It had been a suggestion of Patti, Vicki’s daughter to use Elektra to stay abroad near Truro to save the 2hrs driving and 65 miles round trip to Truro hospital every day. This got me thinking and l did my homework to find out where best to anchor for best access to Truro.
My cheapest option was to anchor just south of Malpas. I would have a dinghy trip to Malpas, about an hour nice walk to Truro bus station along the banks of the upper Truro River. Then using my bus pass a free bus trip to the hospital. Allowing for the anchoring fee l would be able to save about £12-14 per day.
This got me out of the house and doing things for Elektra again, thinking about cruising mode again even if the plan wasn’t to go far from home.
It was Wednesday 20th of May, home shopping arrived about 1030hrs and l was packing up the car and heading for St Anthony beach by 1100hrs with stores. I pushed the dinghy down to the shore and transferred the stores, out in the dinghy to Elektra before the tide went out. Out aboard Elektra there wasn’t any hurry to get away and l was in two minds as if to go today or not due to the forecast of southwest force 4 gusting 6! So l slowly got Elektra ready to leave, the tide would be better if l left later and looking at the forecast again, it looked better to leave in the evening. Just before leaving l removed the mooring strop from the bow roller and moved the anchor from the locker onto the bow roller for later.
I cast off the mooring at 1630hrs, just used the engine to get out of the moorings and out between Carcroc and Dennis Head before stopping. I was expecting Elektra to take off across Falmouth Bay so, had only set a beefed genoa, but it turned out to be a dead run, more south-southwest. With a ship at anchor halfway across the bay, l didn’t want to get too close and by the time l reached her l had decided to gibe th starboard behind her and head towards St Mawes to avoid being too close to the lea shore of Pendennis Point. Once happy l had given Elektra enough sea room, l gibed her back onto a port tack to go into the Carrick Roads between Pendennis Point and Back Rock.
At the entrance, the pilot boat “Arrow” came out of Falmouth heading across Elektra’s bow towards Black Rock, to give her a little more room l turned Elektra a little more to port, she was logging 6kts and Arrow passed between Black Rock and Elektra going south.
Elektra slowed a little going north up Carrick Roads, but still 5kts plus. At Turnaware Point l rolled away the genoa and started Elektra’s engine. Motored her north up the Fal River, waiting for the King Harry Ferry to cross and on North past HMS Argus laid up on the Fal River. Then north into the Truro River and anchored Elektra just south of the last mid stream visitors pontoon. Elektra had covered the 10.5nm in 2hrs.
Love Sailing 