The idea of anchoring in the Truro River had worked well except looking at the Sunday bus times, didn’t look good so, by Saturday l had decided to head back after visiting Vicki. South out of the Truro River, down the Carrick Roads and onto the Precuil River for one night. Then get back to Gillan Harbour and into Carne Creek for high water on Sunday, once home, l could then drive to see Vicki in the evening.
Once back aboard Saturday evening, l got Elektra ready to leave and pulled up her anchor 1730hrs, clean and stowed, then heading south on engine, l pasted Turnaware Point at 1800hrs, then unrolled the genoa and stopped engine, going over the shallows at about hour after low water the least depth l saw was 1.3m until the keel. Elektra was logging 4.5kts on almost a dead run but on a starboard tack. I kept her on this tack until just north of Falmouth entrance. And then gibed her on a port tack and headed towards the gap between Castle Point and Lugo Rock. Continued to sail into St Mawes up to the anchored yachts before rolling away the genoa and starting the engine at 1900hrs. From there l motored Elektra into the Precuil River and dropped anchor at 1915hrs having logged 7.5nm.
Sunday morning, summer had arrived and l was sun bathing whilst l waited for the tide. I would need high water to get Elektra into Carne Creek. The forecast was showing northeast force 3 and l pulled up Elektra’s anchor at 1100hrs and motored her back down the Precuil River to the sea. Once out of the moorings l set just the genoa and Elektra started slow but speeding up to 4kts in the entrance of the Carrick Roads. But once out into Falmouth Bay there wasn’t any wind and l started her engine again. Motoring into Gillan Harbour l was a little on the early side of high water but continued in slowly.
Part of being a skipper is to see problems before they happen. Gillan Harbour is a playground for holiday makers in the summer months, going towards the shallows l would be looking out for kayakers, paddle boarders and swimmers. Restricted by depth once entering Carne Creek l needed to keep Elektra in the channel which splits and runs up either side of the creek. With a paddle boarder and kayaker approaching the narrows from Carne Creek and l approaching the narrows from Gillan Harbour. I could see we might end up in the same place at the same time. Small craft tend to think of the edge of the creek as being out of the way but in Carne Creek, the edge is the channel! But this time they didn’t get into the channel before l turned Elektra to port across their path, l explained about the channel position as we passed in opposite directions. Motoring Elektra up the channel slowly with 1.4m down to 0.5m under her keels. When l turned across the level to anchor just 0.3m under her keels.
I packed up Elektra and go ready to leave, lowered the dinghy from it’s davits, refitted the outboard and locked up and motored back out of Carne Creek to St Anthony beach and l was home by 1400hrs.
Love Sailing 