With the forecast of strong easterly wind from Saturday to Tuesday and l needed to be home for Tuesday by 0930hrs. And since Gillan Harbour is open to the full force of the English Channel from the east, the sooner l got back to Gillan the better.
Now Friday, l will have been aboard for 15 days by the time l got back home. The forecast for today was varying force 2-3 in early morning increasing to easterly force 4. The tide stream was with us from 0530hrs but l didn’t want to get back to Gillan before 1230hrs because Elektra would need to be anchored in Carne Creek.
Getting out at 0700hrs, l had a quick breakfast and was pulling Elektra’s anchor up at 0730hrs with no wind and a calm sea l motored her towards the Dodman Point keeping a good lookout for the mussels farm which l knew was located in St Austell Bay. But very little of the farm apparently is being used now, and so nothing to avoid. I motored her pass Dodman Point at 0850hrs having logged 8nm. From there I sailed Elektra for 2hrs and logged another 7nm, until the wind force dropped again and the sea had got very unsettled. Not sure why but the wind had been dead behind from the northeast but the sea was easterly, making for a corkscrew motion. From the wind speed dropping off, I started motoring her towards Gillan, which was an uncomfortable ride.
Looking around as every skipper dose, I saw another yacht was following Elektra, thinking they were heading for the Helford River and we were almost on the same line and that’s why they followed, but I expected them to relise that we weren’t going their way the nearer we got to Helford River and they would eventually pass us to starboard. When they started to overtake on our port side, I fingered they must be using my navigation and I wasn’t going into the Helford River, lol, but aiming for Carcroc Cardinnal Buoy a mile south of August Buoy. Being that they were passing to port and not really going a lot faster. By the time they could cross Elektra’s bow into the Helford River, we were only about 1/2nm from Carcroc buoy. I motored Elektra into Gillan and on into Carne Creek and dropped anchor at 1230hrs having logged 23nm.
With jobs to do before leaving Elektra, it was 1.5hrs later before I locked up and loaded the dinghy with stuff for home, and I got home by 1500hrs. I had been for a 15 day cruise by myself and had managed very well. I need some practice docking to pontoons alone, and have plans to try up in the Fal and Truro river pontoons.
Love Sailing 