Love Sailing

Monday 13th August.

We were out early and picked up our anchor at 0630hrs, we had a forecast of northwest 4-5 which looked good for our passage in a west-southwest direction.

We motored out of the Cawsands, there seemed very little wind, the tide was against us until 1100hrs so we continued to motor west, thinking it would give us a better angle to the wind when it picked up from the northwest. For 5hrs nothing but westerly 3-5kts, after 2hrs of motoring west we turned back onto our GPS heading for Gillan.

At about 1230hrs the wind picked up a bit from the north-northwest which allowed us to motor-sail. At 1425hrs we picked up the mooring in Gillan having logged 39nm.

Vicki made a hot choc-drink and something to eat, after which I fell asleep for an hour in the sunshine.

Sunday 12th August.

After a day of rest on Friday and then the gale though Saturday and Sunday morning, I need to get home for work, the forecast was looking good for Monday.

We decided to get out of the Yealm and over to Cawsands ready for an early getaway on Monday. Sunday the forecast was southwest 4-5, we waited for the gale to die away and cast off the mooring at 1520hrs, motoring into the incoming tide our SOG was just 3kts. Having got out of the river the swell was big but no white crests, we motored on until clear of the Mew Stone and then sailed to Cawsands.

Arriving in Cawsands and dropping anchor at 1700hrs, the anchorage was very rolly but I am glad to say it eased though the night and I got a good nights sleep after going to bed early.

Thursday 9th August.

No rush to get away on the Thursday we waited for the free flow to start after 1300hrs, the plan was to sail back to the Yealm River to meet up with Alison (Molly’s mother) and have a meal at The Ship Inn.

We cast off at 1450hrs with a forecast of northwest 4, motored out of Sutton Harbour and into Plymouth sound, once out we set just the genoa for what we expected to be a downwind sail but found the wind to be more like southwest 5, after two tacks in Plymouth sound Molly was getting worried and upset with the tippy yacht so I decided to motor the rest of the passage. Outside Plymouth breakwater the sea was rough with white horse’s with the wind more like west-southwest 5 gusting 6, not a very pleasant sea to be in. Vicky had gone down into the cabin to comfort Molly, I wasn’t really dressed for this rough weather, shorts, sweatshirt and lifejacket, more than one wave crashed over the cockpit.

It took less than an hour to motor from Plymouth breakwater to the Yealm transit but it seemed a lot longer, as the waters calmed down after entering the Yealm River Vicki came and told me Molly had been seasick.

We knew there was a gale forecasted for Saturday and planned to stay in the Yealm River until Sunday, the lower pontoon was full so we motored on past to the second visitor pontoon which was also full, I asked one skipper if we could raft but he said they were leaving early in the morning, so we picked up a empty swing mooring instead at 1650hrs. A little while later the harbour master turned up and said we were ok there, I paid £42 for three nights, Molly was now feeling better and asked to pay the HM with my money, he played along and asked Molly how much change should I give you from £45, Molly quickly said three pounds.

The table in The Ship was booked for 1930hrs so I had to pump up the dinghy and put on the engine. I could take Molly and Vicki right up the river to The Ship but had to take the dinghy back down the river to the ferry steps because the tide would be out after our meal.

Wednesday 8th August

On Wednesday we were booked into Sutton Harbour Marina for the night to celebrate the Sadler& Starlight Owners Association 40th Anniversary by the West Country Branch with the fireworks to follow in the evening.

The forecasters were giving southwest 3-4 so with a downwind sail  we decided to just sail the 3-4nm on our genoa to make things easy at the other end. It was a nice downwind sail getting faster the nearer we got to Sutton. We were early so we locked in before the free flow.

We nearly never use a marina and love to anchor as much as possible to avoid any costs using the money saved for meals ashore instead where possible. So to pay the £44 for one night in the marina was a shock. So we used the showers, walked ashore for shopping and hooked up to the shore power (the last time Elektra was hooked up to shore power was during her delivery in March 17).

In the evening with the SSOA 40th we met up with a lot of our Sadler, Starlight and some Hurley friends from the past for a drinks and nibbles party before the fireworks.

Monday 6th August

On Monday after showers we cast off from the pontoon and motored out of the Yealm River over the bar and out to the Mew Stone where we set all the sail for Cawsands.

We thought Molly would like sailing as she had done a year ago but she didn’t and soon got bored and went back into the cabin to play games. We sailed slowly across Plymouth Sound to Cawsands arriving there 2.25hrs later having logged 7nm. In the afternoon Molly managed to get Vicki and myself in for a swim! I always say “if you see me in the sea around the UK I have fallen in” but this time I hadn’t. Vicki found the cold got to her quickly and had to get out but I did a few laps around “Elektra” before getting out and jumping off the side again and again!

In the evening we motored the punt into the beach for fish&chips, not as good as Gorran Haven but filled a gap. We had ice creams before returning to Elektra for the night. Molly then had a sleepless night and Vicki had to comfort her.

We stayed in Cawsands at anchor for two nights, next day we took Molly ashore to play on the beach and in the sea but I didn’t go in again. After another ice cream we went back aboard Elektra and Vicki went for a sleep. So I took Molly out for more rowing, she had really picked it up quickly and this time rowed us over to a Sadler 34 “Calisto” also anchored off the beach. It was my turn as Molly put it to row us back to Elektra.

 

On Sunday we were picking up our granddaughter Molly (10) for a few days aboard, this turned out to be a full on few days and as much as we love her I think we were both glad to see her go back to her mother on Thursday evening.

Molly makes friends easily and was soon pointing out the mullet to others around the pontoon, fishing rods came out but none were hooked. Then it was swimming to the shore to collect sea shells with another swimmer. After that came learning to row the dinghy which Molly picked up quite quickly but getting me very wet with the paddles in the process, good job it was a nice hot sunny day. Then came trying to use the outboard which Molly had real problems with so she decided not to learn that.

In the evening before bed we played “Uno” with Molly for a while.

 

Saturday 4th August

The tide was early for our passage east to the Yealm River, I had set the alarm for 0730hrs and we picked up the anchor at 0755hrs and we motored out of the cove setting all the sail we were logging a steady 4.5kts in the northwest 3, this continued for 2 hours. During this time we passed another yacht which must have been a mile in front of us and left him a good mile behind before the wind died away and we had to motor.

We motored on in a flat calm, still motoring as we crossed Plymouth Sound entrance we had to give way to cross channel ferry entering from the south at about 1300hrs, just a 1/2 mile detour instead of being right in his way as he entered past Plymouth breakwater. We moored to Yealm River and moored to the lower pontoon at 1405hrs having logged 29nm.

 

In the evening we went to The Ship Inn for a dinner (we like the food here) slightly pricey but good helpings and very good quality food. Well worth a visit if you like good food.

Friday 3rd August

With the chance of another holiday aboard, I had contacted Kevin with our plans to join in with 40th SSOA rally in Plymouth on the 8th of August.

Having filled the fresh water tank and the diesel tank on Thursday evening. Our punt was still full of stores for our weeks holiday aboard, we had decided to take our bigger punt and tow it behind, something we never normally do, having done once with our last yacht and it filled up with water and caused lots of drag. Dropping the mooring at 1300hrs we would be against the tide but it looked like we would have to motor due to lack of wind anyway. But out across the Falmouth Bay in southeast 2-3 the sailing was ok for a while before the engine went on due to GPS arrival time! The wind was due to go northwest and when it did it was still light until we got to the Dodman Point when the wind picked up to a northwest 4 and we had a great sail into Gorran Haven. As we entered  the cove I started the engine and we motored in dropping anchor at 1700hrs having logged 16nm.

Putting the engine on the punt we headed in for Fish&Chips, the best on the coast we have found in Cornwall.

Friday 27th July

After a late start Vicki cooked breakfast and after we sat in the cabin reading, this was a cloudy showery day but still warm.

As we were aground 1.5hrs either side of low water we stayed until we had for about an hour after we had re-floated and picked up the anchor at 1545hrs, we motored out of the moorings and set just the genoa, the wind was all over the place southwest then southeast then south and very gusty. Gusting 5 at times, this sent Elektra on her way due east at 5kts, when we thought we had gone far enough we tacked and sailed back into Gillan, still at times getting the side decks in the water during the stronger gusts.

We picked up our mooring in Gillan at 1630hrs having logged just 3.5nm

Thursday 26th July

This was going to be a long weekend aboard but as always now the school holidays were here the forecasters were telling us of wind and rain! With a forecast of increasing southerly wind on Friday, force 6 westerly on Saturday and southerly gale on Sunday we didn’t want to go to far from home.

We dropped the mooring in Gillan at 1445hrs and in a south-easterly 3-4 set out in the direction of the Dodman Point for a sail. This is something we never normally do, just go sailing, we like to be going somewhere! But we were going to return to the Helford River for the evening to avoid a beat back from the Falmouth area on Friday.

Partway out across the bay when we were on a starboard tack not heading for anywhere really we were shocked by a close encounter with another yacht (normally I am keeping a good lookout under the genoa for other yachts). This time I was lacking, Vicki was on the helm, out from behind the genoa only 6-8ft from Elektra’s port side came another yacht on a port tack. I am glad to say we were moving fast enough to avoid a collision. It was my friend Roger in his Southerly 100, they hadn’t seen us either but Roger turned up with a bottle of red as a apology a few days later.

After an hour with Vicki on the helm she said “how far are we going” I said “when you have had enough time I will take the helm and sail back” Having then talked about the time and when we would get back, at 1545hrs we decided to go-about. This was a very nice sunny day again and the reach to the Helford River was lovely, we were able to sail right into the narrows before the moorings before starting the engine.

We motored in and dropped anchor just west of Helford Point in Pennarven Cove at 1630hrs having logged 9nm.