On Friday 24th of April, after a four days of strong east winds, l had decided we needed to get aboard and move Elektra over the channel, so as to let us escape from Carne Creek before she would be neeped. We packed up all we needed for our first few days aboard and were driving down to St Anthony by 0930.
On arrival at the beach, l topped up the outboards fuel. The beach had waves which is unusual at St Anthony and getting aboard without get wet looked unlikely. So with a lot of seaweed on the shoreline, l slipped the dinghy off the trolley onto it. Taking the trolley back upto the top of the beach before unloading bags out of the car into and into the dinghy. Not too many to make the dinghy unsafe, l pushed the dinghy down the weed and partly into the sea and then let Vicki climb in, then pushing into the sea properly, l pushed off the shore and climbed in myself without getting wet, the motor started first pull and so l could engage forward with a little choke we were off.
Motoring out across St Anthony to the narrows the swell was side on, but once we turned into the narrows behind us all the way to Elektra anchored in Carne Creek. At Elektra Vicki climbed aboard and l held the dinghy in place under her until she was safely into the cockpit. Then l pulled the dinghy along the side of Elektra and unloaded the dinghy onto the cockpit. Then back to the ladder, made fast the dinghy and climbed aboard myself.
I looked at my tide app, it was showing 3.8m and Elektra was floating, the ground here was deeper than where we used to have a mooring. I helped Vicki with the bags into the cabin and we discussed options on moving Elektra. The high water tomorrow was 4.0m and Elektra was floating in 3.8m today, her anchor was well dug in, we decided to leave from here tomorrow at high water. So l left Vicki with the bags to stow and having put on a lifejacket, l went back in the dinghy to St Anthony for the remaining bags. I went into the office to see if l could get a carpark pass, but not been delivered yet. Then went and parked the car. Then it was back in the dinghy to Elektra and unload into cockpit.
Once l was back aboard, there was a lot of stuff to stow and it was possibly 2hrs later before Elektra was ship shape, Elektra had been swinging at anchor all this time but took the ground again at about 1400hrs, later in the afternoon we both fell asleep for an hour, l find the sea air dose that.
Vicki cooked dinner for 1900hrs, and afterwards we played Scrabble and opened a bottle of red. The evening and night where cold and we ran the cabin heater to warm up and had a hot water bottle for the bunk.
Day two
I was out at 0600hrs to check that the dinghy hadn’t gone in under Elektra, and whilst out did some washing up which we had found the evening before. Then sat for a bit looking at emails and social media. When Vicki got out she cooked breakfast, after we had eaten we both had jobs to do to get Elektra ready to leave.
Elektra floated at 1130hrs and having started at the engine at 1200hrs and switched on the instruments, l walked forward with the winch handle to pull up the chain and anchor. The chain was easy and clean but the anchor was so well dug in, l wondered if l was going to break it out without getting Vicki to motor Elektra forward over it. But it did break out and broke surface as a ball of mud, which l then spent the next 10min cleaning off, while Vicki motored Elektra out down the channel to Gillan Harbour.
In Gillan Harbour l pulled up the main, while Vicki continued to motor Elektra east out to sea. Once out we turned north setting all sail and turned off the engine. The swell was leftover easterly from the week before, but now the wind had almost disappeared, sailing was slow and unpleasant, we did try but then decided to motor over Falmouth Bay to Pendennis Point which we passed at 1330hrs having logged 5nm. From there we sailed slowly as far north as St Just before the wind died altogether. So started the motor again and motored to Channels Creek where we dropped anchor at 1450hrs having logged 9nm.
I had suggested at the last Cruising Association planning/social in March a gathering of members here in the evening of the 25th, we couldn’t call it a rally because the CA has certain rules which have to be followed. At the social, there seemed lots of interest but by 1800hrs nobody had shown up and we had shut up and retired below. Around 1830 Robert l think whistled and l poked my head out of the companion way hatch to see them coming into the anchorage. Sometime after 2100hrs Robert and Lisa. came over for a drink and chat, staying for about a hour before having to leave to make up their berth to sleep.
Day three
I got out about 0700hrs having had a wonderful nights sleep, but my shoulder was now giving me a lot of pain and l needed painkillers for it so made coffee. Vicki cooked brunch at 1000hrs anf at 1100hrs we went over to Robert and Lisa’s yacht for coffee, to say they were good company is under stating it as we stayed until 1700hrs, with one funny story following the next 😄
But having eventually returned to Elektra with Vicki, l motored over to Iain aboard Myrtle his Hunter 32 to say hi, had her re-launched today.
But l didn’t stop long because we were moving from Channels Creek to our favourite anchorage in the Precuil River this evening. I removed Elektra’s cockpit enclosure and pulled up her anchor at 1745hrs and Vicki motored Elektra back out of Channels Creek and south down Carrick Roads in no wind, we dropped anchor again in the Precuil River at 1850hrs having logged 5nm.
We had started the cabin heater as we came around the point by St Mawes Castle and so when we arrived the cabin was nice and warm, l refitted the cockpit enclosure when we arrived and went below into the warm, there l open a bottle of red and we had a quieter evening reading.
Day four
I got out about 0700hrs, l had some washing up to do so put on the kettle for hot water, while l was washing up, l put the kettle on again for coffee, the gas started to look like it was running low and before boiling it ran out altogether. So out on deck to the anchor locker for the spare bottle. Then l found the the retaining strap fastening had rusted solid and wouldn’t loosen. I was able however to pull in off the bottle to remove. I then cut off the old strap off and removed because l had a new replacement strap. Gas bottle replaced and new strap attached, it was time to boil the kettle for that first coffee of the day.
Peter had messaged me last evening to say he was expecting to be anchored near us today, his eta was 2200hrs.
I had to call my insurance about the pick-up l sold as the automatically renewed the policy. Once l had sorted that out, l rowed the dinghy over to see Peter aboard Tela his Sadler 26. Peter had left Starcross in the river Exe, stopping at Dartmouth and Plymouth before here, he was planning to get to Scotland and back by mid July, but having seen the latest forecast, he had decided to stay put in Precuil River for a few days until the strong east had blown out.
Vicki and l went down to St Mawes and the Rising Sun for our first pub lunch of the season. On arrival back at Elektra we decided to head back to Carne Creek and home for a few days while the wet and windy weather was here. The high water was about 1530hrs but but being 4.3m we didn’t have to arrive on high water. There wasn’t any wind for this short passage, so l just motored Elektra all the 7nm. Once anchored we decided to stay abroad overnight and leave Elektra next day. We sat in the cockpit until 1800hrs enjoying the sunshine, but it got chilly and so we moved into the saloon. But this weekend had been wonderful weather for April.
We opened a bottle of red and listened to the radio before turning in for a great night’s sleep.
Day five
I didn’t get out until 0800hrs after sleeping very well. Elektra had grounded facing the out going tide just before dawn, and having attached the dinghy painter to the bow last night the dinghy was clear of her bow. Because Elektra was facing upstream in a west-southwest direction the cold wind was coming from the northeast and our plastic wash boards weren’t a good fit and this cooled the cabin so much by 0930hrs l had pulled on a fleece and turned the cabin heater on.
We didn’t leave Elektra for home until about 1300hrs because she was she had been aground all morning on soft mud. It wasn’t until the tide was coming back in, the dinghy was floating and deep enough for me to put the engine down and run that we could go. I climbed into the dinghy and Vicki passed bags for home down to me whilst l held on with a 2-3kt tide stream rushing by. Vicki climbed into the dinghy and held the painter ready to slip until l got the engine started to use. We headed over to the channel and down river against the tide, at the narrows the engine here was just enough speed over the tide race, possibly 1/2kt faster! But slowly making it and out into Gillan Harbour and over to St Anthony beach. It was about 1400hrs when we got home.
It had been a nice few days aboard we had logged 21nm but not much sailing, and no real sailor’s like motoring, but we had met up with 3 sailing friends on the water.
Love Sailing 