At the end of September the feeling was the end of the season was coming on fast, Vicki and I thought one last weekend aboard would be nice.
On Friday 29th I had a few jobs to do but due to the tide we wouldn’t be able to get aboard until after 1430hrs due to the tide. With the jobs done I was back home and packing up to go to Elektra by lunch time. We left St Anthony beach around 1430hrs and after getting stowed and ready to sail, dropped her mooring at 1530rs with a forecast of westerly force 3-4. The forecast for Saturday was strong southerly winds so we decided to go and anchor in the shallows at Place, The Roselands equivalent of our St Anthony in Meneage and similar in many ways. Both have a church, both dry out at low water, both would have been quite isolated except by water in the times before the motor car. St Anthony in Meneage is very sheltered except from east winds, St Anthony (Place) in the Roseland is sheltered from most winds except northeast. Elektra having twin keels allows her to be dried out anywhere between tides and having bought and sailed her, I for one wouldn’t ever buy another fin keel yacht. The advantages of a twin keeler far out weight any disadvantages. Some would say they don’t go to wind as well, I don’t think this comment is true of the Sadler fleet, Elektra points very well indeed.
Being that we had left Gillan Harbour quite late in the day we just sailed straight to Place on her genoa just 6nm away and dropped anchor at 1650hrs, HW was at 1807hrs. Our friend Aden was also there with his cat, we gave a wave as we motored in to lay the anchor. Elektra went aground 2230hrs for 4hrs.
The next morning the wind was blowing but Elektra was very sheltered via the tree line, going aground again at around 1130hrs, I went ashore for a walk before the water dropped to low. Walking out around the southern tip of the Roseland coast footpath bought back memories of the 100s of days I spent in the past trimming coastal footpaths when I was younger, to be fair I hadn’t walked on many since, I had my fill by the time I gave up the trimming in around the year 2000.
Anyway, I was enjoying the walk and seeing places from a different point of view, up on Zone Point looking and reading about the old gun emplacements, looking at St Anthony Light House from above and not from the water, all different. The southerly wind was up at force 6, there were a few yachts sailing north from Helford River. It was a lovely walk, I will need to do some more walking another season. Having walked around and found my way back to my punt from the other direction, the tide had come in again, the long line, I had used to attach the dinghy to a high tree branch was now only a foot above the water and the dinghy floating outside the tree line, I managed to find a gap and pull the punt to the shore, get in punt and out though the trees. Back on Elektra Vicki had been reading and hadn’t noticed the time, I promptly fell asleep and it was late before we ate.
The wind blow out during the next morning, we stayed for another low water and left as soon as Elektra floated again, lifting her anchor at 1640hrs, the wind had had completely gone by then and we just motored back across the bay. To start with visibility was about 3nm but became less when the fog rolled in, until it was around 1/4nm, by that time we were in the middle of the bay and continuing on course was the best way to go. You just can’t relax, continuously watching and checking the AIS, I am always happy to get to our destination after being in fog.
Love Sailing 