With lots going on for Tuesday, it was time to head back on Monday, quite a different day, it was overcast. I either had to leave before low water or after low water. If l went early, l would have to wait in Gillan Harbour on Elektra’s mooring for the tide to come back in, but if l went later the forecast was for the wind to increase which make it hard sail across Falmouth Bay.
In the end l decided to leave early. So l got Elektra ready to leave and by 0930hrs l was pulling her anchor back up. Once l had stowed the anchor in it’s locker. l motored Elektra over to Innisfree and chatted with Keith before leaving. I motored Elektra back down river and out of the moorings off St Mawes before setting sail.
Now being a lone sailor, l had been experimenting this season with how little sail was needed to keep Elektra moving as fast as possible. I had found just using her genoa is a good way to go. But today, it was a beat and normally a mainsail is needed to sail into wind. But l was interested to know how well just the genoa would cope.
I found when starting out of the Carrick Roads in a westerly force 4 the genoa was working well with Elektra logging 5-6kts into wind and not too much healing. The tiller pilot could also cope well. The problem came as the wind eased to a wesrerly force 3, only then did she need more sail. But with only 1.5nm to go, l didn’t bothet pulling up the main, what l have gained would have been lost again packing the sail away again.
Once back on Elektra’s mooring. I had quite a bit of packing up to do. But getting ashore had to wait for 2hrs before the tide would be high enough to get to St Anthony beach with the dinghy.
Home for a shower, next day home shopping was arriving between 0930-1030hrs, followed by a meeting at 1130hrs and another at 1530hrs.
Love Sailing 