Love Sailing

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 when 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

The idea of anchoring in the Truro River had worked well except looking at the Sunday bus times, didn’t look good so, by Saturday l had decided to head back after visiting Vicki.  South out of the Truro River, down the Carrick Roads and onto the Precuil River for one night. Then get back to Gillan Harbour and into Carne Creek for high water on Sunday, once home, l could then drive to see Vicki in the evening.

Once back aboard Saturday evening, l got Elektra ready to leave and pulled up her anchor 1730hrs, clean and stowed, then heading south on engine, l pasted Turnaware Point at 1800hrs, then unrolled the genoa and stopped engine, going over the shallows at about hour after low water the least depth l saw was 1.3m until the keel. Elektra was logging 4.5kts on almost a dead run but on a starboard tack. I kept her on this tack until just north of Falmouth entrance. And then gibed her on a port tack and headed towards the gap between Castle Point and Lugo Rock. Continued to sail into St Mawes up to the anchored yachts before rolling away the genoa and starting the engine at 1900hrs. From there l motored Elektra into the Precuil River and dropped anchor at 1915hrs having logged 7.5nm.

Sunday morning, summer had arrived and l was sun bathing whilst l waited for the tide. I would need high water to get Elektra into Carne Creek. The forecast was showing northeast force 3 and l pulled up Elektra’s anchor at 1100hrs and motored her back down the Precuil River to the sea. Once out of the moorings l set just the genoa and Elektra started slow but speeding up to 4kts in the entrance of the Carrick Roads. But once out into Falmouth Bay there wasn’t any wind and l started her engine again. Motoring into Gillan Harbour l was a little on the early side of high water but continued in slowly.

Part of being a skipper is to see problems before they happen. Gillan Harbour is a playground for holiday makers in the summer months, going towards the shallows l would be looking out for kayakers, paddle boarders and swimmers. Restricted by depth once entering Carne Creek l needed to keep Elektra in the channel which splits and runs up either side of the creek. With a paddle boarder and kayaker approaching the narrows from Carne Creek and l approaching the narrows from Gillan Harbour. I could see we might end up in the same place at the same time. Small craft tend to think of the edge of the creek as being out of the way but in Carne Creek, the edge is the channel! But this time they didn’t get into the channel before l turned Elektra to port across their path, l explained about the channel position as we passed in opposite directions. Motoring Elektra up the channel slowly with 1.4m down to 0.5m under her keels. When l turned across the level to anchor just 0.3m under her keels.

I packed up Elektra and go ready to leave, lowered the dinghy from it’s davits, refitted the outboard and locked up and motored back out of Carne Creek to St Anthony beach and l was home by 1400hrs.

It had been a suggestion of Patti, Vicki’s daughter to use Elektra to stay abroad near Truro to save the 2hrs driving and 65 miles round trip to Truro hospital every day. This got me thinking and l did my homework to find out where best to anchor for best access to Truro.

My cheapest option was to anchor just south of Malpas. I would have a dinghy trip to Malpas, about an hour nice walk to Truro bus station along the banks of the upper Truro River. Then using my bus pass a free bus trip to the hospital. Allowing for the anchoring fee l would be able to save about £12-14 per day.

This got me out of the house and doing things for Elektra again, thinking about cruising mode again even if the plan wasn’t to go far from home.

It was Wednesday 20th of May, home shopping arrived about 1030hrs and l was packing up the car and heading for St Anthony beach by 1100hrs with stores. I pushed the dinghy down to the shore and transferred the stores, out in the dinghy to Elektra before the tide went out. Out aboard Elektra there wasn’t any hurry to get away and l was in two minds as if to go today or not due to the forecast of southwest force 4 gusting 6! So l slowly got Elektra ready to leave, the tide would be better if l left later and looking at the forecast again, it looked better to leave in the evening. Just before leaving l removed the mooring strop from the bow roller and moved the anchor from the locker onto the bow roller for later.

I cast off the mooring at 1630hrs, just used the engine to get out of the moorings and out between Carcroc and Dennis Head before stopping. I was expecting Elektra to take off across Falmouth Bay so, had only set reefed genoa, but it turned out to be a dead run, more south-southwest. With a ship at anchor halfway across the bay, l didn’t want to get too close and by the time l reached her l had decided to gibe her onto a starboard tack behind the ship and head towards St Mawes to avoid being too close to the lea shore of Pendennis Point. Once happy l had given Elektra enough sea room, l gibed her back onto a port tack to go into the Carrick Roads between Pendennis Point and Black Rock.

At the entrance, the pilot boat “Arrow” came out of Falmouth heading across Elektra’s bow towards Black Rock, to give her a little more room l turned Elektra a little more to port, she was logging 6kts and Arrow passed between Black Rock and Elektra going south.

Elektra slowed a little going north up Carrick Roads, but still 5kts plus. At Turnaware Point l rolled away the genoa and started Elektra’s engine. Motored her north up the Fal River, waiting for the King Harry Ferry to cross and on North past HMS Argus laid up on the Fal River. Then north into the Truro River and anchored Elektra just south of the last mid stream visitors pontoon. Elektra had covered the 10.5nm in 2hrs.

Vicki had been reamitted to hospital yesterday, and I had been there well into the evening, so when Patti, Vicki’s daughter had offered to give me a day off visiting duties, I thanked her. I had spent the morning getting some washing done and going out to the builders suppliers for some sealent. Once I fixed the 2 new hand rails in the shower for Vicki when she get back home. After I finished I thought looks like a nice day for a sail and so looked at the tides and weather forecast, both of which looked good.

I got down to St Anthony beach at 1400hrs, refilled the outboard fuel tank launched the dinghy and pushed the dinghy out as I climbed aboard. The outboard started first pull, it had improved a lot since changing the fuel to E5 instead of the E10 I used last season, of course it takes a little while to clear the system completely. Once out aboard Elektra, I got her ready to leave. I made the dinghy painter off to the pickup buoy.

The forecast was north-northwest, top end of a force 4, but I had a feeling it was more just looking around at the trees blowing about. Elektra dosen’t need much wind and she gets unmanageable with too much sail up very quickly! She almost carries twice as much sail as her little sister a Sadler 26, which is only 3ft shorter. I have often thought she is tender but a friend who also owns a Sadler 29 likes to say she has a sporty rig!

So when I dropped the mooring over the side at 1500hrs, I had already decided only to use her genoa. I got her ready as I motored her slowly out of Gillan between Dennis Head and Carcrock. I had set just her genoa with one reef and when the wind took her, I shut the engine down. Elektra was soon logging 5-6kts in a north-northeast direction, this was obviously her right amount of sail, or so I thought until a gust put her side deck under the water. It always amazes me how well she points on just her genoa, here she was going though the waves into the wind, one reef in the genoa only and still logging over 6kts. there were other yachts out as well, all well reefed! At least with the reef in her tiller pilot could cope, we sort of did 50-50% of the helm while sailing. This is what I would call exciting sailing. Once into the entrance of Carrick Roads, I turned her around and headed back, now on a broad reach things seemed a lot cailmer but the wind was just as strong. I had let the reef out, but she seemed in danger of broching, so I pull the reef back in’ she was still logging the same sort of speed. once back in Gillan, Elektra had covered the 9nm in 1.5hrs.

Back at the mooring, my dinghy was gone! I motored out and could see a dinghy in against the rocks in the cove, west of the Nare Point. I contacted David J from the boat yard, who was out in Gillan Harbour in their work boat, and he went and got my dinghy for me, will I packed up Elektra. It was 1800hrs when I got back to St Anthony beach in the dinghy.

Soon after arrival back home after our few days aboard, Vicki was rushed to hospital for a emergency operation and has been in hospital ever since. This has stopped all of our sailing plans dead.

Elektra has been left at anchor, but l am arranging a seasonal swing mooring for her, l am hoping to be able to go day sailing alone between visits and looking after Vicki

On Monday 11th May, Vicki came home to convalesce. There will be further operation or treatment once Vicki is over the first operation. Although l am now in charge of looking after Vicki, l am also hoping to take Elektra out day sailing when weather and time allows.

On Friday 24th of April, after a four days of strong east winds, l had decided we needed to get aboard and move Elektra over the channel, so as to let us escape from Carne Creek before she would be neeped. We packed up all we needed for our first few days aboard and were driving down to St Anthony by 0930.

On arrival at the beach, l topped up the outboards fuel. The beach had waves which is unusual at St Anthony and getting aboard without get wet looked unlikely. So with a lot of seaweed on the shoreline, l slipped the dinghy off the trolley onto it. Taking the trolley back upto the top of the beach before unloading bags out of the car into and into the dinghy. Not too many to make the dinghy unsafe, l pushed the dinghy down the weed and partly into the sea and then let Vicki climb in, then pushing into the sea properly, l pushed off the shore and climbed in myself without getting wet, the motor started first pull and so l could engage forward with a little choke we were off.

Motoring out across St Anthony to the narrows the swell was side on, but once we turned into the narrows behind us all the way to Elektra anchored in Carne Creek. At Elektra Vicki climbed aboard and l held the dinghy in place under her until she was safely into the cockpit. Then l pulled the dinghy along the side of Elektra and unloaded the dinghy onto the cockpit. Then back to the ladder, made fast the dinghy and climbed aboard myself.

I looked at my tide app, it was showing 3.8m and Elektra was floating, the ground here was deeper than where we used to have a mooring. I helped Vicki with the bags into the cabin and we discussed options on moving Elektra. The high water tomorrow was 4.0m and Elektra was floating in 3.8m today, her anchor was well dug in, we decided to leave from here tomorrow at high water. So l left Vicki with the bags to stow and having put on a lifejacket, l went back in the dinghy to St Anthony for the remaining bags. I went into the office to see if l could get a carpark pass, but not been delivered yet. Then went and parked the car. Then it was back in the dinghy to Elektra and unload into cockpit.

Once l was back aboard, there was a lot of stuff to stow and it was possibly 2hrs later before Elektra was ship shape, Elektra had been swinging at anchor all this time but took the ground again at about 1400hrs, later in the afternoon we both fell asleep for an hour, l find the sea air dose that.

Vicki cooked dinner for 1900hrs, and afterwards we played Scrabble and opened a bottle of red. The evening and night where cold and we ran the cabin heater to warm up and had a hot water bottle for the bunk.

Day two

I was out at 0600hrs to check that the dinghy hadn’t gone in under Elektra, and whilst out did some washing up which we had found the evening before. Then sat for a bit looking at emails and social media. When Vicki got out she cooked breakfast, after we had eaten we both had jobs to do to get Elektra ready to leave.

Elektra floated at 1130hrs and having started at the engine at 1200hrs and switched on the instruments, l walked forward with the winch handle to pull up the chain and anchor. The chain was easy and clean but the anchor was so well dug in, l wondered if l was going to break it out without getting Vicki to motor Elektra forward over it. But it did break out and broke surface as a ball of mud, which l then spent the next 10min cleaning off, while Vicki motored Elektra out down the channel to Gillan Harbour.

In Gillan Harbour l pulled up the main, while Vicki continued to motor Elektra east out to sea. Once out we turned north setting all sail and turned off the engine. The swell was leftover easterly from the week before, but now the wind had almost disappeared, sailing was slow and unpleasant, we did try but then decided to motor over Falmouth Bay to Pendennis Point which we passed at 1330hrs having logged 5nm. From there we sailed slowly as far north as St Just before the wind died altogether. So started the motor again and motored to Channels Creek where we dropped anchor at 1450hrs having logged 9nm.

I had suggested at the last Cruising Association planning/social in March a gathering of members here in the evening of the 25th, we couldn’t call it a rally because the CA has certain rules which have to be followed. At the social, there seemed lots of interest but by 1800hrs nobody had shown up and we had shut up and retired below. Around 1830 Robert l think whistled and l poked my head out of the companion way hatch to see them coming into the anchorage. Sometime after 2100hrs Robert and Lisa.   came over for a drink and chat, staying for about a hour before having to leave to make up their berth to sleep.

Day three

I got out about 0700hrs having had a wonderful nights sleep, but my shoulder was now giving me a lot of pain and l needed painkillers for it so made coffee. Vicki cooked brunch at 1000hrs anf at 1100hrs we went over to Robert and Lisa’s yacht for coffee, to say they were good company is under stating it as we stayed until 1700hrs, with one funny story following the next 😄

But having eventually returned to Elektra with Vicki, l motored over to Iain aboard Myrtle his Hunter 32 to say hi, had her re-launched today.

But l didn’t stop long because we were moving from Channels Creek to our favourite anchorage in the Precuil River this evening. I removed Elektra’s cockpit enclosure and pulled up her anchor at 1745hrs and Vicki motored Elektra back out of Channels Creek and south down Carrick Roads in no wind, we dropped anchor again in the Precuil River at 1850hrs having logged 5nm.

We had started the cabin heater as we came around the point by St Mawes Castle and so when we arrived the cabin was nice and warm, l refitted the cockpit enclosure when we arrived and went below into the warm, there l open a bottle of red and we had a quieter evening reading.

Day four

I got out about 0700hrs, l had some washing up to do so put on the kettle for hot water, while l was washing up, l put the kettle on again for coffee, the gas started to look like it was running low and before boiling it ran out altogether. So out on deck to the anchor locker for the spare bottle. Then l found the the retaining strap fastening had rusted solid and wouldn’t loosen. I was able however to pull in off the bottle to remove. I then cut off the old strap off and removed because l had a new replacement strap. Gas bottle replaced and new strap attached, it was time to boil the kettle for that first coffee of the day.

Peter had messaged me last evening to say he was expecting to be anchored near us today, his eta was 2200hrs.

I had to call my insurance about the pick-up l sold as the automatically renewed the policy. Once l had sorted that out, l rowed the dinghy over to see Peter aboard Tela his Sadler 26. Peter had left Starcross in the river Exe, stopping at Dartmouth and Plymouth before here, he was planning to get to Scotland and back by mid July, but having seen the latest forecast, he had decided to stay put in Precuil River for a few days until the strong east had blown out.

Vicki and l went down to St Mawes and the Rising Sun for our first pub lunch of the season. On arrival back at Elektra we decided to head back to Carne Creek and home for a few days while the wet and windy weather was here. The high water was about 1530hrs but but being 4.3m we didn’t have to arrive on high water. There wasn’t any wind for this short passage, so l just motored Elektra all the 7nm. Once anchored we decided to stay abroad overnight and leave Elektra next day. We sat in the cockpit until 1800hrs enjoying the sunshine, but it got chilly and so we moved into the saloon. But this weekend had been wonderful weather for April.

We opened a bottle of red and listened to the radio before turning in for a great night’s sleep.

Day five

I didn’t get out until 0800hrs after sleeping very well. Elektra had grounded facing the out going tide just before dawn, and having attached the dinghy painter to the bow last night the dinghy was clear of her bow. Because Elektra was facing upstream in a west-southwest direction the cold wind was coming from the northeast and our plastic wash boards weren’t a good fit and this  cooled the cabin so much by 0930hrs l had pulled on a fleece and turned the cabin heater on.

We didn’t leave Elektra for home until about 1300hrs because she was she had been aground all morning on soft mud. It wasn’t until the tide was coming back in, the dinghy was floating and deep enough for me to put the engine down and run that we could go. I climbed into the dinghy and Vicki passed bags for home down to me whilst l held on with a 2-3kt tide stream rushing by. Vicki climbed into the dinghy and held the painter ready to slip until l got the engine started to use. We headed over to the channel and down river against the tide, at the narrows the engine here was just enough speed over the tide race, possibly 1/2kt faster! But slowly making it and out into Gillan Harbour and over to St Anthony beach. It was about 1400hrs when we got home.

It had been a nice few days aboard we had logged 21nm but not much sailing, and no real sailor’s like motoring, but we had met up with 3 sailing friends on the water.