I had been aboard since Tuesday evening, l had spent Wednesday hiding away from the heat of the day in Elektra’s cabin. It’s one thing Sadler yachts have advantage over other yachts of their age. Sadler had built them to be unsinkable by having a double skin which was foam filled. This is great insulation against heat or cold, warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. 27C in the cabin against 35C in the cockpit.
By Thursday l needed to go sailing, so l pulled up her anchor at 1030hrs and motored her down to St Mawes, where l pulled up her mainsail motoring forward into the wind using her tiller pilot at around 1050hrs. Once done stopped the engine and headed south out of St Mawes. There was a easterly force 2-3, so the sailing wasn’t quick, but Elektra was sailing. The sea was smooth to start with, but the further south we went the more unsettled the sea became.
I was thinking, l could keep going and round the Lizard Point, but l wasn’t certain l wanted to go and by 1220hrs, l had turned Elektra around and was heading back north. When we got back to St Mawes it was almost low tide, and l knew it would be very shallow in the Precuil River anchorage, but l carried on in up the river just the same. Keeping Elektra in the channel as long as possible, when l turned her over the level anchorage she went about 50ft before grounding in soft mud. I walked forward and dropped her anchor and right amount of chain for high water. Before doing the after sail jobs. Elektra had logged 10nm in 3hrs.
Love Sailing 