Having semi retired from January this year, the plan had always been to use Elektra more. I have often heard from others in the past who had retired, l don’t know where l had the time to work. I must say it’s a very apt comment. I had been working hard to get Elektra ready for this season, not working less, just not working for money. Elektra had been launched earlier in April, then there was the riggers work. Also March and April had very poor weather and although only doing half of the grass cutting of other years, it took all the dry days available. Heading towards the end of April with the first week of May looking clear, l suggested to Vicki a week aboard, a shake down cruise to find out what else we needed. Vicki liked the idea, so it was arranged.
I had finished my grass cutting by the end of Wednesday as the forecast was giving strong winds and heavy rain for Thursday. I used Thursday to pick up my repaired outboard from Penryn and GRP products from St Day, for once the forecasters had got it right, with the drive to Penryn in heavy rain, from there the rain eased but there was a lot of flooding. It continued to rain the rest of the day, l would have tried the motor out but didn’t fancy going out in the rain.
Next day l was out early and took the motor along with some bags of stores, some cushions and the cockpit enclosure to St Anthony. First l changed the spare motor for the repaired outboard, then launched the dinghy. Took it out for a spin, just to make sure all was OK. The motor started 2nd pull and ran smoothly out and around St Anthony, l returned to the beach and loaded the bags of stores etc and then set off out to Elektra. Loaded them all onto Elektra and climbed aboard, unlocked and placed all in the cabin for stowing later. Then it was back in the dinghy to the pontoon and home for a coffee. Next l had groceries to pick up and pasties for lunch. Once back home it was loading more bags of stores into pick up and checking we had everything. We had lunch before leaving again for St Anthony, then in was carrying the stores from pick up to pontoon and from pontoon aboard the dinghy. Motoring slowly very heavy with stores out to Elektra, Vicki climbed aboard and l past up the stores to Vicki, once done l climbed aboard to help with stowing. This stowing took a long time and l also lifted the motor off the dinghy onto Elektra’s pushpit and the dinghy onto it’s davits, by which time it was after 1500hrs.
It was 1555hrs before l pulled up the mainsail and cast off the swing mooring, Vicki took Elektra to sea while unfurled the genoa and set sails, Elektra was logging 2-3kts and with a little more adjustment from me she picked up to 3-4 kts until we got out into Falmouth Bay where the wind disappeared. So l started the engine and we motored towards Pendennis Point. Approaching Pendennis Point the wind filled in again, a Northwesterly force 3-4 and we were sailing again. We tacked North up the Carrick Roads until just south of Turnaware Buoy before starting the engine again and cabin heater, we motored into Channels Creek and dropped anchor at 1830hrs having logged 10nm.
That evening after the jobs were done, l fell fast asleep in the cosy cabin and it was dark when l woke. Vicki was playing a game on her ipad, l pulled the curtains and switched on the light and poured a rum for us both. That night l slept very well.
Love Sailing 