Love Sailing

On Sunday evening, after we moved from the rally pontoon to a swing mooring, we were much happier. Apart from the feeling of being at anchor, here I also had a mobile signal. I was able to catch up on my online stuff and update my blog.

We knew before we left Gillan that we were going to get stuck somewhere, even back then, the forecast was showing strong southwest winds. We could have gotten out of the Yealm River, but we would have to shelter somewhere else, and the Yealm has everything we need, shops, pubs for meals out, plenty walking for exercise. We had always liked the Yealm River but never had the time before to explore very well. This week, we would get of chance.

Monday was a lovely day, and l kept myself busy with a run ashore with rubbish and then along the road to the co-op for shopping. Once back aboard, Vicki had cooked brunch, and after washing up, we went ashore for showers. I hadn’t ever seen the tide, so low. Only the outside of the pontoon was still floating, and we could only land upstream of the pontoon because the downstream side was just mud.

After our showers, l when for a walk on the path towards Wembury, l didn’t walk all the way but had a nice walk anyway

In the evening we went to a pub meal at the Ship Inn. This used to be our favourite Yealm River pub, but having changed hands, the Ship Inn isn’t as good as it used to be. But the Swan Inn wasn’t doing food on Monday.

Tuesday came in wet and windy, nether of us left Elektra all day

Wednesday started much the same, but we needed more shopping, so l went ashore for a walk and then to get shopping, the rain stopped and the sun came out for a bit, but I hadn’t been back aboard very long before another heavy shower came though. But in the evening it came nice again so we went for a pub meal at the Swan Inn.

Safe is one thing, but comfortable is another. During the night, the wind was howling into the Yealm, the mooring pick-up chain was grinding away on the bow roller, and the standing rigging was vibrating. It kept me and Vicki awake, and in the morning early, l was out padding to bow roller. When the harbour master came along late in the morning, l asked him if there was a more sheltered swing mooring available. He said, l expect so, and he came back later to tell us where. So we moved from the mooring we were on 25kts to  a more sheltered 8kts, almost wouldn’t know it was windy.

The forecast wasn’t showing much calm weather for another week, we didn’t have to leave, but we needed to get to Fowey by the evening of Friday 19th September for the CA rally which l had organised. This day, being the 11th, we had time on our side.

Thursday wasn’t a bad day, some nice hot sunshine with a few thundery downpours. Each time we thought of leaving Elektra for a walk or to go for showers, the heavens would open, and maybe we won’t bother.

On Friday, a week after we first arrived in the Yealm River, it started sunny.

To be continued……

When we arrived in the Yealm River on Friday, there were already 2x Starlight 36s and a Sadler 35 moored to the pontoon. There were plenty of folk to take our lines. Thank you, Suzie and Sally.

It was long before we were invited on to yachts for a drink because they wanted to know about Elektra’s fire. By now, the story had been all across the SSOA Facebook group page, and they were keen to know the details. These days, l was quite happy to chat about it.

Later in the evening, the beers came out for a pontoon party, and later still after eating, we went aboard Cornish Gold for chat and more drink. It was decided, and then a good walk the following morning would be good. We returned to our own boats before too late and did our own things until we went to bed.

Next morning, l was out at 8am and made coffee. Then, l lowered the dinghy into the water and attached the outboard. I then went ashore to the co-op for shopping, and once back, it was nearly time to go on our walk. I hadn’t eaten, but really, l wasn’t bothered. We set off ashore in 3 dinghies, Vicki and Suzie didn’t come.

We headed for Kilpatrick Steps and the Carage walk around Yealm Head. We fiddled around, tying on the dinghies and attaching the line to the steps railing. By which time, David had a head start, but David had gone ahead because he knew he would struggle walking up hill, with his lung problems. It  wasn’t long before we had caught David up, and it was obvious that he was struggling, even if he was determined to do it. My ex farther in law only had one lung, and l leart then that l needed to walk at his pace and not rush on ahead. So l walked most of the way with David. It wasn’t a race.

It was a lovely walk which I had done before in not very good weather, and it was nice to do it again in better weather.

A last little climb up a track away from the cliff path was tough on David, but with a rest or two, he made it, and from there was level or downhill. I stopped walking part way down the path and looked at the weather on my phone app. Vodafone wasn’t a great signal in the Yealm River, l had just changed my provider from EE. Vicki had EE and full service, but Vodafone had no signal at all. I thought great. Here l am away from home with a Cruising Association Rally to finalise in Fowey in just 2 weeks time, and l had no signal!

We went to the Swan Inn for a drink and some food, a bit more chat. I thought l should look to see how far the water was from the Voss(a concrete path across the creek bottom) when l looked there was about 4ins before it would be covered. Which l reported back, now or walk around! It didn’t take David long to get up and start heading for the door. We all made it across it time just!

Then there was just a walk along a level road back to the dinghies

Once l got back, we needed to get some washing up done, Vicki was wondering where we were, and l said had told her it was 1.5hr walk but l think we might have taken twice as long and then stopped for a drink/food. It  wasn’t long before more drink was on offer, and after that, it was off to The Yealm Sailing Club for an evening meal. After a lovely meal, we were invited on Cornish Gold for more drinks, but Vicki and I decided to retire to Elektra for a rest.

The next morning, after a good night’s sleep, the others were all going to leave. The forecast wasn’t good. There had been a southeast blow yesterday. The forecast for Sunday was southeast force 4-5 going south 5-7 and then southwest 4-5. The Yealm River entrance is open to southwestly winds, and the pilot book suggests not attempting entry in such conditions. In the end, they all decided to wait until the end of the day. So after the stronger winds had passed, they all made their getaway.

The harbour master came again for more dues, and l asked for a swing mooring, and after a radio call to the office, he said we could use A114 down by the other pontoon. So we also left the pontoon and picked up a swing mooring and what a difference that made to my mobile signal,at last I could use my new phone again. I spent the rest of the afternoon updating everything online. We knew before we set off from Gillan that we would get stuck in the Yealm for a week, but both Vicki and I love the Yealm River, so it’s no hardship.

On Friday 5th September, we had a forecast of west/southwest/south force 2-3. I was quite expected to have to motor to the Yealm River, but once out of Fowey, the engine got turned off, and we were sailing under full sail. We had dropped the mooring at 1030hrs, motored south back out the river, and set sail at the entrance to Fowey. Our friend Kevin Mitchell was just ahead of us in his Sadler 26, and as we sailed passed l took some photos. Sadler 29s might only be 3 feet longer, but they almost carry twice as much sail area, so we sailed past quite quickly. Kevin was on passage for Salcombe, and l think he got there about 1930hrs.

This really was an excellent sailing day, and we were logging 4-5kts most of the time, we got to the Mew Stone way point off the Yealm River at 1515hrs, having logged 23nm. Then l rolled away the genoa, and we sailed into the Yealm entrance before motoring in around the bar. I lowered the mainsail in the entrance between the moorings and the bar. Before turning and heading in, we moored to the top pontoon at 1600hrs.

On the pontoon, there were 2 Starlight 36s and a Sadler 35. This was all who were coming. Everyone else had chickened out because of the forecast for the coming week!

Ever since starting cruising 20 years, we have always been limited by time. Because of my job, l could only take a week long holiday at a time, and after 3 days heading in one direction, we needed to turn around and think about heading back. As such, our sailing was limited to about 150nm of coastline between Torquay in the east and The Isles of Scilly to the West.

Yesterday, we completed 10,000nm on that short piece of coastline without doing any major crossing apart from out and back from Scilly nine times, and our 2 day delivery passage from Poole to Helford back in March 2017. It almost seems silly to have done so many miles on such a short piece of coastline. But we have done just that!

We had planned Ireland this season, but Vicki needed medical treatment in June, so that idea got cancelled. So this season, we managed to get past Dartmouth and north around Berry Head to Torquay for our first visit. But it’s really still only sailing the same 150 miles of coastline.

We had been home for about 10 days, l had some work to do, and also some Cruising Association work to get on with, amongst other things. We arrived home from up country about 8 pm with more CA stuff to get on with that evening. The following morning, l had to go to the doctors to pick up prescriptions before coming home and packing up before going to Elektra. We had hoped to sail 40nm east to Cawsands. But time slipped by, and having stowed the gear are stores, we didn’t cast off until 1120hrs.

The forecast was west-northwest force 4  gusting 5. We were hoping for a good fast sail to Cawsands. But the weather had other ideas. The wind was west-southwest, up and down like a yoyo between force 3 and force 6. I was working hard, reefing in and then shaking the reef out and then reefing again, and so on! Vicki had disappeared below with the companion way hatch shut because of the heavy showers! It was the first time l had worn full waterproofs all this season. We only sailed on Elektra genoa, but still covered the 25nm in 5 hours.

I was talking with my friend Geoff, who also owns a Sadler 29, l  said they are tender, but he disagreed and said they have a sporty rig! You certainly do not need a lot of sail to maintain a good speed. Elektra will do 3kts through the water with 6kts of wind.

Having a yacht, which is slippery like S29s, are, means they get overpowered very quickly, so quite often, it’s safer to just sail on her genoa. I certainly wouldn’t of wanted her mainsail in today’s conditions. As time went on, l decided to divert to Fowey and sail on to the Yealm tomorrow.

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.