Later the same day as Elektra was launched after brunch about 1100hrs.
Being that we are planning to be away for three months this season, I hadn’t arranged for Elektra to have a seasonal mooring, but I had asked for a mooring for the sholder months of April and October. Since it was showing east wind for the begining of April I suggested ao Anthony the boss the gale proof mooring we have used since buying Elektra in Carne Creek and he agreed.
There is a mooring block and ground chain but I add to this a stern anchor, ground chain and bridal making it a trott mooring, I change the mooring strop for a nice clean one. Later the same day as Elektra was launched, I loaded up the car with anchor, chain and strops and head back to St Anthony. My idea had been to use the dinghy to transport this heavy chain and anchor to the mooring, but I was running a bit behind time and as the saying goes “time and tide wait for no man” I pushed the dinghy down to the waters edge and carried the strops down to the dinghy. Then I lifted out the anchor and the chain and dragged it down to the dinghy. Just then Anthony comes out of the boathouse for a chat and all the time I’m thinking the tides going out! After the chat, I loaded up the chain, anchor, strops and tools and start rowing, the tide was already too low to use the engine! The dinghy goes aground and I get out and tow it a little was until it get too deep for wellies, and so on. I knew in the narrows it would be deep enough for the engine, and it had to be because the tide was coming out of there at about 3kts! Now with the engine going just fast enough to make it though the narrows, I land on the bank the far side of the channel. From here I would have to walk upsteam, too deep for wellies and not deep enough for the engine, so I walked in the edge of the channel towing the dinghy by its painter.
When I got to the right spot I pulled the dinghy onto the bank and walked over to the mooring, there I removed the dirty strop and attached the clean one. Then I pulled the mooring out straight upstream from the mooring block. Then I lifted the chain and anchor from dinghy and dragged over to the mooring, attaching a link line, I pulled the anchor out straight upstream and set the anchor in the ground, with a added pull from strop end, I was happy it would hold.
Then I loaded the dirty strop and tools into dinghy and headed back to St Anthony, rowing back down the channel with the outgoing tide and out though the narrows until the dinghy grounded, then I got out and dragged the dinghy by its painter as far as the water would allow me, then left it and walked over to to get the trolly. I lowed the dinghy onto her trolly and pulled to the top of the beach, left it there and went home.
Then at 1730hrs I drove back to St Anthony, now with the tide coming in I could launch the dinghy and motor from St Anthony across to the narrows, the east wind had built up though the day and was braking white out in the entrance to Gillan Harbour. Once though the narrows the water was calm and I motored over to where Elektra was anchored and climbed aboard, I switched on her eletrics, started her engine and got a boat hook out ready, walking up onto the bow, I emptied the spare gas bottle and bucket from locker and pulled up chain hand over hand (we have a hand windless, but I find pulling by hand easier if anchored in a depth less than 8m). The anchor was dug in well, and took a bit of braking out, and at the surface was covered in mud, so I plunged it, in and out a bit to clean and pulled it aboard. I had to stow in the anchor locker because the bow roller was to be used for the mooring strop, and I need to turn the anchor end for end to get in the locker. Once done I restowed the gas bottle and bucket.
Then back to the cockpit and motor slowly over to the mooring, getting Elektra’s speed right coming into the mooring takes a bit of practice and I must have been a bit rusty! The first 2 times, I just never got close enough to hook the pick up buoy before Elektra was pushed off by the wind. I pulled the bow strop onto the cleat on the 3rd try, my next problem was the link line was very tight and I couldn’t undo the bowline, in the end I got the knife and cut it! I was really impressed with the knife, just 3 slices and the line parted. Holding the end of the line I walked aft and pulling the stern strop, but the strop was too far away to get on the cleat, so I made line off to the cleat instead (not right but OK for now).
Then I stopped her engine switched off the eletrics and shut up the cabin, bank in the dinghy to St Anthony and drive home, it was now 1900hrs, it had been a long day!
The next day Paul my friend picked me up from home at 0745hrs to give me a lift pack to Gweek for the pick-up (Paul works in Falmouth, so on his way) Thank you Paul if you are reading. I had then to take my pick-up for its MOT, the garage lent me a car to get home.
The next day at low water, I went back to St Anthony and walked out across the beach towards the narrows, it was blowing a full easterly gale now and the closer I walked to the narrows the colder the wind chill felt, I had pulled a fleece on after leaving the car and I needed it even walking down wind! Out at Elektra, I pulled the anchor out and attached the bridal strop to her stern cleats and pulled the anchor astern and reset. I didn’t hang around because it wasn’t very warm and it was only once I got back to the narrows that I thought I didn’t take a photo, I wasn’t going back to her now!
With east wind Elektra would be staying here for a while and from Sunday 6th to 9th she will be neaped, so no sailing yet!
Love Sailing 