After almost 3 weeks with only a couple of single days sailing, we were ready for another week aboard. The forecast was pretty poor for both weekends but good mid week. Our plan had been to sail to Fowey on Friday and on to Salcombe on Sunday but as we got nearer to the weekend it wasn’t looking good for our return the following weekend so we decided to stay local again!
On Friday 11th August we cast off our mooring in Gillan at 1530hrs and headed for Place in the Precuil River, there wasn’t much wind, it would have made for a poor sail to Fowey if we had gone. But instead we sailed the 6nm in 1.5hrs and dropped anchor in good shelter in the shallows were we knew Elektra would dry out. The forecast for Saturday was southwest force 6 gusting 8, Sunday would be dry and a little less windy but the wind was set to be strong until midday on Monday.
We stayed put in Place until Monday, resting on Saturday though the worst of the wind and rain. On Sunday we went over to St Mawes for a pub lunch at the Victory Inn, shopping at the co-op and a ice cream. Although the wind had died back quite a lot St Mawes Harbour was just about as rough as l would attempt in our 2.7m inflatable RIB and l was glad to get back aboard safely afterwards.
Monday wind was still set to be strong until midday so we stayed for another low water, picking up ans stowing Elektra’s anchor at 1420hrs with the intention of sailing to Coverack for an overnight stay. Out in Falmouth Bay the sea was still very unsettled and along with not much wind, we changed our plans and sailed into the Helford River instead. In the evening going for a dinner in The Shipwrights Arms.
On Tuesday Vicki had had a call from the doctors to ask her to pick up a perception so we needed to return to Gillan for my transport. I left Vicki aboard and l went back home to drop off and pick up stuff, then to the doctors and shopping in St Keverne before returning to Elektra. I met up with Stewart on St Anthony beach and being that we were heading for a small Sadler Rally that evening in Channels Creek, l suggested he came to. Out in Falmouth Bay there wasn’t any wind so we had to motor. Only went we got into Carrick Roads did the wind pick up enough to sail. On arrival at Channels Hank was already there with his S29 After a beer on Stewarts S26 Guy arrived in his S29. In the evening we all gathered on Guy’s S29 and chatted until dark.
We all went our separate ways the next day, it was a lovely still morning. We didn’t leave until 1450hrs and just motored south to the Precuil River for the easterly wind which was forecasted on Thursday. Tucked up nicely in the Precuil River on Thursday we didn’t really know it was windy. This weekend coming was the planned start on the Tall Ships Race with the Parade of Sail being set for 1600hrs on Friday, the weather had other ideas!
We went to St Mawes for lunch at the Rising Sun, shopping and ice cream on Thursday. Showers at St Mawes Sailing Club. Arriving back at Elektra l had already decided, l wasn’t going sailing on Friday with the wind and rain which was forecasted. We then put up Elektra’s cockpit enclosure, Friday really wasn’t looking like a good day to go anywhere! Then l heard the Parade of Sail had been cancelled due to safety concerns, l think a very wise discussion.
Friday started dry but rain came in a lot earlier than forecasted. I had always planned to move Elektra and reset her anchor for the change to southwest wind direction. Elektra would be sheltered in the southeast and southern winds but not southwest. I didn’t really want to move in the rain and was hoping for it to ease off but in didn’t. So in the end there wasn’t any choice, Elektra was hanging back with her stern just off the rocks, l didn’t bother with water proofs, just T shirt and shorts.
Without removing Elektra’s cockpit enclosure, l pulled up her anchor and Vicki motored her out into deeper water and l relaid her anchor for southwest winds. Another yacht in the anchorage had dragged and moved at the same time. The wind had steadily increased. The forecast was southeast force 4-6, veering southerly force 7-11, veering southwest force 5-6. Ever since moving l had been checking out the window and looking at the GPS for dragging but Elektra seemed to be holding. Then it happened, she was lying side on to the weather, Elektra was dragging her anchor towards the rocks! It all happened very quickly, with about 5-10mins before Elektra would be on the rocks, raining harder almost like fog because it was so heavy. There was no time to wait, Elektra was already halfway onto a lea shore before Vicki started the engine and her tiller had to be untied. I headed to the bow to pull her anchor up. Once up l went back to the cockpit, l said to Vicki we will motor on down the river to Place which now will be sheltered.
We’ll it wasn’t the best weather to be moving and Elektra still had her cockpit enclosure up, visibility was very poor with the heavy rain, it was only about one mile but we had to pass between all the yachts on swing moorings which were swinging a lot in the stronger gusts. Vicki had Elektra moving forward at about 3.5kts, seemed to take ages, towards the end our speed dropped off to 2.5kts and the engine was making an unusual noise. I was thinking we had possibly picked up a line or a lump of seaweed but continued forward into Place, going right into Place we dropped anchor close into the sheltered bank, on the drying ground. Here Elektra would dry out around 2300hrs. We had arrived just before dark, l like to take transits and keep checking them before dark but this wouldn’t be possible. So took GPS position and kept checking though the evening until going aground. Once aground we could sleep because Elektra wouldn’t float again until 0500hrs on Saturday by which time the wind was forecasted to die off.
On Saturday, we stayed for low water because l wanted to check the prop for rope or seaweed? There wasn’t any! But once floating again and outboard and dinghy lifted onto Elektra. Vicki motored Elektra out and we headed for Gillan at 1700hrs, there was a nice bit of wind in Falmouth Bay, so just on Elektra’s genoa she punched forward into a southwest force 4-5 getting into Gillan at 1915hrs having logged 10.5nm. We stayed aboard that evening and packed up in the morning to get ashore before 1130hrs due to falling tide.
We have found our genuine 7.5kg Bruce anchor very reliable but after our night when Elektra dragged we did look at replacing with a 10kg Rocna. But we stow our Bruce anchor in the anchor locker as we use our bow roller for our swing mooring strop. Having found the sizes of the Rocna on-line, the anchor would be too big to fit inside the locker, so would have to stow on the bow roller, which means changing Elektra’s mooring strop.
Love Sailing 