Love Sailing

I had to hang around all day on Friday 26th June for Cornwall Council to pick up Vicki’s hospital bed. They told me it would be between 9am and 6pm, updating later to 12 to 4pm. And the guy turned up at 4pm and it took him an hour to dismantle, remove and leave.

I spent the day getting ready to leave, so 15min after he left, l was also ready to leave home. Of course by the time l had driven down to St Anthony and launched the dinghy, unloaded the car into it and motored the dinghy out to Elektra and got stowed and ready to leave, it was quite a bit later. I dropped Elektra’s mooring at 1820hrs, l had sailed Elektra across Falmouth, but now a mile south of St Mawes with a ebbing tide and less wind the SOG had dropped off to 2kts. So l started her engine and motored her to Place,  only just making it in. Elektra grounded before l could drop her anchor, so l let her anchor go and enough chain for high water. Packing away, l looked at something for dinner but the meals where still frozen. So l had cheese and biscuits.

At low water, l climbed down Elektra’s boarding ladder and pulled her anchor out and set it by hand, to avoid me worrying about it dragging in the night when the tide came back in.

I was wacked and went to bed early, then about 10pm l heard fireworks, so stuck my head out of the fore hatch and what a wonderful display it was, for some reason it only made me sad that Vicki wasn’t here to see it.

Looking at the forecast and tide, l needed to get Elektra back into Carne Creek by 1100hrs because of strong east wind on Monday.

So l pulled up the anchor at 0930hrs, l had the engine running just in case it was needed, but it wasn’t. Unrolling the genoa Elektra was logging 1.8-2kts and with the chart plotter saying we would arrive in Gillan at 1230hrs, it didn’t take me long to start her engine again and motor her across Falmouth Bay.

I motored Elektra into Gillan Harbour at 1030hrs and on into Carne Creek, where l dropped anchor.

Having spent some time in Fowey in the fog and misty rain, l decided it was time to leave. The tide wasn’t going to be going our way until 1340hrs. But I knew because of the forecast of little or no wind that the passage would be mainly motoring. So by 1100hrs l was fed up waiting.

So l cast off the mooring at 1115hrs, as expected we were motoring southwest into a southwest force 1-2. Motoring on up to the Dodman Point way point which l pasted at 1245hrs. Then with a better angle on the wind, l unrolled the genoa and dropped the revs on the engine, logging 6.5-6.8kts for the next few miles. After that the motor sailing was off and on to Zone Point. But the engine ran all the way and we motored into St Mawes exactly 4hrs after dropping the mooring in Fowey having logged 20.5nm.

There in St Mawes was Robert and Mandy anchored in their Sadler 34, who invited me aboard for a beer. So after doing some jobs, l lowered the dinghy into the water and rowed over for a beer, which turned into another beer and a couple of glasses of wine. Our first toast was too Vicki. I made my excuses at 1930hrs and headed back to Elektra to put on my dinner.

When l was enjoying Bill and Sally’s company the evening before. Richard Banks and his friend Peter had arrived aboard “Spirited” Richard’s Starlight 36. Richard and sent me an email which l hadn’t seen until l returned to Elektra just before dark.

Via email l asked what they were planning for Friday, Richard said going back to Plymouth. I said what time are you leaving, maybe we could chat before you leave. So Richard invited me over for morning coffee at 8am.

So l rowed over in the drizzle at 8am next morning and met Peter, we chatted over coffee. Richard had invited Peter to come down to Plymouth with plans of visiting Scilly  but the weather hadn’t been on their side and also a problem with Richard’s windless had meant they hadn’t gone again. Peter had done lots of sailing but never been to Scilly, so this had turned into another non visit to Scilly sailing holiday. With my talk of Scilly was kind of rubbing salt in it!

With the weather improving, Richard wanted to go over to fill the water tank, before getting back to Plymouth. So l left and went back to Elektra. With the weather improving, l sat in the cockpit and went to sleep again 😴 After “Spirited” had left Fowey the drizzle started again and so l went below. Spending the rest of the day in the cabin, cooked a hot meal and did a few jobs in between resting and answering emails and texts. In the evening a bit more of the same until I went to bed around 10pm.

This had been my cheapest ever visit to Fowey. It wasn’t until the harbour master arrived for mooring fee, that l discovered l had left my wallet at home! I could pay the mooring fee by online banking, but l didn’t have any money to go into town. So with a free night available on my Fowey loyalty card, l just paid £26.50 for one night.

With arrangements for Vicki’s funeral done, l thought a few more days aboard would be good. The forecast southly force 3-4, looked good for getting to Fowey, l had only ever done it once before on my own, so l was slightly worried at the prospect.

On Thursday 18th June at 0720hrs l dropped Elektra’s mooring having slept aboard over night.  There didn’t seem much wind and l had pulled up her mainsail while on the mooring. The visibility was around 3nm because of fog. I motored her out to Carcroc Cardinal Buoy and set sails from there. Elektra logging about 4kts across Falmouth Bay, once south of the Roseland her speed picked up to 5.25- 5.75kts, and continued at that sort of speed until the Dodmin Point.

We were joined with a pod on common dolphins for a time riding Elektra’s bow wave, then as we passed the Dodman she slowed quite a bit around the point, l’m not sure why, and then speeded up a little too 3.5-4kts from there to Cannis Buoy where l started her engine at 1230hrs having logged 21.5nm. I motored her in to Fowey and picked up a swing mooring at 1305hrs having logged 23.5nm

In the afternoon, l filled Elektra’s water tank, in the evening l was invited over to another yacht for a drink, which turned into dinner. Bill and Sally Farrant were very welcoming. I had taken some photos of their yacht sailing during the day which l pasted on to them. They both had a long history of sailing many different types of yachts and were very interesting, they had down sized from a Freedom to this little yacht thinking it would be easier but had found it more work to sail.

With lots going on for Tuesday, it was time to head back on Monday, quite a different day, it was overcast. I either had to leave before low water or after low water. If l went early, l would have to wait in Gillan Harbour on Elektra’s mooring for the tide to come back in, but if l went later the forecast was for the wind to increase which make it hard sail across Falmouth Bay.

In the end l decided to leave early. So l got Elektra ready to leave and by 0930hrs l was pulling her anchor back up. Once l had stowed the anchor in it’s locker. l motored Elektra over to Innisfree and chatted with Keith before leaving. I motored Elektra back down river and out of the moorings off St Mawes before setting sail.

Now being a lone sailor, l had been experimenting this season with how little sail was needed to keep Elektra moving as fast as possible. I had found just using her genoa is a good way to go. But today, it was a beat and normally a mainsail is needed to sail into wind. But l was interested to know how well just the genoa would cope.

I found when starting out of the Carrick Roads in a westerly force 4 the genoa was working well with Elektra logging 5-6kts into wind and not too much healing. The tiller pilot could also cope well. The problem came as the wind eased to a wesrerly force 3, only then did she need more sail. But with only 1.5nm to go, l didn’t bothet pulling up the main, what l have gained would have been lost again packing the sail away again.

Once back on Elektra’s mooring. I had quite a bit of packing up to do. But getting ashore had to wait for 2hrs before the tide would be high enough to get to St Anthony beach with the dinghy.

Home for a shower, next day home shopping was arriving between 0930-1030hrs, followed by a meeting at 1130hrs and another at 1530hrs.

Sunday started a little hazy, but cleared to become hot and sunny, in hind sight l should have dabbed on the sun cream but l hadn’t seen much sun this year and it wasn’t until the end of the day l realised, l was sun burnt.

If Vicki was here, she would have made sure l applied sun cream, but now l am on my own, l will be making my own mistakes.

Later in the day another Sadler 29 “Innisfree” anchored close by, later after he looked as if he had done his jobs, l rowed over to say hello. The skipper Keith Overstall told me he was from Chester, he had been working himself west since the beginning of May hoping to get to Scilly. Of course as joint S29 owners we questioned each other are our yachts. Both built in 1984, even then they had lots of differents. In the evening Keith and Gary also anchored near by came over for a drink.

When l got out on Saturday morning while sorting out my breakfast, l found the water tank was empty, no pot of tea this morning then, so l poured myself a mug of milk to take my tablets.

Elektra went aground about 0830hrs and l contacted Robert to say suggest he arrives at 1215hrs to be able to row in and climb Elektra’s boarding ladder. Between 0830 and 1315hrs Elektra would be grounded and as she had swung around and was facing north she had grounded on mud, so there wasn’t anyway of getting off her until the tide came back. I was marooned!

What great weather, l might have been marooned, but the cockpit was a sun trap and l enjoyed being there to my own thoughts.

As the tide started to sweep in over the mud,l moved my dinghy over to the port cleat, so when Robert arrived the boarding ladder was clear. I had set up the mast ladder and things were ready for when Robert arrived. Right on time Robert arrived in his dinghy, Robert had anchored his yacht off St Mawes.

With Robert taking up the slack on the safety line, l climbed the mast ladder to the spreaders to rerun the signal lines. I didn’t tell Robert but l’m scared up any height these days, l lost my nerve after a fall of just 5ft in a tree during 2020, l used to climb trees and cut branches with a chainsaw, now l was clinging to the mast in fear! Lol 😆  l was glad once I was back down on the deck again.

By then Elektra was floating and Robert helped pack up the ladder again before heading off again back to Mandy his wife aboard his yacht. Then l got Elektra ready to leave and at 1340hrs pulled up her anchor and motored out passed St Mawes, l was going back to St Anthony and home for water cans.

I always find it amusing that when there isn’t any wind like today, there are 3x as many yachts trying to sail! There was about a southerly force 2, and because of it being a head wind l just continued to motor Elektra across Falmouth Bay. At 1450hrs l dropped anchor in St Anthony, quickly as possible l launched the dinghy, locked up and took a holdall of Vicki’s stuff and went home. An hour and half later l was back aboard Elektra and ready to move again. On the way out of Gillan l stopped to talk to Adrian another sailing friend on his cat “Swallow Tail” and tell him of Vicki’s passing. At 1650 l was heading back out of Gillan Harbour. I set all her sails to cross Falmouth Bay but after an hour had only logged 2nm at which point I  packed away her sails and started motoring, motoring in and up Precuil River, l  dropped anchor at 1830hrs having logged 12.5nm all day.

Before boat jobs, l put my dinner in the oven, then covered mainsail and launched dinghy.

After 10 days of wind and rain, a spell of nice weather is forecasted. A few days aboard would allow me to rest after looking after Vicki.

On Friday 12th June after sorting out some paperwork regarding Vicki’s finances in the morning. I planed to sail over to Place in the Precuil River. I had arranged with my friend Robert for him to hold the safety line while l go up the mast to fit new signal lines on Saturday morning. The tide times dictated when l had to go and the weather wasn’t looking very good.

The forecast for Friday was westerly force 4 gusting 6. I wanted to get into Place over high water which was about 1530hrs and l was down to St Anthony beach by 1330hrs, launched and loaded the dinghy. Out at Elektra, l transferred stores into her cockpit. Lifting the outboard from the dinghy onto Elektra’s pushpit and attached her davit lines, then climbed aboard. The wind was howling out of Gillan Harbour while l got Elektra ready to leave. Once ready l switched on her instruments and stared the engine. Walked up the the bow, where Elektra was keen to leave, held by the mooring strop swinging back and forth, casting was an effort for me. Before l got back into the cockpit Elektra gad already turned 90 degrees and drifted half the way towards the next moored yacht. I quickly engaged forward on engine control lever and turned her towards the sea. Motoring her out between Carcroc and Dennis Head, l set half her genoa and stopped the engine. I truly expected Elektra to take off across Falmouth Bay, but there just didn’t seem as much wind out on the water. It wasn’t long before l had let all her genoa out and Elektra was logging 5-6kts. It was a nice sail across the bay but nowhere near as lively as l was expecting. I started her engine again as we reached St Mawes moorings and motored her into Place 1.25hrs after casting of having logged 6nm.

Here in Place Elektra had 2m under her keels and would go aground around mid tide. I like Elektra to be aground when climbing the mast as wash from other boats passing by can  cause those who are up a mast to be flung around like being up a tree in gale! Other boaters, especially motor boaters don’t see the havoc they leave in their wake!

I worked out the tide times and relayed to Robert, he should be able to get aboard Elektra at about 1215hrs tomorrow.

In the anchorage was Gary in his Hurley motor boat. We had first met Gary in Scilly during our first visit to the islands back in 2009. At the time he lived in Scilly but when he retired moved to the mainland and now lives nr Falmouth. Over the years since we met, Gary had done huge distances in some very small yachts and is a very experienced sailor. Once l launched the dinghy, l went over for a chat.

Over the late afternoon evening l lounged around in the sunshine until the sun set over the hill, when l retired to the saloon.

My wife Vicki passed away in the early hours of Sunday 7th June. Although l am sad l was relieved Vicki wasn’t in pain anymore.

I was trying to keep myself busy, to avoid moping around the house. After tidying away some of Vicki’s clothes and had to drive over to the health centre to drop off her unused medication. On the way back l planned to pickup the outboard from St Anthony beach as the fuel system needed to to cleaned out. When l arrived at St Anthony the tide was in and l thought l should check out Elektra while l was down there.

So l launched the dinghy and set off out to Elektra’s swing mooring, l hadn’t gone far when the outboard gear selector broke. With no forward gear, l had to row from there, there was plenty of wind, so not much effort was needed. Out aboard Elektra, l started on my checks, no water anywhere forward, but water under the floor below the companion way hatch, not surprising considering the amount of rain we had over the last 10 days. Having baled out about half a bucket of fresh water, l was looking out at Falmouth Bay thinking l could go for a sail. This hadn’t been my plan and l was in two minds if to go or not.

But in the end l thought, why not. I just started the engine to get Elektra away from the moorings, but once clear stopped it again, there was plenty of wind, vearing from west to north the top of a force 5, l only set half of Elektra’s genoa and she was logging over 6kts quite a bit of the time. It was a little too much for the tiller pilot to cope, so l was helmingʻ most of the time. I sailed her into the Carrick Roads and north to St Just in Roseland before turning Elektra around. I was enjoying myself, and on the way south out of the Carrick Roads again, Elektra was logging 6.5-6.8kts. Back across Falmouth Bay to Gillan, it was great sailing and l hadn’t planned to go. I rolled away the genoa at Carcroc Cardinal Buoy and motored her slowly into her mooring, Elektra had logged 13nm over 2.5hrs.

I knew now, sailing was going to continue to be part of my life. When l first met Vicki in 2003 l was playing golf. We looked for something we could enjoy together, l suggested sailing as l had sailed dinghies from the age of 12. So we hired a sailing dinghy a few times though the early part of 2004 before buying a day sailer called “Acorn”. This we sailed for 18 months before buying “Gala” our Hurley 22 to go cruising. We sailed her for 11 seasons before buying Elektra. I think it’s fair to say l wouldn’t ever have gone cruising without meeting Vicki and the many cruising friends we have made over the last 22 years, wouldn’t ever have become friends.

I will miss Vicki