Love Sailing

The 2019-20 winter was stormy and wet so no winter work was done until Elektra came out of the water at the end of February to have her 36 year old Buhk DV20 diesel engine replaced with a modern Yanmar 3YM20. While she was out I washed, polished and anti-fouled her. Also fitted her new davitt holders.

Elektra was on the boat yards trailer and they needed it back again by the middle of March to move other boats so Elektra was relaunched on the 10th. With her summer mooring not yet ready for use she was moved onto a gale proof mooring above the narrows until the beginning of April. But on the 23rd of March the UK went into lockdown because of Covid-19. Elektra had fallen between the cracks, she wasnt on her winter mooring or on her summer mooring, the rules seemed to suggest she could not be moved or worked on but as no one else was looking after her I countinued to look after her myself either by walking out at low water or rowing out at high water and doing a few jobs as needed. Here Elektra stayed there until a little while after the lifting of the lockdown on the 13th of May. Outdoor sports was then allowed including sailing but no staying aboard! Staying aboard was only allowed from the 4th of July when everyone was allowed to go on holiday wherever they liked! This was when Cornwall was opened up to holiday makers, we locals kept away from them as they had no idea of how to social distance. All though lockdown I had continued to work as my work needs to be done, normally we would be looking for a holiday by June but this wasnt allowed.

Our first sail wasnt until the 24th of May as day sailing is difficuilt from our moorings avoiding bad weather and working the tides as we need to. Its much easier for us to sail eleswhere and avoid bad weather but this wasnt allowed until the 4th of July, we only managed 3 day sails before then.

Once Elektra was allowed to be put out on her seasonal mooring I was able to fit her dinghy davitts, these have proved to be very useful even more so this season when anchoring away from other yachts with Covid-19 to think about.

Our first weekend away was 10-12th of July when we sailed north to Turnaware for a Sadler Rally which I had suggested, it was a good turnout, 7-8 yachts a S26, S29, S34 plus another which turned up later 3xSL35s and a SL39. We had a social distancing Bar-B-Que on Turnaway beach which seemed to go very well.

On the 20th of July Neal from Kernow Covers came and fitted Elektra’s new cockpit encloser. This had been ordered in November 2018 but a stay bar for the radar had to be moved and I didnt get it made and fitted until August 2019. From mid September until the lockdown it rained nearly non-stop, Neal only managed to take the template on the 10th of June this year. Vicki and I are very pleased with his work.

Another two weekends aboard followed before we took a weeks holiday over the 2nd week of August, followed by another weeks holiday over the first week of September, we would of had another holiday at the end of September but by then the wind and rain had started up again so that week turned into 3 days and this turned out to be our last sailing for 2020. But we had managed to visit Looe durring the September week, a place which had been on our list for more than 10 years.

In October the windy weather stopped us going out and Elektra stayed in Carne Creek on a gale proof mooring. considering the poor start and ending to the season the numbers seem to show we did better than we thought. The season had been short but we had made best use of the time availible in between work comittments and we should be thankful as I know lots of owners never even got their yachts into the water this season due to Covid-19.

Elektra was pulled out for the winter in early November just before the 2nd lockdown, l have lots of on and under water line jobs to do before March.

The numbers are, days aboard lost to lockdown(1st Api-13th May) is 15. Plus days lost to not being allowed to stay aboard (13th May-4th July) is 14. Days we were aboard are 38 of which we sailed for 25 of them. Nights aboard are 27 of which 22 were at anchor. The new engine only did 16hrs (yearly aveage 44) and we only logged 265nm (aveage 500nm).

After two weeks catching up with my work it looked like we could get away for another week aboard but the weather seemed to have other ideas! From mid week it was forecasted to get wet and windy. After thinking of heading up to Fowey we decided it would be better to stay close to home.

Saturday 26th September

The forecast was northerly force4-5, heading out of Gillan I had set a reefed main and all the genoa. it soon became clear I needed to reef the genoa as well! Out in Falmouth Bay we found the wind to be east-northeast force 5 gusting 6 at times! One of those sails when you think should we really be out here? But Elektra was in her groove logging between 6-7kts SOG into the wind and waves with the old gust pushing her over on her ear! When we started the engine in the Precuil River we had logged 8.5nm in 1.25hrs. We motored up the river and dropped anchor at 1410hrs.

After a lovely relaxing time anchored in Place on Saturday in great weather, it was time to head home for work on Monday.

Sunday 13th September

After a lazy start and brunch we weighed anchor at 1115hrs and sailed slowly back towards Gillan, picking up our mooring in Gillan at 1345hrs having logged 6nm. We then had to wait for high water (1430) to take Elektra up though the narrows into Carne Creek to a gale proof mooring due to strong wind forecast. That was the end of our second sailing holiday.

Monday 28th September

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After a restful weekend away the plan had been to stay until Tuesday but we ran out of water so decided to go back Monday instead.

It looked like we were going to have to beat back into a southwesterly, having motored down the Precuil River our first tack took us over to Pendennis point, next tack out into Falmouth Bay before tacking back towards Swanpool. It was great sailing but then it started to rain and the fog decended! With not being able to see vary far I didnt want to sail back out into Falmouth Bay so decided to start the engine and motor south to Rosemullion Head and on across Helford River using the chart plotter. We got into Gillan 2hrs after leaving the Precuil River having logged 9nm.

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A few days later our boat yard phoned and suggested we move Elektra into Carne Creek because of the forecasted strong northeasterly. This we did and there ended our sailing season with gales over the next 2 weeks followed by a weekend where Elektra was neaped (not enough water to float her). Then by the next weekend I had done my back in at work, which only left one weekend which with gales before the end of October, so our season was over.

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After going home for showers and to get a few things we needed on Thursday, we had the rest aboard, we were on holiday and R&R was needed.

Friday 11 September

Just a little short sail over Falmouth Bay to Place was our next plan, we weighed anchor at 1340hrs, motored out of Gillan and set just the genoa for the down wind sail across the bay dropping anchor in Place just 6nm away at 1510hrs.

After a few nice days in Looe we had made friends with Rob and Karen, we invited them for drinks and a chat one evening and they in turn the next. It turned out we had been in the same anchorage out in Scilly at the same time back in 2018. It had been their first visit to Scilly and our fifth.

We had been informed by the Harbour Master that no rafting was allowed, so in the evening of the 7th went another small yacht arrived we told the skipper so. Not long after one of the Harbour staff came and asked us to raft as we were a group, which we were not! We had all been drinking and didn’t want to move, l said l was willing to let them raft to Elektra which is what happened in the end. In the morning the Harbour Master gave him a telling off for rafting! It would be good if the right hand knew what the left hand was doing!

Wednesday 8th September

We had decided to leave about 1130hrs, we would have said buy to Rob and Karen but the Harbour Master was on Elektra having a go at the other skipper at the time! Around 1000hrs shortly after Rob and Karen left another yacht came in, we explained about the rafting and they decided to moor to the wall ahead of us until we were ready to leave.

Working towards leaving, l left a line attached which we didn’t see until we had started to leave, there was a little bit of panic on my behalf but the tide was slow and with help of the other skipper all was well in the end! At 1100hrs we were free and heading for open sea.

Once out in the cove I set all sails and sailed out past the Cardinal Buoy off Looe Island, we were going to have to beat into the forecasted westerly force2-3, which seemed more like a south westerly, only after we tacked could we see for sure, Now heading due west at around 3kts. We continued a long the coast like this until we were north of Udder Rock and the wind died away so we started the engine at 1250hrs. We did consider going into Fowey but decided to find an anchorage instead, we looked at Polridmouth to the north east of Gribbin Head but decided in the south westerly wind wasnt very sheltered, motoring out again we past between Gribbin Head and Cannis Rock out into St Austell Bay. The wind was picking up again so let out the genoa and we sailed across the bay to Black Head. Our normal anchorage of Polgwyn Cove was looking very choppy so we motored south across Mevagissey Bay to Portmellon and dropped anchor for the night at 1515hrs having logged 19nm.

Wednesday 9th September

After the bright lights of Looe we had a wonderful quiet dark night an anchor sleeping well into the morning. There was no rush to get away because the tide stream wasnt with us until 1330hrs. After eating brunch we weighted anchor at 1205hrs and motored out around Chaple Point before setting all the sail. At first there seemed little wind but got better towards the Dodman Point, then we lost the wind under the point and motored out the other side where the wind helped us along again. Slow at first but the wind picked up and then the wind was great, keeping our SOG up between 5-6kts right back across Falmouth Bay into Gillan, we droped anchor off Flushing Cove for the night at 1700hrs having logged 18nm. We put our cockpit encloser up and enjoyed the evening.

Saturday 5th September

Our plan had been to sail early from Fowey to Salcombe today but being in Gorran Haven there didn’t seem to be much wind so we decided to head to Looe.

The wind did fill in later but by that time the tidal stream was running against us again, it wasn’t a worry because the wind was anywhere between 5kts and 21kts at one point during a squall, we sailed the whole passage on just the genoa, to little sometimes but plenty of sail during the squall. We covered the 16nm in 4.5hrs.

On arrival at Looe it was just after low water so we dropped anchor and waited for the tide.

Also anchored off was Jemima another yacht with loads of fenders attached, l lower the dinghy and rowed over for a chat.

Rob and Karen gave loads of useful advice for going into Looe, Rob was going in at half tide but we were going to have to wait a little longer due to Elektra’s deeper draft. I had been to Looe back in the 80s by road but things had changed, the old shower block had been knocked down and we ended up the wrong side of the river with the tide pushing us in at 2-3kts, two U turns later we arrived in the right spot to moor up. I think l know how Boris feels now!

After 3 weeks of work and no sailing l was looking for another holiday before the autumn flush of grass.

Friday 4th September

The plan was to go aboard on Friday and sail to Fowey. But by the time we had collected all our stores together and got aboard to stow them we knew the tidal stream would be running against us. Not to worry l said, it will only be a knot or so.

I pulled the main up on the mooring because Elektra was facing the wind and we cast off at 1215hrs, running the engine just to get out of Gillan, l set all the sail, this wasn’t going to be a fast passage to Fowey but at least we were sailing. After 1.5hrs having only logged 4.5nm l started the engine again! Motoring on at a steady 5kts SOG, after 3hrs the wind picked up and we were sailing again around the Dodman Point.

Vicki then said how about going into Gorran Haven for fish and chips? It was a quick decision to change direction and we were soon dropping anchor at 1600hrs off Gorran Haven. From back in 2018 we found their fish and chips, we think them the best!

After a run ashore for the fish and chips an evening of scrabble with a bottle of red that followed Vicki and l were getting into the holiday mood.