Elektra had been anchored in Carne Creek for a week, after I had gone home because the forecasters had said it would be wet and windy. There had been strong east wind but almost no rain, I could have stayed aboard quite happily. But as I was home I had used the time in the garden to do some trimming back.
At the end of the east wind on Thursday, I had worked up to 1400hrs, but as the forecast was now saying strong southwest winds, I wanted to move Elektra back into her mooring in Gillan Harbour, before they arrived. High water was at 1755hrs, but she should float by 1540hrs. So I set off to St Anthony at 1500hrs, passing Elektra still aground on the way. I had to see the boss of boat yard about winter laying up and I had done some work on the outboard which had to be clamped onto the dinghy.
So it was 1530hrs when I got out to Elektra, I started getting her ready to move, I think she was floating but not swinging yet. I started her engine, switched on her instruments and then pulled up her anchor at 1545hrs, I motored her slowly out over the level ground and into the channel, and down to the narrows into Gillan Harbour. I picked up Elektra’s mooring and attached the dinghy before droping her mooring again at 1600hrs. I motored Elektra out between Carcrock and Dennis Head and set her genoa before stopping the engine. As it turned out she could have done with her mainsail today, but I didn’t pull it up as not really going anywhere and she was logging 3-5kts. After sailing halfway across Falmouth Bay, I tacked her south to head back but the tide stream heading which was heading north was changing her direction to south-southeast. So I decided to tack again and instead of the expected west direction, her best direction was northwest! I continued to sail her this way until just off Rosemullion Head, before tacking in a south-southeast direction back towards the NCI Station on Nare Point. Tacking again, this time we were heading west-southwest direction (this is quite normal arround the Helford River entrance), where wind directions change the closer into the entrance we get. This was a good direction for Gillan Harbour, so I sailed Elektra uoto the Dennis Head before rolling away the genoa and starting her engine, then motored in and picked up her mooring at 1800hrs having logged 8nm.
Love Sailing 