Early start!

Vicki had a doctor appointment in Truro at 1530, we were hoping to get aboard and away from Gillan by 1900hrs, but l think we were wishing!

We had hoped to get away before the strong winds forecasted for Saturday 24th, but by the time we did get aboard it was 1930hrs and it took us another hour to stow everything by which time we both wanted a rest. The forecast for Saturday was westerly force 4-5 increasing south westerly force 6-7 later.

We had a Sadler Rally in Fowey to get to and so we planned to get away first light. The wind howled all night and l couldn’t sleep, so at 0400hrs before the alarm went off, l got out and got Elektra ready to leave. I told Vicki to stay put. Without starting the engine, l dropped the mooring at 0445hrs before first light, pulled out the genoa and set off for Fowey. With the tiller pilot in control, l started pulling out fenders and lines for later in Fowey and before the wind gets up! At times Elektra was logging 5.5kt sailing away from the sheltered shore, l was thinking this could get quite nasty later, but as the miles slipped by the wind didn’t get any stronger, in fact it seem to get less.

We had stayed off the Dodman Point because l expected to see overfalls with wind against tide and after turning towards Fowey the wind seemed to improve for a couple of miles. But once we started to cross St Austell Bay the wind dropped off again to 6-8kts. It was at this point in lumpy swells and only logging 2.5kts, l decided it was time to start the engine and motor. We motored past Cannis Buoy at 1005hrs and moored up next to Rob and Mandy at 1030hrs having logged 24nm.