Love Sailing

My wife was taken ill a fortnight ago, spending a week in hospital and another in bed at home, Vicki was feeling a lot better but not able to go sailing, she was happy for me to go out for the day on my own.

Never having sailed on my own other than in dinghies when I was much younger, this was a bit of a first for me, it was clear I would have to be much more ready to drop the mooring than I might have been with crew. I got the hand held VHF in the cockpit and the tiller pilot set up and ready for use. Going though the jobs which need to do before setting off to sea, at last the time had come to let go the mooring (my last thought was as I let go was will I be able to pick it up later on my own?).

Motoring slowly out of the creek I set sail across Helford River, there was not much wind, the forecast had given a Var1-2 but she was logging 2.5kts SOG, it was nice to be out sailing again. Using the tiller pilot I thought I would try a tack, this didn’t go very well, with very little wind the genoa didn’t go across very well but I wasn’t in a hurry and got sorted out in the end. Back across the river again, another tack which went much better, as we got to the centre of the river for the second time the wind died. I decided to motor into the Helford River (always wind in the river) and pick up some wind before sailing out again. This ploy worked and I was soon sailing again, tacking out of the river into an easterly 1-2, slow but sore, once out again to August Rock the wind had picked up a little to a south-easterly 2-3 and we were making 3.3kts SOG. I thought I would turn back before the wind died again and slowly made my way back to Gillan.

Nearing the creek I rolled the genoa turned into wind and let the main down before motoring slowly back into Gillan. It was now over an hour after low water but with spring tides I knew it was going to be shallow, we have had problems with the engine not coming out of gear this season, I was going to take this really slowly. I could see some boats aground in Gillan and decided to turn earlier than I might other wise do with only 0.5m under the keel. I made the turn and moved the gear lever out of gear with three boats lengths still to go into tide, Elektra glided up to the mooring and I ran up to the bow to grab the mooring (all worked fine, what was I worried about?).

Back on the mooring now, we had logged 8.5nm in 3.75hrs, not fast sailing but I had enjoyed it non the less. Time to pack up again and head home to see Vicki and cook tea.

Sunday turned out to be sunny and warm, it was time to try out the wet weather gear, the dinghy had about 6″ of water in it!

The forecast was NE3-4 which would be great for going home but like most forecasts this season not very good!

We picked up the anchor at 1320hrs We tried to sail but no good, it was a S1-2 we were making 2kts and we had to get back by 1700hrs, so we started the engine and motored all the way back to Gillan, mooring up at 1510hrs having logged 8nm

We decided a meal out would be nice so we booked a table at the Pandora Inn in Restrogret Creek just a mile by dinghy to the WSW, there had been some heavy showers so we put full wet weather gear on and lifejackets to go down there, arriving on the pontoon in sunshine it seemed a little to much.

Within 1/2 an hour it was tipping down with rain but we had ordered our food and were drinking a pint when a group on small motorboats also arrived, they had been out in the rain, it was very interesting talking to them.

We waited for the rain to stop before leaving, heading out the Creek again down came the rain again and the engine stopped! So I started to row, these roll-up dinghies are not built to be rowed are they, I tried the engine again but no joy! My legs were in the way, trying this and that I found the best way was to kneel with my bottom on the seat, the problem was my knees couldn’t stand the pain so Vicki grabbed a buoy and I looked at the engine again. I tried a few things and then it fired, next pull started, we were off not stopping now, still raining with the engine cover off, I put it back the best I could. No more problem we were soon back on Elektra, we got into the cabin and left the wet weather gear under the spray hood, then the rain set in through that night and all the next day! We even started up the cabin heater in the evening to warm us up!

 

 

We had been on holiday since the 9th of September but one gale had follow another and today looked like the first possible day we could get out on Elektra.

Today the forecast was NW7-8 easing off to a NW4-5 later, the plan had been to sail to Fowey tomorrow but the forecast had changed and we didn’t think it a good idea. So we were going to cross Falmouth Bay and head up to Channels Creek and drop a hook for the weekend.

After loading and stowing the gear we dropped the mooring at 1715hrs, I had raised the main with two reefs and we motored out of Gillan and turned for Falmouth. Setting sail with all the genoa we set off across the bay and were soon logging over 6kts SOG, the wind was stronger than we expected about NW5 gusting 6 we soon reefed the genoa which never slowed us, after 20 mins or so Vicki on the helm had quite a bit of weather helm so I put three reefs in the genoa which helped the weather helm but never slowed us any. It was great to be out sailing but looking around not another sail in sight, Elektra was in the grove romping alone with very little sail. We sailed in past Pendennis Point at 1800hrs having logged 4.5nm. As per normal we lost the wind here and let out all the genoa again expecting to need to reef again when crossing Falmouth Harbour.

Heading north up the Carrick Roads against the tide we would have to tack but we had a good line for St Just in Roseland, as we passed St Mawes a group of racing yachts came out on the other tack, turning to follow us up the Roads, with full sail they couldn’t catch us! At St Just we tacked west towards Mylor, the wind wasn’t as strong now but we did have to roll in one reef in the genoa just to help the weather helm. Tacking again at Mylor with 0.8m under the keel, the tide was still going out but being a neap-tides we would be ok everywhere in the Roads. We now had a good line for Turnaware Point but the wind was easing so we let out the reef in the genoa.

We started the engine just south of Turnaware Bar to avoid having to tack again, we motored into Channels Creek and dropped anchor at 1900hrs having logged 10.5nm. Not that I saw that speed but the GPS was saying our fastest SOG was 7.8kts, which must have been in Falmouth Bay because of being against the tide in the Carrick Roads, anyway just great sailing!

Having spent two nights at anchor in Channels Creek we decided to head back to our mooring for Sunday night to avoid getting out early on Monday.

Quite a bit of the Carrick Roads is shallow, my rule to myself is keep to the deep channel 2hrs either side of LW springs, the rest of the time is ok anywhere.  At 1500hr about an hour before LW we lifted the anchor and motored out down the channel to where the channel turned back to St Just in Roseland, from there we set sail into a S3, we were able to follow the channel past St Just but once we tacked we were heading back towards the shallows just south of Mylor. It was a nice slow sail logging about 3kns, our old Hurley 22 couldn’t have sailed in so little wind. Over the shallows the sounder told us there was 0.9m under the keel so we kept going into deeper water again. It took us 2hrs to tack down the Carrick Roads to Black Rock where the wind died and we started motoring.

We picked up our mooring at 1750hrs having logged 10.5nm

It looked like being a great weekend for getting out on the water, the forecast was saying variable 1-2, this time the forecast was right.

I had raised the mainsail before leaving the mooring, we motored off at 1800hrs and set sail but only making 1-2kts we soon decided it was to slow so started the engine and motored across Falmouth Bay. On entering the Carrick Roads there seemed like there was some wind so we set sail again and started to goose wing north up the Roads. As the way came off from the engine we could see our speed was down to 1.5kts with the tide, the chart plotter was telling us we would not arrive until 2200hrs, to late we thought, so on with the engine again.

It was interesting watching the racing yachts rounding a mark and heading back into the tide, they were not going forward, just sliding sideways! A little while after passing them by I decided to have a play at reversing Elektra (there had been some discussion on the SSOA facebook page, about how it was impossible to reverse a Sadler) After our last yacht, I hadn’t had any problem with reversing Elektra. But I just wanted to make sure I could and knew how to do, as I thought I had no problem, I found I needed to get way on first and then just a little rudder and she would turn which ever way I wanted to go. The only problem was, I think the racing yachts must have thought I had lost the plot with me weaving around the Carrick Roads in reverse!

We got going forward again and arrived to drop anchor in Channels Creek at 2000hrs having logged 8.5nm.

There was no hurry to get home as the tide would be to far out to get ashore until after 1830hrs, so getting out late and then having full English before doing the washing up.

We took our time and lifted the anchor at 1300hrs, raising the main with the reef still in, we motored down the channel to were it turns back towards St Just in Roseland before setting sail. we soon found we didn’t need the reef in the main so shook it out. We were making 3-4kts as we tacked south down the Carrick Roads. Our past Pendennis Point and into Falmouth Bay, this was slower more relaxing sailing but just as enjoyable as the day before in its own way, we got into Gillan and picked up our mooring at 1610hrs having logged 13nm.

Having had very little time aboard and sailing in the past three weeks we found the weekend free at last.

The forecast was NNW4 and we left Gillan under full genoa and reefed main and we were soon logging up to 6kts across Falmouth Bay in a ENE direction, with the odd squall coming though which set the water running down the side decks and lifted our speed over 6kts, it was a great sail. At Pendennis Point we turned north now hard on the wind but halfway though the ebbing spring tide our speed over ground dropped to 4.5kts but still going though the water just as fast, we were enjoying ourselves. We were able to sail all the way to Turnaware Point before starting the engine. We motored into Channels Creek and dropped anchor, we had logged 8.5nm in 1.75hrs.

After three weeks had passed by where work had stopped all sailing, this weekend I had homework to do so on Sunday I decided to fit Elektra new stack pack.

In the late afternoon once the tide had come in we went for a sail, the forecast said force 4 but I have the feeling it was blowing much more. We were only sailing on our genoa and still making over 6kts. In just an hour long sail we covered 5.7nm. What was interesting was sailing up the Helford River with racing yachts (this is Falmouth week), carbon sails and full sail, 6-8 crew, we could keep up with them just on a genoa, point as well as fin keel racers with our bilge keel Sadler 29. I did enjoy myself! What fantastic yachts these Sadler,s are!

After Monday being a nice day doing the holiday things, pub lunch a bit of shopping in St Mawes, we knew Tuesday was going to be wet and windy from the east so had chose to say put and wait for the weather to change.

The forecast for Wednesday was SW4-5. Motoring out of the Precuil River I set a reefed main, after passing St Mawes I rolled out all the genoa and we sailed across Carrick Roads to Pendennis Point before tacking and heading south. We tacked again about a mile south of Pendennis and headed west again, we were making 5-6kts and healing hard so I rolled one reef in the genoa which never slowed us any but took away the hard healing. Just south of Swanpool Beach we tacked again to the south making 6-7kts and the hard healing was back, I estimated the wind to be SW5 gusting 6, water was running down the side decks as Elektra punched forward. Having reached the Nare Point, we didn’t want to tack again and decided motor the last 1/2mile into Gillan to charge the batteries. The GPS was telling us our fastest speed was 7.9kts. Elektra had covered the 8.5nm in 1.5hrs having slowly motored the first mile down the Precuil while I got the decks clean and main sail set.

On entering Gillan and trying to pick up the mooring, we got the pick up chain around the prop, seeing we were having problems a chap came over in his RIB to help but was unable to free it, he helped us attach a warp to another mooring to take the strain off. His friend was on the beach and had sub-aqua gear, so he went in for his help. We got busy with the jobs while we waited, sure enough out he came again with diver. It wasn’t a simple job but he was able to free it after a bit of work. I asked how much? The low amount he asked for, I gave twice as much with my thanks. Having sorted out the mooring and attached it to the right end of the boat, I started the engine again, that seemed ok but in gear we had a knocking noise. We are going to dry out Elektra and check the stern gear before we go out again.

Elektra was dried out on Tuesday 25th, our engineer inspected the damage, it was found to be a bent rope cutter which he managed to straighten the blade and fit two new barrings, apart from that no other damage had been done, “Elektra” is ready for sea again when time and weather allows.