Friday 26th June
My wife Vicki and I are getting fed up with day sailing, something normally we never do. By the time we have made the effort to get ready to go, driven down to the beach got the punt down to the water, loaded the gear and stores. Then motored punt out to Elektra and climbed aboard, lifted the gear and stores aboard and stowed away. Then get Elektra ready to go sailing half the day has already gone by.
Most of our sailing in normal sailing seasons is more laid back, if staying aboard was allowed we might go aboard the night before we sail, next day we will have already agreed what time to leave and done jobs towards that end at a more slower easier pace. We would have a passage plan, would be going somewhere, have a mission, have a port or anchorage in mind for our nexts nights stop.
Vicki had been under the weather the weekend before, had been to the doctors and been given antibiotics which hadnt completetly cleared her infection and she had another stronger abtibiotic which had to be ordered in and by Thursday (a lovely sunny warm day) the day we had planned to sail, they didnt arrive at the doctors until 2pm so that day slipped by and we planned our sailing for Friday 26th June instead.
With Vicki still not 100% we took it slow and it was midday before we were ready to go sailing, Vicki said she didnt want to be out long and get cold. Friday was a cooler day, overcast, we had a forecast of westerly force 4 backing southerly 5 gusting 6 later.
We dropped the anchor at 1300hrs and Vicki had the helm, I had put one reef in the main and let out all the genoa and as the wind was already in the south we set off in a easterly direction. Vicki was loving it, Elektra was in her grove and logging 6.7-6.9kts SOG very quickly once we had rounded the Nare Point. With no real place to go Vicki was working Elektra to get the best possible speed out of her, we were sailing on about 117-120 degrees. There not more the a mile to the south was the Manacle Buoy which we hadnt seen from the sea since July 2018 which was the last time we sailed this way going to and from Scilly. The sea was calm but the wind was picking up, I agreed with Vicki we would turn for home after an hour and I would helm back to Gillan. Elektra was about 5nm east of Manacle Buoy when Vicki took us about, once I reset the sails and then it was my turn to enjoy the helm.
Setting up for our return to Helford River I could see we were on a closing corse for a trawler who was steaming north from the Manacles, from 1/2mile I couldnt tell if she had her traw down or not so decided to give her good clearance astern. Once past I altered corse again for the Nare Point, then things started to hot up, with the wind increasing and now against the tide stream Elektra was still logging over 6kts, closing on the land and the Nare Point the wind picked up a bit more, now gusting force 6 and Elektra started to sing, she would have broched if I had let but I held her true as she came around the Nare on her ear. Once in the shelter of the land things eased a little but Elektra was still logging over 6kts. Sailing right in to Gillan entrance before lowering and furling the sails and motoring in to the mooring.
Wow! What a sail, arriving back on our mooring having logged 12.5nm in 2hrs. Now back on the mooring it was low water so we had a 2hrs wait for the tide to get back ashore, Vicki went to sleep in the fore berth and I in the cockpit! We just managed to get back ashore before the forecasted rain.
Love Sailing 