Ever since we first visited Scilly by yacht, back in 2009 we had wanted to visit again and again and again! The problem was work always got in the way, with my max holiday 9 days from leaving work and on with it again. Then taking the weather and passage planning into consideration, it quite often only left us with 3-5 days in the islands before heading for the mainland again. We had 2 exceptions to this, one in 2013 when we got gale bound in Scilly and we were then away 11 days and another time in 2023 after I became semi-retired we stayed for 12 days.
This season we had planned to sail to Scilly in May, wait there for the weather to cross the Celtic Sea to Ireland, then port hop around the southwest and south coasts before heading for home in August. But Vicki’s doctors found a cancer in February which was operated on quickly and she had the all clear. But then she had radio treatment for a week in June which stopped our planning, there is always next year.
We had a problem with our engine over heating, every time l thought l had solved it, it would get hot again! My engineer suggested coolant level was down and that seemed to be the problem, because it was low. On Thursday l dropped over to the engineer for extra coolant and engine oil just in case it was needed.
So by mid June we had the time to get out to Scilly and we didn’t have anything we needed to rush home for, so providing Vicki was feeling well enough we planned Scilly for a 3-4 week holiday before the schools break up for their holidays and the islands get too busy. Idea wind is northerly force 4-5, but wind is weather and you have to take what comes. Vick’s treatment was to finish late in the afternoon of the Wednesday the 18th. On Thursday and Friday the weather forecast was giving east winds. With the shopping not coming until midday l when to St Anthony to move Elektra from Carne Creek to her seasonal mooring in Gillan Harbour. By the time l had motor Elektra to mooring about half an hour, l phoned Vicki and said we aren’t going with this engine, it had overheated again!
By 1600hrs l thought l had solved the engine overheating problems but the tide was going out, l phoned Vicki looking OK now, l will come back and pick up you and the stores. At that point we weren’t sure if we would get away on Thursday or not. But once loaded, l had to carry the stores from the pick up across the beach flats to the dinghy which took me 4 trips. By the time l arrived out at Elektra with the 2nd dinghy loaded it was 1900hrs. So we decided to stop there for the night.
Love Sailing 