After a few days at home during strong east winds. The forecast today was easterly force 4 gusting 6, but set to ease overnight before the next day increasing again.
I had to go into the local town for a 1300hrs appointment and on my way home stopped off at my sisters for a chat and cup of tea. After getting home again l packed up for the boat, l was back out the door and driving down to St Anthony as quick as possible. And aboard by 1645hrs.
High water was at just after 1800hrs and so l got busy stowing away everything l had bought out to Elektra. And by 1730hrs l was ready, so l started the engine, switched on the instruments and walked forward to pull up her anchor. Having been anchor there a few days the birds had been using her decks to roost on and they were covered with bird shit. But l wasn’t going to do anything about that now. The anchor chain when I started pulling was also covered in seaweed, as l pulled aboard l pulled off and chucked over the side, Elektra had quite a bit of forward motion and when over the top of her anchor whilst l stopped the chain from slipping, and this motion pulled the anchor out of the bottom. When it came to the surface it was full of mud, so l cleaned with my hand before dropping back into the water to wash it. I used the bucket of water on deck to wash my hands after stowing the anchor. And stowed the bucket, anchor strop in the locker.
By the time l had done all this, Elektra had spun around 180 degrees and was facing up river, so having walked back to the cockpit, l put her in gear and motored Elektra over to the channel to head out to sea. I hadn’t unwrapped her mainsail because l was expecting a lot of wind. I motored Elektra out of the narrows, though Gillan Harbour and East of Carcroc Cardinal Buoy, then set all her genoa. Wind, what wind? Was in my thoughts, there was a moderate swell but almost no wind! Elektra needed more sail, so l spent the next half hour going out on deck to remove her mainsail cover and pull the main up. But by the time l had done all that, the wind instrument was showing easterly force 2 and with the moderate swell Elektra wasn’t going well at all!
So halfway across Falmouth Bay, l started her engine again and rolled in her genoa. Motoring on, l thought, l should know by now if Elektra needs her mainsail, there isn’t enough wind to sail anyway! Motoring on passing St Mawes into the Precuil River, l arrived and dropped anchor at 1930hrs having logged 7nm.
Love Sailing 