Love Sailing

Sunday 30th June

The tide stream wasn’t with us until 1345hrs for the 20nm passage east to Cawsands, so no need to rush away in the morning, we were trying to get into holiday mood. We might have slept in but the yacht we were rafted to left early in the morning, they were trying to be quite but made just enough sound to wake us, I got out as once awake I cant lie in bed so made coffee and went on my lap-top until Vicki got out.

Vicki cooked breakfast and we went ashore for showers and a pint at the sailing club, we might have stopped for lunch but after breakfast didn’t need it.

Back aboard Elektra we got her ready to leave, stowing the outboard on the pushpit, the dinghy we left on the foredeck and we cast off at 1415hrs. It wasn’t until we were motoring out of Fowey that I thought the harbour master hadn’t been around for any money, to late now!

This would be a downwind sail and I didn’t fancy goose winging 20nm so set just the genoa (a big sail on a Sadler 29 with a masthead rig). We were logging around 4kts on this lovely sunny day. I had been in contact with Katie and Derek on there Sadler 26 also in Fowey, they agreed to meet up with us in Cawsands but had decided to sail out to the Eddystone lighthouse and back in. We sailed on and after 3hrs had logged 12nm and were keeping 2 bigger yachts which were goose winged behind us, I think we might of continued to but both gave up sailing and started motoring. We sailed on for a while but I think its a GPS curse to be told your ETA, you start thinking about dinner time and its not long before the engine is started to get you there a little bit earlier! We motored the last 3nm to Rame Point and on into Cawsands dropping anchor at 1840hrs having logged 20nm in 4.5hrs.

About an hour later Katie and Derek arrived and dropped anchor, after we had all eaten they came over for nice evening with company aboard. They told us there hadn’t been any wind offshore, they had had to motor most of the passage and had given up before getting to the Eddystone because of the roll. Our plan was to go into the Avon River the next day but K and D were heading for Salcombe or Dartmouth.

Saturday 29th June

The forecast of west wind at the beginning of the week and east wind for later in the week we had decided to go east instead of Scilly this season.

With a forecast of north westerly 3-4 the plan was to get away as earlier as possible as the tidal stream would be with us from 1300-1900hrs.

At 1345hrs Elektra floated and we lifted the anchor and motored out of the creek to our mooring and attached our tender before dropping again and motoring out of Gillan at 1410hrs. I set full sail and we were soon logging over 6kts, we covered 6.5nm over the first hour. Our speed slowed as we sailed past the Roseland but after 2hrs we had logged  11.5nm. Just 2.5hrs after dropping our mooring we got to our waypoint off the Dodman Point having logged 15nm. Then the wind picked up to north-east 5-6 and Elektra started rounding up at which point I reefed the main and the genoa but we were still logging over 6kts across St Austell Bay, we past Cannis Buoy just 4hrs after leaving Gillan having logged 22.5nm. Sailing right into Fowey entrance before furling the sails. What a great sail.

At Fowey entrance we met a sailing friend Colin in his Sadler 26 who had sailed from Plymouth. In Fowey the mooring were full and in the end we had to raft to different yachts so never had chance to chat.

I pumped up our roll-up and we went ashore for an evening meal.

Friday 28th June

We had a few jobs to do before we could get away but high water was at around 1400hrs and once Elektra was floating we would only have a hour to get her out of Carne Creek but Gillan would be no place to stay in the end of a easterly gale. We had decided we would sail across Falmouth Bay to the Precuil River. Knowing the sea would be big I decided to take the high road from home to St Anthony which overlooked the Helford River and Falmouth Bay so we could look at the sea first.

Vicki and I were glad we did as Falmouth Bay was full of white horses and August Rock was white from rock to shore, we did fancy going out there! We decided to load Elektra as planned and stay aboard overnight and until Saturday’s high water when we expected her to float at 1430hrs, we would then motor out to our mooring in Gillan and attach our punt before sailing to Fowey.

After staying put on Sunday because we didn’t want to punch back to windward in the forecasted southwest force 6 gusting 7. Our planned time to leave was 1400hrs just 1.25hrs after low water, as it happened we were grounded at low water. motoring out from Restronguet Creek was very shallow with only 0.5m under the keel, once out to the channel I set reefed main and reefed genoa for the forecasted south-southwest 5. it was slow going against the wind and the incoming tide.

The tack at St Anthony light was the 9th and only by pinching a bit a wind did we manage to just sail south of Pendennis point into Falmouth Bay, the next tack was just off Falmouth Beach. As we headed southeast into Falmouth Bay I knew we didn’t want to sail across the entrance to Carrick Roads again with the in coming tide so waiting for the bunkering tanker to drop anchor we quickly tacked again which took us over to Maenporth Beach. The next tack was better once past Rosemullion Head the incoming tide into Helford River helped our line, we got into Gillan and picked up our mooring 1730hrs having logged 15nm.

Next we needed to take Elektra in onto St Anthony Beach for the tem-plating of the cockpit encloser on Tuesday, with another yacht already there this made it more difficult with the wind pushing Elektra towards her. We needed to use the same stern mooring and run a line ashore, having run a aft line things were not looking to good as I went ashore with the fore line, Elektra was getting very close, Vicki had gone on deck to fend off as I jumped off the punt into 3ft of water with line in hand. From dry land I was able to pull Elektra clear and make line off to a tree. Both Vicki were fit to drop by the time we got home that evening.

Tuesday evening I motored Elektra up into Carne Creek onto a mooring because of a forecast for east wind next weekend along with the need to get on with outstanding work.

Saturday 15th June

After a busy week at work the weather looked good for a weekend away but they were giving strong southwest wind for Sunday. We decided to go Saturday and come back Monday.

The tide would be out until 1300hrs so we had a lazy morning getting ready to go and when we arrived down at St Anthony the tide hadn’t yet come in enough to get out so we readied the punt, had an ice-cream, while we sat waiting for the tide. Once in far enough to launch the punt we headed out to Elektra.

Stowing the gear and getting ready to leave took another hour and it was 1415hrs when we dropped the mooring after setting a reefed main, on exiting Gillan I unrolled all the genoa and we were soon logging over 5kts. Vicki was on the helm to start with but the angle of sail was stopping the genoa filling so I suggested goose winging, Vicki hates this so I took over the helm at this point and headed for St Anthony Lighthouse, now logging between 5-6kts. I kept this up for a while until Elektra jibed herself back onto a port tack, we then turned and headed for Pendennis Point and Vicki took over the helm again while I adjusted the sails. On entering the Carrick Roads past Pendennis Point the log was reading between 6-7kts SOG. Now heading for Turnaware she seemed to have slowed down but still she was logging 5kts, gusty now in the Carrick Roads her speed varied but we reached Turnaware Point in good time at 1545hrs having logged 8nm.

 

From there I rolled and stowing the sails and we motored up to Smugglers Cottage on the Fal River to anchor. After anchoring we decided the shelter didn’t seem that good so we picked up the anchor again and motored back down the Fal River out into Carrick Roads, this time motoring to charge batteries with fridge on we made our way southwest to Restronguet Creek entrance (we had used this anchorage in the past with our other yacht) where we found a much more sheltered anchorage. Finally dropping anchor at 1715hrs having logged 13nm. Elektra having bilge keels we could have gone into the creek and dried her out but I didn’t know where would be good for that.

On Sunday I pumped up the roll-up to take a look at Restronguet Creek at low water to find a good place to anchor another time. That done back aboard to do the washing up and then in with Vicki to the Pandora Inn for a late lunch at 1500hrs. Back aboard in the late afternoon I had some boat jobs to do before sitting and enjoying the view from the cockpit.

Green Bay, Bryher, June 2018

We always like to go to The Isles of Scilly sometime but with my work I look for a dry time when the grass has slowed up a bit. Normally there is a spring flush in April and May and by June the grass is slowing, we normally try to go to Scilly between 1st June and back by 10th of July for a 7-9 days max.

But the spring flush hadn’t happened this year because either it was to dry or to cold to grow or both. Also the weather hadn’t settled down into summer mode with strong winds always in the forecasts.

I started looking for the weather to go at the beginning of June but always southwest wind, then on the 4th June heavy rain, just what we didn’t need, more heavy rain on the 7th and the grass was kicked into action again! I thought if we could go soon then maybe I could catch up with work after getting back. On the 11th they were forecasting northerly gale, but on Wednesday 12th dropping back to force 4, this looked like our opportunity. Vicki needed a go or no go by 2200hrs on the 10th for the shopping to be arranged, so I looked at the forecast again at 2100hrs. Now they were saying northerly force 4-5 which wouldn’t have been very good west of Lands End after a gale the day before, so at that point we cancelled the idea, along with it our only chance of getting out to Scilly this sailing season.

In the end I think it would have been ok on the 12th but we would have had to return to the mainland on the 17th. With our chance of Scilly gone for this season, we will be looking for a long weekend locally instead of our holiday when the weather improves.

Porth Conger, St Agnes, June 2018

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We had another thought of going on Friday 28th June, the weekend before it looked like the east wind was going ease in the early hours of Friday but as the week went on the wind was set to continue until the evening. So in the end Vicki and I decided to avoid the stress of thinking about Scilly and go east on Saturday instead.

Sunday 9th June

There was no hurry to get back to Gillan as the tide wasn’t going to be high enough to get in until 1900hrs, just as well after a busy week at work we both slept in until 1030hrs! Its only when aboard I can truly relax, if we stay home there is always work of repair jobs on machinery to do.

Vicki cooked breakfast and we sat and enjoyed until it was time for me to do the washing up, after that was done we sat and read for a bit, time to leave seemed to come round all to quickly. Just before leaving Jake came over in his Hurley 22 to say hello, I had taken a few photos of his H22 a few weeks earlier, the suggestion was to sail together for sailing photos.

At 1430hrs I lifted the anchor, up with it came a plastic fish box and a pile of seaweed, which took a bit of clearing before motoring down the river. Once out off St Mawes I set the main and a reefed genoa on a port tack, the wind seemed to be south-southeast force4 which gave us quite a good line towards Helford River. Jake had a head start but Elektra was faster so was catching up quickly, I unrolled all our genoa and Elektra’s SOG was 5.5kts. As we got closer I got the camera out and stared shooting. We slowly passed Jake and sailed off leaving him behind.

About 1.5nm south of Pendennis Point the wind changed to southwest force3 and we changed onto a starboard tack, we were now heading south-southeast for another 1.5nm. When the wind changed again to a northerly force3-4 and we could sail on a broad reach into Gillan. We moored up at 1600hrs having logged 7nm in 1.5hrs. There we stayed with the tide out, had a late lunch and sat in the sunshine until we could go ashore at 1900hrs.

 

Saturday 8th June

On Thursday evening I moved Elektra up Carne Creek because of forecasted strong northeast wind. On Saturday before work I moved her back to her mooring.

After a wet week at work on Saturday I still needed to do some s-trimming but my brush-cutter had been playing up, I had taken it to my garden machinery guy to look at on Friday and he got it working again but first job on Saturday it wouldn’t start again! After coming home and ringing around for a new machine it seemed I wouldn’t be able to pick up until Monday.

The time was now 1145hrs. As no work could be done we decided to go sailing instead, looking quickly at the tide tables we needed to leave St Anthony beach before 1330hrs, I needed a shower and bags needed to be packed, we rushed around to get out the door in time, I filled a 25lt of drinking water and we made it to St Anthony in time.

Down at St Anthony as we were getting ready to leave there was another chap who had a 10ft dinghy with a little 2-3hp 2 stroke motor. We loaded up our 12ft RIB and headed, a while later the chap in the dinghy with dog headed out of Gillan, the wind was gusting westerly force 6, I thought he might not like it coming back in later, just out off the Dennis Head his engine cut out and he started paddling for the south shore of the Helford River, once closer in he paddled along the shore back into Gillan, that’s one way of getting a work out!

Shortly after seeing him make his way back into Gillan we dropped our mooring and headed out into Falmouth Bay, I set a the genoa only with 2 reefs and we were soon logging 5kts SOG, the forecast was west 4 gusting 6 and Helford River looked full of white horses looking west as we crossed the mouth of the river. Once into the shelter of Rosemullion Head the wind eased a bit and I unrolled the genoa a bit more. Seeing the rain over Falmouth sent me below for our coats but I am glad to say most of the heavy rain was blown though with the wind before we got into it. Crossing Falmouth Bay the wind eased a bit more and I let out all the genoa. The wind speed increased again as we entered St Mawes and our SOG with it to 6kts, we thought that a little to fast for going up the river though the mooring so I rolled the genoa and motored instead.

Up in the Precuil River there was a big Royal Navy yacht (white ensign) feeling her way up river. We soon came up on her from behind, now just a hour to low water there was very little depth left, we motored into the pool and dropped anchor staying out of their way. Not liking the shallow water the yacht reversed out and turned around before straying out of the channel and going aground, here they stayed stuck for 2hrs until the incoming tide re-floated them.

We had done the 7.5nm in 1hr 20mins from mooring to dropping anchor.

Saturday 1st June

After a hard week catching up with work after taking bank holiday Monday off, the earliest we could get out to Elektra again was Saturday. The tide was falling and we needed to leave St Anthony beach before 0830hrs, so we decided on breakfast aboard.

 

Today was the start of the AZAB race from Falmouth and we thought we would go and watch the start but there seemed very little wind! We motored Elektra out of Gillan and set all the sail with 2-3kts of wind we were logging 1.5-2kts SOG, we might have continued to try to sail but after 1.25hrs we had logged just 2nm and when I looked at the chart-plotter we were going backwards! That was enough of that, I started the engine and we motored back to our mooring having logged 2.5nm.

There we sat for the rest of the day enjoying the sunshine and our surroundings. I played with my new camera, filming yachts and dinghies as they came and went. The forecast for Sunday was wet so at around 1700hrs we came ashore and went home.

Monday 27th May

After a lovely weekend in Fowey talking with all the other Sadler and Starlight owners and crew it was time to leave and get back to work. A few had left on Sunday but the headwind looked less for us on Monday. The forecast was for the northwest force 4 to pick up and backing to west by midday, the tide stream for what it was worth (neaps) was with us from 0330-0930 so we had decided to try to leave around 0530hrs.

We cast off at 0545hrs just after Dean in his S29 who was heading east for Salcombe. It was a lovely sail for us south-west to the Dodman Point but the wind was on the nose from there so we motor-sailed, it was very cold and I had wrapped up in full waterproofs and Vicki sat next to the engine at the chart table keeping warm. As we neared the Roseland I decided to close in on St Anthony Lt so it would allow us to sail across Falmouth Bay on a better angle to the wind.

This we did and then set sail across the bay with a reefed main and only about a 3rd of the genoa out, healing a little bit more than I would have liked but handling it well, the wind was WNW 22-25kts and Elektra was sailing at over 6kts SOG. As we got into the shelter of the Dennis Head we started the engine turned into wind we rolled and lowered the sails, motoring into Gillan and picking up the mooring at 1045hrs.

Once back on the mooring we had a few jobs to do and it was nearly 1400hrs before we were ready to go ashore.