Love Sailing

It was nearly midnight before we got home on Sunday night, the ambilance crew had very kindly offered to take us home from Lizard RNLI Station, and when we arrived I had to break a window to get in because we had left almost everything aboard Elektra when we abandoned her. There wasn’t any milk for even a coffee, it seemed like the best thing to do was go to bed, but I couldn’t sleep! So I got out and did some computer work and went back to bed at about 0400hrs, slept for 2hrs before waking up coughing because of the powder from the extinguishers, so got out. On Sunday while we were on passage I had contacted my shore contact (Patti) to say we had left Scilly and were on passage to Gillan, our eta wasn’t until 2300-2400hrs. Patti replied and said she was on holiday out of the country and 2hrs ahead, so don’t expect a reply, but safe journey. At 2140hrs Sunday, I sent a text saying “we had a problem, but all OK, tell you about it later” at the time we were sitting in the lifeboat station. So at 0625hrs on Monday I told Patti the story of our problem!

Then about 0720hrs I decided to walk to St Anthony (it would help clear my head) to get some stuff from Elektra, but before hand I looked around for spare keys for as much as possible. Then I walked to St Anthony, when walking along the road which overlooks the moorings, I couldn’t see Elektra out there. And talking to Anthony the boss of the boatyard, he hadn’t been in when the Lizard lifeboat tried to contact him. So now it was search for Elektra time, I used the spare key to drive the pick-up to Helford and hopfully find Elektra. And there she was about 3 mooring into the river, her foresail flapping in the increasing wind. I phoned Anthony, who had a shortage of avalible help, so I suggested I help bring Elektra around from Helford River to Gillan Harbour, which he thought would work. I tried to phone Vicki to tell her what was happening but no reply. The tow went well and we moored Elektra between the waiting mooring and the shore to let her dry out. Only then did I have a chance to look in the cabin of the yacht we had abandoned aprox 15hrs before. I started packing bags to take home, cleared the fridge and picked up Vicki’s tablet and phone, all the keys, everything was going to have to be removed and cleaned or washed before use again, white powder covered all! I didn’t have long because the tide was going out and it’s difficult when alone to get bags off from cockpit to dinghy, I took what I could and locked her up and drove home.

After brunch, I phoned my insurance broker to report and start claim process, I also phoned my engineer and told him about the fire, he was going to be down at St Anthony on Tuesday working and would have a look. I returned to Elektra now dried out with more bags to fill, this time I started to remove the items from the quarter berth, the powder was about an inch deep in there! We had always used the quarter berth for stowage as the berth was difficult to get in and out of because of the chart table. In the quarter berth was all my tools and spares, the rolled up cockpit encloser, a bag of recycling which we still had from Scilly, spare lifejackets, a plastic folding box, a folding sack trolly, a new 30lt ruck sack, a new empty grab bag! All of which was covered in a thick layer of powder. As I moved this out into the cockpit, I think the powder looked like smoke as it blew away in the wind and David J asked if I was OK. By now I was getting grouchy with lack of sleep and the powder was really awful stuff to deal with, and I don’t think my answer was very nice.

I unloaded more bags and loaded them into my pick-up and drove home, most of this stuff went into my shed to deal with later, with only a few bags coming indoors for Vicki to deal with. I wasn’t doing anymore today and went for a shower, afterwards I was sitting on the bed and noticed a WhatsApp message, it was from David P who knew we had been in Scilly and asked if we were back in Gillan, David was one of the first people I told or texted to about it and it was surprising how much it helped with processing what had happend.

The rest of the week continued with much of the same, my engineer Anthony had a look at Elektra’s engine on Tuesday evening and said the engine harness was good, only a earth cable from the batteries will need replacing. I had tried to contact the eletronic company who did the work on Elektra in the winter, looking for them to do a quote for repairs, but now a week on, they haven’t reponded! I asked a sailing friend Rob, if he could contact Bob Orchard for me as I knew they were friends. Bob told Rob he was winding up his buisness but gave another name and number to contact. So by the end of Wednesday, I had contacted a local marine electrician who was away on holiday but was coming back at the weekend (Rupert had called me from his hoiliday and asked for photos sent on WhatsApp) From the photo’s he said the job was doable and he said he would contact me Monday.

The damage seemed to be mainly wiring and the alternator diode which were burnt in fire. The fire had spat into a new ruck sack which was stowed in the berth, but that had saved everything else under it. The cockpit encloser was rolled up and stowed in the berth, the canvas was fine but the plastic windows had suffered because of the heat of the fire. The fire had blackend the ceiling above the alternator diode. There was powder everywhere and the cabin needed to be emptied and totally cleaned. The only other damage was external, the bow nav light was broken.

We had been in Scilly for over 3 weeks before looking for the weather to return to the mainland. With a weekend of east winds the Scilly silly season had arrived, St Mary’s Harbour was full and Porth Loo to the North had 27 yachts at anchor. We thought the time had come to leave. But the weather wasn’t looking good, now blowing east wind the forecast for next week was strong southwest winds lt’s not a hop down the coast, crossing from Scilly to Lizard Point is like being in the Atlantic ocean and anything stronger than force 5 is going to mean very big waves.

It was the morning of Sunday the 13th of July that l saw a possible weather window for the crossing. With the forecast of the easterly winds to die down and move to southeast force 5-6, then south force 4, then southwest force 3-5 before picking up on Monday. I spoke to Vicki when she awoke, and we agreed to leave around lunchtime.

It was 1120hrs when l pulled up Elektra’s anchor and as l stowed Vicki motored Elektra out of Porth Loo and south then southeast out of St Mary’s Sound into a head wind. It was rough once out of the Sound for about 10nm but slowly eased as we went east, to start with we were motor sailing to keep her going though the waves, then as time went on the wind became Southerly force 3-4. Then south-southwest and very light and so we were motoring. But slowly it picked up from the southwest, we could of been sailing but we continued to motor sail as we knew we would be arriving after dark and the less night time sailing the better especially with all the crab pot markers around.

At around 1900hrs the wind instrument stopped working, but the next time l looked it was working again. I wrote in the log at 1920hrs by then we had a southwest force 3-4 and we were 3nm west of the Lizard WP having logged 42nm. At 1930hrs the chart plotter went blank, it was then l noticed smoke coming from the cabin! And quickly went to investigate. I opened the  engine box and discovered fire🔥

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Having been in Porth Cressa for 2 nights, the forecast was now showing another strong wind warning this time from the East. The strong winds were due to come though on Saturday and Sunday, so on Thursday we moved over Porth Congor on St Agnes, this we thought would be sheltered from the easterly winds. It had been 7 years since we had last visited St Agnes.

So at the end of Thursday after l had walked the Garrison Walk from Porth Cressa. We moved the 2nm to Porth Congor  and dropped anchor between the moorings and the bar. Mainly yachts use the Cove southeast of the bar because this is deeper water. But we like Porth Congor as it’s quieter. What we had forgotten was both The Cove and Porth Congor suffer from no mobile signal, something which wouldn’t of bothered me 7 years ago but dose now!

Anyway we stayed the night and about an hour either side of low water we bumped up and down on the sandy bottom for 10mins, which wasn’t a nice feeling!

By the next morning l had decided to leave and go back to Porth Loo, so at 0800hrs l pulled up her anchor and motored her slowly out and turned north for St Mary’s Harbour. Half an hour later we had dropped anchor in Porth Loo with 1.5m under the keel at low water. We were here early but already there was about 15 yacht anchored here. Being shallow draft we were able to get in closer than most. Then over the rest of the day the numbers increased to 25.

Vicki and me went ashore for some shopping and had a pub lunch in the Mermaid Inn, before returning to Elektra and enjoying the sunshine in the cockpit between breaks out of the heat in the cabin! 24C in the shade and not much wind to cool things down! On the plus side we stayed out in the cockpit until dark before retiring below.

On Tuesday 2hrs before high water l pulled up Elektra’s anchor and Vicki motored her out. I took over and turned Elektra south over the shallows out of New Grimsby Sound. With no wind l continued south southwest across St Mary’s Roads and around into Porth Cressa dropping anchor in the shallows.

We went ashore for shopping, another experiment with the sack trolley and this time a folding plastic box. I don’t think this idea worked as well as the last time! And certainly the trolley was a no go when it came to the sandy beach of Porth Cressa! Anyway we continued and once back aboard decided, shopping needed to be little and often no one big shop weekly!

After that we collapsed into the cockpit and enjoyed the evening sunshine.

Friday evening after arriving in Green Bay the wind picked up from the west, and howled though the night, by morning it was also raining. This weather continued like this for 36hrs, but by midday on Sunday the sun had come out again. During the same period the wind had veered from the west and was now blowing from the north. During the 50% of the time we were floating it had been pretty uncomfortable aboard.

On Monday the wind was forecasted to die away by midday and our plan had been to move from Green Bay to Porth Cressa but the wind didn’t seem to ease very quickly. So in the afternoon we just moved out further in Green Bay, because the wind had moved around to the north Elektra had started to get very close to the rocks along the shore.

Our friends Charlie and Jackie aboard Tantrum and Keith aboard Loube used the end of the day to get ready to leave for the mainland and by the time l got out at 0630hrs next day, they had both left.

With the weather due to improving again we hadn’t plans to leave Scilly for another week and were planning to move over to Porth Cressa for shopping, l think today is Tuesday? That’s seems to be my biggest problem at the moment, remembering which day of the week it is! Lol 😆

After a lovely few days at St Martin’s the forecast for wet and windy mainly from the west and the Neck of the Pool wasn’t the place to be. We discussed our options and talked about going over to Old Grimsby on Tresco but with the wind forecasted to go from west to northwest on Monday we didn’t think there would be good, so decided to return to Green Bay, Bryher.

So on Friday an hour or so after we floated, l pulled up Elektra’s anchor and Vicki motored Elektra out south the way we came in to the Neck of the Pool. Now about half tide and rising, the local trip boats and ferries where moving about but not many yachts. We headed out south towards St Mary’s antenna with the sounder mainly showing 2.3m under the keel until we were south enough to turn southwest towards The Pots way point. It was interested seeing the Bryher ferry go north of the Pots while we stayed safe in deeper water. At the Pots WP we turned west for Paper Ledge way point. And followed another yacht into the shallows of New Grimsby Sound. Turning to starboard and then port around the rocks, the other yacht just carries on north without turning to port and Sampson Hill on Bryher. It wasn’t long before they discovered the shallow ground and almost stopped, but they did clear the shallows very slowly, while we went the longer deeper route.

When we turned around Merrick Island into Green Bay there was only about 5 yachts anchored there, so we could pick the prime spot just off the beach. By evening the numbers had swelled to 14 yachts for the blow to come, due to get up during that night.

During the rest of that day we relaxed in Elektra’s cockpit sunshine.

After a lovely night at anchor in Porth Cressa we moved over to the Neck of the Pool, St Martin’s, we love this anchorage which we normally have to ourselves, it’s another drying anchorage like Green Bay and good for northerly winds.

Here we stayed for 3 nights, l walked a lot  of St Martin’s, on the Thursday we had lunch at the Seven Stones Inn. This was excellent summer weather, while London was baking in 35C we were enjoying 25C and cooling sea breeze 😎

After over a week in Greek Bay, Bryher, supplies were running low and with a some calmer days in the forecast, we planned to get over to St Mary’s the main island to restock. The wind was forecasted to die away on Saturday, l thought by Sunday morning morning the swell will have eased.

While we had been in Green Bay, l had managed to get the depth sounder to work on the older chart plotter which was mounted on the chart table. Not exactly where the information needed to be but at least we had some idea of the depth which was truly necessary in the islands. At high water, l pulled up Elektra’s anchor and Vicki took Elektra back out of Green Bay and turned south down New Grimsby Sound over the shallows. An hour later we were looking at Porth Loo thinking it was a bit rolly! The swell hadn’t died away as much as l thought it would. But inside the harbour the yachts on the moorings seemed to be rolling just as bad at £30 per night! It wasn’t dangerous to anchor but wouldn’t be comfortable. We decided we would anchor and go ashore to get away from the rolling which is what we did.

Back in the winter l had bought a folding sack trolley which we took with us for the shopping. We left Elektra to her rolling and went ashore, landing at the dinghy pontoon. Vicki finds walking very difficult, normally l aid her with my arm for support and walk slowly. We did this to the Co-op and did our shopping. When we left the Co-op with a full sack trolley and l also carried a bag, Vicki had to manage as best she could. With the “Atlantic Inn” open for Sunday Roast, we stopped there on the way back for lunch and a beer. Then with Vicki rested it was back to the dinghy pontoon and back out to Elektra.

Elektra was still rolling, but not quite as bad. We stayed there overnight and the swell never really calmed down. But we were back ashore early next morning for more shopping and take washing to the laundry. We had breakfast from a cafe. Once back aboard we moved to Porth Cressa, the south side of the island for a calmer night! From Porth Cressa it was easier to pick up the washing and Vicki bought me afternoon tea from next door cafe. Porth Cressa had filled up from the 4 yachts there in the morning to 14 by evening.

We sat enjoying the surroundings in Elektra’s cockpit well into the evening, a French yacht had arrived and the 4 guys went ashore, when they came back later on, while the skipper was climbing aboard the dinghy upset and the other 3 ended up swimming! They seemed to take it all in good spirits, there was a lot of laughter as they saved the bags and the shoes from floating away!

Like l said before we love Scilly but there isn’t any around shelter for yachts with deep keels and can’t take the ground. The lsles of Scilly is the one place where yachts which can take the ground come completely into their own. In deep water your normally a long way off the little shelter the islands can provide in a blow. If you can find sheltered anchorage or mooring, quite often in unsettled weather there will be a ground swell and yachts will roll badly.

Our last yacht a Hurley 22 had beach legs which worked well most of the time but they needed a quiet anchorage with no swells or boat wash. One of the reasons we bought Elektra was she had twin keels for Scilly.

The forecast for the week following our arrival in Scilly was strong west and southwest winds and Green Bay, Bryher inside New Grimsby Sound is ideal. So the morning after our arrival we moved to Green Bay. This year the Bay was very busy  but we found a spot close to the shore with the other 25 yachts there. There we stayed for the whole of the next week. For the main the weather warm and was dry, with some sunshine.

Lots of walking for me and the occasional meal ashore for Vicki, lots of R&R for both of us.