Love Sailing

At the beginning of the season we had a 80W solar panel, controller and meter fitted by a pro, this has worked much better than we expected, never once being short of power. We kept the old batteries making one bank of 210ah and added another bank of 220ah, these two banks were then used alternative days with the solar changing both banks as needed. I knew the old bank was in a poor state and would need to be replaced during the season sometime but with the solar charger they lasted out the whole season but will need replacing before next season.

We sailed to Fowey in May we had an excellent 10.5hr sail from The Helford River to The Isles of Scilly (60nm) in June but had to motor back to the mainland at the end of the week. Sailed to the Yealm River and Plymouth area in August for the southwest SSOA 40th, apart from those passages we stayed local due to there not being much wind.

We only used our cruising chute twice during the season, even with the wind being light, I expect its because we are normally sailing somewhere else and not just going out sailing for the day, the wind never seemed to be blowing in the right direction to use the sail! I am thinking of leaving it at home next season because of lack of use and uses to much stowage space.

We have ordered a new spray hood and cockpit enclose to be made the start of 2019 season. I have a few external stainless steel jobs to arrange allowing for time and money but on my to do list. The southerly storm “Callum” in October, took Elektra’s VHF antenna and the wind index with it, I never found out until last weekend, so there is another job!

2018 has been the best summer since I returned to sailing in 2004 for getting out on our yacht, it was a summer to remember. The numbers are, we spent 80 days aboard and we sailed for 59 of them. We had 58 nights aboard and 45 of them were at anchor, the weather was great but the winds were light, sometimes taking 4hrs to log 9nm so not the fastest sailing, for all the time we were aboard we still only logged 666nm

First thing was to lay the winter moorings, its a sticky job getting down in the mud but with know how it can be done without getting stuck. I use wadders for this and walk down the stream which is has a stoney bottom. I set two 15kg Bruce stern anchors  in the deep mud with 20m of 8mm chain on each, pulling each chain back up though the mud towards the shore, then we are set up for bringing Elektra up Carne creek for the winter.

Then it was time to start unloading Elektra into my pick-up. Once done back home and unload truck, then lunch. Then back to St Anthony again to pick up punt and launching trolly, once that was done it was time to go back to Elektra and get her ready for moving up the creek.

Here up Carne Creek Elektra will be safe from the winter gales, only floating high water on spring tides over 5 meters, most of the time she will be aground. 

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After a very nice weekend at anchor, we had a lovely fast sail home, this video is going south in the Carrick Roads into a 2kt north spring tide, we only sailed on our genoa.

Saturday 20th October

Today was the main “Sadler & Starlight Owners Association” AGM and 40th anniversary party in Poole which we may have gone to but in the end decided to put the cost towards a new cockpit enclose planned to have made over winter.

Instead we were on the water enjoying our Sadler and the surroundings, there was little or no wind forecasted for Saturday and Sunday, then a north-easterly blow set for Sunday evening into Monday, which was due to ease over Monday afternoon. Our plan was to enjoy the October sunshine of Saturday and Sunday at anchor, let the blow go though and sail “Elektra” back to Gillan on Monday afternoon and leave her to dry on St Anthony beach to unload gear on Tuesday ready for getting her onto her winter mooring on the evening high water.

Saturday turned into a wonderful day and we sat in the cockpit enjoying the sunshine and reading, I pumped up the dinghy and paddled around for photos, also went ashore for a walk

Sunday was a little bit more of the same but with the weather so good we were making the most of it before the time came for us to set sail for home.

After the blow Sunday night, Monday weather was just as nice in the morning , so a little more of the same before we had to get back, we needed to leave by 1440hrs, this was a down-wind sail NNE force 5 running against an incoming spring tide of 2kts, we just sailed on the genoa but we were still making 4.5-5kts SOG south down Carrick Roads.

I was thinking there would be more wind in Falmouth Bay bust this wasn’t the case until we were nearing Gillan. The wind picked up then just when we wanted to slow down and we sped in the entrance at 5-6kts logging 9nm in 1.75 hours. Then came the problem with picking up the tender off our mooring in a lumpy NE swell, we managed on the second try. We then motored Elektra into St Anthony’s beach to dry out tomorrow for her unloading ready for laying up.

Friday 19th October

With a chance of one last weekend aboard before Elektra is laid-up for the winter but the forecast was showing little or no wind again! It had been blowing strong east and north easterly in the last few days.

We loaded the punt and headed out to Elektra bobbing up and down in the remains of the easterly swell, loading up the stores and making ready to leave, only the grill pan on the floor of the galley was the only thing out of place after the blow. Unzipping the sail-pack, starting the engine, all was going well until I pulled up the mainsail, all the flies in the area had decided to hide in our mainsail, black with flies!

At 1400hrs we dropped the mooring and headed out to get rid of the flies, after motoring out of the creek we tried to sail for 1/2 an hour but we were only making 1.3-1.5kts so I started the engine again. we motored across Falmouth Bay and north up Carrick Roads to Channels Creek having logged 9nm in 2hrs. Here we dropped anchor as close in as possible.

We had only been there for 20mins and up the Carrick Roads came a floating crane with 2 tugs, not something you see every day I got some photos and some videos.

Wednesday 3rd October

We needed to be home by Thursday evening but the forecast was giving strong southwest wing on Thursday so we thought it wise to go back on Wednesday but with a forecast of westerly force 3 or less, it wasn’t looking good for a great sail home.

When we left Channels Creek there wasn’t any wind and we had to motor, only when we got south to Mylor did the wind fill in a bit but we were only sailing very slowly south to Pendennis Point where the wind died away and we had to start motoring again.

On arriving at Gillan we motored in very slowly (less than 1/2 a meter of depth under the keel) into Flushing Cove and dropped anchor for the night

In the morning on the high water we motored Elektra into Carne Creek because of the forecasted north-easterly which was set for Saturday.

After Saturdays wind had blown out we moved “Elektra” back to her mooring on Sunday’s high water ready for the next time we can go sailing.

Tuesday 2nd October

After a day with gas engineer sealing leak on cooker and gas safety record. Two other companies came to quote for a new cockpit enclose.

At 1630hrs we cast off and headed for a quite anchorage, having a great sail north up the sheltered waters of the Carrick Roads with slightly too much sail, Vicki was unable to cope with the stronger gusts so I took over the helm, we dropped anchor in Channels Creek at 1520hrs having logged 4nm

Monday 1st October

Having had a good sail on Saturday we went into holiday mode on Sunday, spending the whole day at anchor reading and relaxing.

This changed our plans for the week and on Monday I arranged with marine trades for some work to be done and some work to be priced on Tuesday. This meant going into a marina for 24hrs to give them good access to Elektra. I had passed this with Falmouth Marina a few weeks earlier but ringing them now they were telling me they had no room! So I phoned Falmouth Yacht Haven with were quite happy for us to arrange this.

It was late in the afternoon when we lifted the anchor and headed to Falmouth, the wind was now  a northwest force 4 which gave us a nice hour long sail to Falmouth Y H, mooring up on the east side of pontoon just north of the pilot boat at 1700hrs having logged 4nm.

I always wonder why other yacht owners would give up a night in quite spot at anchor for a marina like this. This was the 3rd night we had been connected to shore power since we left Poole on our delivery passage in March 17. With easy access to the town of Falmouth we had a evening and a lunch ashore, also showers before escaping in an anchorage “far from the madding crowd” the following evening.

 

Saturday 29th September

With the chance of a few more days away sailing we had planed an early get away on Saturday hoping to get to Polkerris, next day to Polperro and the next to Looe, but plans are one think and quite often don’t work out!

Elektra had been put on a mooring in Carne Creek by our boatyard because of the forecasted east wind and we went out and stayed aboard on the Friday night, it blew quite hard in the night and by morning it had seemed to of eased. Casting off before breakfast at 0830hrs we motored out of Carne Creek and out though Gillan Harbour into a lumpy sea before setting a reefed main and a reefed genoa and heading across the bay towards Falmouth. With the 4-5ft easterly swell and the wind blowing east F4 gusting 5 was making for a wild and quick passage but we couldn’t even make for the Carrick Roads, we had to tack under Pendennis Castle, now heading southeast towards a ship with pilot boat making ready to leave, so we had to tack again to keep clear. Now heading for St Mawes we decided to stop for something to eat, dropping anchor in Place Manor at 1020hrs having logged 7.5nm.

I had been in contact with another Sadler 29 owner Iain Bones who had left The Precuil River earlier and was now off Gull Rock saying the sea had eased. At 1200hrs we lifted the anchor and  headed out for another try, it was great sailing but we were not making much headway against the wind and the tide which had now turned, so after an hour and half of beating we turned and headed back to Falmouth again. it was great to reach back in after slogging into the easterly swell. We turned and motored Elektra up into our favourite anchorage in the Precuil River for the night having logged 16nm.

Monday 10th September

With the big spring tide I had decided it would be a good idea to dry out and clean Elektra’s bottom, I could see looking into the water there was weed growing on the bilge keels and the rudder. As it turn out  she wasn’t as bad as I first thought, just the weed I could see and she was quickly clean again. We just had to wait for the tide to come back in before we could put her back on her mooring.

Sunday 9th September

The spring tide had left us aground on the mud from 1000hrs, we knew we would be but that’s what bilge keels are for. So it was 1400hrs before we lifted our anchor and motored out to Turnaware Buoy before setting all the sail south down Carrick Roads, the wind was interesting, around westerly F3 gusting 5, sailing slowly and the next second flying along at 5kts against the incoming tide then back to sailing slowly again.

This continued all the way down the Roads until we got to Pendennis Point, from here the wind was more of a steady southwest F5 and a reef in the main was needed, after this things settled down a bit but our heading against the tide and the wind was pushing us in a south east direction so we tacked back in towards Falmouth Beach, our next making tack was much better from Falmouth Beach due south to Nare Point, we were making a steady 5kts hard on the wind. Arriving off the Nare Point we turned into wind and started the engine, rolling away the genoa and packing away the main as we went.

Motoring into Gillan and anchoring at 1645hrs having logged 11nm off Flushing Cove for the night ready to scrub Elektra’s bottom tomorrow on the low water spring tide.