Though the rest of Saturday and Sunday the weather was drab and drizzle so we stayed put and read mags and books sheltered in our cockpit enclosure.
Drab and drizzle Glass like calm
On Monday 6th of September the sun came out and we awoke to a glass like calm. Enjoying a little more cockpit time in the morning before taking the dinghy down river to St Mawes for shopping from the co-op and a pub lunch in the “Rising Sun” our 3rd pub lunch since February 2020!
Precuil River
After lunch we had showers at St Mawes Sailing Club and returned to Elektra for a lazy afternoon.
On Tuesday 4th was the same good weather but the wind was forecasted to strong and gusting from the East. We planned to stay another day and then go sailing on Wednesday.
The plan had always been to go to the SSOA rally in Fowey for Saturday evening but we knew with big easterly swells and blowing force 4 gusting 5 it was going to be a bumpy ride.
We had agreed to leave at 0900hrs against the tide and the wind, hoping for a less bouncy passage. Picking up the anchor and heading out into St Mawes where we turned into wind to pull the mainsail up with one reef before turning back towards the entrance. I coiled the lines and setting half of the genoa as we turned south. It seemed plenty of sail as we headed out into the swells of Falmouth Bay.
Then followed an extremely uncomfortable push to windward, best heading over ground was 170 degrees, logging 5.5kts, this tack which we stuck to until east of Helford River Entrance when turned onto a starboard tack, visibly was barely 2nm. Healing hard and crashing though the swells, Elektra was handling it well. It was at this point Vicki asked did we really want to put up with this for another 6hrs? The answer was no! In hind sight it might have been better to reef the genoa more but we decided to turn back.
Now on a broad reach Elektra picked up speed, now logging over 7kts and times just under 8kts, one of the best sails in a long time!
Good sailing right into St Mawes moorings, where l started the engine and rolled in the genoa. It was nice to be in quieter waters. As Vicki turned into wind l let the main down and packed it away. Motoring in slowly as it was now low water, we dropped anchor in our favour part of the Precuil River after just an hour and half in which Elektra had logged 10nm. The fastest speed recorded by the GPS was 7.8kts!
With the misty weather we put up Elektra’s cockpit enclosure
With a few jobs to do in the morning including checking Elektra on her mooring after a friend had phoned to say her aft mooring line was around her rudder. Checking her in the morning the line had sorted itself
Elektra on her gale proof mooring.
Being neap tides Elektra would only float around high water 1550hrs, we planned to leave home about 1330hrs, driving along the creek road Elektra wasn’t far away from floating, by the time we had launched the dinghy and loaded the stores, motored the dinghy out to Elektra she was. We needed to stow everything before heading out into the easterly swells, it was going to get very bouncy! Vicki got on with work in the cabin while l did jobs on deck. At 1515hrs we dropped the mooring and motored Elektra slowly out of Carne Creek. Turning into wind l pulled up the main with one reef.
We then motored out into the easterly swells and set a reefed genoa for sail to the shelter of St Mawes, we were logging well over 5kts at times but the wind seemed to ease the closer we got to St Mawes. We dropped anchor off Place Manor at 1650hrs having logged 6nm.
Lively sailing!
The plan was to sail to Fowey tomorrow for a Sadler Rally into the same easterly swells and force 4 gusting 5. In the meantime a quiet night at anchor.
Place Manor anchorage to left and St Mawes center top.
With the HW being 1010hrs and the need to put Elektra back on her gale proof mooring due to forecasted strong easterly winds in the weed.
We picked up Elektra’s anchor at 0810hrs and motored out to St Mawes, there l set all het sail to cross Falmouth Bay, was very good sailing.
Crossing Falmouth Bay
We arrived at Gillan early and motored Elektra into Carne Creek slowly picking up her gale proof mooring at 0930hrs, not in any hurry we then had brunch before washing up and leaving her around 1330hrs as the tide was falling away.
With news of a sailing friend anchored in the Precuil River we planed to meet up. We needed to move Elektra out of Carne Creek on the high water of Thursday evening, we were going to anchor of Flushing Cove but in the end decided to go on her seasonal mooring because of the easterly swell.
Our seasonal mooring is open to the full length of the English Channel from the East
Friday 27th August
The forecast was NE3-4 but I awoke to thick fog no wind and a slight easterly swell. The fog cleared slowly and the wind filled in, we decided to sail first and eat later. We dropped the mooring at 0930hrs, set all the sail our first tack took us north to August Rock before tacking SE out into Falmouth Bay. Other yachts were all motoring into wind. Out in the bay having sailed 3.5nm we tacked again, this tack was good all the way into St Mawes. We dropped anchor in the Precuil River at 1130hrs having logged 9nm.
It seems we are always in the Precuil River but we love being here.Chats with Kevin on his yachtAnd then more chatting on ours
There was no hurry to get back, the forecast for the coming week was easterly so we needed to moor Elektra on her gale proof mooring in Carne Creek, we need the a tide height of over 4m to get her in and out of there. The tide would be high enough by 1630hrs. Another brunch and washing up followed by a few hours reading in the cockpit.
We lifted Elektra’s anchor at 1500hrs and motored out of the river. setting all sail in St Mawes Harbour at 1515hrs, it was a fast sail and we picked up Elektra’s gale proof mooring at 1635hrs having logged 7nm.
After a few weekends used up to get mums house ready to sell, it looked like we would be able to get away for 2 nights but first I had to repair a riffal in mums shed roof. The house had been put on the market the weekend before and already someone had viewed, they turned up for a 2nd viewing when I was still there!
Roof repaired we managed to drop Elektra’s mooring at 1445hrs and head downwind to the Precuil River, after a 1.5hr passage we dropped anchor in the river alone with no other boats, with rain forecasted for Saturday we put up the cockpit encloser. I promply fell fast asleep in the cockpit. Then followed our normal evening of Scrabble and a bottle of red, cheese and crackers.
The Precuil River
Saturday 21st August
After sleeping in and brunch we were sitting in the cockpit reading when a yacht motored closely by, the skipper shouted over “we are going to start a race here and you are anchored on the start line” “I suggest you move” he said. Me and Vicki looked at each other. I might have moved if he had been nicer but then it stated raining, I said to Vicki “I am not moving now” So we stayed, the rain came down heavy, yacths and dinghies started milling around for the start. It was interesting watching, a few close calls but no bumps and after 2-3hrs they were gone and we had the anchorage to ourselves again.
After a lovely quiet night at anchor, we would have to leave before the tide dropped to low. Lots of other yachts had arrived during the evening before and the morning as this would be a great anchorage for the coming blow on Sunday.
With just 1m under the keel we lifted our anchor and headed out into St Mawes Harbour to set sail. The wind seemed fairly strong so l reefed the main and genoa, our first port tack took us across just south of Pendennis Point and on into Maenporth before we tacked and headed out SSE into Falmouth Bay. The sailing was good after all the motoring we had done this summer we were glad and enjoying it. Leaving the next tack late as local knowledge tells us SW wind turns into W wind off the Helford River. Having tacked late we could ease the sails a little and speed up quite a lot! We sailed into Gillan and picked up our mooring just 1.25hrs later having logged 8nm.
Having had to work on mum’s house getting it ready to sell. It was late on Friday before we could get away.
Dropped the mooring at 1445hrs we were sailing away down wind we had only set the genoa but we covered the 6nm in 1.5hrs. We dropped anchor in Place Manor where we would dry out overnight. Far enough to get away but not to far for a hard bash back to windward to get home.
Looking at the forecast, the wind was due to get up on Sunday from the Southwest so we planned to go back Saturday.
There wasn’t any any hurry to get back but we needed to get off Elektra before 1600hrs because of the falling tide.
After a lazy cooked brunch and washing up, I pulled the anchor back aboard at 1350hrs. Setting just the genoa again, there seemed a little bit more wind today. The forecast was only NW4 but the passage was fast back to Gillan, we sailed right in and onto the mooring , picking it up at 1525hrs having logged 9nm.
Love Sailing 