On the evening of the 16th April, I went down to St Anthony, launched the dinghy and motored out to Elektra in Carne Creek and got ready to move her, I had arranged with “Sailaway” to use one of their mooring in Gillan Harbour over night, so I could go for a day sail the following day.
I had thought that having a temporary mooring in Carne Creek would save me having to move Elektra when it was east wind, but I didn’t think the idea though very well! Here I was having to move her on high water just for a day sail.
The next day I needed to launch the dinghy and motor out to Elektra before 1230hrs or the tide would be to low to use the outboard. My wife Vicki was going away for the weekend, so I didn’t want to rush away in the morning. I got down to St Anthony for 1100hrs, but I couldn’t find anywhere to park, with the car park still full of boats and cars in all avalible spaces around the beach, in the end I parked in a passing place at the top of the hill. I had launched the dinghy by 1130hrs and aboard Elektra 10mins later. I got here ready to leave and dropped the mooring at 1215hrs having first tied the dinghy to the mooring.
I was planning to be out the rest of the day, because I wouldn’t be able to take Elektra back into Carne Creek until 1830hrs. There didn’t seem to be much wind, but I don’t mind slow sailing and she was logging 3.5kts going north across the river. As we neared August Rock buoy, I could see 2 yachts about to round the buoy from Falmouth direction, not wanting to get too close I tacked Elektra back southeast towards the Nare Point, Elektra slowed to 2.5kts in this direction. As we closed on the Nare, I tacked Elektra again and we set off towards Falmouth, Elektra slowed some more, so I tacked her again and headed towards the Manacles, there really wasn’t much wind and the easterly chop wasn’t making the sailing very comfortable, now off the Nare the wind seemed to disappear and the slop was making it very uncomfortable! At which point I rolled away the genoa, started her engine and motored back to where we started sailing, this didn’t work and I had soon turned Elektra around and was heading back into Gillan, I picked up the mooring and Elektra had logged just 5nm in 2hrs (and some of that was motoring!) My next problem was it was now 1415hrs and I couldn’t take Elektra back into Carne Creek until 1830hrs, it was a bit of a waste of a day but I did a few jobs while I was waiting.
It seemed like along time later when at last I could take Elektra into Carne Creek, the tide needs to be at a height of 4m or more to get onto the gale proof mooring in Carne Creek, I have a few spots around Gillan Harbour which signal to me, it’s deep enough! Over the years of doing this, I know just how much water Elektra will likely have under her keels, it might only be 25mm sometimes, but floating is floating! This time was one of those times, Elektra was OK over the channel with 0.3-0.5m under her keel but as soon as I turned her towards her mooring, there was very little, knocking her our of gear I walked up onto the bow with the boat hook. The incoming tide stream knocked her off course a little and I couldn’t reach the pickup buoy with the boat hook, and then she went aground! Lol. For 5mins we sit there waiting for the tide to lift her again, I go back into the cockpit and give a little foreward and turn to starboard and Elektra moves just enough for me to hook the pickup buoy. I pull the foreward mooring strop onto the bow cleat and undo the link line then walk back to the cockpit with it in hand. Once there, I can pull the stern bridle onto the aft cleats, job done!
Love Sailing 