and got a wood chisel to scrap them off. Maybe not the best use for the tool but it did a good job and seemed sharper afterwards? The prop shaft now turned smoothly without any friction.

As the tide started coming back, l learnt something new, dry sand floats. I knew sand moved, but l thought that was with wave and in the tide flow. No wonder it had made it’s way so far up this River from the sea.

With low water at 0700hrs, it was 0830hrs before the tide turned and started coming back in. Elektra floated at 0950hrs but there wouldn’t be any way of leaving before 1200hrs at the earliest because of the incoming stream, we had to wait until it at least slowed down a lot as at the narrows can be going at 4kts.

Not wanting to wait any longer, l dropped the mooring at 1200hrs and motored her down the channel towards the narrows, Elektra was doing 3kt SOG and getting to the narrows, l upped the revs to 3000 and Elektra went through the narrows at 3.5kts. After the narrows Elektra speeded up to 4.5kts SOG, until we got out of the channel into the sea. From there having turned her onto the course, l never dropped the revs again until we motored into Polkerris in St Austell Bay 33.5nm to the west. It had been a boring 6hrs of motoring, but it puts us in the right place to get home tomorrow before the strong east winds.

I’m hoping to be able to sail tomorrow, but we’ll have to see if the weather forecasters have it right?

After a solid night’s sleep until 0800hrs, it was Elektra bouncing on the bottom as the tide started to float her which woke me. I got out and boiled the kettle for tea and had breakfast. Once l had cleared up afterwards, l lifted the outboard from the pushpit onto the dinghy and motored over to the shore, it wasn’t until l got there that l realised l had left my phone aboard, so back in the dinghy to Elektra to get phone. Almost back the outboard miss fired and stopped but l grabbed hold of Elektra before getting washed upstream. Phone collected, back in the dinghy the engine started but having having gone about 3-4 boat lengths stopped again. So l rowed it to the shore.

I made the painter off to a shore chain and went for a walk. I didn’t walk far because already the morning was getting hot, but l wanted to take some photos for those of you who read my blog. Out around the point and back up the main street/lane past the pub “The Sloop Inn” and along a footpath beside the river. Once on the way back l stopped a cafe for a drink, 2 cans of fizzy orange £6! Having spent that much on a soft drink, l didn’t stop st the pub for a pint.

Having rowed back to Elektra, I needed to look at the outboard, it had to be working for getting ashore once l was back home again. So  l set about stripping down the carburettor, this l have done many times before with lots of different smaller engines. Quite often you don’t see anything blocking the jets, but just taking them apart quite often solves the problem. And this was the same with this outboard, once put together again, l tested it and it ran fine. So l lifted it onto the pushpit and clamped and locked in place.

Then a drink and a sleep in the cockpit, and so the day drifted by. I had a bit of washing up to do and some other jobs. I studied the forecast a bit. There is strong east winds forecasted for the weekend and l needed to get home before them.

So the plan is to leave tomorrow on high water and go west, how far west will depend on weather.

I am used to moving Elektra in the shallows, but the River Avon in Bigbury Bay which we had visited before back in 2019, takes a bit of learning. This River drys out completely apart from the channel about 0.6m deep at low water, it always flows out until the tide reaches it’s datum height of about 1.6m, when the tide starts coming back in. I think what makes the Avon so attractive is that is that the bottom is sand all the way into the upper reaches which then is mud. As this is a drying River the tide when going in or out the flow is moving at 2-3kts.

On Wednesday the 7th July l planned to visit again, the forecast of light winds for a few days made the timing ideal. I planned to leave Frogmore Creek in Salcombe at first light and use the last bit of the west going tide for the 2hrs passage to the Avon entrance, then drop anchor and wait for high water.

So l set my alarm for 0400hrs, but when l got out we had thick fog! I wasn’t going anywhere unless it cleared, so l put on the kettle for a pot of tea then the gas ran out! Things weren’t going well! So l went forward to the anchor locker for the spare bottle, changed the bottle and put the kettle on again. Sitting down for breakfast once the tea was made.

It took a while but by 0630hrs, the fog looked clear enough to move, so l got Elektra ready, l pulled up half the anchor chain before starting her engine, then went forward and pulled up the rest and stowed the anchor at 0700hrs. Then motoring slowly at first back out of Salcombe. Another yacht also moved out from one of the upper mooring in front of us, but moving a half knot faster she gently pull away. By the time Elektra reached Salcombe bar the other yacht was making it’s way around the Mew Stone also heading west. Now around slack water, we had both lost any advantage of west going tide.

The other yacht headed as if on passage for Falmouth but l turned Elektra to follow the coast to Bolt Tail and then turn into Bigbury Bay. On arrival off the River Avon, l dropped anchor in the shelter of the island, l looked at the tides and could see that the tide only had about another 0.3m to rise before high water, so l thought l could pull the anchor back up and go in as l wasn’t going to rush in, so that what l did.

Motoring Elektra back out east to the transit on 2 houses in line, l then turned her onto the transit and motored in slowly watching the depth. After making the turn to east again with surf breaking on the sand bank to starboard and lining Elektra up with the deep  water in the narrows. Just before l got there about 5-6 swimmers entered the water in front of Elektra, restricted by draft l had to keep her in the deeper water so l throttled back and was just moving faster than the stream speed. Once past the swimmers, l turned her into where l thought the channel was, but it had moved since we visited back in 2019. Not knowing which way to go eventually Elektra ran aground. I quickly dropped anchor and some chain and proceeded to lower the dinghy into the water. Then as l was getting lines out from under the floor the younger harbour master came over and asked why did we come in so early?

I dropped the lines into the dinghy dinghy and quickly as l could l rowed to a empty mooring buoy, l attached one line and then another to it which turned out to be long enough, and made off to Elektra’s bow cleat. Just then the boss harbour master came over and asked, why did you come in so early? I said sorry Why didn’t you call ahead? I said l didn’t know your number. Did you hit this boat? I said no, l dropped anchor and she didn’t go back that far.

I told the harbour master Elektra was held now by her anchor and the mooring. I am going to pull her back up to the mooring and whilst doing so pull up and stow the anchor and then l will move over onto that visitor mooring. The harbour master said that’s fine but stay on this mooring until the tide slows down. Well do l said.

Once all was done including moving over to the visitor mooring. I lifted the outboard from the pushpit onto the dinghy and motored over to the harbour masters office. Once l landed, l said can we start again? He was nice after that and we had quite a good chat about all sorts of boat stuff. I paid the £30 for 2 nights on one of their moorings and came away.

Afterwards l motored the dinghy to the head of the river and back, it seemed to go on forever. But coming into shallow water near the head of the river l just held a mooring buoy for 5-10mins to take in the surroundings. Before heading back the way l had come passing lots of paddle boarders and kayakers on the way. Once back to Elektra l rested in her cockpit for a while until l got over hot and went below. In the evening, put on my dinner and relaxed. Having got up early, l turned in at 2100hrs and went straight to sleep.

Vicki always loved Salcombe, l think possibly because most things were on a level just above high water mark. Vicki hadn’t been able to climb hills for probably 10 years before she passed away recently. I had been sailing since 1972 but we started sailing together in 2004 and then started cruising in 2006. In the earlier years Vicki was very able but a number of health problems starting with her heart operation in 2014, never one to complain Vicki still liked to go away cruising but in post 2014 seasons wanted more rest from the sailing.

Over the last five or so seasons, it took Vicki all her effort just to get aboard Elektra, so as long as l was prepared to carry all the bags, Vicki still wanted to go cruising. When going ashore from Elektra we always needed to use the dinghy to get as close as possible to our destination as by then she couldn’t walk more than a 100 yards on the level and only using a stick and my arm for support.

So here in Salcombe things are mainly on the level, the sailing club is up a hill so Vicki hadn’t been there for about 15 years. But that didn’t bother her because of the showers by the harbour masters office, shops and 2 pubs on the same level. In resent years we had found at high water we could get close to the co-op by dinghy (just across the road).

I used today for shopping at the co-op although l walked through the town to the shop because l am able to. I also updated my mobile number at the HM office and had a shower. Once done, l went back to Elektra and enjoyed the weather in her cockpit. In the evening watching the changing sky as the sun was setting.

I knew the tide stream wouldn’t he going my way until 1300hrs but as there wasn’t much wind, l wrongly thought, l better get going sooner than later.

The forecast was westerly force 2-3, increasing force 4 later, l thought Elektra would be on a reach to Start Point and with the tide going my way l could of sailed on in the same direction before tacking back into Salcombe.

But at Berry Head the wind was from the south-southwest, which was the direction l needed to go! Being that the wind force was only 2, after 1.75hrs Elektra had only logged 5.25nm under full sail in the wrong direction! So l decided to motor her in the right direction, by the time we were off Dartmouth it was upto force 3 but l continued to motor Elektra towards Start Point. Picking upto force 5 for a time, l continued to motor Elektra towards Start Point way point. Rounding the point l thought that l might have been able to set the sails but again now heading west and still a head wind. I motored on into Salcombe and up river to Frogmore Creek to drop anchor at 1645hrs having logged 27nm.

Another hour to pack away the yacht before putting on dinner, which l had eaten by 1900hrs following this on with a bottle of red, by 2100hrs l was drunk, something l hadn’t been for a very long time. I hadn’t been drinking anything while Vicki was I’ll and this one bottle had done it! When the harbour master arrived for his money just before dark, l nearly fell over when l climbed out into the cockpit, that mainsheet dose come in handy sometimes!

On Saturday l had arranged to meet up with Philip Kirby in Brixham. Before l left Elektra l removed the dinghy outboard to Elektra’s pushpit. I had arranged to meet Philip at 1030hrs by the Golden Hind. Of course l wasn’t entirely sure what l was looking for, thinking it was a statue and looking at Google maps, l thought l had identified it. But when l got to the place the statue was just a spike of granite! Walking on and looking for another statue. Philip spotted me first and said hello. I explained to him what l thought l was looking for, and Philip laughed 😅 it’s that ship he said, it’s meant to be a replica of the Golden Hind! Actually it’s built on a old barge.

Philip gave me a tour of Brixham, took me down to the fishing harbour viewing platform. Philip had been a fisherman out of Brixham in his younger years. Then we walked around the harbour, and when we arrived at the visitor pontoon the guys where offering tours of the sailing trawler. Both being sailor’s we went for a look. And it was very interesting. Afterwards we sat on the wall of the quay and just chatted.

Then Philip said, it’s time for a pastie, so we back round the harbour to the shop. Guarding our pasties very carefully from the seagulls we eat them while seated looking out over the harbour. Afterwards Philip suggested walking around the shops, but l suggested having a pint, which is what we did.

Afterwards we said our good buys, it had been nice chatting with Philip over the day before we went our own ways.

But l had the feeling that Philip thought l needed company after losing Vicki so recently (about a month ago). Upsetting as it was, l really lost Vicki back at the end of April when she was first taken to hospital. Yes l had visited her most days but she was dopey with morphine most of the time because of the pain she was in. Losing Vicki still upsets me from time to time, until losing her, l hadn’t ever experienced grief before! And because of that fact, in the past l had always thought there was something wrong with me, as l didn’t understand what grief was.

Last year Vicki and l managed to get as far as Torquay for a few days, but we never got to visit Brixham. So after the night anchored off Torquay Harbour, l pulled up her anchor and motored her over to Brixham side of Torbay. Three local sailors had recommended Fishcombe Cove, they also said the moorings there were free because of eel grass but normally full.

Well going early at 0700hrs, l hoped to get there before the rush and when l arrived at 0800hrs l had the pick of them all.

What a lovely spot l thought 😀

The weather turned into a wonderful day and  by 1300hrs l had to escape the heat into Elektra cabin with the odd half hour in the sun, l really love hot weather but far to hot for me today! It was 27C in the shade 😎

At 1330hrs Peter arrived just to say hi, it had been just over 2 months since l had last seen him in the Precuil River. He had told me of his plans to sail to the western isles in Scotland but he had to get back by July, l had thought at the time he would be lucky! But Peter had done exactly what he planned to do, and now in his home waters having logged 1750nm. He didn’t stop, took a couple of photos and went on his way back to his mooring which l used off Starcross Yacht Club.

Having and another rest day in the Exe, l planned to leave and sail back south to Torquay. Over night and in the early morning the wind was westerly force 5-6, but forecasted to die away to northwest force 4. Until the tide started going out again l was staying put, so slowly got Elektra ready to leave.

I was thinking about 1000hrs but by 0900hrs Elektra had swung around to face the tide and wind so l started her engine and switched on the instruments. Dropped the mooring at 0920hrs having first replaced Elektra’s anchor to her bow.

Motoring Elektra back down the river, l realised there was 1.2m more depth than there was when we had arrived, so if l followed the same track back out that l made coming in we would be safe. It struck me how far out to sea the channel buoys went, they seemed to go on forever, but even just after high water Elektra only had about 3m under her keels, this far out to sea. We passed the last buoy at 1010hrs having logged 4.5nm.

From there l unrolled the genoa and Elektra was soon logging over 5kts, but the tiller pilot couldn’t cope so l rolled in the first reef. Elektra sat up better and had only dropped her speed by 0.2kt, but the best bit was the pilot could cope.

I had been heading for the seaward side of the Ore Stone but l remembered reading in the pilot book that there was a passage between Hope’s Nose and the Ore Stone, so changed the heading a bit to pass inside the Ore Stone, as we entered the gap the wind died away and l started Elektra’s engine at 1210hrs having logged 13.5nm from there l motored Elektra around to Torquay Harbour and anchored her to the west of the harbour.

I had been in contact with my friend Philip, who happened to be aboard his yacht in Torquay Harbour. After arrival and putting things away, l launched the dinghy, fitted the outboard and went in to see Philip. What followed was a nice afternoon with a beer and chatting with Philip. I also went to the co-op for some shopping.

Having sailed along the cost of Devon and Cornwall for over 20 years, with my limited holiday time until last year we hadn’t ever got north of Dartmouth. With Vicki last summer we had managed to make it as far as Torquay Harbour but having visited there once, we wouldn’t be interested in returning anytime soon. This year l had set my sights on visiting the River Exe.

So today was the day. I had planned to get away at 0600hrs but over slept a little 😴 and it was 0625hrs when l pulled up Elektra’s anchor, motoring back out of the river 3nm, l reached the entrance 0710hrs. The tide stream around Start Point was with us until 0940hrs. With good wind and favourable tide we passed Prawle Point NCI station at 0730hrs and Start Point at 0810hrs having logged 9nm.  Turning northeast Elektra was now running down wind. It was lovely sailing and by 1010hrs she had covered 20nm.

By 1110hrs, it was obvious we would arrive at Exmouth over low water and we needed to arrive 2-3hrs after low water. At which point off Berry Head, l decided to stop for a few hours north of Torquay in Babbacombe Bay. Now heading north to clear the Ore Stone to port before turning northwest into the bay. Then looking back south l could see heavy rain coming, so went below for my coat, back in the cockpit, l only just got it on in time. What followed was about was a squall and 10mins of very heavy rain. Then as quick as it came it was gone again. I rolled away the sail at about the end of the rain and motored Elektra into the cove, where l dropped anchor.

An hour and a half later, l pulled up the anchor again and headed out of the bay towards the Exe. With the wind almost dead behind, l had to gibe down wind a few times then off Teignmouth gibed again onto starboard tack. Just then another squall was approaching from the south, l grabbed my coat again but the this ran up the coastline and totally blocked out Teignmouth before moving on over Exmouth. By now l was only 2nm south of Exmouth entrance and l couldn’t see any land, l am glad to say it cleared off before l started Elektra’s engine to motor her into the river.

Following the navigation buoys into the river and watching the depth sounder. The tide stream was fast and remembering what l had been told about the tide wanting to push you over Bull Hill Bank, so l cut close to the port can buoy no12 around Warren Point. Only to come head on to 2 ferry’s and moved over to get out of their way. Then followed the channel upstream to Starcross Sailing Club, where my friend Peter has a mooring which l could use. Peter was back on the south coast of Cornwall having sailed his Sadler 26 from Exmouth to the Lewis in Scotland since the end of April.

I arrived at his mooring and hooked it first time but it was tangled having not been used for 2 months and couldn’t lift it’s pick up buoy.  Hanging on but the tide was rushed past at 2-3kts, l tried to unhook again l couldn’t and l didn’t want to let go of the boat hook, in the end the boat hook couldn’t hold the weight of Elektra anymore and the top end parted company. I wasn’t happy because I had only bought it last season.

But no good crying over spelt milk, l had to find my spare boat hook and once retrieved l picked up another empty mooring. Once onto a mooring l jotted down the end of day writen log and switched off the instruments. Then l launched the dinghy and fitted the engine. Then motored dinghy over to Peter’s mooring and entangled it and cleaned it. Back to Elektra, l then moved her onto Peter’s mooring by which time l was wanting a rest!

I put on my dinner, while covering the mainsail and other jobs. It was now 1900hrs as l sat down to eat. The numbers were, we had done 42.5nm in 9hrs

Having had an interesting passage the day before, l was having a rest day on Monday. I had been in contact with a CA member who was looking for crew to sail his 50ft yacht to South Brittany at the end of July. And we had agreed to meet for coffee to discuss at 1000hrs. Peter is an elderly gentleman with masses of sailing experience, he had owned his yacht for 20 years and taken her across the Atlantic twice. His wife didn’t sail anymore and didn’t like the idea of him sailing alone. Peter had regular crew but he had been ill and wasn’t able the come this season. After a long chat with questions from both sides, l think we were both happy when we parted to go our separate ways.

Then l had some shopping to get and had shower before going back to Elektra to while away the afternoon in Elektra’s cockpit.

In the evening l had arranged to meet family in Salcombe and the Victoria Inn had been booked for a meal. They wanted to see Elektra, not a problem l said just a 20min dinghy ride in both directions. I timed it on the way down river to meet them and it look 23mins. Anyway, it was a nice dinghy ride in both directions on a sunny evening in Salcombe.

Once back in Salcombe town, the table had been booked for 1830hrs. We sat down, it wasn’t looking that busy but the service was very slow, we did get our drinks after half an hour, but a starter of bread no butter and olives did come out half hour later. After more waiting. We were hungry and wanted to eat. So Patti asked how much longer to get our order? When the waitress came back and said 45mins! We said we will pay the bill and have fish and chips along the road. We had eaten our fish and chips and said our good buys before we would have been served in the Victoria Inn! My advice is don’t go there! Apart from anything else, if you book a table for 1830hrs, you don’t think you will need lights to get back to your anchored yacht.