Love Sailing

The forecast today was variable 1-2 increasing SSE4 and S6-7 later.

The plan was to leave about 1330hrs to sail back to Gillan, we needed to get Elektra back up in Carne Creek next week because of possible east wind on Wednesday, high water wasn’t until 1730hrs and we didn’t want to be to early for the tide. Talking on facebook we found out another Sadler 26 owner was leaving from the Precuil River to sail to Helford and back, so Chris Holland came over in the morning and we chatted for a while before he went off for a sail.

As planned we lifted out anchor at 1330hrs and motored out of the Precuil River, just off St Mawes we past Chris Holland coming back in after his sail and we waved.

We set a reef in the main and all the genoa and sped off across Falmouth Bay, slow to start pass Black Rock into the tide but once clear of the entrance the SOG soon increased and a steady 5.7-6.3kts, just a great sail! The wind was more like SE4 so we didn’t need to put a tack in and were soon back in Gillan, I rolled the genoa and we sailed into the mooring before starting the engine and turning into wind on our way back to our mooring to pick up the dinghy, I pulled down the main.

Next came the tricky bit,our mooring is very exposed to east wind and slowing down to pick up the mooring she began to jump up and down a lot, Vicki was on the helm and after three attempts I took over the helm and Vicki grabbed the mooring first time and I ran up on deck to help get aboard. It was not a place to stay with any comfort so once the dinghy was collected we dropped the mooring and headed up Carne Creek to anchor

The forecast was good for the early weekend but Sunday was wind and rain. we decided to get away as early as possible on Friday which wasn’t until 1700hrs once the tide had come in high enough for Elektra to get out of Carne Creek.

It was almost a down wind sail across Falmouth Bay to the Precuil River our favourite anchorage in all of Devon and Cornwall. We sailed on just the genoa at 3-4kts, not the fastest I know but still a nice lazy sail.

It was 1800hrs when we dropped anchor but Vicki had put tea in the oven before we left Carne Creek so after I had done my jobs on deck it was ready to eat. And a great meal it was, beef casserole and baked potato, followed by a bottle of red.

The cabin heater didn’t go on so early so it must be warming up! In the evening I tried again to beat Vicki at Scrabble, I thought I might have won but I had to many high scoring letters left when Vicki got out, so I lost by 2 points!

On Saturday the 7th of April we got “Elektra” ready to go sailing, it had been a while and I had forgotten which things needed doing and in which order!

The forecasters were giving variable 2-3, we thought ideal for our first sail, Vicki took us out though the mooring on the engine while I set the sails, we turned for Falmouth and stopped the engine. The wind was as the forecast said with an odd gust of 4 at times, one minute we were rushing along as 6kts the next just 2-3kts but it was lovely to be out sailing again. We had decided to return to Gillan and stay aboard for a night as the forecast was saying southerly for Sunday and we had to be back in the river by 1100hrs. Vicki was still on the helm as we turned at Pendennis Point and headed back. I then took the helm for the return crossing of the Bay. It was nice to be out sailing again and as the gusts came though and the SOG went over 6kts a smile came over my face, Vicki saw my smile and smiled back, we were enjoying this!

All over to soon, we where back to Gillan, we sailed up to the moorings and then motored into Flushing Cove and dropped anchor for the night. We have to have one night aboard each season “to fine out what we have forgotten” This year it was bread, tin opener, wine and rum, so we were a dry ship for our first overnighter!

It was a little rolly in the cove overnight but not to bad, it also soon got cold so the cabin heater went on early. The new fitted CD radio was a much better than last seasons wind-up one we had which we had to keep turning as Elektra swung around on here anchor.

After a good nights sleep we motored Elektra back up into Carne Creek for a week at anchor as east wind was forecasted from Wednesday onwards.

 

On Saturday we got “Elektra” ready to move from her winter mooring down the river to the sea on the evening high tide, removing the bow lines and setting up a slip on the bow. I had to rerun one of the aft lines so it went over the lines of the yacht next to us and drop chains over some other lines which where floating. I also walked down the channel at low water and marked it with 8-10ft poles, on the way back clearing any tree limbs from the channel bed.

We sat and waited for the tide to float us and when it did, started the engine, let off the bow slip and pulled her out into the channel on her stern lines. Once in the channel we dropped the lines and motored slowly down the channel towards the sea. At St Anthony we picked up a stern line from a mooring buoy and took a line ashore to a tree. From there I had to walk back for the truck before picking up Vicki and driving home.

Next day having packed the pick-up with her sailing, cooking, bedding Nav gear cushions for the season and drove back to the beach to load “Elektra”. The next HW we motored her out to her summer mooring.

We are getting “Elektra” ready for the season and hope to move her from the winter mooring to her summer mooring over the Easter weekend.

I put her sails went back on yesterday and I painted her boot top line, I also cleaned out the anchor locker which was not draining due to mud in the bottom. Vicki my wife was inside cleaning. We had a lovely lunch in the cockpit in the sunshine, T-shirt weather!

I had a few jobs which needed doing up the mast. I am not scared of being up high so was willing to do myself but my wife would never have been able to winch me up there so I bought a Deffee Mast Ladder.

So today was the first time I used the ladder, I had a nail/tool belt to carry what I needed and use a safety harness which could control, I also carried a strop for when I was at working height.

Climbing was easy and my wife took up the slack on the safety line, at the top I was able to get above the mast head to replace the anchor light with a LED, I also got the wind speed working again and coated with silicon spray, having done the jobs at the top of the mast I came down for a rest. Then I got the new lazyjacks ready to replace the old ones and climbed the mast again, this time I was able to sit on the spreaders to make the job easier. Now that job is done I am ready to bend on the sails again for the coming season.

 

 

After a winter up a muddy creek “Elektra” was coated with a layer of mud below the water line, I had worked out a way of using my pressure washer with a header tank filled from the stream but found out my petrol gen would not run the p-washer so had to revert to scrubbing. I had made up duck boards to keep me out of the mud only to discover I would not fit under the boat between the bilge keels if I used them! So use a plywood sheet instead.

I scrubbed off one day and anti-fouled “Elektra” the next, it was the first time I had ever anti-fouled in oilers, having done the job once I have now decided to do it in the summer next year on a clean beach!

I made a new battery box for the new 2x110ah battery bank and I am adding the old engine battery 70ha to the old bank making that bank now 210ah.

Those of you sitting in marinas connected to shore power maybe wondering why. Last season we had a lot of problems with battery drain due to never being connected to shore power from our delivery passage in March to the end of the season, the only charge the batteries were getting was from the engine. As we like to sail as much as possible the old banks of 140ah and 70ah engine battery could cope with the power drain.

We like to anchor as much as possible in places “far from the madding crowd” and almost never use a marina.

We are also having fitted a solar panel to keep both battery banks at full charge.

 

The cutlery had been a problem last season with no real safe place to keep it, so I fitted a new draw and cupboard, losing a bunk but as we are only two we found it was a better use of space

After making, fitting and varnishing the new joinery, I have spent the last few days fixing in place. All extra shelving and stowage areas