I had worked nearly solidly through the winter 2024-25 in-between the few days of work l was still doing, Elektra had new Garmin electronics fitted, replacing the old Stowe units which had slowly packed up though the past 8 years since we bought her. The only thing that was still working was the depth sounder. As Elektra had to go indoors for some GRP work, her mast was removed. And while she was indoors I rebedded her chainplates and fitted new chutches. Elektra had also had an insurance survey for extending cruising and came up with another £1000 of work needed.
Elektra was launched on the last day of March, heading back down Helford River, only the new chart plotter was working, I am glad to say I managed to keep Elektra in the channel and not go aground! I can’t say I was very impressed with the eletronics. Over the next week or so I contacted the fitter a few times but never managed to improve how they worked (or didn’t). And then one day, they just started to work? But what I couldn’t get to work was the depth sounder, the fitter was based in Plymouth, so we sailed Elektra to Plymouth for “PRS” to get them working. The fitter wasn’t impressed either and got on to Garmin who promisted to replace the control boxes. But while at Plymouth the fitter did a Garmin update. Later Garmin refused to replace the control boxes after we had visited Plymouth twice more
When we went to Scilly in mid-June, we still didn’t have a working depth sounder. I wasn’t impressed with “PRS” after sales service. And then in Scilly, l managed to get the depth working on the chart table plotter! If available there, it should be on the bridge instruments. I got hold of “PRS” who promised to look again when we got back from Scilly.
There were lots of strong winds whilst we were in Scilly for 3.5 weeks. But we didn’t think about leaving for the mainland until early in July when the islands started to get busy due to the schools breaking up. But with strong easterly winds, we were stuck there until a change in direction. With the possibility of leaving between 2 strong blows east and then southwest on the 13th of July, we went for it. The forecast was correct for once. We left midday in southeast force 5 and rough seas, and over the 8-9hr crossing to the Lizard Point, the wind went light southerly and then picked up from the southwest.
We were 3nm west of our WP off the Lizard Point when we first discovered fire aboard, see eailer post “Fire aboard.” Elektra was towed to Helford by the Lizard lifeboat. Although l tried to make contact with “PRS” lots of times since fire, they haven’t responded, to date now 3 months later.
I contacted my insurance and sent a claim, but I pushed on with repairs without waiting for the the go ahead from my insurance. I found a marine electrician who was between jobs and could fit Elektra’s rewiring in, if l gave him the go ahead. Elektra was back sailing within a month of the fire, and my insurance eventually refunded me 85% of the total spend at the end of August.
After our second shake down cruise of the season, we carried on cruising for the remaining part of the season by sailing around the Lizard Point to St Michael’s Mount for a couple of nights. Then at the beginning of September, we headed east to the Yealm River for an SSOA rally. After 2 lovely day sails via Fowey, we arrived in the Yealm River and enjoyed the rally. Afterwards, the weather looked poor, so we stayed in the Yealm and then got stuck there for a further 9 nights with one gale following the next, we eventually escaped to Cawsands to roll around for another 3 nights at anchor.
We sailed back west for the Fowey CA Rally, which l had organised on the 19th of September. 7 yachts braved the weather with 11 members aboard, and a further 12 members arrived by road on Saturday evening for a meal at the RFYC. This was the first event organised by TeamSW since being set up in April 2025. We sailed or motorsailed back to our mooring in Gillan on the 22nd because of big seas and not much wind. The forecast for the weekend had been for very windy weather but never showed up durring the rally that weekend.
Once home again, the weather improves, but we had enough of being aboard for the time being, so apart from a few day sails, we left the good weather go by.
Elektra then went over to Falmouth for a few more electrical jobs, and when we got her back, we went off for our last few days aboard before the end of the season. The temperature by then was lower, and we were running the cabin heater in the evenings.
When we returned across Falmouth Bay, there was quite a big easterly swell running, and so Elektra went up in Carne Creek on her gale proof mooring. The barometer was showing 1028, and this pushed the tide down by about 0.3m, and so there was only just enough depth to get Elektra on her gale proof mooring in Carne Creek.
With no signs of any better sailing weather to come before the end of the month, l laid Elektra’s winter mooring on Monday the 20th October. On Tuesday before the tide came back I pulled out Elektra’s stern anchor and placed in dinghy and after Elektra floated, I motored her out into Helford River entrance, just to check a few things, before returning into Carne Creek and motoring her slowly (2kts) into the upper creek, the least depth I saw was 0.9m in the channel, but there must have been less at her winter mooring. But by then I was too busy with mooring lines, to look. Once I was happy with the mooring lines, I tranfered the anchor and chain to Elektra’s cockpit to lay another day. I then motored the dinghy back down river to St Anthony. I loaded the outboard and dinghy onto pick-up and drove home.
The next day before the rain in forecast arrived, I replaced the temporary stern mooring with the chain and anchor, which I had pulled out the day before. I also changed the washboard, removed her horseshoe float, removed the dodgers, changed to the winter sprayhood, and fitted Elektra’s winter cockpit cover. On Saturday, the 25th, l went back to Elektra and unbolted the saloon table to make room for my engineer to remove the inboard forward into the saloon, so he can fit new engine mounts which were damaged in fire. I also removed the bathtub under the cockpit floor for access aft of engine. Whilst the engine is out, l am going to replace any sound and fire insulation that needs to be done. Being a nice day, l also removed her sails to store at home.
The numbers are, having the time this season, we had been aboard for 106 days even having lost 4 weeks due to the fire, we were aboard 87 nights of which 57 were at anchor. But we only sailed 53 days, having been gale bound some of the time and in Scilly for 3.5 weeks, but still logged almost the same as last season, 798nm.
Love Sailing 