Love Sailing

Vicki having had a opperation a few weeks ago and unable to do herself, had arranged for Elektra to have her internal cabin cleaned, this was done on the 21st of March.

With the cabin now clean, on the 22nd I loaded up her cruising gear ready for the season. This is normally something which we do together after Elektra has been launched but since Vicki wouldn’t be able to help me, I thought I would get it done myself while Elektra was still in the boat yard.

Adam, the yard boss had given me a new launch date and time of 0630hrs on the 31st March, so the sailing season will soon be here!

It had been a bit of a marathon getting all Elektra’s winter jobs done and at times I wondered if I would complete them in time for the new season. But almost suddenly at the end of February things seemed to come together. On the 27th, I scrubbed out her cockpit and on the 28th bent back on her sails and attached her sheets. On the 1st of March I refitted her dodgers and summer sprayhood and on the 2nd finished painting her boot top line.

This left me with a few jobs at home getting the dinghy, launching trolly ready, servicing running up the outboard for the season.

I also ordered some new safety equipment, dosen’t take long to spend £700, these days.

There are still a few little jobs to do before Elektra is relaunched on the 31st of March. I have a new Echomax control box to fit, a new LED tricolour bulb to fit. Vicki has arranged for Elektra’s cabin to be professionally cleaned and once cleaned I am going to load her cruising gear while she is still in the boat yard.

The plan is to motor her back down the Helford River to Gillan Harbour on the 1st of April.

Though November I gone on with cleaning Elektra’s decks and free board, the deck has always been a problem to clean, with black spots engrained into the non-slip GRP decking, with the help of “Grunt” and stainless scowering pads I was at last able to remove the black spots. When Elektra was built in 1984 her deck had been pourly laid up, her light gray non-slip had not covered the mould properly, thus there are areas of no pigment and other areas where the white pigment around the windows is there instead of the gray. I have wondered for a few years if I should paint it or not? The free board was eaiser to clean having been polished most years.

Then on the 9th December Chris the surveyor arrived to do a full survey for my insurance (I had increased her sailing area for 2025 and beyond). Later that week the survey arrived in my email in box, and of course the insurance wanted all the recommeded work to be done before relaunch. Among the items were new guard wires, extra bracing for solar frame, new anodes, rerun some pipework under the sink to ease access to stop vavles, aliminum tape on sound proofing around engine, sort out some wiring problems, service the engine(this had already been serviced), the mast had resently been liffed on again, I had rerun the cables and sealed the deck fittings but not connected internally, the mast lights arnt working! The list went on, most were small jobs and easy solved. Then there were the missing bits mentioned in the survey. The boom was at the riggers having a new outhaul fitted, the tiller was home being revarnised, and almost all her running rigging had been removed for the winter. Also her sails and canvas work had all been removed for the winter(Chris did say this was good practice).

On the 15th I was back down to Elektra looking and mesuring to order bits to get all the extra jobs done. On the 18th I removed her stanchions guard wires to take over to Falmouth to the riggers for them to renew. While I was over there, I picked up Elektra’s boom and some new mooring lines. On the 19th I got on with some of the jobs, aliminum tape over instation in engine box, rerun the pipes under the sink, clips on the cooker and removed her rudder for work at home. on the 20th and 22nd I was at home varnishing, machining timber for water tank straps and cleaning up the leading edge of the rudder.

We had arranged for Elektra to be pulled out on the 18th October for the winter at “River Boatyard Ltd” Lower Quay, Gweek. I had bought new Garmin instruments last winter but couldn’t find anyone to fit them. Talking to Adam the boss of River Boatyard durring the summer, I found out they could fit them, it made sence to pull Elektra ashore for the winter and get them fitted properly. Also after pulling Elektra out, the deck stanchion inserts which I had fitted in March 2023 needed re-doing, so Adam agreed to set in epoxy.

Within a week of being pulled out of the water on the 24th, her mast had been crained off and Elektra was stored indoors for the yard to get on with the work. I spent my spare time rebedding the chain plates, deck organiser sleeves and fitting the new deck clutches

The boatyard guy (Steve) got on with the GRP and the eletronic company PR Systems (Keith) fitted the new Garmin wind, depth and log plus the new Garmin GPSMap 923 chart plotter and by the 11th November all the main winter work had been completed and Elektra was pulled back out into the yard to be stored for the winter.

The wind index mounting had been fitted too close to the mast head light to fit the index into it. So l made and fitted an extra aluminium plate to move the mounting forward.

The winter work had started quickly and a lot of the work had been completed by mid November but there were still jobs which l was going to do while Elektra is ashore this winter, watch this space for next post.

The winter had been wet and windy with almost no dry days and not much winter work done until the last week of January when I fitted Elektra’s new altered bow roller to hold her new 10kg Rocna anchor. Elektra was pulled out for a new coat of anti-fouling on the 28th of February for what was meant to be a few days but the weather stopped re-launch until 11th March, when Elektra went back up Carne Creek to her winter mooring. After that I spent dry days getting her ready for the season and I moved her down river to her seasonal swing mooring on the 10th of April.

I had a day sail on the 14th and we went away for our first weekend on the 18-21st (this weekend to find out what we had forgotten). If was a cold start to the season and only 3 day sails from then to mid May when we had our 2nd weekend. Then when Vicki was away I sailed Elektra to Fowey alone for the SSOA Rally 24-27th May, having engine problems Elektra was left in Fowey for the week and I sailed her home myself on 31st. This passage turned out to be very windy, northwest force 6! Elektra sailed the 24.5nm in just over 4.5hrs with 2 reefs in the genoa and no main, Vicki then joined me aboard for our first warm sunny weather this season. We had the time but the weather just didn’t settle down for the summer, a few nice days and then the wind and rain would return!

We sailed to Scilly on the 24th of June but it was very cold for the time of year (12-14C), we had the cabin heater on most evenings. We returned to the mainland on the 1st of July.

And so this weather continued, we didn’t really get any great summer weather until the end of July, beginning of August. Looking at the forecast I suggested going around the Lizard Point into Mount’s Bay, with little wind and later a wind from the north, seemed like a good idea. We anchored overnight in Coverack, Mullion Cove and at St Michael’s Mount for 3 nights, this was summer, before having to head home to avoid the next southwesterly blow.

By mid August we had only been aboard for one whole week when we went to Scilly, the rest of the sailing had been 3-4 days or day sailing, the season just never settled down into summer. By the end of August I was determined to get a fortnight aboard, the forecast looked good so we sailed east to Fowey, Cawsands, Salcombe for 3 days then west to the Yealm River for 2 days, then west Polgwyn Cove, Precuil River and home before the next strong winds, 12 days, not quite a fortnight but a nice holiday just the same. One last sail to Fowey bought our port hopping to an end mid September. Then another week aboard locally over the first week of October bought our cruising to an end this season, one last day sail and the season was over. Elektra came out of the water for jobs ashore on the 18th of October at Gweek.

“Summer, what summer?”,some might say, but the numbers don’t seem to show a bad summers sailing! It has been our best ever season, the numbers are, we were aboard 87 days, and 59 nights of which 40 nights were at anchor, the new Rocna had proved its worth. We had sailed for 53 days and logged 802nm, over 200nm more than last season and 77nm more than our last best season.

After my day sail on Tuesday 1st of October Vicki and I decided to spend the last few days of good weather aboard until Friday. We didn’t get away until late and after dropping the mooring with a forecast of northeastly force 3-4 we found there wasn’t any wind to sail by, so just motored on NNE across Falmouth Bay and into the Precuil River, dropping anchor at 1630hrs having logged 6.5nm. The wind did pick up over night but we were very sheltered.

Thursday was like a nice summers day and after brunch while Vicki did a little more cross stitch in the cockpit, I got busy cleaning the decks and freeboard. After which I relaxed in the cockpit sunshine. We retired down below as the sun went down and played Scrabble and opened a bottle of red. The evening being on the chilly side because of the time of year, I started up the cabin heater and we got cosy.

By Friday the forecast had changed and it suggested a wet and windy Saturday (south-southeast gale) followed by a dry Sunday with more rain set to come in on Monday and Tuesday. We decided to stay aboard over the weekend, but we would move down river to Place and better shelter from the gale. We needed to move early due to the tide, so motored Elektra to Place around 0900hrs and dropped anchor in close to the south and west bank. Here Elektra would be dry 2hrs either side and aground 3hrs either side of low water (you can’t drag anchor if aground). We put up her cockpit encloser and after she took ground and before the water had gone, we went via our tender to St Mawes for shopping and a pub lunch. When we returned some hours later we were both ready for a rest. The wind picked up around dark and it started to rain, I ran the cabin heater to warm us up the wind howled but Elektra was very sheltered and we had a good night.

When I got out on Saturday, it was very windy and tipping it down with rain, but we were snug aboard Elektra. What was interesting, was Ekektra was facing down wind because she was so sheltered under the tree line that the wind was eddying back on her from the north. We had brunch and washed up, by which time it had stopped raining and I went ashore in the dinghy for a walk before the tide went out. After my walk Elektra grounded and dried out again, the wind continued to blow, because of the time of year the sun never came up over the tree line until after midday. The forecast had changed again for Sunday, now they were saying rain, with dry for about 3hrs in the afternoon before more rain. But also with a calmer morning the wind was set to increase from the southwest in the afternoon. It was looking like now we would get wet going home on Sunday.

On Sunday morning it was still raining, I pulled on my waterproofs and rowed the dinghy ashore to empty the rainwater, then lifted it onto its davits. Then together Vicki and I took down the cockpit encloser (it was wet so left it rolled up in the cockpit), I pulled up the anchor at 0920hrs and Vicki motored Elektra north out of Place as I stowed the anchor, when I got back to the cockpit I took the helm and Vicki went back down below. I countinued to motor Elektra west-southwest out of St Mawes and then south-southwest across Falmouth Bay. The visiblity was 1-2nm and the wind was south force 3-4 and Elektra was punching into lumpy southerly swell of 4-5ft, I fitted her tiller pilot so I could leave the helm and wipe my specks and keep a lookout for pot markers. It wasn,t the best day to be out in a boat! The more south we went the less lumpy the swell become as we closed on the weather shore, until it was almost nothing in the entrance to Gillan Harbour. But still too lumpy to lower the dinghy from its davits, so we motored in and I lowered the dinghy and detached lines in more shelter of the harbour. Once done I took the helm and motored Elektra back out onto her mooring. It was still raining and as I sorted stuff out in the cockpit, Vicki started making brunch. Once I was back into the cabin we had brunch and the heavens oppened and it tipped down with rain and it rained and rained! We were OK in the cabin, eating, then washing up and packing up gear but would this rain ever stop? In the end it did and I pulled on my waterproofs again and fitted the outboard on the dinghy, the sea had turned brown with mud run off from the land.

We loaded up the gear and headed into St Anthony, before we reached the beach it started raining again! With the tide being out, I got as close as I could and the pulled the dinghy to the shore via its painter and Vicki got out and started walking slowly across the levels and up the beach as I grabbed a few bags to carry across the level and up the beach to get the dinghy trolly. Back down the beach and across the levels, I pulled the dinghy onto the trolly and pulled as far as I could but had to stop to drain the rainwater out as it was very heavy! So opened the dinghy bung and I grabbed more bags to carry up the beach. Then I got the pick-up and lowed the gear and Vicki got in. Back down the beach to pull the dinghy across the flats until I had to rest. I carried the remaining bags and cockpit encloser up the beach and into the pick up before going back down the beach to pull the dinghy to the top of the beach, I ask you who needs to go to a gym!

We were glad to get home, what an end to the sailing season!

With a few days of nice weather coming up,  it looked like sailing again but Vicki couldn’t because of an appointment. So l planned a day out on my own.

I needed to leave St Anthony beach before 0930hrs due to a falling tide. Going out in the dinghy into the sun it was difficult to see. Once out and aboard Elektra, l expected to have some baling out to do after the reasent rain! We still had a fresh water leak but it has slowed down, so one of the sealing jobs l had done, had worked partly but l still had the bale out some water! The water tank on the other hand had stopped leaking, it had proved to be the spare tank outlet cap even though the manufacturer said it wouldn’t be. I had asked for a new cap but they were slow about getting back to me, so l used a waterproof sealant inside the cap before refitting it and this had stopped the leak.

Then l got Elektra ready to leave, l was going to pull up the mainsail but looking out in Falmouth Bay, l could see white horses so decided not to. It was blowing west out of Gillan Harbour and the forecast was northwesterly force 3-4 increasing 4-5 later. With the wind blowing her out l didn’t bother starting her engine and just attached the dinghy painter to the mooring and let go. By the time l had walked back to the cockpit, Elektra turned around and was heading out to sea on her own! I set all the genoa and taking the helm took her out between Carcroc and the Dennis Head, with my local knowledge it’s what l normally do. Once out into the Helford River Entrance she soon picked up speed to around 5kts. We were heading for Pendennis Point north-northeast of Gillan. It was good sailing and she definitely didn’t need any more sail.

At Pendennis Point she lost the wind a little  and l had a 10min calm patch before she set off again towards St Mawes Castle. She could point a little better and it looked like she would sail past the point but with the out going tide she didn’t. So l tacked her on a west heading towards Falmouth Docks. On this tack Elektra was on her ear, it would have been better if l had reefed her genoa but l couldn’t let go of her tiller to do so! Tacked again just short of the east breakwater, she was now heading north again but as with the first tack the tide was pushing her towards St Just in Roseland.

I wasn’t able to see my passage notes on the chart table and couldn’t remember the tide height or time and the tiller pilot couldn’t cope with Elektra. I knew we were heading towards shallow water and with another yacht coming the same way to windward. And another yacht heading south, l thought it’s all going to be a bit of close sailing in a few minutes, so l decided to go about and head back. What a change the direction makes, everything calmed down the tiller pilot could cope and l could get below to check things out! Elektra was now making about 6kts and it didn’t seem very windy.

Sailing back the tiller pilot could cope and l could rest and write in the log. Sailing south and then south-southwest in a northwesterly wind it was lovely to be out. Before Gillan l started Elektra’s engine before l needed, but continued to sail her on east of Carcroc buoy and into Gillan entrance before pushing the leaver into foreward and rolling away the genoa. Motoring into her mooring and picked up after 13.5nm in 2.75hrs.