Ever since getting back from our holiday at the end of June (you remember wet and windy) here in Cornwall there has almost been no rain and hot with it. The scaremongering in the media of global warming has intensified in reasent weeks. What the media fails to report is this weather only started at the beginning of July, before then it was colder and wetter than normal.
As you possibly know, l have cut grass for a living for the last 30 plus years. And l have found out over the years, grass grows the same amount every year, only the weather determines when. Over the years we have had many dry summer’s, normally the rain comes in the end and a autumn flush of grass with it.
As my work has actually dried up, Cornwall is now very dry! And l won’t be missed from cutting any of my gardens another summer holiday is in order. How lucky am I, this doesn’t happen very often!
Friday 5th August was our first day of our 3rd summer holiday this season, wow! We had a forecast of northerly force4-5 with outlook for easterlys later in the week. There wasn’t any hurry to get aboard as HW was 1050hrs. I went down in the morning early to top up the fuel and water, arriving home again, we loaded up the truck with gear, stores and left home about 1100hrs. I had left the dinghy attached to the pontoon so reversed in by Sailaway building to off load and left Vicki with the stuff while l went to park the truck. We loaded up the dinghy and motored out to Elektra on her swing mooring. Elektra was bouncing about quite a bit because of the northerly wind do we dropped the mooring and motored her into Gillan Harbour a little further and dropped anchor so we could pack easier.
We picked the anchor up again and left at 1310hrs, l pulled up the main with 2 reefs and with 1 reef in the genoa we set off across Falmouth Bay. I was tempted with more sail but know from past experience we are coming off a sheltered shore. A wise decision as it happened. What followed could only be described as the best sail of the season so far, the sea was smooth, Elektra was close on the wind heading northeast in northwesterly force 4-5. It was as much as we could do to hold her on course during the odd gusts. We were sailing against the tide stream and covered the 14nm from Gillan to the Dodman Point 2.75hrs. From the Dodman we rolled away the genoa and started motor sailing as the wind had swung around more on the nose. We dropped anchor off Gorran Haven at 1630hrs having logged 16nm. We stopped here for Fish&Chips, will l lowered the dinghy into the water Vicki ordered the food. When we had lowered and attached the motor we headed in for the beach. When we got to the shop we were a little early so went for a pint at the local pub. Got chatting to a couple on holiday from Cheshire, it was there first day as well. We said we had sailed up from the Lizard and had stopped here for their great Fish&Chips, in that case they said they would try them later in the week. After eating we were back aboard and pulling the anchor up at 1840hrs. We motored Elektra around the point and north into the wind across Mevagissey Bay to the shelter of Polgwyn Cove where we dropped anchor for the night at 1930hrs having logged 20nm.
Love Sailing 