After the previous week at anchor in the Precuil River, l was keen to start sailing again. The forecast for the weekend looked good for getting up to Plymouth. The weather app l was using gave north-west force 3-4 backing to west north-west 4 increasing westerly force 5, with possibly stronger winds for Sunday.
It looked good to me, and l planned to get aboard on Friday, stowed up and ready to go first thing on Saturday. The tide stream wasn’t with me until 1250hrs but being neeps wouldn’t be a strong stream in any case
Up early and had breakfast, l cast off at 0705hrs, leaving outside Carcroc Cardinal Buoy, l set the chart plotter up for the way point of Daystone off Plymouth Sound 37.5nm in a east-northeast direction. About 0715 the CG shipping forecast was giving northwest force 4-5 backing west 5-6. With little or no wind l continued to motor Elektra towards Plymouth. At 0745hrs, l stopped her engine and and sailed, but by 0814hrs we were motor-sailing again. By 1017hrs the wind had picked up to a northwest force 4 and Elektra was sailing. But by 1044hrs the wind had eased to northwest force 2-3 and l had rolled away her sails and was motoring.
With a bit more wind we were motor-sailing by 1205hrs having logged 23.5nm. Then with the wind increasing we sailed for the next 2hrs. But with the wind dropped off to northwest force 3 we started motor-sailing again. We passed the Daystone way point at 1530hrs and we’re anchored just north of Cawsands by 1545hrs having logged 39.5nm. Today had been a disappointment for sailing, but l think the wind which was forecasted came in overnight and during Sunday.
Love Sailing 