Love Sailing

Since l first owned boats back in 1972, l had aways insured them. I had owned 5 small boats between 1972-1988, then l went away from the sea, had a small holding until 2000, then played golf. I came back to the sea again in 2004 with my 2nd wife, we were looking for something we could enjoy together. We bought a little day sailer called “Acorn” in 2004, which we sailed for 18 months, before buying our Hurley 22 “Gala” which we cruised for the next 11 seasons.

At the end of 2016 we bought Elektra and Gala came out of the water at the end of the year and was put on the market. And she sold in July the following year.

By 2025 l had owned and insured 8 boats/yachts over 37 years and never made a claim. I had always insured via and insurance brokers in Penzance, each year the premium would go up. In 2025 we had planned extended cruising and so increased her cruising area. The insurance then wanted a full out of the water survey which cost £500, the survey came up with other jobs which needed to be done £1000.

In 2019 we had got an agreed value insurance at £22k, better but no way reflects the amount of money l had spent updating her, she was worth far more to me than her insurance value.

When l was fighting the fire aboard, l was doing everything in my power to save Elektra, it was only when the extinguishers were empty and l didn’t think the fire was out, that l thought we might lose her and abandoning her was more a fear of explosion than wanting to leave. Once we were picked up by the Lizard lifeboat and l knew we were both safe, my concern returned to Elektra! But one of the crew said we were the important ones.

So after the fire, l hadn’t any idea what the process of claiming on my insurance would involve. So on Monday 14th, l contacted my insurance broker because the insurance claim had to go through Sandra the broker. The insurance form arrived in my inbox the same day. I looked at it in the evening after spending a long day dealing with Elektra and unloading gear. I hadn’t slept much in the past 48hrs. The first question was “do you consider yourself vulnerable?” Which l couldn’t understand why they were asking! The next question asked, “if not you who was in command” These questions kind of stopped me going any further on filling out the form for a while. But 2 days later I filled in in as good as the internet form would allow me to do.

But the insurance also wanted invoices and quotes for the work needed. Well ever since owning Elektra, l have found it difficult finding a reliable marine electrician, the company l had used in the winter never answered any of my emails (to date since fire). After the fire l had lots of offers of help from sailing friend’s, so when my friend Robert asked if there was anything he could do to help. I said yes please, could you contact your friend Bob Orchard(Marine electrician) in Falmouth and ask him if he could quote for Elektra’s rewiring work. I had tried a few times over the years, but never got Bob Orchard to do anything on Elektra. Robert got in contact with Bob who said he was winding up his company but could recommend Rupert Waters. I contacted Rupert around Wednesday, Thursday after the fire who was away at a family funeral in Scotland by email. Rupert had phoned me up from Scotland before the end of that same day, and he asked for photos. He emailed me later and said from the photos it looks doable. Rupert was coming back at the weekend.

Rupert pulled out all the stops! He visited Elektra on Monday morning (8 days after fire), had sent the quote by Tuesday, and I paid the deposit. Elektra was towed to Falmouth by my boat yard and put on a swing mooring on Wednesday. Rupert started on the rewiring on Thursday and worked through the weekend. And I then went over to Falmouth to motor Elektra back to her mooring in Gillan on Wednesday 30th after work had been completed. Rupert went off on holiday that same Wednesday afternoon. This work, I arranged and paid for without go ahead from the insurance, who seemed to be dragging their feet.

As more and more invoices came, I sent them over to the insurance via my broker. After Elektra arrived back in Gillan, there was more cleaning to do. The powder from the extinginshers was one mess, but under the powder there was also a sticky residue, so after vacuuming, I had to wash with hot soapy water all surfaces. The tides were dificult for getting Elektra into St Anthony beach for reloading, being neep tides meant going in one day and back out to mooring the following day and the weather wasn’t settled enough for that. So I decided to push off doing until the end of that week, so I could bring Elektra into the beach on the morning tide and out again in the evening. This gave me more time to get the cleaning done, and then there was the broken bow navagation light to replace. Sometime during this week the insurance sent a fire inspector, who questioned us at home and also aboard for 4-6hrs, he said he was normally sent in the day after the fire, not what was now 2.5 weeks later! I also had the engine checked over by my engingeer after the fire.

So it was the 8th of August when we reloaded Elektra and in the evening after floating off the beach, I took Elektra out for a sail in the mouth of Helford River, it had been an intence time but less than a month since Elektra’s fire, I was sailing her again!

The following day Vicki and I took Elektra on her 2nd shakedown cruise of the season, to find out if we had forgotten anything and find out how all the new switches worked. Apart from 2 stops and one night at home we stayed aboard until the 23rd.

From the insurance, I had their first offer on the 18th August, there was a deduction of 30% on all new parts (due to improvement), but all labour costs were covered. I was fairly happy with this but they seemed to have missed out the boatyard tow of Elektra from Gillan to Falmouth. So the next offer on the 19th included this. By which time I had remembered about the engine check up and the bow nav light. The insurance agreed the engine check but the nav light would need to be another claim. I didn’t claim on the light because the excess was more than the cost of the light. So the final offer came on the 21st August. Being that we were aboard, I didn’t have a printer, so needed to go home. So it was Sunday 24th of August when I downloaded completed and scanned the docs to send back to the insurance.

I expect, I am in the lucky position of being able to pay for the work needed, before getting the insurance money, but how many would be? That’s how this insurance works, you pay out for all the bills and the insurance refunds you, some of the costs later, well I got about 86% back. If I had to wait for the insurance to pay out the money, none of the work would have been started until the beginning of September at the earlest, and possibly the fire would have been the end of our sailing season. The insurance finally made the main payment on the 28th of August almost 7 weeks after the fire. There is still another job, which I am going to get done over the winter months, my engineer is going to remove the engine to replace 2 engine mounts damaged by the fire, once I have paid for this work the insurance will refund me most of the cost.

After Elektra was laid up on the 21st of October, my engineer came and moved her engine forward into the saloon, so I could get in better to fire proof the engine bay, my engineer the heat exchanger so he could do a repair on it. Before the end of the month the engine went back in place again having had it’s new engine mounts. My engineer sent his invoices on the 7th of November and I paid the same day. I sent the invoice for the engine mounts to my insurance the same day and on the 10th they sent me the final settlement offer, the 30% reduction on the new mounts (considered an improvement), but like before all labour was covered, so I got back 86% of total cost. Having sent back the paperwork to the insurance on the 11th they paid the settlement amouth the same day.

With Saturdays forecast showing no wind and easterly winds for Sunday. We decided to head back around the Lizard Point on Friday, the forecast was for North-Northwest force 2-3 increasing force 4 in evening

The tide wouldn’t be with us until 1515hrs, not wanting to get back after dark we planned to leave St Michael’s Mount between 1300-1400hrs. We were ready so we left at 1300hrs, l pulled the mainsail up and genoa out and l goose winged her for 1/2hr at 2.5kts in a south-southeast direction until the speed dropped below 2kts. At which point l started the engine and motored in Southeast in the right direction.

Then 1/2hrs later, the wind filled in from a Southerly direction, a force 2-3 and Elektra  was sailing well towards the Lizard Point, for the next 2hrs right up to the unsettled water off the Lizard Point she sailed.

Then when we turned the corner at 1530hrs the wind was behind us and not enough for Elektra to sail. So from there we motored. The wind then changed to a Northerly force 3-4 west of Coverack. By that time we just keep on motoring up and around Manacle Buoy which we passed at 1800hrs. Then turning Northwest towards the Nare Point, and west from the Nare Pt we motored very carefully into Gillan with the sun low in the sky trying hard to avoiding the pot markers in the glare of the sun on the water, and we picked up Elektra’s mooring at 1845hrs having logged 28.5nm.

This was our 2nd visit to this anchorage. Over the last 20 seasons we had visit Scilly 9 times, only once during 18 passages to Scilly or back had we stopped anywhere in Mount’s Bay, and that was after a bad CG forecast in 2013. Back in 2013 we headed for Newlyn after missing the tide for the Lizard Point. And the following day left Newlyn early for Helford, the next land we saw after Newlyn Harbour wall was Black Head because of fog! Last season we decided to explore Mount’s Bay and had great weather for doing so. Vicki wanted to visit again this season and this weeks weather looked the most settled for doing so.

I had another great night’s sleep, this being aboard had certainly helped my sleep pattern. I got out at 0700hrs to make coffee and do some online stuff, ordered a new tiller pilot for delivery next week. I then lifted the outboard from pushpit onto dinghy ready to go ashore later.

We went ashore to the Godolphin for lunch, after taking 1/2hr to get a pint each and looked at the menu we decided to eat elsewhere. We found a cafe called the Chapel Rock up beside the main road. Which did very nicely! Then once enjoyed we headed back to our dinghy and then onto Elektra, where l promptly fell asleep in the sun. We lazed away the afternoon watching the ferry boats go back and forth from the Mount to the shore.

Being a nice day the evening was cooler, so we disappeared blow by 1900hrs to play Scrabble, this time Vicki was victorious, scoring 796 to my 748. Then to bed and another great night’s sleep.

The night anchored in Gillan, started well with almost calm conditions, but during the night the wind picked up from the northeast and Elektra was rolling a lot. This kept me awake in the early hours and l got out when it got light. I made coffee and Vicki got out as well. We were going to leave around 0700hrs to catch the tide from Manacle Buoy around the Lizard Point into Mount’s Bay.

Normally l would have been quite happy to set off on my own without disturbing Vicki but the day before our tiller pilot went wrong, so l needed Vicki on the helm. Vicki helmed for the first 2hrs, we motored Elektra from Gillan east out to the Nare Point, then started sailing southeast towards Manacle Buoy. The tide was pushing Elektra towards the Manacle rocks, so for the last mile to the Buoy we where motor sailing. Once around the Manacle Buoy an hour after leaving Gillan Elektra was sailing well, on a broad reach to Black Head.

From there now with the wind more behind Elektra’s mainsail was taking her genoa’s wind, so l went on deck and pulled her mainsail down, which slowed Elektra a bit but she was still making 5kts over ground. Around this time Vicki went down below and went to sleep. I sailed Elektra on Around the Lizard Point, thinking the last time we were here things didn’t go well! But all was well this time. I was expecting a broad reach on the other side of the Lizard Point, but no the wind died away and Elektra’s speed dropped below 2kts.

At which point l started her engine and motored on at 5kts, not having the tiller pilot working was a bit of a problem, in the end l lashed the tiller to allow me to leave her helm and go to the head. On the way back l grabbed my log book which allowed me to do some entries while in the cockpit. The lashed tiller worked quite well, not as good as the tiller pilot, but good enough in the conditions. Motoring on across Mount’s Bay for 2hrs and then when we were nearly to the Mount a head wind picked up from the northwest, force 4 gusting 5! I wasn’t about to start sailing now this close to  arriving, so l upped the revs and pressed on and we motored into St Michael’s Mount anchorage and dropped anchor at 1315hrs, 6hrs after leaving Gillan having logged 29nm.

After a sleep in the cockpit, in the afternoon l took the tiller pilot apart to see if l could get it working again. The answer was no, the threaded part which screws into the rod, its threads had been stripped either end and it was jamming. I thought l might be able to buy the parts to fix. But since it was a really old unit (20-25 years) I think its possibly done really well to last so long, and a new unit would be a good idea.

Towards the end of Monday the easterly blow itself out and a quiet night followed. We had been at anchor in the Precuil River for 6 nights. On the Monday the insurance came up with a settlement on my claim after the fire, not full costs but a good amount anyway. I needed to get home and scan some documents to send to the insurance to claim my refund.

So on Tuesday we got Elektra slowly ready to head back across Falmouth Bay to Gillan. There wasn’t any hurry as we wanted the swell from the day before to ease off before we crossed Falmouth Bay. The wind was meant to be northeast force 3-4 but there didn’t seem much in the Precuil River. I didn’t think our mainsail would help much so didn’t bother unwrapping it. Out in the entrance to the Carrick Roads there were lots of yachts with full sail up not moving very quickly. I am always amazed by the amount of yachts which go to sea when there isn’t any wind! Out looking in all directions l could see about 40 plus yachts under full sail almost dead in the water. I had started to get the genoa out, but looking around decided not to, and to continue to motor.

Once out into Falmouth Bay, it became a uncomfortable swell, side on 4ft waves with almost no wind, motoring fast was very nasty, so slowed her down. We motored into Gillan and dropped anchor inside the moorings as our mooring was in an exposed position.

Then as Vicki packed up ready to go ashore, l got the dinghy into the water and the outboard onto the dinghy. Then we went ashore and home in the pickup.

I got on with computer work and scanning the documents for the insurance. Vicki had a shopping order deliver booked and we both had showers while we were home. It didn’t seem long and we were picking up and going out the door again. Back out at Elektra the slop had eased quite a bit more, making it easier to load and lift the outboard onto the pushpit and dinghy onto her davits, ready for a fairy early start next morning.

We had arrived in the Precuil River after an aborted attempt to go to Salcombe, on Thursday morning. Because l was possibly suffering from post dramatic stress, l hadn’t slept very well after the fire. I felt well enough in myself but only with 2-3hrs a night the past month, l was definitely needing to sleep. And being aboard l had aways slept very well. So it wasn’t any surprise to Vicki l slept most of the afternoon away. In the evening we played Scrabble and opened a bottle of red. I then followed this with 9 solid hours of sleep over night.

Next day we went down River by dinghy to St Mawes for a pub lunch at The Rising Sun. And some shopping from the co-op afterwards. The forecast was for 4 days of strong easterly winds to follow Friday. So we were going to hunker down and wait until the the winds ease before moving again. But l couldn’t lounge around for days, l needed to get off Elektra and go walking.

So the next day after another good night’s sleep, before Vicki was awake, l took the dinghy ashore and had a good walk around St Anthony in Roseland headland. I might have overdone it a little, it was a little further than l had thought, but a good walk nonetheless. Of course after brunch, l slept for a few more hours! In the evening we played Scrabble again, l was having a wining streak as Vicki hadn’t one since we were in Scilly. But she didn’t seem to mind.

After another good night’s sleep, l went walking again, this time l walked around St Mawes, another time a bit too far but a nice walk just the same. Back to Elektra for brunch. Today on the cards was some Cruising Association work. Somehow at the beginning of the year l had got myself involved with the starting up of the southwest section after 4-5 years of the section being dormant. I made it absolutely clear from the get go that l didn’t want any leading role but l was willing to help out if l could. 6 members came together to form “Team SW” and a social/meeting arranged so we could pick a leader. Nobody wanted the job, but somehow l must have said OK!

I have in the past started up the SW Cornwall Section of the Hurley Owners Association from phoning up members. I was on the HOA committee for about 7 years. And l nearly got involved with the Sadler and Starlight Owners Association soon after buying our Sadler but someone else stepped forward before me.

Anyway from not wanting a leading role to taking up the CA SW section secretary role, something differently went wrong! But any Association is run by volunteers for the enjoyment of the members. And if l am doing my job right, l am arranging for events to entertain members. Providing the members are happy, l have done my job.

Since “Team SW” was formed in April, getting things moving from a standing start had been slow but a Fowey Rally for September had been arranged  And a CA talk in Torquay, and now we were in the process of arranging a CA social in Falmouth. So things were moving in the right direction and the team were hoping for better in 2026.

The whole Team SW are keen sailors and as such we want to be away sailing when we can, so it is a Team effort.

After being at home for 24hrs, we arrived back aboard Elektra in the evening of the day one month on from the fire. We had big plans to leave Gillan for Salcombe early the following morning. As Vicki stowed supplies, l stowed the outboard and pulled the dinghy up onto its davits and we gently got Elektra ready for passage making the next day.

By 1900hrs she was ready and we retired below to play scrabble and opened a bottle of red. We turned in about 2300hrs.

I awoke at 0530hrs and got out, put the kettle on for a coffee, it was light enough to see outside even if the cabin was still dark. Before the coffee was made Vicki had got out and l dropped the mooring at 0610hrs. Vicki motored Elektra east out past Car Croc east cardinal buoy as l set the chart plotter up for a way point off Bolt Head 50nm away. There had been a forecast of west- southwest force 4, but with only force 2-3 we would have to motor sail which l didn’t want to do for 50nm. We started a discussion on options.

We knew there was strong easterly winds forecasted from Saturday for 4 days. We could carry on motoring or motor sailing to Salcombe or sail slowly to Fowey and either stay there of motor to Plymouth area on Friday. We could motor sail all the way to Cawsands 40nm away today, then go in the Yealm River for the easterly winds. None of the options seemed very appealing to us, as no real sailor likes motoring or motorsailing. We knew the best place to be stuck in easterly winds was the Precuil River which was just north across Falmouth Bay. It wasn’t much of a choice really, with the decision made, l turned Elektra north and stopped the engine. Now sailing at 3.5kts, Vicki went back to bed and l dropped anchor in the Precuil River at 0810hrs having logged 6.5nm. It’s difficult to improve on perfection.

As l was tidying up on deck, Vicki made breakfast which we had about 0900hrs, with the washing up done by 1000hrs, l started nodding off, l seem to sleep very well aboard but not well at home! So l went to bed for a few more hours. The plan is to stay here until the strong easterly winds have blown themselves out and then go east.

The shake down had proved to be useful. We had identified and drawn a diagram of some new switches, there were also some we hadn’t worked out but apart from the top of mast anchor light, everything else seemed to be working.

On Sunday we went to St Mawes via dinghy and had a pub Sunday lunch and when we arrived back Peter had anchored Tela his S26 beside Elektra, it’s a mini Sadler Rally Peter exclaimed. The next day Peter had planned to go out to Scilly. But put off by the forecast he stayed and just went for a sail in Carrick Roads. When he came back he said he had seen force 7 on his wind instrument. I said it normally stronger winds in the Roads than in Falmouth Bay. I had a lovely long walk in the afternoon.

The following day Peter did leave but an uncomfortable sea pushed him into Mount’s Bay and he anchored next to St Michael’s Mount. We left a little later in Elektra and had a good sail back to Gillan. Once the tide came in enough we loaded the dinghy and motored into the beach and then home for showers.

It’s not something l have done before, have a shakedown cruise halfway through a sailing season. But after the fire and Elektra’s rewire the switchboard was a completely new set up to me, like sailing a new yacht! 18 switches, only 9 were labelled. Rupert our new marine electrician had fitted Elektra’s rewire before he disappeared on holiday, he had ordered new labels for the switches without them but they hadn’t arrived before he left. Not that l was worried about them at the time as we lucky to get Elektra back so quickly.

When l motored Elektra into St Anthony beach the morning before, l thought the new chart plotter was broken, but this turned out to be a switch l hadn’t turned on!

To add to this the set up was all new to us, new wiring, switchboard, Victron solar controller, charger and battery monitor. All of which l needed to learn how they worked, and understand what l was looking at.

So on the 9th of August, we set off for a few days aboard, a nice westerly force 4-5 to send Elektra on her way across Falmouth Bay in a north-northeast direction. I just unrolled the genoa for this, and Elektra logged between 3-5kts across the bay. And we motored up the Precuil River and dropped anchor 1.33hrs later, having logged 6.25nm. We did our usual jobs after arrival in an anchorage, and Vicki cooked dinner.

I started trying to work out which switch do what job, drawing a diagram but there was still 6 switches which l didn’t know and one of them had to be the anchor light, but which one? A few years ago l had replaced the lamp with a light sensitive lamp so it wouldn’t come on until dark in any case. Once dark came l switched on all the of the 6 switches and went out in the dinghy to see if any lights had come on but no was the answer 🤔 At which point l got my emergency/spare anchor light out and used it instead.

We turned in about 2300hrs and l went to sleep very quickly, this turned out to be the best nights sleep l had had since the fire almost 4 weeks before.

The following night, I found the stereo radio was hot after I had been charging my mobile phone (I thought possibly because we stow the tea cosy on top of the back part of it) Anyway later in the evening before bed after lissoning to the radio all evening, it had cooled down, but not wanting to risk anything, I turned it off on the main switchboard. It wasn’t until following morning that I found out the stereo switch also is the USB ports, so when I turned the strereo off before bed I also turned the anchor light off!

I motored Elektra back from Falmouth to Gillan Harbour after she had been rewired at the end of July. I was lucky to find an Marine Electrician who was between jobs and could do the rewiring over a weekend. It was nice to find out that the new eletronics hadn’t been effected by the fire.

Then I spent the next 4 days washing the cabin hot soapy water (under the powder is a sticky surface). On Wedensday I replace Elektra’s bow nav light, sometime between us abandoning Elektra off the Lizard Pt and us picking Elektra off a mooring in Helford River the fitting had been broken. This seemed like an easy job but the light was out of reach on deck from the bow because of the furrling gear and from standing in a dinghy was above head hight, if the dinghy would have stayed still it would have been easier! Lol, I did manage it in the end even if it did take me 5hrs!

On Friday at about 0500hrs, I motored Elektra into St Anthony beach to let her dry out so we could reload her cruising which had all been home for washing and cleaning. I came back home and loaded the pick-up and around 1000hrs I drove back to St Anthony with Vicki to load the gear.

At about 1230hrs we left St Anthony for home again after removing my petrol generator which I had been using for the vacuuming. It was 1500hrs before I drove back to St Anthony to wait for Elektra to float off again which she did at around 1600hrs. I picked up her mooring and attached the dinghy before dropping again to go for a sail. It was only about 5nm over 1.25hrs, but it was lovely to be out sailing again after all the hard work.