First sail of 2021

Sunday 4th April

We needed to move Elektra from Carne Creek onto her seasonal mooring. Vicki and l were thinking it was going to be very cold, l had suggested a sail but Vicki wasn’t very keen!

We set off from the shore in the dinghy with waterproofs and plenty of warm gear, but it didnt seem to cold. Arriving out to Elektra loading and stowing our bags. Starting the engine and getting ready to drop the mooring we only had about 12″ predicted under Elektra’s keels at high water but with the pressure being high it would be less than predicted. I walked forward with the stern mooring and linked it to the bow mooring, then pulled using the bow mooring to turn Elektra towards the creek channel. With me still holding the mooring buoy Vicki motored her forward and I walked aft and dropped the mooring over the stern. With “0” showing on the sounder its nice to see it go up to 0.2 and 0.4m as we turn over the channel (with “0” showing on the sounder we know there to be 0-4″ under her keels with no heel). Motoring her slowly down the channel and making the turn to port and then to Starboard out though the narrows into Gillan Harbour, then the AIS alarm is going off! With no other boats in sight I am wondering why, only when we could see the entrance could we see another boat coming in. Both turning to starboard we waved as we passed.

As we neared our seasonal mooring the remains of the past easterly gale, the swell was still lumpy and with Elektra’s bow going up and down aboat 3ft, I mist the pick up buoy first time and Vick had to go around again, 2nd try I got it. While on the mooring I lowered the AIS alarm settings attached the punt to the swing mooring and pulled the mainsail up, 15-20mins after picking up we dropped the mooring again and motored out Gillan Harbour between Car Crock and Dennis Head into Helford River. I set her sails and stopped the engine, there wasn’t much wind but we were making 2-3kts SOG.

It was lovely to be out sailing again even if it was very slowly, as we neared the north of the river it was we were going to need to tack, then the AIS alarm is going off again because we were near August Rock buoy. We tacked and I left Vicki on the helm and went below to cancel alarm. With the swell Vicki let the sail back so I went back into the cockpit to help and we decided to jibe. It seemed there wasn’t any wind now so we started the engine and rolled the genoa, we had only motored for 5mins and the wind came back so we could sail again. Heading towards Falmouth we were now logging 3-4kts, it was nice when we sailed past another yacht which was going our way as if she was standing still (Sadler’s do sail very well). We sailed on towards Falmouth but time was against us as we needed to get back ashore 2hrs before low water. So halfway across Falmouth Bay we turned back for Gillan and picked up our mooring after a 2hr sail we had logged 6.5nm. Stopping for lunch in the sunshine, it was lovely to be using Elektra again.